Weaponry – The Episodic Table of Elements

42. Molybdenum: Conventional Weapons

July 29, 2019

6:00 am

Leave a comment on 42. Molybdenum: Conventional Weapons

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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

Continue reading “42. Molybdenum: Conventional Weapons” →

35. Bromine: Come At Me

April 22, 2019

6:00 am

Leave a comment on 35. Bromine: Come At Me

Anarchism, Antoine Balard, Automobiles, Bonnot Gang, Bromo-Seltzer, Charles Lockock, Fritz Haber, Isaac Emerson, Justus von Liebig, Pharmaceuticals, Weaponry

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Don’t get too excited, because bromine is an element that brings the hammer down on both extreme emotions and extreme actions.

Continue reading “35. Bromine: Come At Me” →

23. Vanadium: Beauty In The Background

October 22, 2018

6:00 am

2 Comments on 23. Vanadium: Beauty In The Background

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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

Continue reading “23. Vanadium: Beauty In The Background” →

18. Argon: More Than Meets The Eye

August 6, 2018

6:00 am

5 Comments on 18. Argon: More Than Meets The Eye

Declaration of Independence, Glass, Illumination, Lasers, Oxidation, Preservation, Science Fiction, Surgery, Washington DC, Weaponry

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today’s element gets called “lazy,” but that’s actually a terrible misnomer.

Continue reading “18. Argon: More Than Meets The Eye” →