94. Plutonium: Weapons-Grade

Many episodes have incorporated geology, but this one is more about geography. (And amateur nuclear science.) 

To the person who said, "the episodes are never too long," I'm terribly sorry. 

♪ O chemistry, o chemistry, the study of all matter ♫ 

At the intersection of scientific advancement and tragedy is the story of US Radium and the young women who stood up to them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Basement laboratories. Mad scientists. Sticky gels, and a bake-off in the desert. The strange story behind Curtis LeMay’s weapon of choice. Part two. Get Revisionist History updates first by signing up for our newsletter at pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:// ... Show More

This week a rabies-based Trojan Horse that smuggles drugs across the blood-brain barrier, why first-borns are brighter, progress with Parkinson's and a lunar telescope more powerful than Hubble. Plus in this week's ARMAGEDDON-focused show we look at supervolcanes, earthquakes and ... Show More

Grab your lab goggles and gloves, because today we’re taking a close look at the periodic table! From the visionary scientist who created it, to a 1980s war over element names, to the very strangest elements on the chart, Will and Mango have nine facts that’ll melt your brain lik ... Show More

<p>Did you know that Gandhi hated iodine? Or that Silicon Valley was almost called Germanium Valley? Our producer <a href= "https://www.sciencehistory.org/profile/rigoberto-hernandez" target="_self" data-cke-saved-href= "https://www.sciencehistory.org/profile/rigoberto-hernandez" ... Show More

A little-known scientist discovers something that will change the course of human history.After befriending some of the world’s greatest physicists in 1920s Berlin, Albert Einstein among them, Leo Szilard is forced to flee when the Nazis come to power. In London, he discovers the ... Show More

In today's episode we look at the murder of Peggy Carr and the unlikely murder weapon that unfortunately led to her demise. This episode is a mix of chemistry, forensics, and true crime but it's an interesting, although unfortunate story. Subscribe to our Patreon Follow us on Ins ... Show More

Joe and Fergus chat about all things mercury and find that there's much more to it than just thermometers! It's been used since ancient times - some thought it was the key to eternal life, despite its poisonous nature. Find out more in this week's episode. 

<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

Fellow Ridiculous Historians, we all know the inspiring and tragic story of Marie Curie -- however, not everyone is familiar with the absolute boom in radium-associated merchandise, which took the world by storm before the public understood the dangers of radiation. In today's ep ... Show More