Ep 80: The Shared Story of Everything - The Work

Today we are interviewing Colleen Kelley, the creator and founder of Kids Chemical Solutions. she started her science education focused company to promote molecular literacy when she noticed many of her students were struggling with chemistry. Colleen wanted to develop a fun and creative solution that could give students of all ages–from 8 to 108–an easy way to learn and enjoy chemistry. Kids Chemical Solutions offers a variety of different educational materials for all ages including a comic book series, The MC Detective Agency–a mashup of Encyclopedia Brown, Agatha Christie, and a variety of popular animated movies. The main subtheme of the comic series revolves around the mysterious MC–but we aren’t giving any spoilers on the identity of this famous chemist. To figure it out, you’ll have to dive into the comic series yourself! The main characters of the series are Granny Eve and her grandchildren, Poppy and Ray. Each story revolves around solving mysteries, time travel, and includes a sprinkle of humor. The ideas that underlie each of the amazing adventures in The MC Detective Agency come to Colleen through her dreams, journaling, and daydreams. The storylines are funny, entertaining, quirky and educational, and brought to life with the help of an illustrator. Almost a year and a half of work goes into each comic book! “Chemistry requires imagination,” Colleen explains; which is a big advantage to start teaching chemistry at a young age–to build that 3D invisible world that is key to understanding the interactions and characteristics of molecules. However, regardless of your age–between 8 and 108– the most important piece of learning is just to have a beginner mindset, or as Colleen would describe it, inter-generational learning. This means it doesn't matter at what age you start to learn anything new, you only need to start at the beginning. One piece of advice Colleen would give to anyone interested in creating a science-themed comic book series is to first learn how to be a storyteller and then add the science. 

Tune into this episode to hear Colleen share: 

• How she defines molecular literacy and why it is so important 
• What students and parents have to say about her comic book series, The MC Detective Agency
• Why writing an educational comic book is like making a kale smoothie

Reach out to Colleen and discover the MC Detective Agency on her website, Kids Chemical Solutions:

https://kidschemicalsolutions.com 

Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwQfs0pIO-I

If you enjoyed this episode, also listen to:

• Episode 66: Memory and the Human Mind - The Work
• Episode 58: Unpacking the Science Behind Everyday Things - Stuff Matters

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Reach out to Fatu:
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and LoveSciencePodcast@gmail.com

Reach out to Shekerah:
www.linkedin.com/in/shekerah-primus
and LoveSciencePodcast@gmail.com

Music from Pixabay: Future Artificial Intelligence Technology 130 by TimMoor
Music from https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes: Hotshot by ScottHolmesMusic

Chapters

• 2:40 Food Science - Chemistry-based foods
• 6:55 Guest Introduction

Transcript

What can you do with your love of science? We'll tell you. On today's show, we're speaking with Dr. Colleen Kelley, also known as Chemistry Colleen. She is the author of a fun comic book series which uses detective stories to teach chemistry to readers aged 8 to 108. Through her comics, games, and other resources her company offers, she's on a mission to make molecular literacy a priority. in our society. What stood out to you here, Fatu?

Yeah, I really loved her explanation of learning and why it's so important to start molecular literacy like such a novel concept at a young age. And I also really loved her stance on how learning can be intergenerational because chemistry is one of those things that connects with all of us.

And that sentiment also reminded me of some of the previous episodes that we've had. What about you?

Yeah, I really loved the Marie Curie reconnection that she wove into the comics and how much of an inspiration she really was to her. I definitely learned a lot there. I did not know most of that stuff actually about Marie Curie. So now we got to do an episode on her. But such a fun episode today and an impactful comic book series. So let's listen and enjoy. 
 
 

Hi everyone. Welcome back to another episode of your favorite podcast. We love science. We are your hosts. I'm Shekerah

and I'm Fatu. And today we're talking about my favorite type of book, comic books with a science twist. So, comic books and chemistry.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Very, very cool. Our special guest chatting with us today is Dr. Colleen Kelley, better known as Chemistry Colleen.

Perfect.

She is the author of a fun comic book series with detective stories that teach real chemistry to students between ages 8 to 80 cuz you know we never stop learning. We never stop being students. So we are always learning. So Colleen, I am really excited to have you on the show today. I'm so happy you could join us. Welcome. Welcome.

Thank you so much. It's great to be here.

