In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, a listener asks: Could we still be carrying air from our very first breath? Deboki unpack’s residual lung volume, gas exchange, and a forensic technique used to determine whether or not someone drowned. Then, the conversation turns to women’s health and bleeding disorders after a listener shares their experience living with Von Willebrand disease — the most common bleeding disorder. Sam explores what the condition is, how it was discovered, why it disproportionately affects women, and how normalizing heavy, painful periods is not just frustrating but has serious medical consequences.

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In the early 1930s, a “new and improved” eyelash dye called Lash Lure blinded more than a dozen women, ultimately forcing the FDA to pass new regulations on cosmetics. Nearly a century later, beauty remains far safer than it was in the past, but you could argue that beauty marketing has become far more insidious, with vague language and chemophobic claims to push consumers toward products. In this episode, we chat with cosmetic chemist and science communicator Michelle Wong to unpack the booming “clean beauty” industry, including a conversation about parabens and fragrances and how chemophobia (a fear of chemicals) early in life can become a gateway to broader anti-science thinking, including anti-vax. You can follow Michelle at @LabMuffinBeautyScience on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube where she makes longer explainer videos.

Check out Wow if True here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you checked out ACS' new podcast Chain Reaction? Today we're bringing Tiny Matters listeners one of our favorite episodes!

Chemistry doesn’t just shape conflict — conflict shapes chemistry. And at no time in history is that more apparent than during the two world wars. Historian Alison McManus recounts how the race to weaponize toxic gases like chlorine and mustard gas transformed chemists into key military players, spurred industrial growth, and ignited an international arms race during WWI.

However, some battles of the world wars weren’t waged against an opposing army, but against diseases that soldiers caught while in combat. Journalist Karen Masterson reveals how WWII triggered a massive scientific mobilization — a secret, high‑stakes search for synthetic quinine and antimalarial drugs that would ultimately help seed the modern pharmaceutical industry. Packed with espionage, innovation, and ethical dilemmas, this episode uncovers how war accelerated chemistry in ways that still shape science today.

Available wherever you get podcasts! Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.