https://simplecast.com The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean A topsy-turvy science-y history podcast by Sam Kean. I examine overlooked stories from our past: the dental superiority of hunter-gatherers, the crooked Nazis who saved thousands of American lives, the American immigrants who developed the most successful cancer screening tool in history, the sex lives of dinosaurs, and much, much more. These are charming little tales that never made the history books, but these small moments can be surprisingly powerful. These are the cases where history gets inverted, where the footnote becomes the real story. Copyright 2020 All rights reserved. en Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:15:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:15:11 +0000 https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/ The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/18426979-cd87-4692-9cdc-098a6e900fb8/b2ec20c4-7584-42da-9af6-4c5da33091e1/3000x3000/ac107397-ee84-49de-8982-ab4002926362-6aaa0908-655f-4559-a05d-430cc696c652-shrunk.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/ episodic A topsy-turvy science-y history podcast by Sam Kean. I examine overlooked stories from our past: the dental superiority of hunter-gatherers, the crooked Nazis who saved thousands of American lives, the American immigrants who developed the most successful cancer screening tool in history, the sex lives of dinosaurs, and much, much more. These are charming little tales that never made the history books, but these small moments can be surprisingly powerful. These are the cases where history gets inverted, where the footnote becomes the real story. Sam Kean, Bleav false https://feeds.simplecast.com/uQGGGNNI Sam Kean samkean@gmail.com a5db430e-4536-409f-b33e-10556654eb33 The Publicity Stunt that Sparked the Scopes Monkey Trial Exactly a century ago, teacher John Scopes was charged with the “crime” of teaching evolution. But Scopes was hardly a defiant Galileo, nobly standing up for truth. In fact, he never even taught evolution. (Really.) But despite the unseemly origins of the Monkey Trial, Scopes proved himself a genuine hero...


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]]> Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:15:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=143 Exactly a century ago, teacher John Scopes was charged with the “crime” of teaching evolution. But Scopes was hardly a defiant Galileo, nobly standing up for truth. In fact, he never even taught evolution. (Really.) But despite the unseemly origins of the Monkey Trial, Scopes proved himself a genuine hero...


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]]> The Publicity Stunt that Sparked the Scopes Monkey Trial Sam Kean 00:18:59 Exactly a century ago, teacher John Scopes was charged with the “crime” of teaching evolution. But Scopes was hardly a defiant Galileo, nobly standing up for truth. In fact, he never even taught evolution. (Really.) But despite the unseemly origins of the Monkey Trial, Scopes proved himself a genuine hero... Exactly a century ago, teacher John Scopes was charged with the “crime” of teaching evolution. But Scopes was hardly a defiant Galileo, nobly standing up for truth. In fact, he never even taught evolution. (Really.) But despite the unseemly origins of the Monkey Trial, Scopes proved himself a genuine hero... false full 10 dfcd3140-93f0-4b2a-a097-cef24e5e2263 The Great Balloon Escape Tue, 9 Dec 2025 14:41:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=142 The Great Balloon Escape Sam Kean 00:18:07 Astronomer Jules Janssen was desperate to escape the siege of Paris in 1870 and observe an eclipse in Africa—work that he hoped would confirm his discovery of a brand new element in the Sun, helium. So he devised a plan to escape the city in a hot-air balloon, despite promises by the German army to shoot him as a spy if he dared try... Astronomer Jules Janssen was desperate to escape the siege of Paris in 1870 and observe an eclipse in Africa—work that he hoped would confirm his discovery of a brand new element in the Sun, helium. So he devised a plan to escape the city in a hot-air balloon, despite promises by the German army to shoot him as a spy if he dared try... false full 9 cc7ef48a-a3bc-4813-940f-87f344845269 The Corny, Cringy, Very Bad Television Show that Just Might Save Your Life In the 1970s, paramedic units were illegal in the United States. One (very bad) television show, Emergency!, set out to change that—and saved tens of thousands of lives in the process.


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]]> Tue, 2 Dec 2025 15:11:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=141 In the 1970s, paramedic units were illegal in the United States. One (very bad) television show, Emergency!, set out to change that—and saved tens of thousands of lives in the process.


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]]> The Corny, Cringy, Very Bad Television Show that Just Might Save Your Life Sam Kean 00:18:29 In the 1970s, paramedic units were illegal in the United States. One (very bad) television show, Emergency!, set out to change that—and saved tens of thousands of lives in the process. In the 1970s, paramedic units were illegal in the United States. One (very bad) television show, Emergency!, set out to change that—and saved tens of thousands of lives in the process. false full 8 4389d0d9-e4e8-4f50-9acc-9b8be419940b Bringing an Extinct Owl Back to Life The work of Richard Meinertzhagen helped convince biologists that the Forest Owlet of India had gone extinct. But after Meinertzhagen’s frauds were exposed, one biologist grew obsessed with finding out whether it just might be alive still. (Part 2 of 2)


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]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:07:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=139 The work of Richard Meinertzhagen helped convince biologists that the Forest Owlet of India had gone extinct. But after Meinertzhagen’s frauds were exposed, one biologist grew obsessed with finding out whether it just might be alive still. (Part 2 of 2)


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]]> Bringing an Extinct Owl Back to Life Sam Kean 00:19:23 The work of Richard Meinertzhagen helped convince biologists that the Forest Owlet of India had gone extinct. But after Meinertzhagen’s frauds were exposed, one biologist grew obsessed with finding out whether it just might be alive still. (Part 2 of 2) The work of Richard Meinertzhagen helped convince biologists that the Forest Owlet of India had gone extinct. But after Meinertzhagen’s frauds were exposed, one biologist grew obsessed with finding out whether it just might be alive still. (Part 2 of 2) false full 7 6760e15d-43ac-4ebc-ae91-bd670be32c5c Trickster, Birder, Soldier, Spy He was a brilliant ornithologist—and a spy so colorful that James Bond was based on him. Richard Meinertzhagen was also a liar and a thief, and perpetrated the biggest fraud in biology history. Episode below!


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]]> Tue, 11 Nov 2025 15:06:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=138 He was a brilliant ornithologist—and a spy so colorful that James Bond was based on him. Richard Meinertzhagen was also a liar and a thief, and perpetrated the biggest fraud in biology history. Episode below!


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]]> Trickster, Birder, Soldier, Spy Sam Kean 00:18:03 He was a brilliant ornithologist—and a spy so colorful that James Bond was based on him. Richard Meinertzhagen was also a liar and a thief, and perpetrated the biggest fraud in biology history. Episode below! He was a brilliant ornithologist—and a spy so colorful that James Bond was based on him. Richard Meinertzhagen was also a liar and a thief, and perpetrated the biggest fraud in biology history. Episode below! false full 6 aa7132aa-fed1-4ab4-90df-69160fe7e2dc Why Not Just Rename the “Hitler Beetle”? Taxonomy has a sadly ugly history of naming species after despicable people—even Adolf Hitler. Given the controversy these names generate, there have been many calls to drop them. But taxonomists have so far resisted most of these efforts, for reasons both good and bad...


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]]> Tue, 4 Nov 2025 15:01:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=137 Taxonomy has a sadly ugly history of naming species after despicable people—even Adolf Hitler. Given the controversy these names generate, there have been many calls to drop them. But taxonomists have so far resisted most of these efforts, for reasons both good and bad...


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]]> Why Not Just Rename the “Hitler Beetle”? Sam Kean 00:19:18 Taxonomy has a sadly ugly history of naming species after despicable people—even Adolf Hitler. Given the controversy these names generate, there have been many calls to drop them. But taxonomists have so far resisted most of these efforts, for reasons both good and bad... Taxonomy has a sadly ugly history of naming species after despicable people—even Adolf Hitler. Given the controversy these names generate, there have been many calls to drop them. But taxonomists have so far resisted most of these efforts, for reasons both good and bad... false full 5 480a4ef9-9e22-4125-a2aa-e51134e0edbf John James Fraudubon The eagle that made John James Audubon famous, the Bird of Washington was nothing but an elaborate lie. Fawning biographers have suppressed this fact for years, but careful historical work has unraveled the Audubon legend, and shown that much of his life, and work, was built on deceit. (Part 2 of 2)


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]]> Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:51:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=135 The eagle that made John James Audubon famous, the Bird of Washington was nothing but an elaborate lie. Fawning biographers have suppressed this fact for years, but careful historical work has unraveled the Audubon legend, and shown that much of his life, and work, was built on deceit. (Part 2 of 2)


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]]> John James Fraudubon Sam Kean 00:18:17 The eagle that made John James Audubon famous, the Bird of Washington was nothing but an elaborate lie. Fawning biographers have suppressed this fact for years, but careful historical work has unraveled the Audubon legend, and shown that much of his life, and work, was built on deceit. (Part 2 of 2) The eagle that made John James Audubon famous, the Bird of Washington was nothing but an elaborate lie. Fawning biographers have suppressed this fact for years, but careful historical work has unraveled the Audubon legend, and shown that much of his life, and work, was built on deceit. (Part 2 of 2) false full 4 9fb9e9a2-c620-438f-a24a-81a921fadbe2 The Bird that Made John James Audubon a Legend After several heartbreaking setbacks, John James Audubon’s career was in ruins—until he hatched a desperate plan to win new patrons. It involved a rare American eagle, the Bird of Washington. And when the gamble paid off, it made Audubon the most famous ornithologist in history...


