Distillations | Science History Institute
Science History InstituteDistillations is the Science History Institute's critically acclaimed flagship podcast. We take deep dives into stories that range from the serious to the eccentric, all to help listeners better understand the surprising science that is all around us. Hear about everything from the crisis in Alzheimer's research to New England's 19th-century vampire panic in compelling, sometimes-funny, documentar... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 365 | Founded | 19 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | ScienceHistory | |||
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Latest Episodes
Alexis Pedrick joins Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti to bring you an episode from Tiny Matters, an award-winning podcast from the American Chemical Society produced by Multitude.
The episode, which originally aired in February 2026, explores the s... more
This episode is a co-production with Lost Women of Science.
Agnes Pockels did pioneering work in surface science. Her invention, the Pockels Trough, became the basis for an instrument that helped Katherine Burr Blodgett and Irving Langmuir make di... more
Alexis Pedrick joins Katie Hafner to bring you an episode from The Lost Women of Science Initiative, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to telling the forgotten or untold stories of remarkable female scientists and their groundbreaking w... more
In 2018 news broke that a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, had used CRISPR to edit human embryos, and twin girls had been born as a result. The story set off an explosive bioethical controversy. As gene editing expert Kiran Musunuru put it, "He Jiankui... more
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Love the subjects. This stuff is the kind obscure facts that make learning fun!
Podcast Addict5a year agoBuddy BAlways interesting. Even when they discuss something I already was familiar with, I still learn something new.
Podcast Addict52 years agoLHernandez- An Indispensable Podcast for Contested Times
This podcast comes from an institute I love and have supported for over a decade. The Science History Institute, formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation, is making superb use of its endowment and its resources to produce concise, relevant, informative, incisive, insightful and engrossing series on topics that are important to our understanding and vital to our public discourse. If “mainstream media” makes you angry, then this is your remedy. Set aside time to take in these fantastic history le... more
Apple Podcasts5philonous
United States3 years ago - Great season
I’ve really enjoyed the latest season, especially how they tackle larger topics but also bring it back in to a Philly perspective. Even if you don’t live in Philly, though, these stories and histories are worth a listen.
Apple Podcasts5Avid Listener and LearnerUnited States3 years ago Absolutely wonderful. Thank you.
Podchaser53 years agophillipmisaacs
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Apple Podcasts | #198 |  Poland/History |
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Frequently Asked Questions About Distillations
What is Distillations about and what kind of topics does it cover?
Distillations presents deeply reported histories of science and technology, often tying archival research to contemporary debates in ethics, policy, and public understanding. Recent episodes blend biographies of lesser-known scientists with big-picture topics—ranging from the social dynamics of scientific work, gender and domestic life in historical research, to cutting-edge discussions of gene therapy, IVF, and CRISPR. A notable strength is the show's ability to connect historical episodes to current issues, sometimes through collaborations with historians or advocacy voices, while maintaining engaging storytelling and thoughtful context that helps listeners assess how science shapes society.
Listeners can expect rigorous analysis, access... more
Where can I find podcast stats for Distillations?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Distillations. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Distillations and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Distillations get?
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What are the audience demographics for Distillations?
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How many subscribers and views does Distillations have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Distillations has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Distillations?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Distillations:
1. The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
2. Lost Women of Science
3. Science Friday
4. Radiolab
5. Ologies with Alie Ward
How many episodes of Distillations are there?
Distillations launched 19 years ago and published 365 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Distillations?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Distillations?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Distillations from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Distillations?
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What guests have appeared on Distillations?
Recent guests on Distillations include:
1. David Jones
2. Don Opitz
3. Danya Abdelhamid
4. Dolores Kathy Fleming
5. Lauren Bauer
6. Surekha Davies
7. Robin Marantz Henig
8. Rebekah Lockard
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.