Guano – The Episodic Table of Elements

15. Phosphorus: Dealing With The Devil

June 11, 2018

6:00 am

3 Comments on 15. Phosphorus: Dealing With The Devil

Adenosine Triphosphate, Alchemy, Allotropes, Annie Besant, Biology, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Cosmetics, England, Germany, Guano, Hennig Brand, Illumination, Imperialism, Labor, Matches, Satan, World War II

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The history of phosphorus is largely a tale of people getting their hands dirty. Very, very dirty.

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7. Nitrogen: Taking The Good With The Bad

February 19, 2018

6:00 am

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Adolf Hitler, Agriculture, Alfred Nobel, Belgium, Biology, Clara Immerwahr, Ernest Rutherford, Etymology, Fritz Haber, Germany, Gilbert Lewis, Guano, Pharmaceuticals, Poetry, Poisons, Robert Bunsen, Women In Science, World War I, World War II

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Today we meet one man who’s responsible for the death of millions — and the survival of billions.

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3. Lithium: The Element Of Surprise

January 22, 2018

6:00 am

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Atomic Structure, Australia, Bolivia, Energy, Ernest Rutherford, Fission, Guano, Imperialism, Mining, Nobel Prizes, Paracelsus, Particle Accelerators, Pharmaceuticals, Psychiatry, Salts, Singapore, Spain, Television, World War I, World War II

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We cautiously approach this explosively reactive element and learn about its surprising ability to stabilize moods, with a brief foray into Bolivian economics along the way.

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