Episodes

  • Dr. Ludwig Boltzmann: The Disordered Physicist
    Dec 31 2025

    Why do certain things never happen in reverse? A shattered glass does not spontaneously reform, a spray of perfume doesn't concentrate back into it's bottle... but why not? In the Part III of our December Thermodynamics series (the final part!) Aarati tells us the story of the physicist who understood the true nature of entropy.

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Dr. Rudolf Clausius: The Laws of Thermodynamics
    Dec 17 2025

    Part II of our December Thermodynamics Extravaganza! Aarati tells the story of the German scientist who formally stated that 1) energy is conserved and 2) entropy is always increasing.

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    51 mins
  • Sadi Carnot: The Father of Thermodynamics
    Dec 3 2025

    Born to one of the most influential families during the French Revolution, Sadi Carnot kickstarted another revolution in physics. His perfect (although theoretical) steam engine transformed the way we think about heat and work.

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    46 mins
  • Dr. Virginia Apgar: Helping Babies Breathe
    Nov 19 2025

    After birth, a quick check to make sure the newborn is beathing and acting normally can be the difference between life and death. Aarati tells the life story of Dr. Virginia Apgar, an obstetric anesthesiologist who pioneered the field of neonatal care.

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    56 mins
  • Charles Goodyear: The Rubber Man
    Nov 5 2025

    Vulcanized rubber was a revolutionary material for clothing, medical devices, life preservers and eventually, the tire industry. But life was tougher than you can imagine for this ingenious inventor.

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Dr. Donald Griffin: The Batty Professor
    Oct 22 2025

    Bat echolocation opened up a whole new world of questions regarding animal behavior. Aarati tells the story of the scientist who first put forward the idea that many animals were self-aware, could strategize, and feel emotions just like humans do.

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Dr. Alfred Binet: The Intelligent Psychologist
    Oct 8 2025

    Is intelligence something you are born with or is it a skill you can improve? Aarati tells the story of the self-taught psychologist who came up with the original IQ test to help people across the entire intelligence spectrum.

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Dr. Mario Molina: Healing the Ozone Layer
    Sep 24 2025

    At the turn of the century, the world came together to ban chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) after scientists found evidence that they were destroying the Earth's protective ozone layer. Aarati tells the story of a chemist and Nobel Prize laureate who helped ring the alarm and continued to fight for environmental protections.

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    For more information and sources for this episode, visit https://www.smartteapodcast.com.

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    1 hr and 11 mins