Russia – The Episodic Table of Elements

62. Samarium: Eponymous Honorarium

June 1, 2020

6:00 am

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

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

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54. Xenon: Ignoble Gas

February 10, 2020

6:00 am

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Art & Science, Atomic Structure, IBM, Ions, Movie Science, Neil Bartlett, Oxidation, Photography, Poetry, Russia, Sports, Surgery, Ultracold Experiments, William Ramsay

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Truly strange things start to happen when you breathe this rarefied air.

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50. Tin: Your Metal Pal Who’s Fun To Be With

November 25, 2019

6:00 am

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Alchemy, Allotropes, Alloys, Astronomy, Crystal Structure, Etymology, Food, France, Napoleon, Nicolas Appert, Numismatics, Oxidation, Preservation, Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott, Russia

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We’ve palled around with tin for thousands of years, but you should know that it’s a fair-weather friend.

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44. Ruthenium: The Glow Cloud

August 26, 2019

6:00 am

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Borexino, Catalysis, Etymology, Geoffrey Wilkinson, Gottfried Osann, Jons Jacob Berzelius, Karl Klaus, Mars, Mayak Facility, Nuclear Accidents, Nuclear Power, Parker 51, Platinum Group, Russia, Sabatier Process

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Element 44 is technically not named for Russia… but perhaps it should be.

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