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]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:48:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-bird-that-made-john-james-audubon-a-legend/ After several heartbreaking setbacks, John James Audubon’s career was in ruins—until he hatched a desperate plan to win new patrons. It involved a rare American eagle, the Bird of Washington. And when the gamble paid off, it made Audubon the most famous ornithologist in history...


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]]> The Bird that Made John James Audubon a Legend Sam Kean 00:18:41 After several heartbreaking setbacks, John James Audubon’s career was in ruins—until he hatched a desperate plan to win new patrons. It involved a rare American eagle, the Bird of Washington. And when the gamble paid off, it made Audubon the most famous ornithologist in history... After several heartbreaking setbacks, John James Audubon’s career was in ruins—until he hatched a desperate plan to win new patrons. It involved a rare American eagle, the Bird of Washington. And when the gamble paid off, it made Audubon the most famous ornithologist in history... false full 3 1abb2293-a261-4f92-9c91-9ff7af399854 The Dignity of the Ig Nobel Prizes The Ig Nobel Prize is the bizarro cousin of the Nobel Prize—awarded for odd or unusual research “that first makes you laugh, then makes you think.” Some scientists hate them, and have refused to accept the award. But they’ve grown into a beloved institution—and one with some surprising benefits to science.


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]]> Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:01:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-dignity-of-the-ig-nobel-prizes/ The Ig Nobel Prize is the bizarro cousin of the Nobel Prize—awarded for odd or unusual research “that first makes you laugh, then makes you think.” Some scientists hate them, and have refused to accept the award. But they’ve grown into a beloved institution—and one with some surprising benefits to science.


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]]> The Dignity of the Ig Nobel Prizes Sam Kean 00:18:27 The Ig Nobel Prize is the bizarro cousin of the Nobel Prize—awarded for odd or unusual research “that first makes you laugh, then makes you think.” Some scientists hate them, and have refused to accept the award. But they’ve grown into a beloved institution—and one with some surprising benefits to science. The Ig Nobel Prize is the bizarro cousin of the Nobel Prize—awarded for odd or unusual research “that first makes you laugh, then makes you think.” Some scientists hate them, and have refused to accept the award. But they’ve grown into a beloved institution—and one with some surprising benefits to science. false full 2 3f7c8ee8-2871-4be6-abf1-1dfef9f5705a The Nobel Disease Winning a Nobel Prize is a good thing—mostly. But surprisingly often, Nobel laureates go kooky and start promoting bizarre things like homeopathy, ESP, AIDS denialism, and worse. Psychologists are starting to understand why...


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]]> Mon, 6 Oct 2025 14:26:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/?post_type=gp_podcast_episode&p=132 Winning a Nobel Prize is a good thing—mostly. But surprisingly often, Nobel laureates go kooky and start promoting bizarre things like homeopathy, ESP, AIDS denialism, and worse. Psychologists are starting to understand why...


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]]> The Nobel Disease Sam Kean 00:18:00 Winning a Nobel Prize is a good thing—mostly. But surprisingly often, Nobel laureates go kooky and start promoting bizarre things like homeopathy, ESP, AIDS denialism, and worse. Psychologists are starting to understand why... Winning a Nobel Prize is a good thing—mostly. But surprisingly often, Nobel laureates go kooky and start promoting bizarre things like homeopathy, ESP, AIDS denialism, and worse. Psychologists are starting to understand why... false full 1 afd08150-e73b-4d6e-a770-389d131ce56f Dinner with King Tut audiobook preview A preview of my brand new book, Dinner with King Tut!


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]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2025 06:17:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/dinner-with-king-tut-audiobook-preview/ A preview of my brand new book, Dinner with King Tut!


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]]> Dinner with King Tut audiobook preview Sam Kean 00:27:47 A preview of my brand new book, Dinner with King Tut! A preview of my brand new book, Dinner with King Tut! false full 261e07c6-4b0a-47f7-a85c-e91ed73dc036 Why Doctors and Scientists Embraced the Nazis Nazism was a society-wide catastrophe for Germany, but some professions deserve more blame than others. In particular, there was a surprisingly large percentage of doctors and engineers among the Nazis. Sociologists and historians have now worked out why.


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]]> Tue, 27 May 2025 13:27:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/why-doctors-and-scientists-embraced-the-nazis/ Nazism was a society-wide catastrophe for Germany, but some professions deserve more blame than others. In particular, there was a surprisingly large percentage of doctors and engineers among the Nazis. Sociologists and historians have now worked out why.


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]]> Why Doctors and Scientists Embraced the Nazis Sam Kean 00:21:19 Nazism was a society-wide catastrophe for Germany, but some professions deserve more blame than others. In particular, there was a surprisingly large percentage of doctors and engineers among the Nazis. Sociologists and historians have now worked out why. Nazism was a society-wide catastrophe for Germany, but some professions deserve more blame than others. In particular, there was a surprisingly large percentage of doctors and engineers among the Nazis. Sociologists and historians have now worked out why. false full 10 570db80e-f6ce-40bc-9986-e24e2d759037 Hotter than the Dickens When Charles Dickens published Bleak House in 1852, he included a scene where one character spontaneously combusts. 🔥 🔥 🔥 Readers loved it, but one of Dickens’s good friends—a former scientist—blasted Dickens for his scientific ignorance. It ignited one of the strangest controversies in literary history.


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]]> Tue, 20 May 2025 13:09:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/hotter-than-the-dickens/ When Charles Dickens published Bleak House in 1852, he included a scene where one character spontaneously combusts. 🔥 🔥 🔥 Readers loved it, but one of Dickens’s good friends—a former scientist—blasted Dickens for his scientific ignorance. It ignited one of the strangest controversies in literary history.


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]]> Hotter than the Dickens Sam Kean 00:18:07 When Charles Dickens published Bleak House in 1852, he included a scene where one character spontaneously combusts. 🔥 🔥 🔥 Readers loved it, but one of Dickens’s good friends—a former scientist—blasted Dickens for his scientific ignorance. It ignited one of the strangest controversies in literary history. When Charles Dickens published Bleak House in 1852, he included a scene where one character spontaneously combusts. 🔥 🔥 🔥 Readers loved it, but one of Dickens’s good friends—a former scientist—blasted Dickens for his scientific ignorance. It ignited one of the strangest controversies in literary history. false full 9 2de66ca3-433b-4791-ac62-cff46359c652 Jake Leg Blues It was one the largest epidemics in American history: 30,000 people paralyzed over a few months in 1930. A dogged epidemiologist eventually traced the cause to adulterated bottles of an illegal liquor/medicine called “jake.” Yet the epidemic is almost completely forgotten. About the only place it survived was in blues songs...


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]]> Tue, 13 May 2025 13:02:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/jake-leg-blues/ It was one the largest epidemics in American history: 30,000 people paralyzed over a few months in 1930. A dogged epidemiologist eventually traced the cause to adulterated bottles of an illegal liquor/medicine called “jake.” Yet the epidemic is almost completely forgotten. About the only place it survived was in blues songs...


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]]> Jake Leg Blues Sam Kean 00:20:20 It was one the largest epidemics in American history: 30,000 people paralyzed over a few months in 1930. A dogged epidemiologist eventually traced the cause to adulterated bottles of an illegal liquor/medicine called “jake.” Yet the epidemic is almost completely forgotten. About the only place it survived was in blues songs... It was one the largest epidemics in American history: 30,000 people paralyzed over a few months in 1930. A dogged epidemiologist eventually traced the cause to adulterated bottles of an illegal liquor/medicine called “jake.” Yet the epidemic is almost completely forgotten. About the only place it survived was in blues songs... false full 8 3bb097d1-8f81-4b1c-8bcf-c3edf829757c The Worst of Times, the Asbestos Times Asbestos was once considered a miracle substance—a wonder of the modern age, due to its role in stopping the fires that once plagued every major city. Unfortunately, it also shreds people’s lungs. Most countries were willing to live with that trade-off, until a crusading doctor named Irving Selikoff made it his life's mission to get asbestos banned.


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]]> Tue, 6 May 2025 13:16:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-worst-of-times-the-asbestos-times/ Asbestos was once considered a miracle substance—a wonder of the modern age, due to its role in stopping the fires that once plagued every major city. Unfortunately, it also shreds people’s lungs. Most countries were willing to live with that trade-off, until a crusading doctor named Irving Selikoff made it his life's mission to get asbestos banned.


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]]> The Worst of Times, the Asbestos Times Sam Kean 00:17:47 Asbestos was once considered a miracle substance—a wonder of the modern age, due to its role in stopping the fires that once plagued every major city. Unfortunately, it also shreds people’s lungs. Most countries were willing to live with that trade-off, until a crusading doctor named Irving Selikoff made it his life's mission to get asbestos banned. Asbestos was once considered a miracle substance—a wonder of the modern age, due to its role in stopping the fires that once plagued every major city. Unfortunately, it also shreds people’s lungs. Most countries were willing to live with that trade-off, until a crusading doctor named Irving Selikoff made it his life's mission to get asbestos banned. false full 7 59534b77-2233-46b8-9b17-49e8a6297a85 Human Photosynthesis Rickets was once a devastating disease: up to 90 percent of the children showed symptoms in some cities, including bent spines and bowed legs, and it resulted in many women dying during childbirth. The search for the cause of rickets took decades, and ended with a startling discovery—that much like plants, human beings had the ability to photosynthesize.


