WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:05.040 Virgin Media broadband is smooth. How smooth you ask? Well, 2 00:00:05.240 --> 00:00:08.640 Imagine you're a big old walrush and rather than lumbering 3 00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:12.119 around a glacier avoiding polar bears, you're on a lake, 4 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:18.320 driving a speedboat three thousand kilos of mollusk, munching magnificence, 5 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:21.519 feeling the wind in your whiskers and the sun on 6 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:26.559 your big blubbery face. That's the kind of smoothness you feel. 7 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:32.159 With ninety nine point nine percent broadband reliability available nationwide 8 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:34.759 Virgin Media, It's playtime. 9 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:35.399 Subject to the. 10 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:38.799 National availability teasency Apply for broadband reliability see Virgin Media 11 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:40.119 dot Ie forward slashproof. 12 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:47.640 Does your supermarket have notions? Look for the signs cheesemongers, aristas, 13 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:54.359 pretend farmers' markets, forty three identical olive oils, and the 14 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:59.240 word artismal written on every available surface. If in doubt, 15 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:02.840 get your to your nearest Aldi, where you'll get all 16 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:06.400 the quality with none of the madness at prices. You'll 17 00:01:06.439 --> 00:01:09.560 love Aldi. It's not complicated. 18 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:14.319 Oh hey, it's your neighbor who's always out vacuuming his car, 19 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:17.159 and you're like, is he really clean or is he 20 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:21.200 so dirty that he needs to be vacuuming it that much. 21 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:24.560 Ali board back with another episode of Ologies. Okay, so 22 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:28.359 today one half of a two parter on Potter. Are 23 00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:31.239 you ready for this? Have you been ready for this 24 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:32.879 since nineteen ninety seven? 25 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:35.200 Were you even born in nineteen ninety seven? 26 00:01:35.400 --> 00:01:38.079 Now, whether you've read all seven books in the Harry 27 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:41.280 Potter series, or you've just seen a movie or two, 28 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:44.799 or all you know is that Harry Potter is about 29 00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:48.680 a charming adolescent member of the occult who has I 30 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:52.519 guess pretty bad vision. This episode is about chemistry and 31 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:58.239 the science behind the spells. It's just dang magical and fun. Also, 32 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:02.319 it's kid from I'm not going to swear. I've managed 33 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:05.120 not to swear. It was difficult. You are welcome, okay, 34 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:08.800 but before we board, the Hogwarts express a really quick 35 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:12.439 bit of business prior to leaving the station. So thanks 36 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:14.919 are in order to everyone who supports the show by 37 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.319 signing up on patreon dot com for as little as 38 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:20.560 twenty five cents an episode, which lets you submit questions 39 00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:24.879 to the ologists. Thank you, Everyone's sporting Ologies wares from 40 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:28.800 ologiesmerch dot com. We have brand new merch up, including 41 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:32.360 some stickers to help you find all the ologites around you. 42 00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:35.560 Thank you also to everyone who rates and subscribes to 43 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:39.680 ologies and shares episodes on social media. Y'all keep it 44 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:42.439 up there in the science charts. And especially to the 45 00:02:42.439 --> 00:02:45.000 folks you know close to my heart who leave reviews. 46 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:48.280 You know, I creepily read each one, and I pluck 47 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:51.560 a fresh one each week, such as, for example, cup Eater, 48 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:54.520 who said, if you ever thought about the movie Legally 49 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:57.400 Blonde and are like gosh, I wish el Woods had 50 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.919 an awesome podcast about science and creativity and fact based 51 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:03.800 thinking in general that I could listen to every week. Well, 52 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:07.400 that is a nodly specific request, but also what this 53 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:10.360 podcast is. Thank you, Cupeter, I will take that with 54 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:14.400 a bow. Also, Sarah Jane Horwitz, your secret is safe 55 00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:18.560 with me and anyone else who reads every single review. Okay, 56 00:03:18.680 --> 00:03:22.240 potter Ology, come the frick on, dad Ward, I've got okay, 57 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:25.759 I've got a making up Potterrology right listen. My standard 58 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:29.840 is theology has to have been used previously by a 59 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:33.719 person not involved in this podcast in an educational or 60 00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:37.120 an academic setting. And yes, potterlogy does count. 61 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:38.000 It does exist. 62 00:03:38.120 --> 00:03:41.479 There are book clubs called potter Ology there's an instagram 63 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:44.560 at potter Ology. It has like fifty thousand followers, and 64 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:48.879 it serves up some hot Harry Potter memes, even Urban Dictionary, 65 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.840 which is a terrible website of firms. Potterrology is quote 66 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:55.800 the study of all things in the wizarding world of 67 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:59.240 Harry Potter. So Potterrology. It's in a lexicon and one 68 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:03.919 cold cheney. A letter fell from the gray sky, just kidding. 