How Does Chemistry Shape our World? With Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu

Chemistry is everywhere. From cosmetics and the clothes we wear to life-saving medicines and kitchen experiments, chemical processes are all around us, defining our interactions with the world we live in. In this episode, Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu joins Professor Helen Czerski to discuss how chemistry shapes our understanding of the world. Their conversation explores our complex relationship with plastics; the fact that synthetic products are not always harmful and natural ones not always safe; and the ways machine learning could transform chemical testing and revolutionise the development of new medicines. Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu is President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. She is the author of Chain Reaction: The Wondrous Chemistry of Everyday Life. Professor Helen Czerski is a British physicist, oceanographer, and broadcaster. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or

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How Does Chemistry Shape our World? With Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu is an episode from Intelligence Squared by Intelligence Squared.

This episode is 43:49 long.

This episode was published on Apr 18, 2026.

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