Great. So we are so looking forward to hearing all about your work, the comic books, as well as your career. journey. But first, of course, let's warm up with some food. Sound good? Sure. Perfect. All right. So, today's prompt, of course, is right on topic. What is a chemistry themed food or drink or even a snack that you enjoy? Bu, do you want to get us started?

Oh my gosh. Okay, so this is something I've never had before. I would say a food combination, but I feel like it's very chemistry. focused. So, I remember in elementary school there was some kind of trend where people would you do you remember those like nerd candies that were like little like sugar crystals and people would eat them with like soda or something and it created like I think like a lot of like fizziness, right? So, so there' be like it would make like a lot of like I guess like you know like carbon dioxide or whatever and then the soda would get like extra fizzy and then the thing to do was like to pour a box that in your mouth and like pour the soda and it's like just

so like that. Sorry.

I'm laughing because super old school because

they actually have the the candy called Pop Rocks and they have the carbon dioxide literally literally like in the candy now so that when it melts on your tongue you get the fizzy pop without the without the bottle of soda. So, this was before Pop Rocks. This is This is what we used to do back in the day. I never did it cuz I think I was just like scared cuz like you're seeing kids with like all this like it's it's a little messy. It's a little messy, you know? So, I don't have a favorite one, but I think that was the one I experienced that I didn't partake in, I guess, is the way that I would put that.

Yeah, I love it. You stole mine cuz that was going to be mine, too. Like, that's the only like chemistry food that I know that I really eat.

Sorry. Uh pop rock. So, and I really only see them around like um Halloween time and it's not it's like I don't go looking for it, but around Halloween I feel like they're so they're like everywhere. So, I end up I end up eating them a lot. And I really I really love the fizzy feeling on my tongue and in my mouth. I've got to say I feel like that is the addictive part for me. It's not even like the sweetness. It's just like the pop. Maybe I should say that for a lifelike. I love it. Okay. Anyway, Colleen What is your chemistry themed food or drink or snack that you have to share with us today?

It's definitely pop rock adjacent, I would say.

Um, but it's it's a root beer float because it has a solid liquid and a gas in it. And so when you put the ice cream into the root beer and it foams up, those little bubbles are the fat that's covering the carbon dioxide. So they're little fat blobs that are carb filled with carbon dioxide. And I think A lot of times you just say, "Oh, there's foam on your root beer float." And you're like, "Yeah, that's cool." But now, like, you want to look at it and be like, "Actually, that's the fat molecules from the ice cream covering the carbon dioxide molecules that were found in the root beer all coming together because there's a change in temperature." Um, so when the temperature changes, the carbon dioxide is released. So, it's all this cool chemistry going on in a root beer float. So, I just love that. Plus, I mean, obviously, they're delicious.

So, there's that. So, it's kind of like the the trifecta, but you guys were all talking about um carbon dioxide in soda, and I was like, "Well, I was going to pick root beer float." So, thanks for the prompt on that one.

We did. You did. It seems like carbon dioxide, you know, having some kind of effect on food is something is used very, very often in lots of different foods, right?

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's all through baking, too.

Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. We love it.

Um, excellent. You know, I will admit I've never had a root beer float.

I know. I know.

Why, Shekerah? We won't we won't tell anyone. So, you just tell us.

I've heard of them and I know people say they're delicious. I've just never had, I guess, the opportunity.

They're good.

Okay.

Anyway, I will I will eventually. I'm sure. I'm sure.

All right. Thank you both. So, let's jump in. So, our guest today is Dr. Colleen Kelley, who is the creator and founder of Kids Chemical Solutions, which is a comic book-based curriculum to teach chemistry to students of all ages. The comic book series is called the MC Detective Agency, and it teaches chemistry with the use of detective stories, which engages students imaginations, right, as they learn and try to solve the mysteries. So, Kids Chemical Solutions is also a Rocky Mountain Emmy Award winner. Congratulations, Thank you.

So very impressive and incredibly inspiring. Colleen, so why don't we start with your company in general, Kids Chemical Solutions. What is the mission and your vision for the company?

