Best Steven Townsend Podcasts (2025)

1
Steven Greenhouse talks how Trump's Tariffs may appeal to working-class voters 18:59

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1y ago18:59

18:59

In the latest Payday Report podcast, retired New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse talks about how Clinton pushing NAFTA bred distrust of the Democratic Party in the Rust Belt. He also discussed how Trump's tariffs may appeal to some working-class

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The last element – signing off with gratitude 2:40

1y ago2:40

2:40

According to the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy of a system will always increase. For a layperson, this means that all things must come to pass and nothing lasts forever. Since no person or thing can evade the laws of physics, this also applies to Bringing Chemistry to Life. In this final message from Paolo, the series’ creator and host,…

1
Plastic electronics, digitized materials, and other sustainable solutions 33:17

1y ago33:17

33:17

Join us for this look into materials chemistry, developed under the guiding principles of sustainability and a systems approach. Dr. Zlatka Stoeva, Co-founder and Managing Director of DZP Technologies, discovered her love of chemistry out of boredom as a child. She then traveled to unknown lands to master her science and discover the value of mento…

1
Randi Weingarten Talks How Tim Walz Empowered Teachers Union Activists 9:04

1+ y ago9:04

9:04

By Mike Elk For more than 15 years, I have covered Randi Weingarten, the president of the 1.7 million member American Federation of Teachers union, but I have never seen her as excited as when she got the news that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a social studies teachers and AFT member, had been selected as Vice President. Behind the scenes, Weingart…

1
The rise and adoption of biocatalysis 34:09

1+ y ago34:09

34:09

Some debate that synthetic organic chemistry strategies have become stale, but Dr. Todd Hyster of Princeton University's Hyster Lab disagrees. Todd fell in love with organic chemistry early in his education, but it wasn’t until he got turned on to enzyme catalysis that he found his true calling. He’s built a career using engineered enzymes to facil…

1
Radio Special on UE defeating McCarthyism in Small Massachusetts Town 1:25:33

1+ y ago1:25:33

1:25:33

In honor of Labor Day, earlier this week, we reaired a New England Public Media special produced by Ian Coss and hosted by local public historian Tom Goldscheider. "This project is every historian's dream," said Goldscheider. "I stumbled onto a cache of union meeting records and newspaper clippings from the 1940s that allowed me to reassemble a pie…

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The metrology aspects of PFAS 33:55

1+ y ago33:55

33:55

Early in her career, Dr. Jessica Reiner realized that she cared more about ensuring the accuracy of the measurements she was making than making the measurements themselves. This realization, combined with experience in working with PFAS, led to her current role as Research Chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Join u…

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The most interesting man in chemistry 33:10

1+ y ago33:10

33:10

Bioconjugation of antibodies to drugs via chemical linkers is how antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are made. We’re joined by Matt Giese, Senior Scientist at Vector Laboratories, who talks us through the complex chemistry options and biodesign considerations that have to be considered and balanced when making a successful ADC. How does one build the …

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Dave Weigel Talks What Summer Lee Can Teach America 28:34

1+ y ago28:34

28:34

Semafor's Dave Weigel talks with Mike Elk about how Congresswoman Summer Lee was able to cruise to a landslide victory against AIPAC will other candidates struggles and were defeated by them.

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Empowering women in the chemical industry 33:24

1+ y ago33:24

33:24

We're diving into an important topic: the representation of women in STEM careers. Despite making up about 50% of the population, women hold only around 34% of STEM positions, with even fewer—approximately 25%—in the chemicals industry. Why is this the case, and what can be done to change it? Kylie Wittle (Co-Founder & Operations Director of Women …

1
An expert-guided tour of battery chemistry 33:33

1+ y ago33:33

33:33

Strap in for this charged up conversation. Battery chemistry is a topic we’ve touched on before and is one we’ve committed to exploring further in this season. This conversation with Dr. Heather Platt, Co-Founder and Chief Battery Scientist at Platt Engineering Solutions, takes us on an expert-guided tour of battery chemistry. This conversation qui…

