From the Vault: Gold, Metal of the Sun

In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Carleton University’s Roslyn Dakin about a new study into the biology and physics of high-stakes hummingbird flight. (originally published 6/26/2025)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe descend into the post-apocalyptic hellscape of New York City in Enzo G. Castellari’s 1982 film “1990: The Bronx Warriors,” starring Mark Gregory, Vic Morrow, Fred Williamson and George Eastman.See omnystudio.com/listener for priva ... Show More

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Ben Bradford, host of the new NPR Network podcast “Are We Doomed?” to discuss existential threats and finding hope amid the doom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Its highly likely you have heard of gold and silver but what are they ? This episode dives into where gold and silver comes from, their amazing physical properties, what they are used for and its history. Listening to this episode introduces the metals, setting a foundation for t ... Show More

<p>As of early 2013, only 161,00 metric tons of gold had been mined in the entire history of the world. Considering about 85 percent of it is recycled, there's a decent chance your jewelry may once have been part of an Incan headdress or Mycenaean face mask. Dive in to gold in th ... Show More

In the past few months, the price of gold has gone way up – even hitting a new high last month at just over $2,400 per troy ounce. Gold has long had a shiny quality to it, literally and in the marketplace. And we wondered, why is that? Today on the show, we revisit a Planet Money ... Show More

Daniel and Jorge talk about the amazing physics of space DUST. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

<p>From the rings on our fingers, to coins in our pockets and, for a select few, the medals hanging around our necks. Gold is one of the most coveted metals in the world.</p><br><p>Gold still has the power to change lives, but in the mid 19th century, it also sparked the largest ... Show More

<p>Today we have a story about the sometimes obvious but sometimes sneaky effects of the way that we humans rearrange the elemental stuff around us. Reporter Avir Mitra and science journalist Lydia Denworth bring us a story about how one man’s relentless pursuit of a deep truth a ... Show More

Bonus Episode #78 is now available for Silk Members! Hear all about life as a gold prospector during the California Gold Rush, how gold was mined, and why gold is so valuable.  Try FREE access to this Bonus Episode and 400+ more episodes: https://bit.ly/sw241 Try my new podcast,  ... Show More

Today we will be going for gold in more ways than one. Inga Doak, the Head of Sustainability at The Royal Mint, reveals how the company plan to ‘urban mine’ gold from household electronic waste and turn it into jewellery. But with tens of millions of tonnes of e-waste piling up e ... Show More

How do scientists retrieve ice core samples? What can we learn from them? Joe McCormick joins the show to talk about really cool historical records. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

It’s easy to take the pencil for granted, but that eraser-capped wooden cylinder with a core of graphite has a story and a history -- and Robert and Joe explore it in this episode of Invention. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio ... Show More