69 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:06.879 It was in my email inbox, and it was from 70 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:09.159 a real witch, just kidding. 71 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:10.800 It was from a PhD student in. 72 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.560 Nebraska, Channing Thompson, who works with a professor who has 73 00:04:14.599 --> 00:04:17.959 created a seven week course for exploring the science behind 74 00:04:18.040 --> 00:04:21.199 each Harry Potter book. She teaches it to local middle 75 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:24.360 schools as an after school program, and even has an 76 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:28.639 honors class at the undergraduate level at the university. So 77 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:31.839 her college course is called a Muggles Guide to Harry 78 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:36.920 Potter's Chemistry. Her mission to prove to muggles aka non wizards, 79 00:04:37.079 --> 00:04:40.399 humans like you and me, that science and technology are 80 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:44.040 muggle magic, and to highlight all of the real world 81 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:47.240 chemistry and botany and alchemy and love potions and stun 82 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:50.920 guns and hybrid animals that we love from the wizarding world. 83 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:54.120 So this ologist is a chemistry professor who works on 84 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:57.600 the development of electrochemical biosensors that could be used to 85 00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:01.319 diagnose disease. She's been an author on papers such as 86 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:06.639 use of thiolated oglio nucleotides as anti fouling dilutants and 87 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:08.600 electrochemical peptide based sensors. 88 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:10.120 I needed to meet. 89 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:12.240 Her, so I rode tripped. I made a special stop 90 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:14.759 my first ever visit to Nebraska, and on a rainy 91 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:16.839 morning I made it to the chemistry building at the 92 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:19.600 University of Lincoln, Nebraska to meet up with her. She 93 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:24.000 is small in stature, wearing fashionable black pants, black boots, 94 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:27.120 polka dotted black blouse, and we popped into our office 95 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:30.800 past a rustic looking sorting hat and a life size 96 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:34.600 cutout of Daniel Radcliffe aka Harry Potter, and she slipped 97 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:37.600 on a pair of circular Potter esque glasses. We sat 98 00:05:37.639 --> 00:05:41.120 down at her desk, where she proceeded to demonstrate disappearing 99 00:05:41.160 --> 00:05:44.360 ink before I really even had recording levels set or 100 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:47.399 handed her a mic. Just wait, you're gonna fall in 101 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:49.839 love with this genius human person. 102 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:54.000 But I don't need to spell out how charming she is. 103 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:56.720 So without further ado, get ready to blast through platform 104 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:59.959 nine and three quarters into the world of chemistry Professor 105 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:04.639 Honorary Wizard and patrologist, Doctor Rebecca Lae. 106 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:25.040 And you can see it would eventually fade away again 107 00:06:25.160 --> 00:06:28.480 because the chemistry is really what happens is that this 108 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:32.800 ink is basically made in a basic pH such as 109 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:35.920 like PHG eleven DOWO pH thirteen, so the color is blue. 110 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:39.839 But the fact is that when when you know in 111 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:43.199 the presence of just exposed to air such as you 112 00:06:43.240 --> 00:06:45.560 know that air has CO two in there, So what 113 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:49.160 happens is that CO two carbonic acid. So carbonic acid 114 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:52.160 neutralizes with the base, which is a sodium hydroxide that 115 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:55.399 is in the ink, dropping the PhD around pH nine 116 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:59.879 or so when that indicator at pH nine is actually colorless. 117 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:03.079 Yes, we hit the ground running. We blasted through a 118 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:05.759 brick wall and straight into her, showing me a muggle's 119 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:09.519 way to simulate the spell apocium attempted by hermione in 120 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:12.480 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to read hidden 121 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:16.519 writing from one Tom Marvolo Riddle's diary. So not a 122 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:18.879 wizard caught in a struggle of good and evil. No 123 00:07:18.920 --> 00:07:24.000 worries that special blue ink is basic but neutralizes in 124 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:26.839 air to be invisible on the paper. So she swipes 125 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:30.639 a liquid point oh five molar solution of sodium hydroxide, 126 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:34.199 raising the pH again to very basic, and the message 127 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:38.800 pops back up on the paper. Chemistry lesson magic intrigue, 128 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:42.480 Hidden messages in a diary that Professor Lai gives me 129 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:47.040 to take home. This is literally before the interview even began, 130 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:50.199 and I got to ask her anything about her classes, 131 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:53.279 and I swear we pick up the microphones like normal 132 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:53.920 in a minute. 