Chemistry World Podcast

Author: Chemistry World

Join the Chemistry World team for interviews, news and in-depth discussions of issues facing the chemistry community. Get in touch with your thoughts by tweeting @ChemistryWorld
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Language: en

Genres: Chemistry, Science

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Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes | The chemical breakdown podcast
Wednesday, 11 March, 2026

This week, we discuss team discuss the boundaries of the atom and breakdown the US's plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes with Jennifer Newton and Phillip Broadwith. The atomic radius of an atom is a concept we are taught from early in our chemistry careers, but for such an important value its definition remains ambiguous. Why is there no single answer to the size of an atom? And, US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced last year that the US will phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in foods. But what are these chemicals, and what concerns exist around their consumption?