Skip to main content

Up Next

How Do Hand Sanitizers Work?

How Do Hand Sanitizers Work?

Season 4 Episode 35
3:21
How Does Xanax Work?

How Does Xanax Work?

Season 4 Episode 36
4:07
Why Do Some People Hate Cilantro?

Why Do Some People Hate Cilantro?

Season 4 Episode 37
2:44
The One Where We Put Stuff in Acid

The One Where We Put Stuff in Acid

Season 4 Episode 38
5:13
The Periodic Table Table

The Periodic Table Table

Season 4 Episode 39
5:39
We Are Made of Star Stuff

We Are Made of Star Stuff

Season 10 Episode 3
10:13
I Reinvented a 300-Year Old Drink

I Reinvented a 300-Year Old Drink

Season 10 Episode 4
16:56
This (Edible) Mushroom Could Kill You

This (Edible) Mushroom Could Kill You

Season 10 Episode 7
17:23
Back to Show
Reactions

How Does Glassblowing Work?

Season 4 Episode 34

If you’ve ever tapped a screen to send a tweet, opted for the bottled soda because it tastes better, or drooled over art glass in a gallery, then your life has been changed for the better by the transparent yet durable combination of sand and simple chemicals we call glass. We visit McFadden Art Glass in Baltimore, Maryland, to learn about the chemistry of this ancient material.

Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By
Season
Why You Can't Recycle Your Pants (Until Now)
12:15
George tests a newly discovered technique that could solve a recycling problem.
How is Ceviche "Cooked?"
11:46
How does lime juice turn raw fish into delicious ceviche? We explain with biochemistry!
Burning Forever Chemicals With Water
10:31
Forever Chemicals last… forever. Can a new technology finally send them to their doom?
The Bioconcrete Revolution (maybe)
8:21
Reducing the carbon footprint of concrete and cement by relying on biology.
Why are Mosquitos So Obsessed with Me?
9:13
Mosquitos really do prefer some people over others, and this Reactions ep explains why!
The End of Haber Bosch
13:50
Discover the single most important chemical reaction on Earth, and why we need to kill it.
What is Amorphous Ice?
9:38
This week Reactions dives into something truly out-of-this-world: amorphous ice.
Lab-grown, Plant-based, Real – What Is The Chemistry Of Meat
15:51
Are we about to re-define meat? If so, what is meat?!
But HOW Does Carbon Dioxide Trap Heat?
11:48
How do carbon dioxide molecules trap heat in our atmosphere?
EU’s Ban On Tattoo Ink: Breaking Down the Chemistry
10:37
Why has the European Union banned certain colors for tattoos?
Why Are Electric Vehicle Fires So Hard To Put Out?
12:29
Can we solve electric vehicle fires before we fully understand what’s happening?
How a Chemist Makes the Softest Bread You'll Ever Eat
15:58
Fluffy, delicious bread results when starch gelatinization and flour chemistry combine!
Active loading indicator