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]]> Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:07:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/human-photosynthesis/ Rickets was once a devastating disease: up to 90 percent of the children showed symptoms in some cities, including bent spines and bowed legs, and it resulted in many women dying during childbirth. The search for the cause of rickets took decades, and ended with a startling discovery—that much like plants, human beings had the ability to photosynthesize.


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]]> Human Photosynthesis Sam Kean 00:18:56 Rickets was once a devastating disease: up to 90 percent of the children showed symptoms in some cities, including bent spines and bowed legs, and it resulted in many women dying during childbirth. The search for the cause of rickets took decades, and ended with a startling discovery—that much like plants, human beings had the ability to photosynthesize. Rickets was once a devastating disease: up to 90 percent of the children showed symptoms in some cities, including bent spines and bowed legs, and it resulted in many women dying during childbirth. The search for the cause of rickets took decades, and ended with a startling discovery—that much like plants, human beings had the ability to photosynthesize. false full 6 7c0c395a-2dcb-4089-9b59-68f1d2fc497a The Sad Story of Darwin’s Self-Procleimed “Stupidest” Child Leonard Darwin had a lot to live up to. He was the son of the legendary Charles, and several siblings proved to be brilliant scientists as well. But Leonard never quite measured up as a mediocre military officer and two-bit politician. In his fifties, he pronounced his life a “failure.” But in his sixties, he finally found his calling—the dark pseudoscience of eugenics, a field he embraced in part to prove that he wasn’t the failure he imagined.


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]]> Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:15:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-sad-story-of-darwins-self-procleimed-stupidest-child/ Leonard Darwin had a lot to live up to. He was the son of the legendary Charles, and several siblings proved to be brilliant scientists as well. But Leonard never quite measured up as a mediocre military officer and two-bit politician. In his fifties, he pronounced his life a “failure.” But in his sixties, he finally found his calling—the dark pseudoscience of eugenics, a field he embraced in part to prove that he wasn’t the failure he imagined.


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]]> The Sad Story of Darwin’s Self-Procleimed “Stupidest” Child Sam Kean 00:18:30 Leonard Darwin had a lot to live up to. He was the son of the legendary Charles, and several siblings proved to be brilliant scientists as well. But Leonard never quite measured up as a mediocre military officer and two-bit politician. In his fifties, he pronounced his life a “failure.” But in his sixties, he finally found his calling—the dark pseudoscience of eugenics, a field he embraced in part to prove that he wasn’t the failure he imagined. Leonard Darwin had a lot to live up to. He was the son of the legendary Charles, and several siblings proved to be brilliant scientists as well. But Leonard never quite measured up as a mediocre military officer and two-bit politician. In his fifties, he pronounced his life a “failure.” But in his sixties, he finally found his calling—the dark pseudoscience of eugenics, a field he embraced in part to prove that he wasn’t the failure he imagined. false full 5 fa04674c-61b8-4fbd-8b6c-ac265753dbcd The Birds and the Bees and the Frogs A young woman in the mid-1900s couldn’t take an at-home pregnancy test. Instead, she sent a vial of urine to a clinic, where a technician would, of all things, inject it into a frog, and hormones in the urine would cause the frog to lay eggs. This frog-based test was far faster, easier, and cleaner than any pregnancy test before, and it shifted power for family planning from doctors to women themselves.


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]]> Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:45:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-birds-and-the-bees-and-the-frogs/ A young woman in the mid-1900s couldn’t take an at-home pregnancy test. Instead, she sent a vial of urine to a clinic, where a technician would, of all things, inject it into a frog, and hormones in the urine would cause the frog to lay eggs. This frog-based test was far faster, easier, and cleaner than any pregnancy test before, and it shifted power for family planning from doctors to women themselves.


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]]> The Birds and the Bees and the Frogs Sam Kean 00:18:33 A young woman in the mid-1900s couldn’t take an at-home pregnancy test. Instead, she sent a vial of urine to a clinic, where a technician would, of all things, inject it into a frog, and hormones in the urine would cause the frog to lay eggs. This frog-based test was far faster, easier, and cleaner than any pregnancy test before, and it shifted power for family planning from doctors to women themselves. A young woman in the mid-1900s couldn’t take an at-home pregnancy test. Instead, she sent a vial of urine to a clinic, where a technician would, of all things, inject it into a frog, and hormones in the urine would cause the frog to lay eggs. This frog-based test was far faster, easier, and cleaner than any pregnancy test before, and it shifted power for family planning from doctors to women themselves. false full 4 ac6500d7-0da7-45a6-ae01-cbd6888b617d The Would-Be Saint's Battle over Down Syndrome After scientists had a handle on how many chromosomes humans have, other researchers began exploring whether certain ailments might be caused by chromosomal abnormalities. To this end, a French cardiologist discovered that Down syndrome was caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in humans. But a colleague stole credit for her work, and the battle over their legacies continues to this day, in part because the colleague is on track to become a certified Catholic saint.


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]]> Tue, 8 Apr 2025 13:14:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-would-be-saints-battle-over-down-syndrome/ After scientists had a handle on how many chromosomes humans have, other researchers began exploring whether certain ailments might be caused by chromosomal abnormalities. To this end, a French cardiologist discovered that Down syndrome was caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in humans. But a colleague stole credit for her work, and the battle over their legacies continues to this day, in part because the colleague is on track to become a certified Catholic saint.


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]]> The Would-Be Saint's Battle over Down Syndrome Sam Kean 00:18:44 After scientists had a handle on how many chromosomes humans have, other researchers began exploring whether certain ailments might be caused by chromosomal abnormalities. To this end, a French cardiologist discovered that Down syndrome was caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in humans. But a colleague stole credit for her work, and the battle over their legacies continues to this day, in part because the colleague is on track to become a certified Catholic saint. After scientists had a handle on how many chromosomes humans have, other researchers began exploring whether certain ailments might be caused by chromosomal abnormalities. To this end, a French cardiologist discovered that Down syndrome was caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in humans. But a colleague stole credit for her work, and the battle over their legacies continues to this day, in part because the colleague is on track to become a certified Catholic saint. false full 3 6201cac8-f951-4d8f-ab27-f1fc2dad9557 The Battle over Human Chromosomes It seems like a simple question: how many chromosomes do human beings have? But getting an accurate count proved surprisingly hard for much of last century. In fact, virtually every textbook once cited an incorrect number, until in 1956, a fiery Indonesian scientist finally determined the true count—and had to battle his boss over who would receive credit for this legacy-making discovery.


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]]> Tue, 1 Apr 2025 13:46:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-battle-over-human-chromosomes/ It seems like a simple question: how many chromosomes do human beings have? But getting an accurate count proved surprisingly hard for much of last century. In fact, virtually every textbook once cited an incorrect number, until in 1956, a fiery Indonesian scientist finally determined the true count—and had to battle his boss over who would receive credit for this legacy-making discovery.


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]]> The Battle over Human Chromosomes Sam Kean 00:18:52 It seems like a simple question: how many chromosomes do human beings have? But getting an accurate count proved surprisingly hard for much of last century. In fact, virtually every textbook once cited an incorrect number, until in 1956, a fiery Indonesian scientist finally determined the true count—and had to battle his boss over who would receive credit for this legacy-making discovery. It seems like a simple question: how many chromosomes do human beings have? But getting an accurate count proved surprisingly hard for much of last century. In fact, virtually every textbook once cited an incorrect number, until in 1956, a fiery Indonesian scientist finally determined the true count—and had to battle his boss over who would receive credit for this legacy-making discovery. false full 2 b1df8392-f28c-4a94-a848-66cec88c0afc The Halley's Comet Panic The 1910 return of Halley’s comet was greeted with rapture around the world—at least at first. Due to irresponsible speculation by scientists about the theoretical dangers of a close encounter with a comet, many people grew terrified of Halley’s approach and took drastic measures. They fled their homes, hid out in wells or caves, even committed suicide. It’s a grave reminder of scientific communication gone very wrong.


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]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2025 18:56:38 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-halleys-comet-panic/ The 1910 return of Halley’s comet was greeted with rapture around the world—at least at first. Due to irresponsible speculation by scientists about the theoretical dangers of a close encounter with a comet, many people grew terrified of Halley’s approach and took drastic measures. They fled their homes, hid out in wells or caves, even committed suicide. It’s a grave reminder of scientific communication gone very wrong.


