World War II | The Episodic Table of Elements

Cobalt is a tricksy little element, which means the scientists who’ve dealt with it the most are some of the cleverest people to have ever walked the Earth.

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23. Vanadium: Beauty In The Background

by trappleton

October 22, 2018

6:00 am

1 Comment on 23. Vanadium: Beauty In The Background

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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16. Sulfur: No Mistakes, Only Happy Accidents

by trappleton

July 9, 2018

6:00 am

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Podcast

Adolf Hitler, Calvin Coolidge, Charles Goodyear, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gerhard Domagk, Nazis, Nobel Prizes, Odor, Pharmaceuticals, Rubber, Satan, Thioacetone, Vulcanization, Vultures, Winston Churchill, World War II

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From Vulcan to vultures, today’s element brings stories of unintended consequences.

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