Right. Thank you. Thanks for the introduction. So my mission broadly is a term that I coined after years of research like 25 years of research and working with um brilliant college students who were failing chemistry at all levels. and wondering why they thought chemistry was so hard. And so really I took a deep dive into this and came up with the term molecular literacy. So the goal of kids chemical solutions and the comic book series and the games and the puzzles and the activities and the entire curriculum is to provide a basic foundation of molecular literacy for anyone between the ages of 8 and 108. And I can usually grab folks in that range. So and the lower limit of eight is just put there because of a reading level for the comic books and if they're read aloud it can be a much lower level too. Yeah. So really um I'm trying to reach young folks and get them started with molecular literacy. I'm trying to enhance molecular literacy for kids in middle and high school. And then for all the people in my world where chemistry just surpassed them

and they didn't like it or they for whatever reason didn't jive with them. it's for them, too. Um, we can always go back and relearn stuff and try again. And so, I'm really trying to reach really everyone globally because molecular literacy is how we understand each other and the world around us.

Yeah.

And I really think that chemistry is not just about science. It's the shared story of everything. And so, when I'm trying to to really get people on board with chemistry, it's a big mission to to recognize that it is the shared story of everything whether you're in Nairobi or in Tucson Arizona molecule is a molecule and so I think if we want to connect globally with each other molecular literacy is a really key component.

Yeah. Yeah. I I really love that. I mean honestly that that is a concept that really fascinates me and I had not heard about it before uh you know looking on your website but I I really love that so much and you talk about how Learning chemistry is very similar to like learning how to read. Right.

Right.

So basically molecular literacy is similar to reading literacy. And so we should start early teaching kids the symbols in chemistry and how they combine to form larger molecules and compounds that have these different powers. And Colleen, that analogy is gold. I got to tell you. Thank you. I love that so much. I love that you describe it that way because just as words have different powers, right? Um, molecules have different powers. If you combine two hydrogens and an oxygen, you get water, right?

And water has unique properties and powers. And that's exactly how words work. You have letters that combine to form, you know, different words. And the different words have different powers. If you tell someone they're amazing, you'll have a different effect on them than if you tell them They're awful, right? So words have power. So yeah. Oh my gosh, that analogy is just I think it's so very clever and I think it really brings, you know, the point across in a way that's more meaningful.

Thank you

to to people, right? How important it is to prioritize molecular literacy just like we prioritize reading literacy and start teaching it early. So yeah, I'm happy that you've taken up the charge and you're going to make the world more molecular. molecularly literate. So,

thank you for that.

Yeah, I would definitely agree with you, Shekerah. And also, um, when I heard you say, Colleen, that chemistry is the shared story of everything, I thought that was also just such, you know, an amazing way of sort of summarizing um the importance of chemistry. And it made me think of two books that we've discussed on this podcast previously, Shekerah, Stuff Matters, right? Yeah,

I've taught from that book. Oh, really? So cool.

Yeah, exactly.

So, that came up for me. And then also one hand clapping um also came up for me. Yeah.

As kind of like fitting into this just like beautiful phrase that you can use to summarize all of that. So, I really enjoyed that. Yeah.

Oh, well, I'm glad to be in the company of stuff matters because that's one of my favorites, too.

Excellent.

Yeah. I loved I loved reading that book. It was so cool just learning about the stories behind all of these normal things, right, that we take for granted. I was like, "Wow, this is amazing." Anyway, everyone, we will put a link to Stuff Matters,

that episode in the show notes, so you guys can take it.

Yeah. Go listen to it.

Okay, so um let's go back to the comic book series.

Sure.

MC Detective Agency, an Emmy award winner. Can you tell us more about it? Um what are the characters? Um what are the stories? What kind of stories do you do you write? Things like that.

Okay, great. Yeah, so the MC detective agency is a series of what I call case files because when you're solving mysteries, they're cases and they get their inspiration kind of from Encyclopedia Brown um a little bit from Agatha Christie and then a whole bunch of different genres um from Pixar to DreamWorks to Disney all all of that. So there's an infusion of um creative inspirations into these mysteries. Um, they all start with this mysterious 1930s radio speaking to the audience. So, I like the format where you break the fourth wall and the audience is part of of the reading. So, the this mysterious 1930s radio speaks to the audience and um when you listen to the audible version of it, uh the radio has a female voice with a French accent and um This was inspired from a really old 1970s TV show called Charlie's Angels where you never saw Charlie, but he was always giving a a mission to the angels. So, this radio is always giving a mission to Granny Eve.

And and Granny Eve is the only one that can hear the radio speaking.

Um, so again, spoiler alert, MC is Marie Curie. So, the radio is called MC, but it's the voice of Marie Curie  speaking through the radio.

Yeah. um to granny Eve and Marie Curie youngest daughter was named Eve.