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]]> The Halley's Comet Panic Sam Kean 00:20:32 The 1910 return of Halley’s comet was greeted with rapture around the world—at least at first. Due to irresponsible speculation by scientists about the theoretical dangers of a close encounter with a comet, many people grew terrified of Halley’s approach and took drastic measures. They fled their homes, hid out in wells or caves, even committed suicide. It’s a grave reminder of scientific communication gone very wrong. The 1910 return of Halley’s comet was greeted with rapture around the world—at least at first. Due to irresponsible speculation by scientists about the theoretical dangers of a close encounter with a comet, many people grew terrified of Halley’s approach and took drastic measures. They fled their homes, hid out in wells or caves, even committed suicide. It’s a grave reminder of scientific communication gone very wrong. false full 1 f5b91591-4ae3-4dfa-b09e-fe526492a205 The Winter when People Ate Tulips It’s the 80th anniversary of the Dutch Hongerwinter during World War II, which led to widespread starvation, and an inadvertent breakthrough in treating deadly celiac disease.


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]]> Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:05:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-winter-when-people-ate-tulips/ It’s the 80th anniversary of the Dutch Hongerwinter during World War II, which led to widespread starvation, and an inadvertent breakthrough in treating deadly celiac disease.


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]]> The Winter when People Ate Tulips Sam Kean 00:19:30 It’s the 80th anniversary of the Dutch Hongerwinter during World War II, which led to widespread starvation, and an inadvertent breakthrough in treating deadly celiac disease. Podcast season finale below It’s the 80th anniversary of the Dutch Hongerwinter during World War II, which led to widespread starvation, and an inadvertent breakthrough in treating deadly celiac disease. Podcast season finale below false full 10 a3926a71-1b3d-4383-8f63-f12e079321cd Why Keep a Diary of a Toxic Snakebite? After 40 years of studying snakes, Karl Schmidt finally suffered his first bite. And when he did, he kept a gruesome diary to document the suffering and danger—right up to the edge of death...


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]]> Tue, 3 Dec 2024 14:20:52 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/why-keep-a-diary-of-a-toxic-snakebite/ After 40 years of studying snakes, Karl Schmidt finally suffered his first bite. And when he did, he kept a gruesome diary to document the suffering and danger—right up to the edge of death...


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]]> Why Keep a Diary of a Toxic Snakebite? Sam Kean 00:17:09 After 40 years of studying snakes, Karl Schmidt finally suffered his first bite. And when he did, he kept a gruesome diary to document the suffering and danger—right up to the edge of death... After 40 years of studying snakes, Karl Schmidt finally suffered his first bite. And when he did, he kept a gruesome diary to document the suffering and danger—right up to the edge of death... false full 9 9a5712c6-043f-452f-9c3d-78d41296f5f9 Machiavellian Microbes Parasites can force animals to do nefarious things by manipulating their minds—including, uncomfortably, the minds of human beings.


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]]> Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:19:25 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/machiavellian-microbes/ Parasites can force animals to do nefarious things by manipulating their minds—including, uncomfortably, the minds of human beings.


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]]> Machiavellian Microbes Sam Kean 00:18:38 Parasites can force animals to do nefarious things by manipulating their minds—including, uncomfortably, the minds of human beings. Parasites can force animals to do nefarious things by manipulating their minds—including, uncomfortably, the minds of human beings. false full 8 da374ccd-3244-47fd-b9e1-05a1f178aec1 The Woman Who “Turned Back a Plague of Old Testament Proportions” In refusing to approve the drug thalidomide, FDA scientist Frances Oldham Kelsey spared thousands of babies from deadly birth defects and revolutionized drug research. But was her legacy all good?


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]]> Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:38:41 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-woman-who-turned-back-a-plague-of-old-testament-proportions/ In refusing to approve the drug thalidomide, FDA scientist Frances Oldham Kelsey spared thousands of babies from deadly birth defects and revolutionized drug research. But was her legacy all good?


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]]> The Woman Who “Turned Back a Plague of Old Testament Proportions” Sam Kean 00:19:15 In refusing to approve the drug thalidomide, FDA scientist Frances Oldham Kelsey spared thousands of babies from deadly birth defects and revolutionized drug research. But was her legacy all good? In refusing to approve the drug thalidomide, FDA scientist Frances Oldham Kelsey spared thousands of babies from deadly birth defects and revolutionized drug research. But was her legacy all good? false full 7 db2fb4e3-42b8-499b-ab9b-59f6b86a2128 The Doom Lurking inside Trees Japanese physicist Fusa Miyake has sparked a revolution in archaeology by studying radioactive tree rings—work that also terrifies astronomers, who fear it foretells doom for our civilization.


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]]> Mon, 4 Nov 2024 08:00:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-doom-lurking-inside-trees/ Japanese physicist Fusa Miyake has sparked a revolution in archaeology by studying radioactive tree rings—work that also terrifies astronomers, who fear it foretells doom for our civilization.


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]]> The Doom Lurking inside Trees Sam Kean 00:17:51 Japanese physicist Fusa Miyake has sparked a revolution in archaeology by studying radioactive tree rings—work that also terrifies astronomers, who fear it foretells doom for our civilization. Japanese physicist Fusa Miyake has sparked a revolution in archaeology by studying radioactive tree rings—work that also terrifies astronomers, who fear it foretells doom for our civilization. false full 6 162ba1cf-0b22-42e5-9d68-b3940f065978 The Mona Lisa of the Seine A woman who drowned in Paris became one of the most famous faces in the world as the model for CPR dummies, saving millions of lives and inspiring artists from Pablo Picasso to Michael Jackson—all while remaining completely unknown.


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]]> Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-mona-lisa-of-the-seine/ A woman who drowned in Paris became one of the most famous faces in the world as the model for CPR dummies, saving millions of lives and inspiring artists from Pablo Picasso to Michael Jackson—all while remaining completely unknown.


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]]> The Mona Lisa of the Seine Sam Kean 00:18:14 A woman who drowned in Paris became one of the most famous faces in the world as the model for CPR dummies, saving millions of lives and inspiring artists from Pablo Picasso to Michael Jackson—all while remaining completely unknown. A woman who drowned in Paris became one of the most famous faces in the world as the model for CPR dummies, saving millions of lives and inspiring artists from Pablo Picasso to Michael Jackson—all while remaining completely unknown. false full 5 51157596-b4af-4a97-974e-02ef349e4139 Savant Idiots In the early 1800s, the first Egyptian mummies in Europe served as a crucial test for evolution—a test that, according to people then, evolution flunked.


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]]> Tue, 22 Oct 2024 13:35:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/savant-idiots/ In the early 1800s, the first Egyptian mummies in Europe served as a crucial test for evolution—a test that, according to people then, evolution flunked.


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]]> Savant Idiots Sam Kean 00:17:50 In the early 1800s, the first Egyptian mummies in Europe served as a crucial test for evolution—a test that, according to people then, evolution flunked. In the early 1800s, the first Egyptian mummies in Europe served as a crucial test for evolution—a test that, according to people then, evolution flunked. false full 4 e2b9daf9-a145-4587-baf8-683f710e651b When Mummymania Swept the World In the 1800s, mummies found their way into everything from fertilizer to food, and were especially prized as medicine. Mummymania was a strange time...


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]]> Tue, 15 Oct 2024 13:25:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/when-mummymania-swept-the-world/ In the 1800s, mummies found their way into everything from fertilizer to food, and were especially prized as medicine. Mummymania was a strange time...


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]]> When Mummymania Swept the World Sam Kean 00:17:44 In the 1800s, mummies found their way into everything from fertilizer to food, and were especially prized as medicine. Mummymania was a strange time... In the 1800s, mummies found their way into everything from fertilizer to food, and were especially prized as medicine. Mummymania was a strange time... false full 3 e499b6e0-4e90-48ea-94ab-c0c3fc1581db The Sadder Side of the Nobel Prizes How did a man who developed a Nobel Prize–worthy idea (green-fluorescing protein, GFP) end up driving a shuttle van for a living, and missing the Prize completely? Therein lies a sad story...


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]]> Tue, 8 Oct 2024 13:10:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-sadder-side-of-the-nobel-prizes/ How did a man who developed a Nobel Prize–worthy idea (green-fluorescing protein, GFP) end up driving a shuttle van for a living, and missing the Prize completely? Therein lies a sad story...


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]]> The Sadder Side of the Nobel Prizes Sam Kean 00:18:37 How did a man who developed a Nobel Prize–worthy idea (green-fluorescing protein, GFP) end up driving a shuttle van for a living, and missing the Prize completely? Therein lies a sad story... How did a man who developed a Nobel Prize–worthy idea (green-fluorescing protein, GFP) end up driving a shuttle van for a living, and missing the Prize completely? Therein lies a sad story... false full 2 3ba529ac-f703-4a22-b676-772fa40f1f4a The Scientific Way to Fool a Nazi Physicist Gyorgy Hevesy had a talent for tricks and stunts—including one that prevented Nazi stormtroopers from stealing a gold Nobel Prize.


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]]> Mon, 30 Sep 2024 13:30:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-scientific-way-to-fool-a-nazi/ Physicist Gyorgy Hevesy had a talent for tricks and stunts—including one that prevented Nazi stormtroopers from stealing a gold Nobel Prize.


