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The Episodic Table of Elements

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A podcast about the fascinating true stories behind each element on the periodic table.
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A podcast about the fascinating true stories behind each element on the periodic table.
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Episodes

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Published 2025-09-27

95. Americium: Mundus Novus

36 min Transcript
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Many episodes have incorporated geology, but this one is more about geography. (And amateur nuclear science.)
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Many episodes have incorporated geology, but this one is more about geography. (And amateur nuclear science.)
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Published 2023-05-29

92. Uranium: Two Untold Tales (Live At Harvard)

45 min
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America's worst radioactive accident isn't Three Mile Island, and the Nazi nuclear physicist wasn't assassinated by the famous baseball player.
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America's worst radioactive accident isn't Three Mile Island, and the Nazi nuclear physicist wasn't assassinated by the famous baseball player.
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Published 2022-02-22

90. Thorium: Bright Lights, Big City

18 min
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Sure, thorium could provide practically limitless clean energy, but then we couldn't build weapons of mass destruction.
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Sure, thorium could provide practically limitless clean energy, but then we couldn't build weapons of mass destruction.
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Published 2021-10-18

88. Radium: Several Sordid Affairs

33 min
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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.
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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.
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Published 2021-08-02

85. Astatine: Pathological Science

19 min
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The story of astatine takes us to Alabama, Dacca, Romania, Vienna, and California, but definitely not Switzerland.
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The story of astatine takes us to Alabama, Dacca, Romania, Vienna, and California, but definitely not Switzerland.
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Published 2021-06-14

83. Bismuth: The Friendly Oddball

18 min
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The periodic table shows the natural patterns and trends among the elements. Bismuth does not abide.
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The periodic table shows the natural patterns and trends among the elements. Bismuth does not abide.
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Published 2021-04-12

80. Mercury: Fatally Toxic And Probably In Your Mouth

22 min
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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.
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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.
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Published 2021-03-29

79. Gold: Lump Sum

28 min
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All other metals step aside, because today we deal with the king of elements.
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All other metals step aside, because today we deal with the king of elements.
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Published 2021-02-08

76. Osmium: It Stinks!

19 min
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This entire episode serves as cautionary advice to anyone seeking to add osmium to their element collection.
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This entire episode serves as cautionary advice to anyone seeking to add osmium to their element collection.
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Published 2021-01-25

75. Rhenium: A Love Of Two Brains

13 min
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Witness an incredible, unbreakable bond between two who couldn't be more alike. We'll also learn about a married couple.
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Witness an incredible, unbreakable bond between two who couldn't be more alike. We'll also learn about a married couple.
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Published 2021-01-11

74. Tungsten: What Is The Atom We Love?

22 min
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All right, everybody settle down. Welcome to the weekly meeting of the National Association Of W Lovers.
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All right, everybody settle down. Welcome to the weekly meeting of the National Association Of W Lovers.
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Published 2020-12-28

73. Tantalum: Mystery Meat

13 min
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Once more, the periodic table drags us to hell -- this time by way of ancient Greece.
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Once more, the periodic table drags us to hell -- this time by way of ancient Greece.
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Published 2020-12-14

72. Hafnium: The Isomer Bomb

16 min
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The science suggests hafnium can't be used to create a gamma ray bomb, but that won't stop the U.S. government from trying.
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The science suggests hafnium can't be used to create a gamma ray bomb, but that won't stop the U.S. government from trying.
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Published 2020-11-16

71. Lutetium: Swampland Centaurs

14 min
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Let us ensure we remember the lanthanide series before we leave it behind once and for all.
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Let us ensure we remember the lanthanide series before we leave it behind once and for all.
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Published 2020-11-02

70. Ytterbium: White Gold

14 min
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When Johann Bottger failed to turn lead into gold, porcelain made a pretty good consolation prize.
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When Johann Bottger failed to turn lead into gold, porcelain made a pretty good consolation prize.
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Published 2020-10-19

69. Thulium: Out Of The Way

14 min
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We'll go to the land of the ice and snow... and figure out exactly where that is, too.
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We'll go to the land of the ice and snow... and figure out exactly where that is, too.
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Published 2020-10-05

68. Erbium: Hyperlink

19 min
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Element 68 plays an important role in stitching together the World Wide Web -- for better or for worse.
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Element 68 plays an important role in stitching together the World Wide Web -- for better or for worse.
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Published 2020-08-10

66. Dysprosium: Hard To Get

9 min
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You spin me right round, baby, right round, like a windmill, baby, right round round round.
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You spin me right round, baby, right round, like a windmill, baby, right round round round.
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Published 2020-07-27

65. Terbium: The Joy of Tedium

14 min
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For more than one reason, element 65 makes the short list of "most annoying elements."
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For more than one reason, element 65 makes the short list of "most annoying elements."
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Published 2020-06-01

62. Samarium: Eponymous Honorarium

13 min
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We hear all sorts of incredible stories on this podcast, but today we'll meet the most unbelievable character of all time: A friendly bureaucrat.
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We hear all sorts of incredible stories on this podcast, but today we'll meet the most unbelievable character of all time: A friendly bureaucrat.
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Published 2020-05-04

60. Neodymium: Anarchy And Order

20 min
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Decades of complex geopolitical chaos ultimately result in one afternoon's rather embarrassing hospital visit.
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Decades of complex geopolitical chaos ultimately result in one afternoon's rather embarrassing hospital visit.
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Published 2020-03-23

57. Lanthanum: Hidden In Plain Sight

14 min
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Let's uncover element 57, and find out why the "rare earths" are neither rare nor earths nor an empire.
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Let's uncover element 57, and find out why the "rare earths" are neither rare nor earths nor an empire.
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Published 2020-03-09

56. Barium: Glow-Getter

13 min
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When you really want to suck all the air out of a room, barium will help you out.
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When you really want to suck all the air out of a room, barium will help you out.
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Published 2020-02-24

55. Caesium: A Brief History Of Time

30 min
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We'll trace the history of the most important caesium-based technology all the way back to its original roots: a stick.
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We'll trace the history of the most important caesium-based technology all the way back to its original roots: a stick.
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Published 2020-02-10

54. Xenon: Ignoble Gas

21 min
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Truly strange things start to happen when you breathe this rarefied air.
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Truly strange things start to happen when you breathe this rarefied air.
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Published 2020-01-27

53. Iodine: Purple Haze

24 min
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We'll pull in our elemental haul from the sea while Lady Jane Davy spits in the ocean.
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We'll pull in our elemental haul from the sea while Lady Jane Davy spits in the ocean.
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Published 2019-12-30

52. Tellurium: To Hell You Ride

23 min
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Collecting elements can be risky business. Tellurium is one of those elements that poses a dire threat -- not to one's health, but to the element collector's reputation in polite society.
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Collecting elements can be risky business. Tellurium is one of those elements that poses a dire threat -- not to one's health, but to the element collector's reputation in polite society.
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Published 2019-11-11

49. Indium: The Spectre Of Isaac

33 min
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The story of indium is pretty straightforward, but its namesake is practically impossible to pin down.
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The story of indium is pretty straightforward, but its namesake is practically impossible to pin down.
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Published 2019-10-28

48. Cadmium: Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic?

18 min
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Cadmium will let you choose among a range of orange-ish hues, but it's some pretty awful news if you contract the "cadmium blues."
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Cadmium will let you choose among a range of orange-ish hues, but it's some pretty awful news if you contract the "cadmium blues."
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Published 2019-10-14

47. Silver: Our Own Image

34 min
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Silver is more than just a precious metal. It's also a reflection of ourselves.
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Silver is more than just a precious metal. It's also a reflection of ourselves.
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