National Geographic Launches First Hosted Digital Video Series

Join MIT-trained chemist and science-educator George Zaidan (@GeorgeZaidan), co-host of CNBC's "Make Me a Millionaire Inventor," as he tries to recreate everyday household products like toothpaste, lipstick and shaving cream using only natural ingredients… and no recipe. In each episode, George will decode long lists of intimidating chemical names, figure out what they all do, try and find natural substitutes and cook up the do-it-yourself versions in his chemistry lab/kitchen. While George may or may not succeed, we'll all learn something new and surprising about the products we take for granted every day. For more information on the series by executive producer Danielle Steinberg, visit http://nationalgeographic.com/science/ingredients-show-george-zaidan or follow National Geographic on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

Check out the series trailer here.

"In this series, I take viewers on a journey to discover the magic behind some of our society's most common and widely used products," said Zaidan. "I want to understand why there are so many different 'things' in some of the most basic products many of us use every day, what they all do and how complicated (or in some cases, straightforward) it is to make natural consumer products in my kitchen. We'll all learn together. It's fun. It's exciting. It's science."

"This series offers a better understanding not just of the products themselves, but of how our world is constructed for us from afar," said James Williams (@burningtoast), vice president of digital video for National Geographic. "We often take for granted the science behind ordinary life, but it's fascinating when you start peeling back the layers. You'll never look at these products the same way again, and you'll likely appreciate them even more."

About George Zaidan:
George Zaidan is the co-host of CNBC's new hit TV series, "Make Me a Millionaire Inventor." He co-writes and directs MIT's webseries "Science Out Loud." He has also developed, written and hosted shows for TED-Ed, The Weather Channel and The Pentagon Channel. His work has been featured in Forbes, The Boston Globe, NPR's The Salt, NBC's Cosmic Log, Science, Business Insider and Gizmodo. George holds an S.B. in chemistry from MIT, where he won the F.D. Greene Teaching Award. He is a New Media Consortium Emerging Leader and Khan Academy Talent Search Winner. He is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Education and a member of the American Chemical Society. George is an avid rock climber, former single-digit-handicap golfer, beginning tennis player and recreational cook.

Episodes Include:

1. Toothpaste on Sept. 15: 
Ancient toothpaste used stuff like rocks and bones -- and modern toothpaste isn't all that different.

2. Lipstick on Sept. 22:
From ground-up bugs to rust, there might be some unexpected ingredients in your lipstick.

3. Shaving Cream on Sept. 29:
What gives shaving cream all that lathery goodness?

4. Nail Polish on Oct. 6:
Nail polish has a ton of ingredients. Here's why.

5. Gum Base on Oct. 13: 
What makes gum stay chewy for so long? 

6. Air Freshener on Oct. 20: 
Do air fresheners really purify the air? Kind of... 

7. Peanut Butter on Oct. 27: 
Crunchy vs. creamy, runny vs. solid... there's more to peanut butter than peanuts and salt.

8. Conditioner on Nov. 3:
Conditioner -- it makes your hair silky smooth and it's a lot like… fat.

9. Hand Sanitizer on Nov. 10:
There's more to hand sanitizer than just alcohol.

10. Dry-Erase Markers on Nov. 17:
What makes a dry-erase marker erasable? 

11. Gum Sweetener on Nov. 24: 
How can sugar-free gum taste sweet? 

National Geographic Partners:
National Geographic Partners LLC, a joint venture between National Geographic Society and 21^st Century Fox, combines National Geographic television channels with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic Studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, catalog, licensing and e-commerce businesses. A portion of the proceeds from National Geographic Partners LLC will be used to fund science, exploration, conservation and education through significant ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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SOURCE National Geographic

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