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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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Release date: September 10, 2025
Guest: Dr. Digambara Patra (American University of Beirut), Nanochemistry & Environmental Remediation
Episode Summary
Researchers are tackling a massive health threat with a microscopic fix. AUB scientist Dr. Digambara Patra explains how silica nanoparticles—essentially “microscopic sand”—can adsorb and help remove persistent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like benzo[ghi]perylene from polluted waters. We unpack why PAHs linger, where they come from (from generators to wildfires), and how a recyclable, cost-effective adsorption approach could scale from lab to real-world treatment.
What You’ll Learn
- What PAHs are and why benzo[ghi]perylene is especially concerning
- How silica nanoparticles act like “sponges” to pull toxic molecules from water
- Why reversibility and recyclability matter for large-scale cleanup
- The global picture: generators in Lebanon, wildfire fallout in North America
- The road from proof-of-concept to deployment (engineering and scale-up)
13 episodes