133 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:57.360 It's great because we are really having a real cause 134 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:01.759 about it. And I remember students seeing this class on 135 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:04.959 the website, the Catalog University. Someone actually wrote me, are 136 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:06.920 you sure this is a real class that you can 137 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:08.959 receive a credit? And I was like, yes, absolutely, you 138 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:11.920 have exam, you have group project that you have to 139 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:15.800 work on. Yes, absolutely. Oh my god, this class close 140 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:19.199 close really fast. You basically only got sixteen slot. It's 141 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:21.519 not a big class. Honors class is only for sixteen 142 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:24.199 sixteen slot, and it always ended up you know, the 143 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:26.720 class will close very early because it's just kind of 144 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:30.639 cool exactly, and some people would also mention that they 145 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:32.840 would like to take the class just to have that 146 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:33.919 on their transcript. 147 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:37.919 A Locals Guide to Harry Potter's Chemistry. Okay, all right, 148 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:40.840 let's get into this. Tell me a little bit about 149 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:43.919 your background with chemistry. When did you realize that you 150 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:44.960 loved chemistry. 151 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:51.200 I actually, I would say I started to like chemistry 152 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:52.919 when I was in high school. But I do have 153 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:55.799 to tell you that it is a bit unusual path 154 00:08:55.879 --> 00:08:58.320 that I took. Actually, in my whole life, I've always 155 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:02.720 liked art. Not until even my first year in college, 156 00:09:02.759 --> 00:09:06.799 I was still going for fashion design or fashion merchandising major. 157 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:09.879 So in my second year I switched to biochemistry. 158 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:10.759 How did that happen? 159 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:13.240 So in my whole life, I've always been into you know, 160 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:16.240 arts and actually really wanted to be, you know, a 161 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:20.840 fashion designer. And what happens that when I I took 162 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:24.639 you know, took a chemistry class in my first year 163 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:28.559 and realizing that in college, I went to Kelsey, Los Angeles, 164 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:31.440 realizing that I really like chemistry. And I think there's 165 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:36.039 a little bit you know, pragmatics reason or lazy reason 166 00:09:36.120 --> 00:09:39.279 I should not have my students here about that the 167 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.960 fact because I thought that I did well without needing 168 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.240 a lot of studying, I just like, yeah, I just thought, well, 169 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:48.240 maybe I do actually get this, I get chemistry. I 170 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:50.360 was like wow, I just ended up doing well in 171 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:53.840 the class, and I thought, wow, okay, I should try 172 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:57.679 to think about this might be could be a career option. 173 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:00.879 This career hunch was confirmed when she was getting her 174 00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:05.279 bachelor's in biochemistry at California State University and met her 175 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:07.639 undergrad research advisor, doctor Jao. 176 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.559 Doctor Faming Jell and I really learned about, you know, 177 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:15.720 the transformative ability of research. So he basically taught me 178 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:19.279 a lot about how it is to do research and 179 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:21.840 also how to be a scientist basically to have a 180 00:10:21.879 --> 00:10:25.279 scientific mindset. I think that's a very important idea as 181 00:10:25.320 --> 00:10:28.240 to how to approach a scientific question. That's really the 182 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:30.720 time that when I look at research like wow, you 183 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.759 can actually do so much with research. And that's when 184 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:36.879 I decided to switch to biochemistry major too. 185 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:40.440 And what do you think is a scientific mindset? How 186 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:41.240 would you describe it? 187 00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:44.279 A scientific mindset is? Of course, first you know, you 188 00:10:44.360 --> 00:10:47.080 have to figure out what's the question, and then you 189 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:49.159 have to think about how you're going to approach it, 190 00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:51.919 and there are multiple ways to approach it. You can't 191 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:53.960 be oh, like, I want to try that all all 192 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.960 of them at the same time. It's not possible. In 193 00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:59.399 some cases it might be possible, but it's more ideal 194 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.399 is to systematically isolate one part of the questions, because 195 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:06.480 some scientific questions are really really broad and really complex. 196 00:11:06.519 --> 00:11:09.759 But how to isolate, you know, small chunks, small parts 197 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:12.399 and attack small chunks at a time and be able 198 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:14.799 to achieve get to a conclusion because you can think 199 00:11:14.840 --> 00:11:17.519 of it as like a network of you know, questions. 