United States – The Episodic Table of Elements

21. Scandium: Spoiling For A Fight

September 24, 2018

6:00 am

Leave a comment on 21. Scandium: Spoiling For A Fight

Agriculture, Alloys, Atomic Bonding, Australia, Cricket, Dmitri Mendeleev, Etymology, Illumination, Nuclear Weapons, Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, Russia, Sports, Strategic Defense Initiative, Sweden, The Cold War, Transition Metals, United States

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (30.4MB)

From jet fighters to sporting events to Low Earth Orbit, scandium seems to find itself at the center of conflict.

Continue reading “21. Scandium: Spoiling For A Fight” →

10. Neon: A Sign Of The Times

April 2, 2018

6:00 am

4 Comments on 10. Neon: A Sign Of The Times

Archaeology, Etymology, Excitation, France, French Revolution, Illumination, Modernity, United States, William Ramsay

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (16.3MB)

Neon may no longer be “the new one,” but it might have a better claim to the name than any other element on the periodic table.

Continue reading “10. Neon: A Sign Of The Times” →

5. Boron: Working Hard, Or Hardly Working?

February 5, 2018

6:00 am

Leave a comment on 5. Boron: Working Hard, Or Hardly Working?

Crystal Structure, Glass, Hardness, Joseph von Fraunhofer, Laboratory Equipment, United States, World War II

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (18.6MB)

Today, we look past boron’s hard exterior to get acquainted with its softer side. Its confusing, gooey, softer side.

Continue reading “5. Boron: Working Hard, Or Hardly Working?” →

4. Beryllium: The Modern Sisyphus

January 29, 2018

6:00 am

5 Comments on 4. Beryllium: The Modern Sisyphus

Enrico Fermi, Etymology, Italy, IUPAC, Labor, Los Alamos, Mineralogy, Nicolas-Louis Vauquelin, Nuclear Weapons, Pliny the Elder, Rome, United States

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (24.9MB)

As we try to dive deep into beryllium, we discover its irritating tendency to send us back to the beginning.

Continue reading “4. Beryllium: The Modern Sisyphus” →