Distillations Episode 160: Teflon
Teflon is never far from reach, whether you realize it or not. Beyond its best-known application—as a non-stick coating for pots and pans—Teflon is also found in everything from airplane parts to jacket fabrics. With concerns about the safety of Teflon exposure on the rise, in this episode we give this ubiquitous material a closer look. First, producer Amy Kraft peruses CHF's oral history archives to learn about Teflon's origins—including its stint as a top military secret during WWII. Then Distillations' associate producer Michal Meyer sits down with our very own Bob Kenworthy to discuss his days marketing the material as a DuPont employee, as well as his interpretation of the risks of Teflon exposure.
Baby alligators. Human-sized rats. Mutant sewage monsters. Below our feet is a mysterious world that inspires frightening myths and legends. But as we learn in this episode of Distillations, what actually lives down there is a network of incredibly beautiful and essential spaces. Taking us on our first stop underground is producer Amy Kraft. She joins a team of amateur speleologists who meet every year to protect the crags and crevices inside Howe Caverns in Schoharie, New York. Then we talk to Adam Levine, whose fascination with Philadelphia's sewer system turned into a career preserving its history—and crawling through its depths.
