The Episodic Table of Elements

A podcast about the fascinating true stories behind each element on the periodic table.

Episodes

95. Americium: Mundus Novus

September 27, 2025 • 36 mins

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

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94. Plutonium: Weapons-Grade

March 3, 2025

Element 94 causes a bit of a crisis for our collections.

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93. Neptunium: Great Expectations

August 22, 2024 • 67 mins

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

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The Episodic Table Of Elements Holiday Special

December 20, 2023 • 26 mins

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

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92. Uranium: Two Untold Tales (Live At Harvard)

May 29, 2023 • 45 mins

America's worst radioactive accident isn't Three Mile Island, and the Nazi nuclear physicist wasn't assassinated by the famous baseball player.

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91. Protactinium: Decolonize Science

October 19, 2022 • 21 mins

Sometimes we need a quiet moment in order to step back and look at the bigger picture.

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90. Thorium: Bright Lights, Big City

February 22, 2022 • 18 mins

Sure, thorium could provide practically limitless clean energy, but then we couldn't build weapons of mass destruction.

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89. Actinium: The Windup… And The Pitchblende

November 8, 2021 • 15 mins

We all know that radioactive rocks glow in the dark, except they actually don't, except for when they actually do.

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88. Radium: Several Sordid Affairs

October 18, 2021 • 33 mins

Out of all the characters who encounter radium in this episode, the only one to emerge unscathed is the guy who comes face-to-face with Satan.

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87. Francium: Nothing To Do With Cats

September 13, 2021 • 15 mins

You don't have to have a degree to do science, but it helps.

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86. Radon: It’s Coming From Inside The House

August 23, 2021 • 21 mins

You know something's amiss when you set off the radiation alarms while walking in to the nuclear power plant.

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85. Astatine: Pathological Science

August 2, 2021 • 19 mins

The story of astatine takes us to Alabama, Dacca, Romania, Vienna, and California, but definitely not Switzerland.

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84. Polonium: The Distinguished Alumna Of Warsaw’s Flying University

July 5, 2021 • 19 mins

Sadly, it's no longer possible to purchase this lethally radioactive element for fifteen cents and a cereal boxtop.

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83. Bismuth: The Friendly Oddball

June 14, 2021 • 18 mins

The periodic table shows the natural patterns and trends among the elements. Bismuth does not abide.

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82. Lead: Irrational Self-Interest

May 24, 2021 • 26 mins

We just can't seem to stop chasing the sweet, sweet taste of element 82.

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81. Thallium: It Rides A Pale Horse

April 26, 2021 • 24 mins

In which we learn how reading mystery novels might very well save a life.

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80. Mercury: Fatally Toxic And Probably In Your Mouth

April 12, 2021 • 22 mins

Even if you hate tuna, have flawless teeth, and only use digital thermometers, humans have historically not been shy about getting a mouthful of mercury.

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79. Gold: Lump Sum

March 29, 2021 • 28 mins

All other metals step aside, because today we deal with the king of elements.

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78. Platinum: A Tous Les Temps, A Tous Les Peuples

March 15, 2021 • 21 mins

Sometimes, being set in stone isn't permanent enough.

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77. Iridium: T. Rex And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

March 1, 2021 • 26 mins

Alvarez noticed a great disturbance in the rocks, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

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The Episodic Table of Elements

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}95. Americium: Mundus Novus

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}94. Plutonium: Weapons-Grade

93. Neptunium: Great Expectations

The Episodic Table Of Elements Holiday Special

92. Uranium: Two Untold Tales (Live At Harvard)

91. Protactinium: Decolonize Science

90. Thorium: Bright Lights, Big City

89. Actinium: The Windup… And The Pitchblende

88. Radium: Several Sordid Affairs

87. Francium: Nothing To Do With Cats

86. Radon: It’s Coming From Inside The House

85. Astatine: Pathological Science

84. Polonium: The Distinguished Alumna Of Warsaw’s Flying University

83. Bismuth: The Friendly Oddball

82. Lead: Irrational Self-Interest

81. Thallium: It Rides A Pale Horse

80. Mercury: Fatally Toxic And Probably In Your Mouth

79. Gold: Lump Sum

78. Platinum: A Tous Les Temps, A Tous Les Peuples

77. Iridium: T. Rex And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Popular Podcasts

95. Americium: Mundus Novus

94. Plutonium: Weapons-Grade