Season 1 · Episode 5
The Apothecary Diaries · S1E5
Aired on November 6, 2023
Science entries in this episode
Clay and Kaolin
In The Apothecary Diaries, clay is used as makeup. We explain kaolinite, its layered structure, its absorbent power, and its uses.
Flame Coloration
Each metal emits its own color: yellow for sodium, blue-green for copper, red for strontium. The quantum mechanism, fireworks, and the clue in The Apothecary Diaries.
Galenic Formulations
In The Apothecary Diaries, an ointment gets prepared. We explain galenics: how a medicine's form determines how an active ingredient is absorbed.
Ginger
Gingerol triggers the same heat receptor as chili and widens skin vessels, without raising core temperature. Fresh vs dried ginger, and Maomao's warming pastilles.
Matsutake
In The Apothecary Diaries, Maomao trades premium matsutake. We explain the obligate mycorrhizal symbiosis that makes it impossible to cultivate.