200 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:20.039 They're all related. So how am I going to prioritize 201 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:22.519 which part I want to address first? And you have 202 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:25.559 to think about the amount of time, the resources, and 203 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:28.840 all the others. Right, simplify the question or at least 204 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:31.720 address one part of the question at a time, and 205 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:34.200 even within that one part of the question you would 206 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:37.919 like to address. There are multiple approaches to address a question. 207 00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:40.480 It's very difficult to try to address everything at the 208 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:42.720 same time, no matter how big the lab is. I 209 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:46.519 think in general, I think I always would say scientific processes, 210 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:49.120 do you think systematically? Rather than trying to go I 211 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:51.159 like this, I like this are like all of them? Well, 212 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:53.480 how much time you have if you have the time 213 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:56.240 turner right over there? This is a time turn of 214 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:59.279 Harry And okay you might but even then, time turners 215 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:02.200 can only go back one hour, so I don't know. 216 00:12:02.679 --> 00:12:05.720 You still can't address to too much problems. You keep 217 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:08.480 turning it back another hour. Oh, let's go back all right? 218 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:11.679 Did Rebecca have a necklace nearby that looked like Hermione's 219 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.360 time turn independent. I'm gonna let you guess. Also, before 220 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:17.080 getting her bachelor's she studied at a British school in 221 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:20.200 Hong Kong, but for her PhD in chemistry she went 222 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.519 at the University of Texas at Austin and then did 223 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:28.360 postdoc at UCSB. So what sparked this interest in lab work? Like? 224 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:31.279 Was it like solving puzzles as you go? What did 225 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:32.000 you like about it? 226 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.519 I like, I consider that, as you know, it's not 227 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:38.480 as good as the verito serum. It's not truth serum, 228 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:40.639 but it is truth finder. You know, at the end, 229 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:42.720 there's a truth to all these things that are happening 230 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:46.559 in science in different chemical reactions. Even at that at 231 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:48.639 this moment, I may not know all of them. There's 232 00:12:48.679 --> 00:12:51.120 always an answer to it. I think there's always a 233 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:54.360 truth in science, whether we can at this moment know it, 234 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:57.480 or we don't have to. We're not technologically advanced enough 235 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:00.039 to be able to understand it. Whether it's about a 236 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.720 pathway in the human body with diseases or just new technologies. 237 00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:05.840 We may not be able to understand all of them, 238 00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:09.240 but I think it has I think I like science 239 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:12.639 because or chemistry or science in general, is because it's 240 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:15.639 truth finding. I think I think it is. I really 241 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:19.600 think even if I don't know and understand it all 242 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:22.080 right now, but slowly and surely I will get there. 243 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:23.120 That's how I'll get it. 244 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:24.759 Oh that's a beautiful answer. 245 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:27.039 It's just my humble opinion. It could be entirely wrong, 246 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:27.559 you see. 247 00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:30.440 I think it's right. And then when you were getting 248 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:33.720 your PhD, what exactly you were studying? Ions correct? 249 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:36.080 Oh, I study a lot of chemistry. So then when 250 00:13:36.120 --> 00:13:38.039 I decided to go to graduate school, I wanted to 251 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:40.120 continue on with that. 252 00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:44.519 Rebecca said that she had great mentors like undergrad advisor 253 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:49.240 doctor Franglin Jao, PhD advisor doctor Alan Bard. So if 254 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:52.639 you have academic dragons to slay, it's good to have 255 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.240 a posse. I'm guessing both of them were more Hermione 256 00:13:56.240 --> 00:14:00.279 and less Weasley. Now Rebecca herself seems like a find 257 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:06.799 excitable Hogwarts professor. And when it came to teaching, you 258 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:11.399 got to design a syllabus and you are clearly a 259 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:15.000 Harry Potter fan. Yes, yes, When let's actually go back 260 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:17.600 to that, when did you read your first Harry Potter book. 261 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.960 Oh, it's been such a long time, I have to say, actually, 262 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:22.960 I would say it was probably the time that the 263 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:25.759 first one came out, Yeah, two thousand and one. I 264 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:28.399 believe The Sorcerer's Stone absolutely, and at that time it 265 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:31.879 was already usked. That's the time that when I was like, oh, 266 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:33.919 it's very cool. Oh it's a really cool book. 267 00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:34.399 Yeah. 