Gunpowder – The Episodic Table of Elements

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

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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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42. Molybdenum: Conventional Weapons

July 29, 2019

6:00 am

2 Comments on 42. Molybdenum: Conventional Weapons

Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Constantinople, Fortifications, France, Germany, Gunpowder, Japan, Mehmed II, Middle Ages, Mining, Turkey, Weaponry, World War I

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Before we talk about one big gun, let’s discuss 1,500 years of military technology.

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19. Potassium: An Undeserved Reputation

August 20, 2018

6:00 am

1 Comment on 19. Potassium: An Undeserved Reputation

Bananas, Biology, Botany, China, Gunpowder, Imperialism, Industrial Revolution, Poisons, Salts, South America

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There’s no avoiding discussing the banana in this episode, even though it really doesn’t deserve its strong association with Element 19.

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