1
Veteran UE Organizer Chris Townsend Talks Organizing Surge in Northern Virginia 28:20

1+ y ago28:20

28:20

Chris Townsend is a veteran union organizer who has lived in Virginia for 20 years. He previously served as the UE's Political action director and the ATU's Organizing Director. Over the past five years, he has seen an upsurge in organizing in Northern Virginia. "I was the organizing director for the Amalgamated Transit Union and in a period of sev…

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27,000 Virginia Teachers Voting to Unionize 24:47

1+ y ago24:47

24:47

In Virginia, this week, over 27,000 teachers and school staff are expected to vote on unionizing. If they win, it will be the largest union victory in decades. The organizing drives comes after Virginia granted collective bargaining rights to public employees in 2020. Virginia now has become one of the fastest-growing states for unions in the count…

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With 70% UAW Sign Up, 25-Year Mercedes UAW Veteran Talks 10:53

1+ y ago10:53

10:53

With 70% UAW Sign Up, 25-Year Mercedes UAW Veteran Talks By Mike Elk Eleven years ago, I first met Kirk Garner, Vice President of UAW Local 149, the minority union at Mercedes in Vance, Alabama. After the UAW was narrowly defeated in a union drive in 2014, it formed minority unions at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Mercedes in Vance, Alab…

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Mid-season reveal: new episodes on battery tech, PFAS, and sustainability coming soon 6:21

1+ y ago6:21

6:21

Join our host, Dr. Paolo Braiuca, as he chats with some of the most fascinating scientists around the globe doing trailblazing work in a variety of fields and industries. Learn about their personal stories, notable contributions, and the enthusiasm for discovery that unites them all. This is a podcast for anyone who wants to learn more about scienc…

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Mercedes Union Leader in Alabama Predicts Landslide Victory 22:20

1+ y ago22:20

22:20

Since the late 1990s, UAW Local 149 Vice President Kirk Garner has been involved in efforts to unionize at Mercedes in Vance, Alabama. Now, after the 73% victory at Volkswagen in April, the union says that it is cruising to victory. "It feels really good. And it's finally coming to fruition. And we're excited, everybody's excited, ready to vote," s…

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After 10 Year Battle, a Younger Generation Leads the Way at Volkswagen 16:07

1+ y ago16:07

16:07

A formerly anti-union Volkswagen worker explains why he now supports the union at Volkswagen.

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The life-altering impact of one chemist’s sabbatical 31:39

1+ y ago31:39

31:39

Anyone that’s followed this podcast will know that Paolo’s final question to each guest is, “What advice would you like to share with younger scientists just starting their career?” Here, our guest, Dr. Monte Helm, professor of chemistry at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, shares advice that he clearly lives by, which is, “… be flexib…

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Cross-coupling, catalysis and one chemist’s move to tech 35:21

2y ago35:21

35:21

Most of us don’t grow up across the street from a chemistry building or know from an early age that we want to be a scientist, but Alan Dyke, VP of Business Development for ProChem, Inc. (CTO of Boulder Scientific Company at the time of the interview) did and became a chemist. Dr. Alan Dyke, former colleague, and friend of Paolo’s, shares his caree…

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After 25 Years, Mercedes Workers Say Union Could Come "Any Day Now" 14:10

2y ago14:10

14:10

For nearly 25 years Mercedes workers in Vance have tried to unionize, but have never gotten so close. Early last month workers at Mercedes reached 50% for the first time in plant history. "I came in '98. And they had a campaign going on, and were gaining momentum. And they just couldn't reach that 50% mark," says Kirk Garner, one of the leaders of …

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Koch Industries Using "Texas Two-Step" to Prevent Asbestos Victims from Going to Court 22:24