So um so that's a connection there. So she speaks to Granny Eve and then Granny Eve translates the mission to her grandchildren. Poppy for pelonium, Ray for radium, also elements discovered by Marie Curie. So there's this whole Marie Curie sub theme going always through each stories. So as a series, these are the main characters that appear. Um, but the reader doesn't really know who MC is. And you know, my students when they're reading it or other people reading it, they're like, "Who's MC? Why is this oldtimey radio speaking?" Um, but I love um I I think when you go back in time, things become timeless,

right? So, so an oldtimey radio then is timeless because it's already set. We already know that these are antiquated. So, uh I didn't want to I love oldtimey things. I love history. I love handwritten letters. I love just nostalgia. And so my comic book series, even though it's about chemistry, doesn't have lasers and gadgets. Um, you know, they travel in an oldtimey taxi that time travels with them. So, it's a, you know, an oldtime cab that is also a character. And so, that the taxi takes them all around to different missions. So, um, it's it it has that kind of flavor of history, nostalgia, timelessness, and then um and mystery. And then also because it's a comic book, it's filled with humor.

Yeah. Very, very interesting. I love your your setup, the Charlie's Angels connection as well as the Marie Curie connection. So, I did not see the you know, the old Charlie's Angels, but I guess all I really know are like the movies, right, with the stars. Yeah,

that's really all but the only Charlie's Angels I know. Um, but then the Marie Curie connection, I love that as well. Can you talk a little bit more about that? Like how did you like how does that fit in? How did you decide to use her as the the voice that's giving sort of the missions,

right? Yeah. So, um I'm a chemist myself and I did my post-doal studies in France. So, I'm a female chemist who studied in France and as a female chemist who studies in France you you get to know uh Marie Curie and um I've done quite a bit of research on her. I'm fascinated with her. It's one of my hobbies, but also I've written some children's books um soon to be published about her and her daughter, her relationship with her daughters and what that's about. Um so I just when I look at her life, I just I can't think of anybody else in history who has done what she's done and it's been so gritty. You know, she was a single mom with two daughters under the age of eight and still won two Nobel prizes

in in the early 1900s. Like a woman today could not do that.

Right.

And so Right. So, you know, over a hundred years ago with no money, no nannies, you know, her former father-in-law watched her daughters for a little bit until he died. You know, she had a dirt floor for her laboratory, a leaky shed. Um so much discrimination and She was not French. She was Polish by nationality. So she was an expat not living in her homeland. You know, everything against her. And she was sick because she was working with radiation. So she was chronically ill,

never feeling well. Um just the obstacles are enormous.

Yeah.

And yet she kept going. And her daughters um both grew up, the oldest one I ran um married a chemist and they both won another Nobel Prize.

Wow.

Um after her. So her they're a mother daughter Nobel prizewinning team never before

and then her youngest daughter Eve um married an American and they started UNICEF and won a Nobel Peace Prize for starting UNICEF.

Wow.

So I mean it's it's an incredible family, very humble and I think in homage to that um this comic book series is dedicated to that legacy of what they've left behind.

Yeah. Wow. That story behind it. is so so powerful and incredibly inspirational. You know, I I admit I did not know all of that about Marie Curie. So, wow. We definitely we're going to have to do like an episode on her part. Totally.

I really love this world that you created, Colleen. I think, you know, when we're reading books and we have things that we get really drawn into that world that you're able to create that sort of like really sucks in, you know, like the reader and just immerses them is so special and I really think that showcases your talents not only as a chemist but also as an author. So really big congrats to that. That's really amazing.

Thank you. Excellent. And so going right off of that, your talent as an author, tell us a little bit more about your creative process. I am always really curious because you hear these stories about people who they have to have things a certain way, right, in order to do their creation, in order to write. You've got to have the right pen and, you know, the right, you know, seat and the right like atmosphere, the right drink, like everything everything has to start have to align, right, for it to come together. We've definitely had someone sort of on the show before who talked about sort of how difficult writing was and sort of everything has to align, right? So, tell us a little bit of more about your process um as a writer. What kind of rituals do do you have any rituals that you follow? Um does everything have to be, you know, just perfect or you know, how do you how do you find your sto your inspiration for your stories?