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]]> The Scientific Way to Fool a Nazi Sam Kean 00:19:21 Physicist Gyorgy Hevesy had a talent for tricks and stunts—including one that prevented Nazi stormtroopers from stealing a gold Nobel Prize. Physicist Gyorgy Hevesy had a talent for tricks and stunts—including one that prevented Nazi stormtroopers from stealing a gold Nobel Prize. false full 1 63d335a2-230d-42e1-8b79-61c06104cc5d The Mysterious Mote A summer bonus episode: Russ Schnell's professors mocked him for believing that plants somehow caused hailstorms. He not only proved them wrong, but uncovered profound connections between life, earth, and the air above...


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]]> Wed, 26 Jun 2024 19:28:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-mysterious-mote/ A summer bonus episode: Russ Schnell's professors mocked him for believing that plants somehow caused hailstorms. He not only proved them wrong, but uncovered profound connections between life, earth, and the air above...


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]]> The Mysterious Mote Sam Kean 00:18:00 A summer bonus episode: Russ Schnell's professors mocked him for believing that plants somehow caused hailstorms. He not only proved them wrong, but uncovered profound connections between life, earth, and the air above... A summer bonus episode: Russ Schnell's professors mocked him for believing that plants somehow caused hailstorms. He not only proved them wrong, but uncovered profound connections between life, earth, and the air above... false full 95 c52956bf-c579-4f6b-9dea-75761927176d The Science of D-Day Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, a look at the surprisingly important role science played in shaping—and remaking—an invasion that could have easily been a disaster...


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]]> Tue, 14 May 2024 15:49:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-science-of-d-day/ Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, a look at the surprisingly important role science played in shaping—and remaking—an invasion that could have easily been a disaster...


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]]> The Science of D-Day Sam Kean 00:19:49 Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, a look at the surprisingly important role science played in shaping—and remaking—an invasion that could have easily been a disaster... Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, a look at the surprisingly important role science played in shaping—and remaking—an invasion that could have easily been a disaster... false full 10 8f98471c-5f80-4e14-978c-23f0de1122b5 Can Plastic Surgery Keep You out of Prison? One doctor’s controversial crusade to keep men and women out of prison through nose jobs, eye lifts, and other plastic surgery.


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]]> Tue, 7 May 2024 13:59:43 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/can-plastic-surgery-keep-you-out-of-prison/ One doctor’s controversial crusade to keep men and women out of prison through nose jobs, eye lifts, and other plastic surgery.


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]]> Can Plastic Surgery Keep You out of Prison? Sam Kean 00:20:09 One doctor’s controversial crusade to keep men and women out of prison through nose jobs, eye lifts, and other plastic surgery. One doctor’s controversial crusade to keep men and women out of prison through nose jobs, eye lifts, and other plastic surgery. false full 9 acd1add4-4855-468c-a4e0-c4dcb5627972 The Russian Roswell In 1959, nine Russian hikers mysteriously died on a trek through the snowy wilderness—fueling a half-century of hysterical conspiracies. Has science finally cracked the case?


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]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2024 15:46:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-russian-roswell/ In 1959, nine Russian hikers mysteriously died on a trek through the snowy wilderness—fueling a half-century of hysterical conspiracies. Has science finally cracked the case?


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]]> The Russian Roswell Sam Kean 00:21:00 In 1959, nine Russian hikers mysteriously died on a trek through the snowy wilderness—fueling a half-century of hysterical conspiracies. Has science finally cracked the case? In 1959, nine Russian hikers mysteriously died on a trek through the snowy wilderness—fueling a half-century of hysterical conspiracies. Has science finally cracked the case? false full 8 45458345-7316-4c70-8692-bc3d22d38bda When Tenure Means Life and Death After a tenure dispute, mechanical engineer Valery Fabrikant murdered four colleagues in cold blood at his university in Montreal. So why is he still allowed to publish scientific papers?


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]]> Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:45:20 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/when-tenure-means-life-and-death/ After a tenure dispute, mechanical engineer Valery Fabrikant murdered four colleagues in cold blood at his university in Montreal. So why is he still allowed to publish scientific papers?


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]]> When Tenure Means Life and Death Sam Kean 00:20:15 After a tenure dispute, mechanical engineer Valery Fabrikant murdered four colleagues in cold blood at his university in Montreal. So why is he still allowed to publish scientific papers? After a tenure dispute, mechanical engineer Valery Fabrikant murdered four colleagues in cold blood at his university in Montreal. So why is he still allowed to publish scientific papers? false full 7 504e05a6-5bf8-4b26-a4df-bce69679970b A Deadly Soup for Babies Chemist Justus von Liebig was perhaps the most famous scientist in the world in the mid-1800s—but quickly became infamous for his role in the killing of four starving infants.


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]]> Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:10:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/a-deadly-soup-for-babies/ Chemist Justus von Liebig was perhaps the most famous scientist in the world in the mid-1800s—but quickly became infamous for his role in the killing of four starving infants.


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]]> A Deadly Soup for Babies Sam Kean 00:20:16 Chemist Justus von Liebig was perhaps the most famous scientist in the world in the mid-1800s—but quickly became infamous for his role in the killing of four starving infants. Chemist Justus von Liebig was perhaps the most famous scientist in the world in the mid-1800s—but quickly became infamous for his role in the killing of four starving infants. false full 6 51e83733-a0ad-4c74-a416-8372005a9869 How the “Worst Serial Killer in Holland’s History” Went Free Patient after patient died under the care of a single nurse in Holland. So why did so many statisticians think Lucia de Berk was innocent?


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]]> Tue, 9 Apr 2024 13:37:33 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/how-the-worst-serial-killer-in-hollands-history-went-free/ Patient after patient died under the care of a single nurse in Holland. So why did so many statisticians think Lucia de Berk was innocent?


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]]> How the “Worst Serial Killer in Holland’s History” Went Free Sam Kean 00:20:58 Patient after patient died under the care of a single nurse in Holland. So why did so many statisticians think Lucia de Berk was innocent? Patient after patient died under the care of a single nurse in Holland. So why did so many statisticians think Lucia de Berk was innocent? false full 5 4976472b-a147-464a-acaf-89b0c3dc1977 The Eclipse that Killed a King Rama IV of Siam (from the “King and I” musical) used an eclipse to save his kingdom from greedy colonial powers. But it cost him his own life in the end.


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]]> Tue, 2 Apr 2024 13:21:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-eclipse-that-killed-a-king/ Rama IV of Siam (from the “King and I” musical) used an eclipse to save his kingdom from greedy colonial powers. But it cost him his own life in the end.


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]]> The Eclipse that Killed a King Sam Kean 00:19:33 Rama IV of Siam (from the “King and I” musical) used an eclipse to save his kingdom from greedy colonial powers. But it cost him his own life in the end. Rama IV of Siam (from the “King and I” musical) used an eclipse to save his kingdom from greedy colonial powers. But it cost him his own life in the end. false full 4 7386c3e7-377b-480d-8f20-aec871ba7367 When Generosity Turns Pathological One Brazilian man’s brain damage transformed him into a selfless giver. So why did he infuriate so many people—and what does his case say about the biological roots of generosity?


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]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2024 15:56:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/when-generosity-turns-pathological/ One Brazilian man’s brain damage transformed him into a selfless giver. So why did he infuriate so many people—and what does his case say about the biological roots of generosity?


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]]> When Generosity Turns Pathological Sam Kean 00:18:46 One Brazilian man’s brain damage transformed him into a selfless giver. So why did he infuriate so many people—and what does his case say about the biological roots of generosity? One Brazilian man’s brain damage transformed him into a selfless giver. So why did he infuriate so many people—and what does his case say about the biological roots of generosity? false full 3 8e5c7692-53e9-48d8-bfaa-80bb0abe8f83 The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 2) Jack Parsons was a devil-worshipping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard. He was also one of the most important rocket scientists in history. (Episode 2 of 2)


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]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2024 15:45:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-sex-cult-antichrist-who-rocketed-us-to-space-part-2/ Jack Parsons was a devil-worshipping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard. He was also one of the most important rocket scientists in history. (Episode 2 of 2)


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]]> The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 2) Sam Kean 00:21:47 Jack Parsons was a devil-worshipping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard. He was also one of the most important rocket scientists in history. (Episode 2 of 2) Jack Parsons was a devil-worshipping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard. He was also one of the most important rocket scientists in history. (Episode 2 of 2) false full 2 27c215db-c421-487e-bcff-1267d6a5a151 The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 1) Jack Parsons was a devil-worshiping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard. He was also one of the most important rocket scientists in history. (Episode 1 of 2)


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]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:46:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-sex-cult-antichrist-who-rocketed-us-to-space-part-1/ Jack Parsons was a devil-worshiping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard. He was also one of the most important rocket scientists in history. (Episode 1 of 2)


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]]> The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 1) Sam Kean 00:19:43 Jack Parsons was a devil-worshiping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard. He was also one of the most important rocket scientists in history. (Episode 1 of 2) Jack Parsons was a devil-worshiping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard. He was also one of the most important rocket scientists in history. (Episode 1 of 2) false full 1 5fcdd50a-bb1d-4528-9978-e3eb532500fc Don't Drink the Milk bonus episode - Milk: From mutations to mustaches Who put the cheese in your stuffed-crust pizza? Or cows on a Caribbean island? And when more than half the world's population can't actually digest milk, is it really essential for a healthy diet? On a trip through time and taste—to dairy-obsessed Bulgaria, colonial Trinidad and Tobago and the ‘Got Milk?’ era—we explore humanity's millennia-long relationship with milk.


