Hi, it's Molly from BrainsOn and Smash Boom Best with an important request for the curious

adults listening in today. As you may know, the BrainsOn universe is public media.

Philanthropic donations from you help power this show and so many others that our team created

this year. When you donate today, you could choose an extra special thank you gift,

maybe kids stop listening for a second if you want a surprise, this gift would be a personalized

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Hey there, Smash Boom Besties, Molly here. We know a lot of you debate heads like to take notes

and keep score during Smash Boom Best episodes. Have you ever wondered how that pencil

led your writing with sticks to paper? Well, you can find the answer in this episode of our new

podcast Moment of Om. Don't forget to subscribe to Moment of Om in your favorite podcast player.

New episodes come out every weekday. From the Brains Behind BrainsOn, this is the Moment of Om.

This is the Moment of Om from APM Studios. I'm Molly Bloom. Have you ever thought about what a

huge role pencils play in our lives? We start using them to draw with small children. We use them

to take tests and write essays and figure out equations and make art. I'm just going to say it.

Pencils are vital to how we communicate with each other. It's no wonder we got this particularly

pointed pencil question. Hola, Migos. My name is Scarlett from Arkansas. My and my question is,

how does pencil led stick to paper? That's a really great question and something I like to think

about since I study how chemistry affects our everyday lives. My name is Joya Koolief. I am an

assistant professor of chemistry at California State University Fullerton and I study the chemistry

of different materials, so things in our world. Pencil led sticks to paper without coming off

...