Inflection Point

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale take the time machine as far back as it will go to understand the primordial origins of nuclear fusion. They also bring in C&EN reporter Prachi Patel to untangle the current state of fusion technology and predict whether fusion will power our future. C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. Subscribe to Inflection Point now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel as far back as ancient Egypt to unearth the wide-ranging uses of retinol. They also bring in C&EN reporter Craig Bettenhausen to discuss why retinol is such a powerhouse molecule for skin care, and they hear from a contraceptives researcher about how an early candidate for a birth control pill for men affected the retinol pathway. C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. Subscribe to Inflection Point now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Correction: This episode was updated on June 10, 2026 to correct an error in the name of a new birth control candidate for men. It is YCT-529, not YTC-529.

Exactly one year ago, co-hosts David and Gina embarked on their time-traveling journey thorugh science history. Along the way they've traced the unlikely origins of microplastics, relived the nauseating experiment behind the first battery, and fished for the surprising creatures that helped scientists develop GLP-1 drugs. Join them as they surprise each other with their favorite moments from the show's first year. C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. Subscribe to Inflection Point now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. In the third episode of our second season, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that ultimately led to our current understanding of antibiotic resistance. They also bring in C&EN reporter Rowan Walrath to offer a glimpse into a doomsday-scenario future when antibiotics are no longer effective. Subscribe to Inflection Point now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In the first episode of our second season, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that led to blockbuster drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. They also talk with C&EN reporter Aayushi Pratap about how future GLP-1 drugs may expand on the current slate of options. C&EN's latest podcast, Inflection Point, leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. Subscribe to Inflection Point now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that were meaningful to the development of quantum computers. They also bring in C&EN reporter Mitch Jacoby to discuss scientific advances enabled by quantum chemistry. C&EN's Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. Subscribe to Inflection Point now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Inflection Point is a podcast that leans on C&EN's 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to breakthroughs like quantum computing and green hydrogen. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show will examine how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. In our first episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three events that ultimately led to the development of green hydrogen. They also bring in C&EN reporter Craig Bettenhausen to analyze how this emerging technology could shape our future.