Listen to Don't Drink the Milk wherever you get your podcasts! https://pod.link/1704462801


Also on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpBAZYDqAE8nzvIRx2dApgkDi3zkSe3GS



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]]> Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:43:02 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/dont-drink-the-milk-bonus-episode-milk-from-mutations-to-mustaches/ Who put the cheese in your stuffed-crust pizza? Or cows on a Caribbean island? And when more than half the world's population can't actually digest milk, is it really essential for a healthy diet? On a trip through time and taste—to dairy-obsessed Bulgaria, colonial Trinidad and Tobago and the ‘Got Milk?’ era—we explore humanity's millennia-long relationship with milk.


Listen to Don't Drink the Milk wherever you get your podcasts! https://pod.link/1704462801


Also on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpBAZYDqAE8nzvIRx2dApgkDi3zkSe3GS



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]]> Don't Drink the Milk bonus episode - Milk: From mutations to mustaches Sam Kean 00:46:26 Who put the cheese in your stuffed-crust pizza? Or cows on a Caribbean island? And when more than half the world's population can't actually digest milk, is it really essential for a healthy diet? On a trip through time and taste—to dairy-obsessed Bulgaria, colonial Trinidad and Tobago and the ‘Got Milk?’ era—we explore humanity's millennia-long relationship with milk.Listen to Don't Drink the Milk wherever you get your podcasts! https://pod.link/1704462801 Also on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpBAZYDqAE8nzvIRx2dApgkDi3zkSe3GS Who put the cheese in your stuffed-crust pizza? Or cows on a Caribbean island? And when more than half the world's population can't actually digest milk, is it really essential for a healthy diet? On a trip through time and taste—to dairy-obsessed Bulgaria, colonial Trinidad and Tobago and the ‘Got Milk?’ era—we explore humanity's millennia-long relationship with milk.Listen to Don't Drink the Milk wherever you get your podcasts! https://pod.link/1704462801 Also on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpBAZYDqAE8nzvIRx2dApgkDi3zkSe3GS false full 84 bd2875a7-fd93-4164-9881-216cfeb01164 Was Darwin a Murderer? In 1878, two Paris dandies murdered an old woman—and blamed Charles Darwin for their crime. But the wild scandal that followed only solidified Darwin as the greatest scientist of his age...


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]]> Tue, 14 Nov 2023 22:47:38 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/was-darwin-a-murderer/ In 1878, two Paris dandies murdered an old woman—and blamed Charles Darwin for their crime. But the wild scandal that followed only solidified Darwin as the greatest scientist of his age...


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]]> Was Darwin a Murderer? Sam Kean 00:21:45 In 1878, two Paris dandies murdered an old woman—and blamed Charles Darwin for their crime. But the wild scandal that followed only solidified Darwin as the greatest scientist of his age... In 1878, two Paris dandies murdered an old woman—and blamed Charles Darwin for their crime. But the wild scandal that followed only solidified Darwin as the greatest scientist of his age... false full 10 75d4117f-6f95-4882-96ac-c9af46362b14 Mass Psychosis in Food Science Americans happily ate monosodium glutamate for decades. Then one (possibly fake) letter sparked mass hysteria over “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”, and the bogus MSG scare was born...


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]]> Tue, 7 Nov 2023 22:45:49 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/mass-psychosis-in-food-science/ Americans happily ate monosodium glutamate for decades. Then one (possibly fake) letter sparked mass hysteria over “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”, and the bogus MSG scare was born...


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]]> Mass Psychosis in Food Science Sam Kean 00:23:55 Americans happily ate monosodium glutamate for decades. Then one (possibly fake) letter sparked mass hysteria over “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”, and the bogus MSG scare was born... Americans happily ate monosodium glutamate for decades. Then one (possibly fake) letter sparked mass hysteria over “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”, and the bogus MSG scare was born... false full 9 c0eab6c5-48d7-441d-8fa8-99e19054ee9e Accounting for Taste Scientists have confirmed five basic human tastes—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. But is that all? Debate now rages about adding a sixth or seventh or even eighth(!) to the Big Five...


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]]> Tue, 31 Oct 2023 21:43:52 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/accounting-for-taste/ Scientists have confirmed five basic human tastes—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. But is that all? Debate now rages about adding a sixth or seventh or even eighth(!) to the Big Five...


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]]> Accounting for Taste Sam Kean 00:21:33 Scientists have confirmed five basic human tastes—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. But is that all? Debate now rages about adding a sixth or seventh or even eighth(!) to the Big Five... Scientists have confirmed five basic human tastes—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. But is that all? Debate now rages about adding a sixth or seventh or even eighth(!) to the Big Five... false full 8 c172ed48-32b1-4d4f-a4cd-153b2c24c5ad If Indiana Jones Were a Swindler James Mellaart discovered one of the most important archaeological sites ever, Çatalhöyük in Turkey. But his lust for treasure—and a penchant for fraud—led him to throw it all away...


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]]> Tue, 24 Oct 2023 21:41:10 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/if-indiana-jones-were-a-swindler/ James Mellaart discovered one of the most important archaeological sites ever, Çatalhöyük in Turkey. But his lust for treasure—and a penchant for fraud—led him to throw it all away...


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]]> If Indiana Jones Were a Swindler Sam Kean 00:23:41 James Mellaart discovered one of the most important archaeological sites ever, Çatalhöyük in Turkey. But his lust for treasure—and a penchant for fraud—led him to throw it all away... James Mellaart discovered one of the most important archaeological sites ever, Çatalhöyük in Turkey. But his lust for treasure—and a penchant for fraud—led him to throw it all away... false full 7 13432d51-888d-47f8-aa83-e7b3e72d79b0 The British Tobacco Empire He helped launch the British Empire and spawned a public-health epidemic that killed hundreds of millions of people. Blame him for the lost colony of Roanoke, too. Thomas Harriot has a lot to answer for...


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]]> Tue, 17 Oct 2023 21:38:12 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-british-tobacco-empire/ He helped launch the British Empire and spawned a public-health epidemic that killed hundreds of millions of people. Blame him for the lost colony of Roanoke, too. Thomas Harriot has a lot to answer for...


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]]> The British Tobacco Empire Sam Kean 00:23:11 He helped launch the British Empire and spawned a public-health epidemic that killed hundreds of millions of people. Blame him for the lost colony of Roanoke, too. Thomas Harriot has a lot to answer for... He helped launch the British Empire and spawned a public-health epidemic that killed hundreds of millions of people. Blame him for the lost colony of Roanoke, too. Thomas Harriot has a lot to answer for... false full 6 3564a1ec-2874-4a48-b8cb-07ac77dd362c "Moldy Mary," The Forgotten Mother of Penicillin She helped discover arguably the most important drug in history. And she got zero credit. They called her Moldy Mary—but she turned that insult into triumph...


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]]> Tue, 10 Oct 2023 13:17:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/moldy-mary-the-forgotten-mother-of-penicillin/ She helped discover arguably the most important drug in history. And she got zero credit. They called her Moldy Mary—but she turned that insult into triumph...


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]]> "Moldy Mary," The Forgotten Mother of Penicillin Sam Kean 00:25:23 She helped discover arguably the most important drug in history. And she got zero credit. They called her Moldy Mary—but she turned that insult into triumph... She helped discover arguably the most important drug in history. And she got zero credit. They called her Moldy Mary—but she turned that insult into triumph... false full 5 548ba63e-8e98-4049-b137-500f73c3ce65 The Most Exclusive Club in the World As recent submersible tragedies reveal, it’s harder to reach extreme ocean depths than the Moon. Meet the people who got there first—and barely lived to tell to the tale...


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]]> Tue, 3 Oct 2023 04:05:41 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-most-exclusive-club-in-the-world/ As recent submersible tragedies reveal, it’s harder to reach extreme ocean depths than the Moon. Meet the people who got there first—and barely lived to tell to the tale...


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]]> The Most Exclusive Club in the World Sam Kean 00:23:34 As recent submersible tragedies reveal, it’s harder to reach extreme ocean depths than the Moon. Meet the people who got there first—and barely lived to tell to the tale... As recent submersible tragedies reveal, it’s harder to reach extreme ocean depths than the Moon. Meet the people who got there first—and barely lived to tell to the tale... false full 4 eaf784b3-5cc0-40d6-b57e-dac575469487 Death-Defying Science at 75,000 Feet You wouldn’t think a lanky, awkward balloon geek would inspire Hollywood. But the death-defying Auguste Piccard was a worthy namesake for Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek fame...


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]]> Tue, 26 Sep 2023 04:03:24 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/death-defying-science-at-75000-feet/ You wouldn’t think a lanky, awkward balloon geek would inspire Hollywood. But the death-defying Auguste Piccard was a worthy namesake for Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek fame...