Well, I dream and I daydream. Um, and I I think um because my stories you'll you'll find, you know, the the third book is the um case of the pillaging pirates and it's a parody on the Princess Bride,

right? And so, and so there's there's a dream that I came up with from that. But, uh, I dream and then I hand write um the stories. So, I start with a journal. um sketch some ideas

and then I'll stop and I literally will lay down um think a little bit more uh write some more down and then just kind of keep iterating off of that. But honestly, I think um I know when it's coming it it is a little bit of an out-of- body experience because some of the stuff that comes up is just a lifetime of of experiences. Um in the uh fourth episode they go to a rock concert to that's ben it's a benefit rock concert for the vanishing van go story night is vanishing and they're having a rock concert to raise awareness and and so the whole premise is like they're raising awareness but not doing anything about it and so there's like a little bit of like social cont construct in there

and so Poppy and Ray go to to do something about it

but um you know I just I I love science and art and that connection I love Van Gogh so You know, there's just things that I think about and I think, you know, what would be funny and there's a helicopter that's dropping in the fading Van Go and you know, there's heavy metals are playing and um yeah, it's a lot of imaginative thought process and and worlds and um when I'm writing sometimes it's just coming to me and I don't know where it's coming from and people ask where it's coming from. I'm like I don't know. I I so I I am a firm believer in muses. Uh, I think there is an entity out there that's delivering the message through you and I'm just a vehicle for that. But it is a synthesis of, you know, years of lived experiences and things I've seen and they just come out in the strangest ways through through these stories. But they're they're fun and delightful, quirky, entertaining, and most of all educational.

Yeah. Yeah. I love that. Uh, and so you mentioned um art a couple times. You mentioned loving and go. Um, and then you you talk about, you know, liking to hand hand preferring to handwrite your stories and like sort of sketching ideas. Do you What about the illustrations? So, the illustrations are so interesting in the comic book. Do you sort of write with the illustrations in mind or do you just sort of focus on the stories and then you hand it off to an illustrator who sort of works their magic?

Yeah, it's it is it's a collaborative process for sure. So, um I I have an idea of what I want a character to look like and I'll work with a concept artist who is one of my former students and a friend of my sons. Um, McKenzie Reagan. She just graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Um, but I started working with her before she went to SCAD. Um, and she was in my class and she was a swimmer with my son and um, Mac and I will I'll just say, you know, Mac, like why don't we, um, do this or that? Why don't we make Poppy look like this? and and then we'll draw back and forth. Um, and then because she's had my class and she knows some chemistry, um, we can get that iterative process going from there. Then I had a team of comic book artists, but I would use the concept art to show what I want the characters to look like. Got it.

Um, and they don't look exactly like that, but there's, you know, there's the inspiration for the characters. And then I will use my crude like cut and paste kind of stuff like I think I want Granny Eve's house to look like this. I want her kitchen wallpaper to look like this.

Um and then finally at my publisher I have a um kind of a final artist Christa who Christa um is amazing and she just really then has refined the characters and refined the comic books and really polished them. Um and Christa kind of gets the idea of um making them a little bit cuter. So like you know everyone comes a little bit more round a little bit more

they just become just

juicier

and uh so Christa does a really good job at softening them

and um so it's a whole process of people that are really really more talented than I could ever be but um I communicate well with and uh we've had a great run of it so far.

Yeah. Wow. It sounds like a whole lot more go goes into making a comic book than I realized.

It's huge. Yeah, it's year years of work and Yes. And so many people work on the lettering is a whole thing. There's layers to a comic book.

Yeah. There's it's it's a big it's a big process and I didn't know either going into it.

So, it's one of those things you're glad you don't know because I don't know if I would have started.

I totally get that. Beautiful. So, Colleen, I know that you love what you do. and you've dedicated so much of your time and energy into doing it and doing it right and doing it well. So, can you from, you know, from your perspective, in your own words, what do you love most about the work that you're doing?

I love watching people read it and and just watching their expressions change and watching their shoulders go up and down when they're laughing. Um, and you know, just unprompted for me and and seeing what they think is funny and what they're getting from it and then what questions they have because it's a mystery. and they, you know, they want to know right right away like, well, why why do they why are they green? Like, you guys have to keep reading. I can't tell you why they're green. Um, you know, so there's there's so much about just observing someone reading what you wrote and and just watching that magic happen and then watching, you know, kids from 8 to 108, but I've mainly had my eyes on on the the younger audience and just watching how much they love to read when it's good and and how they don't want to stop and um that just fills me up just just seeing somebody just embrace the love of reading.

