Jons Jacob Berzelius – The Episodic Table of Elements

34. Selenium: A Fit Of Heat And Light

March 25, 2019

6:00 am

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Alexander Graham Bell, Chester Carlson, Communications, Daniel Ellsberg, Electronics, Johannes Trithemius, Jons Jacob Berzelius, Martin Luther, Paracelsus, Pentagon Papers, Pharmaceuticals, Photography, Photophone, Printing Press, Telephone, Xerox

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Throughout history, copying information has been arduous, messy, and even dangerous — until one bored, depressed man figured out the secrets of selenium.

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23. Vanadium: Beauty In The Background

by trappleton

October 22, 2018

6:00 am

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Podcast

Abraham Wald, Alloys, Andres Manuel del Rio, Anthropology, Automobiles, Biology, Friedrich Wohler, Henry Ford, Jons Jacob Berzelius, Marine Biology, Multiple Discovery, Mythology, Nils Sefstrom, Star Trek, Weaponry, World War II

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From freeways to firefights to unfathomable depths, vanadium can often be found quietly doing the hardest work.

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11. Sodium: What’s In Na?

by trappleton

April 16, 2018

6:00 am

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Podcast

Alchemy, Atomic Bonding, Basilius Valentinus, Biology, England, Etymology, Germany, Humphry Davy, Illumination, Imperialism, Ions, Jons Jacob Berzelius, Salts, Theodore Gray

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Turns out ancient sages and seers might’ve actually known a thing or two. Also, is there a good reason for sodium’s chemical symbol? Na.

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