Skip to main content

Up Next

Back to Show
Reactions

How Seashells Are Made

Season 5 Episode 20

If you know that seashells are made of basically the same stuff as chalk, you might have wondered why chalk is crumbly but seashells are super tough. This week on Reactions, we explain: The secret’s in the biochemistry.

Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By
Season
A Deep(er) Dive Into Whiskey Distilling Science
13:38
The process might be relatively simple but it's dangerous and illegal without a license.
Your Gas Stove is Polluting Your Home
9:32
Gas stove ranges are polluting our homes.
How Do They Make Maple Syrup?
13:43
We look at the science behind the whole process, from sap to syrup.
Making Drinking Water From Sewage
11:50
With the right cleaning methods, we can turn the dirtiest water into safe cleaning water.
How to Demo a Building Without Exploding Everything Around
9:12
Counterintuitively, you do it with explosives.
You Don't Understand Water (and Neither Does Anyone Else)
12:10
We’re gonna dive into the controversial chemistry of water's unusual properties.
This Toxic Gas is Responsible for Almost All Our Food
10:03
Plot twist: Toxic Anhydrous ammonia is responsible for 50% of the food on your table.
What's In "Premium" Gas?
8:43
It all has to do with the octane rating!
Climate Change is Affecting Hibernation Patterns of Animals
7:29
This is a deeper dive into how complicated and climate based hibernation is.
What is an Electron?
10:50
There is so much more to these “negatively charged particles” than we've thought.
We Made Pop Rocks at Home with Science
8:31
Making pop rocks at home is so much harder but so much fun. Check it out!
I Ate Gold To Prove a Point
7:03
Why are some heavy metals deadly while others keep us alive?
Active loading indicator