World War II – The Episodic Table of Elements

16. Sulfur: No Mistakes, Only Happy Accidents

July 9, 2018

6:00 am

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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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15. Phosphorus: Dealing With The Devil

June 11, 2018

6:00 am

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Adenosine Triphosphate, Alchemy, Allotropes, Annie Besant, Biology, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Colonialism, Cosmetics, England, Germany, Guano, Hennig Brand, Illumination, Labor, Matches, Satan, World War II

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The history of phosphorus is largely a tale of people getting their hands dirty. Very, very dirty.

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7. Nitrogen: Taking The Good With The Bad

February 19, 2018

6:00 am

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Adolf Hitler, Agriculture, Alfred Nobel, Belgium, Biology, Clara Immerwahr, Ernest Rutherford, Etymology, Fritz Haber, Germany, Gilbert Lewis, Guano, Pharmaceuticals, Poisons, Robert Bunsen, Women In Science, World War I, World War II

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Today we meet one man who’s responsible for the death of millions — and the survival of billions.

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5. Boron: Working Hard, Or Hardly Working?

February 5, 2018

6:00 am

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

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

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