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]]> Death-Defying Science at 75,000 Feet Sam Kean 00:24:38 You wouldn’t think a lanky, awkward balloon geek would inspire Hollywood. But the death-defying Auguste Piccard was a worthy namesake for Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek fame... You wouldn’t think a lanky, awkward balloon geek would inspire Hollywood. But the death-defying Auguste Piccard was a worthy namesake for Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek fame... false full 3 e776560f-464b-4ca3-a7f1-667b52331678 Proving Einstein Right Albert Einstein’s relativity was just another theory at first, speculative and unproven—until Arthur Eddington and a special eclipse. Meet the weirdo scientist who made Einstein into *Einstein*...


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]]> Wed, 20 Sep 2023 03:58:50 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/proving-einstein-right/ Albert Einstein’s relativity was just another theory at first, speculative and unproven—until Arthur Eddington and a special eclipse. Meet the weirdo scientist who made Einstein into *Einstein*...


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]]> Proving Einstein Right Sam Kean 00:23:43 Albert Einstein’s relativity was just another theory at first, speculative and unproven—until Arthur Eddington and a special eclipse. Meet the weirdo scientist who made Einstein into *Einstein*... Albert Einstein’s relativity was just another theory at first, speculative and unproven—until Arthur Eddington and a special eclipse. Meet the weirdo scientist who made Einstein into *Einstein*... false full 2 2d4d80d3-e3d6-4b7c-9766-6a84c8caf74c Einstein's Golden Moment It was the most powerful emotional moment of Albert Einstein’s life—the instant he knew he was a genius. But in confirming his theory of relativity, it also opened him up to attacks, sometimes rather vicious, from around the world...


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]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 13:28:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/einsteins-golden-moment/ It was the most powerful emotional moment of Albert Einstein’s life—the instant he knew he was a genius. But in confirming his theory of relativity, it also opened him up to attacks, sometimes rather vicious, from around the world...


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]]> Einstein's Golden Moment Sam Kean 00:23:25 It was the most powerful emotional moment of Albert Einstein’s life—the instant he knew he was a genius. But in confirming his theory of relativity, it also opened him up to attacks, sometimes rather vicious, from around the world... It was the most powerful emotional moment of Albert Einstein’s life—the instant he knew he was a genius. But in confirming his theory of relativity, it also opened him up to attacks, sometimes rather vicious, from around the world... false full 1 55548f4d-2c64-4bc8-a875-9fa56edb04b2 Everything You Know About Phineas Gage Is Wrong Despite what you’ve heard, neuroscience’s most famous patient did not turn into a lying, drunken psychopath. He’s actually an amazing example of resiliency and overcoming trauma...


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]]> Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:23:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/everything-you-know-about-phineas-gage-is-wrong/ Despite what you’ve heard, neuroscience’s most famous patient did not turn into a lying, drunken psychopath. He’s actually an amazing example of resiliency and overcoming trauma...


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]]> Everything You Know About Phineas Gage Is Wrong Sam Kean 00:24:23 Despite what you’ve heard, neuroscience’s most famous patient did not turn into a lying, drunken psychopath. He’s actually an amazing example of resiliency and overcoming trauma... Despite what you’ve heard, neuroscience’s most famous patient did not turn into a lying, drunken psychopath. He’s actually an amazing example of resiliency and overcoming trauma... false full 73 9665640d-f951-4869-b438-dc1d458fa404 Why Do We Obsess Over Charles Darwin’s Health? Is it serious historical work? Respectable gossip? Blatantly prying into people’s lives? Retro-diagnosing historical celebrities like Darwin and Lincoln and Hitler and Poe is all of the above and more...


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]]> Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:19:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/why-do-we-obsess-over-charles-darwins-health/ Is it serious historical work? Respectable gossip? Blatantly prying into people’s lives? Retro-diagnosing historical celebrities like Darwin and Lincoln and Hitler and Poe is all of the above and more...


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]]> Why Do We Obsess Over Charles Darwin’s Health? Sam Kean 00:24:18 Is it serious historical work? Respectable gossip? Blatantly prying into people’s lives? Retro-diagnosing historical celebrities like Darwin and Lincoln and Hitler and Poe is all of the above and more... Is it serious historical work? Respectable gossip? Blatantly prying into people’s lives? Retro-diagnosing historical celebrities like Darwin and Lincoln and Hitler and Poe is all of the above and more... false full 9 ee0bf17f-201c-4479-ab74-db77bdb35809 The Seeds of Starvation During the Nazi invasion of Russia during World War II, nine Soviet scientists starved to death surrounded by millions of delicious fruits, seeds, and nuts. Were they mad? No. They wanted to save humankind from doomsday...


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]]> Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:15:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-seeds-of-starvation/ During the Nazi invasion of Russia during World War II, nine Soviet scientists starved to death surrounded by millions of delicious fruits, seeds, and nuts. Were they mad? No. They wanted to save humankind from doomsday...


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]]> The Seeds of Starvation Sam Kean 00:24:34 During the Nazi invasion of Russia during World War II, nine Soviet scientists starved to death surrounded by millions of delicious fruits, seeds, and nuts. Were they mad? No. They wanted to save humankind from doomsday... During the Nazi invasion of Russia during World War II, nine Soviet scientists starved to death surrounded by millions of delicious fruits, seeds, and nuts. Were they mad? No. They wanted to save humankind from doomsday... false full 8 6b04fa05-7405-4de1-aa51-c921e2385aa5 When Scientific Brilliance Isn’t Enough William Halford thought he had a surefire vaccine to stop herpes. And he wasn’t going to let anything—laws, ethics, his patients’ well-being—stop him from saving the world...


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]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 13:26:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/when-scientific-brilliance-isnt-enough/ William Halford thought he had a surefire vaccine to stop herpes. And he wasn’t going to let anything—laws, ethics, his patients’ well-being—stop him from saving the world...


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]]> When Scientific Brilliance Isn’t Enough Sam Kean 00:23:11 William Halford thought he had a surefire vaccine to stop herpes. And he wasn’t going to let anything—laws, ethics, his patients’ well-being—stop him from saving the world... William Halford thought he had a surefire vaccine to stop herpes. And he wasn’t going to let anything—laws, ethics, his patients’ well-being—stop him from saving the world... false full 7 1453494c-219b-4ffe-8485-8d23e953e66e The Curse of Knowing Too Much Paul Stoutenburgh knew more atomic secrets than anyone on Earth. So was that why he killed himself? And if not, why was the government (seemingly) so uninterested in getting to the bottom of his death?


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]]> Tue, 6 Jun 2023 13:32:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-curse-of-knowing-too-much/ Paul Stoutenburgh knew more atomic secrets than anyone on Earth. So was that why he killed himself? And if not, why was the government (seemingly) so uninterested in getting to the bottom of his death?


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]]> The Curse of Knowing Too Much Sam Kean 00:22:31 Paul Stoutenburgh knew more atomic secrets than anyone on Earth. So was that why he killed himself? And if not, why was the government (seemingly) so uninterested in getting to the bottom of his death? Paul Stoutenburgh knew more atomic secrets than anyone on Earth. So was that why he killed himself? And if not, why was the government (seemingly) so uninterested in getting to the bottom of his death? false full 6 1c90f2c0-d1c3-4f95-9663-3cf139cd63ce The Enigmas of Foreign Accent Syndrome Can you really collapse and wake up speaking a totally new language? Not quite. But “foreign accent syndrome” is a real, frightening—and bizarre—neurological disorder...


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]]> Tue, 30 May 2023 13:29:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-enigmas-of-foreign-accent-syndrome/ Can you really collapse and wake up speaking a totally new language? Not quite. But “foreign accent syndrome” is a real, frightening—and bizarre—neurological disorder...


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]]> The Enigmas of Foreign Accent Syndrome Sam Kean 00:21:59 Can you really collapse and wake up speaking a totally new language? Not quite. But “foreign accent syndrome” is a real, frightening—and bizarre—neurological disorder... Can you really collapse and wake up speaking a totally new language? Not quite. But “foreign accent syndrome” is a real, frightening—and bizarre—neurological disorder... false full 5 a5502a7e-048e-4565-8b3a-31ce422dd6b6 The World’s Only Natural Nuclear Reactor What a bizarre site in Africa—a 1.7-billion-year-old, completely natural nuclear reactor—says about the future of energy production on planet Earth...


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]]> Tue, 23 May 2023 14:27:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-worlds-only-natural-nuclear-reactor/ What a bizarre site in Africa—a 1.7-billion-year-old, completely natural nuclear reactor—says about the future of energy production on planet Earth...


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]]> The World’s Only Natural Nuclear Reactor Sam Kean 00:23:18 What a bizarre site in Africa—a 1.7-billion-year-old, completely natural nuclear reactor—says about the future of energy production on planet Earth... What a bizarre site in Africa—a 1.7-billion-year-old, completely natural nuclear reactor—says about the future of energy production on planet Earth... false full 6 7037909c-e5f5-4c29-b0e3-5d15abe2db4b How New DNA Sleuthing Can Expose Dangerous Killers—and You Genetic genealogy can catch brutal killers. It can also unmask affairs, secret adoptions, and other dark secrets. As well as expose you—yes, you—to the unholy alliance of Big Tech and shady police work...


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]]> Tue, 16 May 2023 14:21:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/how-new-dna-sleuthing-can-expose-dangerous-killers-and-you/ Genetic genealogy can catch brutal killers. It can also unmask affairs, secret adoptions, and other dark secrets. As well as expose you—yes, you—to the unholy alliance of Big Tech and shady police work...