268 00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:36.720 So but I didn't actually, I mean, I had that 269 00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:41.000 book then, but I didn't really get into seriously studying 270 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:44.919 it completely, digesting the books and learning all about it 271 00:14:45.080 --> 00:14:46.519 until later on, for sure. 272 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:49.840 Okay, quick aside a little background on the books. The 273 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:53.080 first in the series was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 274 00:14:53.320 --> 00:14:56.600 published in nineteen ninety seven in the UK. Harry Potter 275 00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:59.399 and the Sorcerer's Stone in nineteen ninety eight was the 276 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:02.799 US version and a name change which was suggested by 277 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:06.000 the publisher. Rowling says that she regrets it. We'll talk 278 00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:08.960 about that more later. Also fun fact, the initials JK 279 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:13.600 were to sidestep any issues with young boys who bristled 280 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:17.000 at reading a female author. Now Jay stands for Joanne. 281 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:20.000 K stands for Kathleen. She didn't actually have a middle name, 282 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:22.480 but she made it up. Now. The first imprint of 283 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:25.960 the book was a scant five hundred copies, and three 284 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:29.159 hundred of those were sent to public libraries in the UK, 285 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:34.120 which means then a rare signed first imprint, complete with 286 00:15:34.200 --> 00:15:38.879 a few typos and some misnumbered pages, has fetched nearly 287 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:42.639 ninety thousand dollars at an auction earlier this year. So 288 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:47.799 Evan esco Your Life Savings. That means it disappeared. 289 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.000 It's a very old book, bit and it's very useful, 290 00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:54.720 King because I read it so many times. I think 291 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:57.159 that book is probably one that I read the most 292 00:15:57.639 --> 00:16:00.000 number of times. I think the others at least around 293 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:04.360 seven or eight. That one's probably ten. I cannot say 294 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:07.200 that I remember everything, but I definitely have read it 295 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:09.279 many many times. It's also quite short. 296 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:13.200 Yeah to the other one, and so what was he 297 00:16:13.399 --> 00:16:15.360 What was your impression when you were reading it? What 298 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:17.200 really hooked you? 299 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:21.440 I just thought it's really amazing. I was thinking very 300 00:16:21.559 --> 00:16:24.279 much at that time, not a long time ago, you know, 301 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:26.759 I wasn't thinking about having this class yet or chemistry 302 00:16:26.759 --> 00:16:28.519 when I first read it. But I was just more 303 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:33.320 so really amazed by how intelligent, how creative, how awesome 304 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:37.799 jk rowning, Yes, I really thought, I thought, Wow, she 305 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:40.159 you know, she basically came up with the world, a 306 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:43.600 world that is new, unique and or her own. There 307 00:16:43.639 --> 00:16:48.919 are other ideas, you know, or books could be similar. 308 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.159 But yet at the same time, I think, you know, 309 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:53.440 she really, you know, generally, she really has this niche 310 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:57.279 right there, you know, generating, you know, a whole just 311 00:16:57.320 --> 00:17:00.320 a whole world that I think is uniquely hers. And 312 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:02.639 I was more at that time, I was really amazed 313 00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:05.799 off for writing ability and also just be able to 314 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:07.880 come up with a world like that, because I've always 315 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:12.720 been to arts. Actually I wrote short stories myself, never 316 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:15.519 to anyone, but you know, I've always been interested in 317 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.400 writing stories and also sci fi and things like that. 318 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.359 So I think it's actually quite amazing to be able 319 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:23.400 to come up with an idea like that, because there's 320 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:27.279 a lot of internal logic, you have to make it consistent. Yes, 321 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:29.960 you can generate all sorts of sci fi world, whether 322 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:34.200 it is for books or for manga or any animation 323 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:38.599 anima like Japanese animations. A lot of them got based 324 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:41.799 on some really unique sci fi ideas. But you really 325 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:44.039 have to maintain that logic throughout the series. And I 326 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.680 think she thought about it a lot even when she 327 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:51.240 first wrote The SORCER's Stone. So therefore, how to tie 328 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:56.279 everything to be consistent? And I'm still very amazed by that, 329 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.440 and it's very inspiring. 330 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:01.119 And it's kind of like, how can mystery is consistent? 331 00:18:01.160 --> 00:18:05.079 It's predictable because of certain chemical laws and physical property. 