Etymology | The Episodic Table of Elements

64. Gadolinium: Three Wise Men

July 13, 2020

6:00 am

6 Comments on 64. Gadolinium: Three Wise Men

Etymology, Finland, Gustav and Heinrich Rose, IUPAC, Jean-Charles Galissard, Johan Gadolin, Magnetism, Martin Heinrich Klaproth, Medicine, Porcelain, Ytterby

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Like Luke Skywalker, today’s tale takes a farmboy to greatness.

Continue reading “64. Gadolinium: Three Wise Men” →

62. Samarium: Eponymous Honorarium

June 1, 2020

6:00 am

2 Comments on 62. Samarium: Eponymous Honorarium

Etymology, Gustav and Heinrich Rose, Magnetism, Mineralogy, Mining, Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, Prussia, Russia, Vassili Samarsky

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We hear all sorts of incredible stories on this podcast, but today we’ll meet the most unbelievable character of all: A friendly bureaucrat.

Continue reading “62. Samarium: Eponymous Honorarium” →

55. Caesium: A Brief History Of Time

February 24, 2020

6:00 am

Leave a comment on 55. Caesium: A Brief History Of Time

Atomic Structure, Benjamin Franklin, Brazil, Chernobyl, Etymology, GPS, Industrial Revolution, Nuclear Accidents, Periodic Table, Radioactivity, Railroads, Roman Catholic Church, Soviet Union, Submarines, Time

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We’ll trace the history of the most important caesium-based technology all the way back to its original roots: a stick.

Continue reading “55. Caesium: A Brief History Of Time” →

An illustration of cretinism from the 1800s, with an emphasis on goiter.

53. Iodine: Purple Haze

January 27, 2020

6:00 am

4 Comments on 53. Iodine: Purple Haze

Bernard Courtois, England, Etymology, Fallout, France, Gandhi, Gunpowder, Humphry Davy, Imperialism, India, Joseph Gay-Lussac, Medicine, Michael Faraday, Napoleon, Psychiatry

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We’ll pull in our elemental haul from the sea while Lady Jane Davy spits in the ocean.

Continue reading “53. Iodine: Purple Haze” →