Yeah. Yeah. I love that. So for you the focus is on the impact that you're having and seeing other people experience your work, how they experience your work. That's beautiful. So we'll go right off of that and ask um what impact has the series had what feedback have you received from kids, from educators, parents, your peers about this comic book series? I mean, it's been so great and it's been just magical. Um, when I finished my TED talk, um, we, you know, you go to a little like reception um, so that the folks in the audience can speak to you and, um, a gentleman came up to me and said, "We just need more people like you in this world."

Yeah.

And, you know, you're just thinking, "Wow, that that's that's a really cool statement." And you know, I get letters from parents

um wow

saying u you know this was a gift from from God like thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. So

um because chemistry is such um contentious subject in schools and again I don't know why it shouldn't be I don't agree with that trying to change that

and um there's a huge pain point for parents teachers students, everybody about this subject and I'm alleviating pain and so the feedback I get is points to that and it also points to I wish I would have had this when I was younger.

So, so I mean from anywhere from the kids loving it to parents being very appreciative and knowing that they, you know, they see the light now like why it should be easier to folks just hearing like this podcast and and thinking, wow, this is this is really something that that is needed in this world.

Yeah, I agree. That's beautiful. And you know, one thing, the material in the comics, they cover basically college level chemistry. Is that right?

Correct. Yep.

So, it's amazing to me for someone like honestly I did struggle with chemistry, right? Um and especially organic chemistry, but it's amazing that you can teach kids that, right? I mean, I think that really speaks then maybe we're the process is just so slow like just like you said molecular literacy we got to start early right because they're able to absorb it if we wait so long and we don't start until college or or high school then you know it's for some reason it's harder and I don't know why maybe it's as you said it's just like a perception type of thing right that we're working against so

yeah chemistry requires imagination and um we know that neural pathways in in imaginations are heightened at about seven or eight

um and after that there's a a decline. So the creative imaginative process needs to be available and if you are 18 or 19 and that that neural pathway has already been shut down from for you from trauma from life from a a myriad of different experiences

it's difficult to reopen if not impossible and then chemistry becomes inaccessible to you right so the reason to start at a young age is the same reason you start anything that requires um like a neuromuscular connection like you know tennis or basketball or whatever it is or music where there's um right so that imaginative 3D invisible world um and especially I I think it really um associates well with music because I think when a young musician is reading music they're seeing the song right there's a there's an imaginative song in their head.

So I I think that kind of strengthening that process and keeping that neural pathway strong so that when they encounter abstract concepts in chemistry it's available and then it becomes easy to them because there's always that child or student where chemistry is easy and you and for me that was like why and I was one of them and I and again as a first generation college student I didn't have any of that kind of wasn't like I had molecular literacy at 8, but I had other things to strengthen that neural pathway and keep it open.

Yeah. So true.

Yeah. I really love that. And I feel like Colleen, you know, um, and Shekerah from the guests that we have had, um, throughout, you know, our podcast, there always is this really beautiful connection between like art and creativity and science. And I really like now how also you're explaining it from like an actual neurodedevelopmental point of where there is, you know, like that actual learning process and how those neurons are connected in your brain does lead to, you know, making it easier for you to also understand these concepts because there's like creativity and art and all these other things behind it. So that's a really really cool connection.

Thank you. So I know that you've had to deal with some challenges, some setbacks um with creating this comic book series um making your mission and your vision successful. for kids chemical solutions. Um, just from my perspective being in the science field and having experienced certain things, I know how science is thought of as sort of this like seriously thing and you can only do it a certain way. So, just sort of wondering with this comic book series, I know that you're primarily targeting kids, but you also, you know, you say it's for 8 to 108, right? So,

right.

It's um it's for everybody. So, um what challenges have you had to face? um putting this comic book out into the world, making it successful, making your vision successful, whether from what I just, you know, spoke or from any other challenges that you've had to deal with. Can you speak to that for a little bit?

Sure. I I think uh you know, the challenges I'm encountering uh all involve rebranding chemistry as a literacy.

Yeah.

Right. And so it needs a total rebrand. And if I you know, my dream would be to erase everybody's brains and experiences about chemistry and start again am with with molecular literacy as a platform and and just see the world open up. Um there's so much bias. Uh you know, parents send their kids to high school and they they have chemistry on their schedule and the parent says just get through it. I failed it. I hated it. Right? So the the bias that a chemistry teacher encounters from society even before they enter the classroom is enormous. And I used to joke around with my 8 a.m. organic chem class um because, you know, I would try and tell jokes and everything and everyone just like staring at me like they they were just like, "Who is she? Why why is this woman even joking with us?" And um

there's no funny business here.

