Shows
Smart TeaDr. Kamala Sohonie: The Patriotic BiochemistSend us a textEven a Nobel Prize laureate couldn't stand in her way! Aarati tells the story of the first Indian woman to get a PhD in science and how she used it to help her country's people.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-06-041h 00Smart TeaGustaf Dalén: Illuminating LighthousesSend us a textFor someone who was literally blinded by science, Gustaf remained optimistic. And why shouldn't he have been? He saved countless lives and won the Nobel prize by improving lighthouses. And he set a new standard in home cooking!Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-05-211h 01Smart TeaKristian Birkeland: The Aurora Borealis AdventurerSend us a textMeet the scientist whose discoveries led to him almost winning the Nobel Prize SEVEN times. From the Aurora Borealis, to electromagnetic cannons, to fertilizer, the impact Kristian Birkeland had on science cannot be overstated.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-05-071h 04Smart TeaDr. William Dement: The Sleep DoctorSend us a textWe spend about 33% of our lives sleeping but during that time, our brain is still incredibly active. In this episode, we talk about Dr. William Dement, the Stanford professor who set up the first sleep clinics to study what is goes on while we are dreaming.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-04-2359 minSmart TeaRoxie Laybourne: The Feather InspectorSend us a textAny pilot will tell you, bird strikes are unfortunately a common occurrence. But thanks to Roxie's work, the skies are less dangerous for airplanes and our flying feathered friends. Aarati tells her story and introduces Maria, the new podcast co-host!Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-04-091h 02Smart TeaDr. Santiago Ramon y Cajal: The Artistic NeuroscientistSend us a textFrom wild child to a Nobel laureate! Aarati tells the story of the artistic scientist whose beautifully intricate drawings unraveled the secrets of the brain.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-03-261h 06Smart TeaDr. José Manuel Rodríguez Delgado: The Mind ControllerSend us a textMind control is more than science fiction! Arpita tells the story of a scientist who could make charging bulls stop dead in their tracks and cats lick at invisible bowls of milk. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-03-121h 01Smart TeaDr. Elmer S. Imes: The Quantum SpectroscopistSend us a textWhat causes a quantum jump? Aarati tells the story of Dr. Elmer Imes, a Harlem Renaissance man who proved that the rotation and vibration of molecules is quantized. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-02-2653 minSmart TeaJacques Piccard: The Deep Sea DiverSend us a textThe Mariana Trench is the deepest and least explored part of our oceans. Hold your breath while Arpita tells the story of the first scientist to make the harrowing journey into the deep. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-02-1254 minSmart TeaDr. Charles Richter: Measuring EarthquakesSend us a textFrom tiny tremors to catastrophic disasters, earthquakes are a difficult phenomenon to measure. Aarati tells the story of Charles Richter, a man who wanted to study the stars, but ended up studying the literal earth instead.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-01-2959 minSmart TeaJack Parsons: The Troubled Rocket ScientistSend us a textHappy new year! We're starting 2025 with an EXPLOSIVE episode! Arpita tells the story of Jack Parsons, the founder of JPL, who had some dark and unexpected interests. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2025-01-151h 01Smart TeaWilson Bentley: The Snowflake ManSend us a textTaking photographs of microscopic snow crystals is an art. Aarati tells the story of the man who braved blizzards in his obsession to capture the beauty of snowflakes.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-12-1134 minSmart TeaDr. Brigitte Askonas: The Mother of ImmunologySend us a textFrom antibodies to killer T cells, there isn't a part of the immune system Brigitte didn't study. Aarati tells the story of a true pioneer in immunology.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-11-2750 minSmart TeaDr. Harvey Washington Wiley: Founder of the FDASend us a textWould you drink embalmed milk?! Arpita tells the story of the scientist who cracked down on harmful preservatives and additives in food and started the FDA.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-11-1344 minSmart TeaDr. Wilhelm Röntgen: Discovering X-raysSend us a textAs soon as X-rays were discovered, scientists realized the potential they had to revolutionize healthcare. Aarati tells the story of the very first physicist who won the Nobel Prize.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-10-3047 minSmart TeaDr. Bennet Omalu: The NFL WhistleblowerSend us a textIt's football season! Arpita tells the story of a pathologist who publicized some of the dangers facing NFL players. Come for the football, stay for Dr. Omalu's surprising motives. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-10-1652 minSmart TeaDr. John B. Watson: The Fear PsychologistSend us a textAre rats and spiders actually scary or have you just been conditioned to think so? Aarati tells the story of a controversial psychologist whose "Little Albert" experiment on fear went a bit too far. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-10-0254 minSmart TeaDr. Svetlana Mojsov: The Unsung Ozempic HeroSend us a textOzempic and Wegovy are everywhere, but there is one scientist who has been left out of all the news articles. Arpita tells the story of a female immigrant scientist whose discoveries were the key in creating these wonder drugs. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-09-1855 minSmart TeaPercy Spencer: Microwaves and MagnetronsSend us a textOne person’s curiosity can change the world! Aarati tells the story of a grade school dropout whose drive to learn how things work resulted in the invention of the microwave oven. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-09-0451 minSmart TeaDr. Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin: Psychedelic PioneerSend us a textArpita is back with another story in the series on psychedelics. MDMA has an interesting history, but could it have a future in mental health treatment as well? Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-08-211h 01Smart TeaDr. Charles Drew: The Blood BankerSend us a textBlood transfusions were a risky business until this athlete turned surgeon came along. Aarati tells the story of a literal bloody genius!Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-08-0752 minSmart TeaEttore Majorana: The Case of the Missing PhysicistSend us a textTrue crime, anyone?! Arpita tells the story of a brilliant physicist who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-07-2453 minSmart TeaStephanie Kwolek: The Queen of KevlarSend us a textYou don't need to be a doctor to save lives! Aarati goes into the life of a headstrong fashion designer-turned-chemist, who created polymer based fabrics like spandex, polyester, and Kevlar.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-07-1052 minSmart TeaAlbert Hofmann: The Science and Culture of LSDSend us a textAn unlikely chemist makes an even unlikelier discovery. Arpita tells the story of how Albert Hofmann brought LSD (and a very memorable bicycle ride) to the western world. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-06-261h 10Smart TeaWilbur Scoville: The Spicy PharmacistSend us a textWe're heating things up! Aarati tells the story of the pharmacist who created a scale to rate the spiciness of chili peppers. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-06-121h 00Smart TeaDmitri Belyaev: Taming Silver FoxesSend us a textHow did dogs become our best friends? For our 10th episode, Aarati tells the story of Dmitri Belyaev, a Soviet scientist who used foxes to uncover the mysteries of domestication.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-05-011h 08Smart TeaGuy Callendar: How Humans Affect the ClimateSend us a textWho says you need a fancy lab to do science? Aarati tells the story of the man who showed human activity was influencing the climate from the comfort of his own home. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-04-171h 02Smart TeaHedy Lamarr: The Avant-Garde StarletSend us a textArpita tells the story of one of the most glamorous movie stars of the early 20th century whose invention changed the way we communicate and laid the foundation for Wi-Fi. Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-04-0348 minSmart TeaEmmy Noether: The Power of SymmetrySend us a textMeet the female mathematician who Einstein thought was a genius! Aarati takes a stab at explaining Noether’s Theorem and the underlying mathematical symmetries of our universe.Support the showFor more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com. 2024-03-201h 00