ACS member Asia Fee competes in reality TV show Beast Games

Asia Fee, a chemistry content creator and American Chemical Society member, appeared on the competitive reality TV show Beast Games. Founder of the cosmetics company Alchemist Asia, Fee is also the content creation program coordinator for the University of Alaska Fairbanks. First released in January, Beast Games’ second season involves challenges from which players are eliminated as they try for a $5 million cash prize. The theme is strong versus smart.Fee, who was scouted for the show through her own cosmetic chemistry–focused social media account, represented female chemists on the smart team. C&EN chatted with her about what it was like being one of the 100 “smartest players on the planet,” up against “100 of the strongest,” as claimed by the show’s description on Amazon Prime Video. When asked if she ever imagined that her career path would lead her to reality TV, Fee replied, “Absolutely not.”This interview was edited for length and clarity.Fee’s first challenge involved memorizing and re-creating a stack of blocks, in four colors, up to 16 blocks high. For her second challenge, she and her competitor took turns stacking fake stones on a balance scale with a weighted heart on the other side, while trying not to tip the balance.Do you think any of your skills as a chemist came in handy during the challenges?I’m going to have to say yes, even though that pains me. . . .I obviously have to say the memorization, absolutely, especially because my background is in organic [chemistry]. There were