Yeah. Yeah. And I used to just I be like, "This is harder than standup. Like you all are looking at me like I am a female Darth Vader." Oh no.

And and and I'm like look at me. Like I'm just like joking around like like you all can lighten up because I know when they lighten up their minds open up, right? So levity brings an Open mind. Open mind brings imagination. Imagination brings molecular literacy.

So there was a method to my madness. But um it's really difficult I think to rebrand chemistry um as something that can be accessible to all because of you know what society has branded it. And and I think my other obstacle with rebranding is what is chemistry? And I'm trying to explain to folks that you know and it's 80% in your brain and the other 20% is in your hands.

And um if all we're doing when we're teaching chemistry is making slime, we're doing a disservice, right? That that's I don't know what that is. That's an activity that that's, you know, there they they need to be able to read first. Again, I can tell folks, you can make a loaf of bread and be illiterate,

right? You can make slime and be molecularly illiterate, and then when you get to college, it's going to smack you in the face so hard and you're gonna, you know, and then all of a sudden you're like, "Wait, I thought this was all about making slime because as a society, we we put a white lab coat on. We put safety goggles on and we use a brown girl in a picture with, you know, a flask with color and say, "Look, she's going to be a scientist." And she she may have never seen a periodic table. And I would argue less of that and more reading. You know, we don't we don't need the is for social media. We we need reading.

Yeah.

Right. And reading doesn't show up in social media like that. Well, you know,

interesting. Yeah.

So, so I I think um I have issue with a lot of these things that are happening for branding STEM and especially STEM and and what it is and

you know it science is reading and writing and imagining and then we we then the doing comes when you understand. Again, a musician can also play music without being able to read music. I know that,

right? But the best musicians in the world can read and write music and create their own music and hear the music.

Yeah.

So, uh it's not just the doing. The doing doesn't get people very far.

Yeah. So, there's an art to chemistry basically is is what you're seeing right now.

Yep. Yeah. So, uh so with your rebranding, just out of curiosity, I know that You know, you say that this is for all ages from 8 to 108. I love that statement. But have you gotten any push back from that? Because I know that advertisers, you know, publishers, they usually like tighter niches than this is for everyone. So, I'm just curious if you've gotten any push back

statement. Okay.

100% all the time. And again, it once I explain it's like learning music. I I don't play the piano. I can't read music. If I wanted to start tomorrow, I would start I remember my son took piano lessons and he had Beethoven bear and Mosart mouse. I would start with that same book, right? Because I don't know how to read music. So

I I would start at that same level. So when we have a beginner's mindset, age is irrelevant and intergenerational learning is irrelevant. Um my family bought me a knitting set for Christmas because I want to learn how to knit. I have to start at the beginning.

Yeah.

So if you miss chemistry, if you fail chemistry, if you never took chemistry, if you avoided chemistry, we're all beginners. And that's why it's not age dependent because there is no if you missed it all, you got to start at the beginning again. And again, again, if you're learning a foreign language, if you wanted to learn Mandarin and have never started, Dolingo is going to start you out at the beginning.

Right.

Right. And you you could co-learn with your 95year-old grandma and your 5-year-old needs,

right? And so intergenerational learning is the wave of the educational future. And I think putting these

boxes on it

is is incredibly limiting and frustrating. Yes.

For those of us who are creating platforms that um don't depend on on that.

Yes. Oh, I so agree with that. Having a beginners's mindset, that's that's all it's about, right? Yeah.

But yeah, we we definitely like to put people into boxes because it's easier, right? So, we like to say this is for you, but not for you, right? So,

it's interesting.

Yeah, I would just say snaps to that. I really, really like that. And I love this concept of intergenerational learning, Colleen. I think that's just also so beautiful, right? It makes it like a community experience.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yep. Perfect. Um, okay. So, Colleen, you've created this beautiful series, comic book series. You've got this mission that you're on. on with Kids Chemical Solutions. Can you tell us what advice would you give to someone who's interested in creating a science themed comic book series like you have?

Uh, this is great. Um, I I would say make sure that it's a a good story.

Um,

if the if the story is secondary to the science, it's not going to work.

