Published by T. R. Appleton
A podcast about the fascinating true stories behind each element on the periodic table.
Listen on Apple Podcasts36 min
Many episodes have incorporated geology, but this one is more about geography. (And amateur nuclear science.)
Element 94 causes a bit of a crisis for our collections.
1 hr 7 min
To the person who said, "the episodes are never too long," I'm terribly sorry.
26 min
♪ O chemistry, o chemistry, the study of all matter ♫
45 min
America's worst radioactive accident isn't Three Mile Island, and the Nazi nuclear physicist wasn't assassinated by the famous baseball player.
21 min
Sometimes we need a quiet moment in order to step back and look at the bigger picture.
18 min
Sure, thorium could provide practically limitless clean energy, but then we couldn't build weapons of mass destruction.
15 min
We all know that radioactive rocks glow in the dark, except they actually don't, except for when they actually do.
33 min
Out of all the characters who encounter radium in this episode, the only one to emerge unscathed is the guy who comes face-to-face with Satan.
15 min
You don't have to have a degree to do science, but it helps.
21 min
You know something's amiss when you set off the radiation alarms while walking in to the nuclear power plant.
19 min
The story of astatine takes us to Alabama, Dacca, Romania, Vienna, and California, but definitely not Switzerland.
19 min
Sadly, it's no longer possible to purchase this lethally radioactive element for fifteen cents and a cereal boxtop.
18 min
The periodic table shows the natural patterns and trends among the elements. Bismuth does not abide.
26 min
We just can't seem to stop chasing the sweet, sweet taste of element 82.
24 min
In which we learn how reading mystery novels might very well save a life.
22 min
Even if you hate tuna, have flawless teeth, and only use digital thermometers, humans have historically not been shy about getting a mouthful of mercury.
28 min
All other metals step aside, because today we deal with the king of elements.
21 min
Sometimes, being set in stone isn't permanent enough.
26 min
Alvarez noticed a great disturbance in the rocks, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
Norway
United States
United States
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Observed July 30, 2026.
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