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Chain Reaction by ACS

A Conversation with Chemical Kim: Chemistry is Everyone, Episode 4

7/9/202637 min

To cap off this special #ACS150 miniseries, we chat with chemistry educator, science communicator, and social media creator Kim Hilton — better known as Chemical Kim (follow @chemicalkim).

Kim reflects on her unexpected path into teaching, from struggling to understand chemistry as a college student to becoming a professor who has spent three decades helping others discover their place in STEM. The conversation explores Kim’s passion for outreach, from creating hands-on science experiences for children in hospitals and community programs to building an online audience that spans generations. Along the way, Kim explains why making chemistry accessible is not the same as making it easier, and why educators must meet learners where they are to help them succeed.

Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction

Clips

Told She Shouldn't Teach
Student Becomes Doctor After Fail
Stop Sign, Not Roadblock
Converting Class to Chem Majors
Pregnancy Test with Cabbage?

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Margot Wall· Host0:00

    [upbeat music] Welcome to Chain Reaction, a podcast from the American Chemical Society, where we link chemistry's past to its future. I'm your host, Margot Wall.

  2. Shane Hanlon· Host0:13

    And I'm Shane Hanlon.

  3. Margot Wall· Host0:14

    Well, Shane, we're coming to the end of our time together.

  4. Shane Hanlon· Host0:21

    For now.

  5. Margot Wall· Host0:22

    Yes, for now. More on that later. But as we bring home our series celebrating ACS's 150th, I wanna get to your interview that you teased last week with...

  6. Shane Hanlon· Host0:32

    Chemical Kim.

  7. Margot Wall· Host0:33

    Yeah.

  8. Shane Hanlon· Host0:34

    Yeah. So for those of you who are unfamiliar, Kim Hylton is a chemistry professor and a digital creator who has a huge online platform where she shares chemistry with the masses.

  9. Kim Hilton· Guest0:46

    So here's the ethanol molecule, and it's kinda cute because I think the ethanol molecule looks like a dog peeing. I'm gonna use a battery and just touch it to the steel wool, and you can see how quickly the battery ignites the steel wool.

  10. Margot Wall· Host0:59

    To break these branching polymers, Kim adds one tablespoon of acetic acid.

  11. Kim Hilton· Guest1:04

    Acetic acid. Ah! Don't worry, it's just vinegar. Okay.

  12. Margot Wall· Host1:09

    Fact or fiction, are people's eggs exploding?

  13. Kim Hilton· Guest1:11

    Let's cut into this one.

  14. Margot Wall· Host1:13

    Okay. All right.

  15. Kim Hilton· Guest1:14

    Oh, you are, you are brave. Okay, ready? [crowd cheering] Oh.

  16. Margot Wall· Host1:19

    [laughs] She's a celeb. I mean, she's on the news. She's on the Tamron Hall Show. Pretty wild.

  17. Shane Hanlon· Host1:28

    Yeah, and she has a

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