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Season 7

Layers of Brilliance – The Chemical Genius of Katharine Burr Blodgett

Introducing Layers of Brilliance, a six-part season that brings to life the story of a woman whose discoveries in materials science quietly shape our everyday world – but whose legacy was long eclipsed by the famous scientist she worked with.

Listen as we peel back the layers of Katharine Burr Blodgett’s life – how she made groundbreaking science inside a world built for men, how she struggled against profound personal challenges, and how a woman whose work helped shape modern materials science nearly disappeared from history.

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Extra Materials

We’ve curated a selection of talks from Katharine Blodgett’s personal archive as part of our Layers of Brilliance season, to share more of her work and mind with the public. 

These documents offer a rare glimpse into how she explained science to different audiences, approached discovery, and expressed her core values. We share more about how we found these talks in episode 4 of our season.

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January 14, 2026
Layers of Brilliance

TRAILER: Layers of Brilliance

The Chemical Genius of Katharine Burr Blodgett
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January 29, 2026
Layers of Brilliance

Layers of Brilliance – Episode One: The Chemical Genius of Katharine Burr Blodgett

Born to a family with a tragic past, Katharine defies the expectations of her upbringing as an upper-middle class girl to make chemistry and physics the center of her life.
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February 5, 2026
Layers of Brilliance

Layers of Brilliance - Episode Two: The 'House of Magic'

In 1918 a young Katharine Burr Blodgett joins future Nobel Prize winner Irving Langmuir at The General Electric Company’s industrial research laboratory in Schenectady, N.Y. It’s the start of her brilliant career.
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February 12, 2026
Layers of Brilliance

Layers of Brilliance - Episode Three: The Air She Breathed

From Schenectady to the University of Cambridge, Katharine Burr Blodgett’s brilliance impresses the world’s leading physicists.
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February 26, 2026
Layers of Brilliance

Layers of Brilliance - Episode Four: The Breakthrough

When Katharine Burr Blodgett discovers non-reflecting glass, The General Electric Company’s public relations machine makes her a star.
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March 5, 2026
Layers of Brilliance

Layers of Brilliance - Episode Five: The Self You Have To Live With

At the height of her career, Katharine Burr Blodgett faced challenges that not even her closest colleagues suspected.
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March 12, 2026
Layers of Brilliance

Layers of Brilliance - Episode Six: Vanishing Act

We trace the final chapter of Katharine’s career, her retirement from GE, and her disappearance from public memory.
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March 19, 2026
Layers of Brilliance

BONUS: Agnes Pockels and the Kitchen Sink Myth

Was she doing the dishes or science?
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Our Partners

We’re proud that our partners see the value of our mission, and are helping us reach engaged audiences as we tell the stories of these remarkable women.

PRX, our podcast distributor, produces and distributes audio content and trains talented independent producers.

With an award-winning portfolio of iconic public radio programs such as "The World”, “This American Life”, “The Moth Radio Hour”, “Latino USA”, “Snap Judgment” and “Reveal”, PRX is also home to a growing body of podcast productions, including via the Radiotopia podcast network and the TRAX podcast network for tweens.
SciAm covers the advances in research and discovery that are changing our understanding of the world and shaping our lives. Founded 1845, it is the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States and now reaches more than 10 million people around the world each month through its website, print and digital editions, newsletters and app.

Authoritative, engaging features, news, opinion and multimedia stories from journalists and expert authors—including more than 200 Nobel Prize winners—provide need-to-know coverage, insights and illumination of the most important developments at the intersection of science and society.
Barnard is one of the most selective academic institutions in the nation, Barnard College is devoted to empowering young women to pursue their passions. Throughout the 2021-22 academic year, Barnard is celebrating all things related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at the College.

Barnard’s expert faculty, its symbiotic relationship with Columbia University, and its location in New York City makes it singularly positioned to offer unparalleled opportunities to women who will become tomorrow’s STEM leaders.

The College has also increasingly incorporated STEM curricula and programming into its liberal arts education, providing students with interdisciplinary knowledge and skill sets that they can carry beyond Barnard.