Mining | The Episodic Table of Elements

Nuclear fuel plates submerged in water, showing the blue light of Cherenkov radiation.

89. Actinium: The Windup… And The Pitchblende

November 8, 2021

6:00 am

17 Comments on 89. Actinium: The Windup… And The Pitchblende

André-Louis Debierne, Cherenkov Radiation, Etymology, Friedrich Oskar Giesel, Glenn T. Seaborg, Medicine, Mineralogy, Mining, Pitchblende, Radioactivity, Speed Of Light, The Simpsons

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We all know that radioactive rocks glow in the dark, except they actually don’t, except for when they actually do.

Continue reading “89. Actinium: The Windup… And The Pitchblende” →

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” →

60. Neodymium: Anarchy And Order

May 4, 2020

6:00 am

2 Comments on 60. Neodymium: Anarchy And Order

Atomic Structure, Belgium, Congo, Electronics, Imperialism, Magnetism, Mining, United States

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Decades of complex geopolitical chaos ultimately result in one afternoon’s rather embarrassing hospital visit.

Continue reading “60. Neodymium: Anarchy And Order” →

52. Tellurium: To Hell You Ride

December 30, 2019

6:00 am

Comments Off on 52. Tellurium: To Hell You Ride

Astronomy, Atomic Structure, Australia, Dmitri Mendeleev, Etymology, Linus Pauling, Martin Heinrich Klaproth, Mehmed II, Mineralogy, Mining, Odor, Romania, Science Fiction, United States, Vlad the Impaler

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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.

Continue reading “52. Tellurium: To Hell You Ride” →