332 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:08.240 Yes, absolutely, I think so too. You learn one concept 333 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:11.720 could be applied to other systems or other reactions as well. 334 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:14.480 It is very very much the case learning from what's 335 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:18.319 previously been done and used that to advance what you 336 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:21.000 are going to do or what you are currently doing 337 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:24.319 is very important in chemistry and science, as in writing 338 00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:27.400 as well. I think in creative writing and storytelling it's 339 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:28.759 analogous in some ways. 340 00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:32.240 When did it first strike you as a chemistry professor? 341 00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:36.480 That hot, damn, I can do a whole class on 342 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:39.799 essentially potterrology. Were you like, wait a second, can I 343 00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:42.880 do well? They let me do exactly? 344 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:44.519 I'm sorry I squealed. 345 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:48.079 You seem very absolutely correct what you just said there. 346 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:51.319 And actually the idea. I was talking to my friend 347 00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:54.519 who's another professor here is doctor Barry Channg, and I 348 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.079 always thank him when I have these podcasts and when 349 00:18:57.119 --> 00:18:59.240 I talk about these classes, because he really helped me 350 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:02.440 and encourage me because I at that time, I basically 351 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:04.000 asked him. I was like, yeah, I would really like 352 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:07.400 to do this honors class, but will the university allow 353 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:10.240 these type of things? I mean, this is really I 354 00:19:10.359 --> 00:19:14.880 just worry they'll say you're not you know, it could 355 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:18.440 be so. But so he said, what you know, Basically, 356 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:20.759 he said, well, there's nothing to lose. Just try it. 357 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:22.599 Ask them if they will let you. If they don't 358 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:24.720 letch you, then the answer is no, at least you try. 359 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:27.359 You know, you don't try, you don't know. And that's 360 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:30.720 what I did, and I was entirely surprised that yeah, yeah, 361 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:35.160 the university allowed it. And so that's how it happened 362 00:19:35.160 --> 00:19:38.079 that I was like great, and after the class showed 363 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:41.400 up on the catalog that that students look in and 364 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:44.599 just like, oh and a student actually wrote me ask 365 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:48.119 me about whether the class is lit. Is that legit 366 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:50.839 or not? Who I actually get the credit for it? 367 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:53.400 I was like, yes, you absolutely will. Well you have 368 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:56.240 to pass it and do a good job the stale 369 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:59.279 you will get one exactly. So yeah. 370 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:03.400 So Rebecca also teaches the curricula in much simpler form 371 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:07.680 for high school and elementary after school programs. Her university 372 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:11.319 class was four honor students and it met fifteen or 373 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:15.200 sixteen weeks in a row. Pre Rex having read all 374 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:18.359 seven of the Harry Potter books that is over four 375 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:23.400 thousand pages. It's over one million words. Posers need not 376 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:25.880 apply now. I wish we could have made this a 377 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:30.160 four hour episode because she covers everything from the science 378 00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:35.920 of invisibility cloaks to the spells. Petrificus totalis which freezes 379 00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:39.880 your foes, and chemicals in nature that can simulate it, 380 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:44.519 like Haitian zombie powders from plants and the deadly pufferfish 381 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:49.279 neurotoxin that blocks the conduction of nerve impulses along fibers 382 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:52.759 and axons. It comes from bacteria in the puffer fish, 383 00:20:53.079 --> 00:20:56.359 not the puffer fish itself. So not a wizard can't 384 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:59.839 cast any spells. That's fine, just get yourself a dirty pufferfish. 385 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:02.720 This class is amazing anyway. 386 00:21:02.440 --> 00:21:05.960 And so's that's how it's started. And I think it 387 00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:08.839 was just it was just great, just trying to come 388 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:11.119 up with the syllabus of what I would like to 389 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:16.160 talk about, and it's just it's really it's good fun. 390 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:19.000 I think, you know, really setting up the class and 391 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:22.480 thinking about how to run this class to make it 392 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:25.240 fun but still educational. I think that's always going to 393 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:27.680 be the case, because after all, it is a chemistry 394 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.240 class and will be graded and they should learn things 395 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:33.640 right as a chemistry professor, as a scientist, I cannot 396 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.759 just say, oh, I'll have a class, it's all good fun, 397 00:21:36.119 --> 00:21:38.359 funds great, but they have to learn things that have 398 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:40.440 to put effort into it. And I think at the 399 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:43.799 end I definitely receive because we have students' evaluation for 400 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:47.720 our classes, and definitely a few students mentioned that despite 401 00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:49.640