2y ago22:24

22:24

This week, as part of our podcast, Payday Report spoke to Lori Knapp and her lawyer, Jon Ruschdeki, who have been involved in a 6-year lawsuit against Koch Industries-owned Georgia Pacific but have yet to see their day in court. The lawsuit stems from her father Ed Chapman's death in 2020 from mesothelioma. Her father contracted the disease as a co…

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Flip the script. Meet your host, Paolo. 33:05

2y ago33:05

33:05

Bringing Chemistry to Life is as much about the people behind the science as it is about the science itself. We’ve been remiss in sharing a bit more about the creator and host! In this unique episode we flip the script and move Paolo from the host chair to the guest chair to hear his story. From Paolo’s childhood memories watching his father fix el…

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Shining a photochemical light on undergraduate research 33:00

2y ago33:00

33:00

With four seasons under our belt, we’ve heard some amazing stories about how our guests have found, or often “stumbled” into, their careers in science. We’ve also had many conversations where past guests have passionately discussed the importance of their early career teachers as well as what teaching does for them in their current careers. This co…

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A high-performance career in liquid chromatography 33:51

2y ago33:51

33:51

After realizing at a young age that rock and roll might be a better hobby than a career, our guest chose chemistry and chromatography as his path, and he’s rocked that career choice! In this fun and engaging conversation, you’ll meet Frank Steiner, PhD, Senior Manager of Product Applications, and Scientific Advisor at Thermo Fisher Scientific, who …

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AI and the man catalyzing a bio-revolution 34:51

2y ago34:51

34:51

Protein biology has always been grounded in the relationship between structure and function but how we determine structure has changed dramatically. While it’s still common to crystallize a protein for X-ray diffraction and then back calculate its structure, supercomputing-powered, AI-driven tools have revolutionized approaches to getting a protein…

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Batteries unplugged: past, present and the electrifying future 34:31

2y ago34:31

34:31

Electricity undeniably changed the world and enabled countless other technologies. Now, via storage and mobile access to electrical energy, batteries are positioned to further enable us as a species. So, it is the perfect time to get to know battery technology innovator and entrepreneur, Dr. Simon Engelke, Founder and Chair of Battery Associates, a…

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The most famous unknown — the periodic table 35:34

2+ y ago35:34

35:34

Visit https://www.thermofisher.com/chemistry-podcast/ to access the extended video version of this episode and the episode summary sheet, which contains links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest. You can also access the extended video version of this episode via our YouTube channel to hear, and see, more of t…

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C.R.E.A.M. – Chemistry rules everything around me 32:31

2+ y ago32:31

32:31

Visit https://www.thermofisher.com/chemistry-podcast/ to access the extended video version of this episode and the episode summary sheet, which contains links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest. You can also access the extended video version of this episode via our YouTube channel to hear, and see, more of t…

1
The electrifying chemistry of the nitrogen cycle 34:39

2+ y ago34:39

34:39

Visit https://www.thermofisher.com/chemistry-podcast/ to access the extended video version of this episode and the episode summary sheet, which contains links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest. You can also access the extended video version of this episode via our YouTube channel to hear, and see, more of t…

1
From an F in chemistry to 40 years in chemicals 33:53

2+ y ago33:53

33:53

Visit https://www.thermofisher.com/chemistry-podcast/ to access the extended video version of this episode and the episode summary sheet, which contains links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest. You can also access the extended video version of this episode via our YouTube channel to hear, and see, more of t…

1
Electronics for the human body 32:14

2+ y ago32:14

32:14

Visit https://www.thermofisher.com/chemistry-podcast/ to access the extended video version of this episode and the episode summary sheet, which contains links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest. You can also access the extended video version of this episode via our YouTube channel to hear, and see, more of t…

4y ago28:22

28:22

Visit https://thermofisher.com/bctl to register for your free Bringing Chemistry to Life T-shirt and https://www.thermofisher.com/chemistry-podcast/ to access the extended video version of this episode and the episode summary sheet, which contains links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest. You can also access…