Um, so so learn how to be learn how to become a a a novelist, an author, go to creative writing workshops. Really learn how to be a storyteller first and then use your science background to integrate into that. If if you're leading with the science and then inserting a story and some characters into that, um it's going to feel like chemistry or physics or whatever it is or math, whatever science or STEM unit you're trying to to show. And to really do it And the way that I've done it, um, it shouldn't appear like it's, if you look at my comic books, there there's no like chemical symbols apparent on the front cover or, you know, it looks like a comic book.

Yeah.

And so, be clever. And, um, it's almost like a kale smoothie. Um, hide the kale and make it taste good, you know, like we we do it all the time with things. And I would just say to make sure that and then to be confident that in this world where You know, people think it has to be serious.

That the the the power comes from the story.

Yeah. Yeah. This is what we're doing here, right? There is power in stories. Yes.

Yes. So agree with that. Excellent. So, Colleen, we are going to end the work segment with our favorite game that I have been winning just as much as FA 2, even though she said differently.

I was like, is that the correct score, Shekerah? That's my story and I'm still it.

So this is called hosts on the hot seats.

Okay.

All right. So the challenge is please give us one or two questions preferably multiple choice easy questions um that you know for me and Fatu to test our knowledge and ultimately teach something else about your field and work. So, Colleen, what do you have for us?

Okay, I have two. Okay.

And they're they're just true and false, but they're ones that um really blow my students minds. Like, they're just like, whoa. So, the first one is true or false. There's lead pencils.

Fatu.

Oh, I want to say false. Shekerah.

False. Yay. Good job, guys.

Yeah,

that false head conviction.

Yeah. I mean, I that's what something again when you talk about molecular literacy and you go to Walgreens and you get your pencil lead,

you know, it's it's right there on the label. It says pencil lead. Yeah.

You know, to fill up your refillable pencil. And so my students are like, "But Dr. Kelley, it says lead right there." I'm like, "Well, like you wouldn't be able to pick it up. It would be like a,000 pounds, your bicep would be so huge by the time you got done writing your name. You know, think about what a lead pencil would be. And then we talk about the history of lead and how it, you know, came from the Romans and the Romans noticed this black like tar like kind of marking and it came from their lead plumbing, but they also noticed it from carbon and thought it was the same thing. Um, and so, you know, there goes lead from thousands of years ago still in

pencils and we all know that lead is a neurotoxin deadly.

Yeah.

So there's no way that we would have lead in pencils but convincing otherwise is really a a challenge to to talk about why

why they called lead in pencil.

Lead pencil.

Yeah.

So the other one too that is also a favorite when talking about the elements is true or false uh the ele or the the notion of kryptonite and The Superman series. Kryptonite is an element. True or false? True.

Uhoh.

So, one of us is right and one of us is wrong.

Yeah. Kryptonite's not an element. It's called krypton. And so, my students are always looking, they look at krypton, which is a a noble gas. Has nothing to do with kryptonite. Krypton is a f fictional substance that was developed

um by I guess Marvel or whoever developed Superman. So, there's a such thing as kryptonite. Um, and it is not krypton. The two are not equal.

You're bursting so many bubbles, Kie. Kryptonite.

Is it real? What do you mean it isn't real?

Beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you so much for playing along with us. Colleen, thanks again so much for chatting with us today. It was such a pleasure hearing all about the comic book series, and I can't wait to read them. Thank you. So, before we before we jump into the journey segment, can you Can you please share with people how they can reach you if they would like to, how they can purchase your beautiful comic books if they would like to?

Sure. Yeah. Everything's available on my website

and it's kids chemicalsolutions.com. So, it's probably better if you read that instead of hearing me say it. It's a big it's a big long URL, but kids chemicalsolutions.com. And um that's where you can purchase the comic books. And then uh please be sure to vis visit the free tab. There's tons of free stuff on there. Um there's free games, there's free puzzles, there's um a web-based game called Element Decoder that's super fun. So, as much as possible, I'm putting out into the world free things. There's free audio books um of the comic books so you can hear the voices and they're available on the What If World podcast for kids.

So, all of those are are available on my website, too.

Excellent. Thank you so much. So, we will be sure to include all of those guys. in the show notes so that listeners you guys can find them. Thanks everyone. Okay, so we'd like to say thank you to our listeners for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, and share. To learn more about our guest journey, be sure to listen to the next Journey episode. And you can reach out to us by email at lovescienceodcast@gmail.com. Please send any questions, comments about the show, or suggestions for guests that you'd like to hear on the show. We love love to hear from you. Until next time.

I feel like this is harder than standup. Like you all are looking at me like I am a female Darth Vader.