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]]> How New DNA Sleuthing Can Expose Dangerous Killers—and You Sam Kean 00:21:36 Genetic genealogy can catch brutal killers. It can also unmask affairs, secret adoptions, and other dark secrets. As well as expose you—yes, you—to the unholy alliance of Big Tech and shady police work... Genetic genealogy can catch brutal killers. It can also unmask affairs, secret adoptions, and other dark secrets. As well as expose you—yes, you—to the unholy alliance of Big Tech and shady police work... false full 3 d6e3b60e-b15b-40aa-add7-4f864b73abaf The Real Tragedy of Robert Oppenheimer He coulda would shoulda been the next Einstein. Instead, Robert Oppenheimer fritted away his talents on trendy science and political gamesmanship—and it burned him deep in his soul...


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]]> Tue, 9 May 2023 11:18:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-real-tragedy-of-robert-oppenheimer/ He coulda would shoulda been the next Einstein. Instead, Robert Oppenheimer fritted away his talents on trendy science and political gamesmanship—and it burned him deep in his soul...


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]]> The Real Tragedy of Robert Oppenheimer Sam Kean 00:22:10 He coulda would shoulda been the next Einstein. Instead, Robert Oppenheimer fritted away his talents on trendy science and political gamesmanship—and it burned him deep in his soul... He coulda would shoulda been the next Einstein. Instead, Robert Oppenheimer fritted away his talents on trendy science and political gamesmanship—and it burned him deep in his soul... false full 2 bc40c736-72a3-489b-83f8-ccb1e561a82d The Brilliant, Groundbreaking, and Wildly Overrated Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci was brilliant, groundbreaking—and especially with regard to his science—wildly overrated. All because he lacked one all-important quality: sitzfleisch...


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]]> Tue, 2 May 2023 14:14:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-brilliant-groundbreaking-and-wildly-overrated-leonardo-da-vinci/ Leonardo da Vinci was brilliant, groundbreaking—and especially with regard to his science—wildly overrated. All because he lacked one all-important quality: sitzfleisch...


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]]> The Brilliant, Groundbreaking, and Wildly Overrated Leonardo da Vinci Sam Kean 00:24:38 Leonardo da Vinci was brilliant, groundbreaking—and especially with regard to his science—wildly overrated. All because he lacked one all-important quality: sitzfleisch... Leonardo da Vinci was brilliant, groundbreaking—and especially with regard to his science—wildly overrated. All because he lacked one all-important quality: sitzfleisch... false full 1 b5f94775-cf09-4b41-925b-1da4ca0dc1e9 Spring update and "Innate" trailer An update on the spring season of Disappearing Spoon (early episodes for Patreon subscribers!), plus a trailer for the new "Innate" series from the great people behind the Science History Institute's "Distillations podcast"


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]]> Mon, 6 Feb 2023 19:04:01 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/spring-update-and-innate-trailer/ An update on the spring season of Disappearing Spoon (early episodes for Patreon subscribers!), plus a trailer for the new "Innate" series from the great people behind the Science History Institute's "Distillations podcast"


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]]> Spring update and "Innate" trailer Sam Kean 00:07:02 An update on the spring season of Disappearing Spoon (early episodes for Patreon subscribers!), plus a trailer for the new "Innate" series from the great people behind the Science History Institute's "Distillations podcast" An update on the spring season of Disappearing Spoon (early episodes for Patreon subscribers!), plus a trailer for the new "Innate" series from the great people behind the Science History Institute's "Distillations podcast" false full 63 f0369cae-487d-4265-ae63-5570d88361e2 Death Squared The “mouse utopia” experiment showed just how quickly animal heaven can turn into animal hell—and revealed how eager human beings are to interpret science through the lens of extremist politics...


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]]> Tue, 29 Nov 2022 15:00:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/death-squared/ The “mouse utopia” experiment showed just how quickly animal heaven can turn into animal hell—and revealed how eager human beings are to interpret science through the lens of extremist politics...


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]]> Death Squared Sam Kean 00:24:42 The “mouse utopia” experiment showed just how quickly animal heaven can turn into animal hell—and revealed how eager human beings are to interpret science through the lens of extremist politics... The “mouse utopia” experiment showed just how quickly animal heaven can turn into animal hell—and revealed how eager human beings are to interpret science through the lens of extremist politics... false full 10 767deb5f-e8c8-4e6f-b9f6-1408fb9cf849 Death by Nutrition Polar explorer Douglas Mawson made several mistakes on his harrowing journey across Antarctica. But the biggest blunder involved eating animal livers oversaturated with vitamin A, a sure death sentence...


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]]> Tue, 22 Nov 2022 16:00:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/death-by-nutrition/ Polar explorer Douglas Mawson made several mistakes on his harrowing journey across Antarctica. But the biggest blunder involved eating animal livers oversaturated with vitamin A, a sure death sentence...


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]]> Death by Nutrition Sam Kean 00:23:51 Polar explorer Douglas Mawson made several mistakes on his harrowing journey across Antarctica. But the biggest blunder involved eating animal livers oversaturated with vitamin A, a sure death sentence... Polar explorer Douglas Mawson made several mistakes on his harrowing journey across Antarctica. But the biggest blunder involved eating animal livers oversaturated with vitamin A, a sure death sentence... false full 9 300bd0dd-8b5c-4f1b-89aa-cf1a6881d9f8 The Roadside Apocalypse Automobiles kill several million animals every single day. Scientists are still coming to grips with the carnage...


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]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:47:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-roadside-apocalypse/ Automobiles kill several million animals every single day. Scientists are still coming to grips with the carnage...


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]]> The Roadside Apocalypse Sam Kean 00:24:28 Automobiles kill several million animals every single day. Scientists are still coming to grips with the carnage... Automobiles kill several million animals every single day. Scientists are still coming to grips with the carnage... false full 8 02fbb690-c19c-4546-a811-a2dd5d048a57 The Blind Visionary Thomas Schall was first blind member of Congress. There, he envisioned a better, smarter, more efficient world—brought about by his radical new calendar. Too bad the rest of us couldn’t see the future as clearly as he did...


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]]> Tue, 8 Nov 2022 14:41:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-blind-visionary/ Thomas Schall was first blind member of Congress. There, he envisioned a better, smarter, more efficient world—brought about by his radical new calendar. Too bad the rest of us couldn’t see the future as clearly as he did...


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]]> The Blind Visionary Sam Kean 00:23:11 Thomas Schall was first blind member of Congress. There, he envisioned a better, smarter, more efficient world—brought about by his radical new calendar. Too bad the rest of us couldn’t see the future as clearly as he did... Thomas Schall was first blind member of Congress. There, he envisioned a better, smarter, more efficient world—brought about by his radical new calendar. Too bad the rest of us couldn’t see the future as clearly as he did... false full 7 f1ec5d62-ae2c-4664-92fb-1cef6955e23f The Scariest Paradise on Earth The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea is a place of guns and heartache and anger—and also one of the most thriving natural wildlife habitats on Earth...


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]]> Tue, 1 Nov 2022 13:47:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-scariest-paradise-on-earth/ The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea is a place of guns and heartache and anger—and also one of the most thriving natural wildlife habitats on Earth...


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]]> The Scariest Paradise on Earth Sam Kean 00:20:12 The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea is a place of guns and heartache and anger—and also one of the most thriving natural wildlife habitats on Earth... The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea is a place of guns and heartache and anger—and also one of the most thriving natural wildlife habitats on Earth... false full 6 5108a099-a0d6-4f6e-9cc5-ac969f3ddf19 The Naked Shibboleth Naked mole-rats are medical marvels—impervious to cancer and immune to old age. Too bad they’re also vicious murderers...


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]]> Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:05:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-naked-shibboleth/ Naked mole-rats are medical marvels—impervious to cancer and immune to old age. Too bad they’re also vicious murderers...


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]]> The Naked Shibboleth Sam Kean 00:22:26 Naked mole-rats are medical marvels—impervious to cancer and immune to old age. Too bad they’re also vicious murderers... Naked mole-rats are medical marvels—impervious to cancer and immune to old age. Too bad they’re also vicious murderers... false full 5 4f760bcd-bd70-4806-95b3-b0539aeba8ff The Debaucherous Legacy of Johnny Appleseed The Johnny Appleseed of Disney fame was complete bunk. He brought not wholesome apples to people, but liquor—and lots of it, all thanks to the bizarre biology of this misunderstood fruit...


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]]> Tue, 18 Oct 2022 13:30:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-debaucherous-legacy-of-johnny-appleseed/ The Johnny Appleseed of Disney fame was complete bunk. He brought not wholesome apples to people, but liquor—and lots of it, all thanks to the bizarre biology of this misunderstood fruit...


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]]> The Debaucherous Legacy of Johnny Appleseed Sam Kean 00:23:18 The Johnny Appleseed of Disney fame was complete bunk. He brought not wholesome apples to people, but liquor—and lots of it, all thanks to the bizarre biology of this misunderstood fruit... The Johnny Appleseed of Disney fame was complete bunk. He brought not wholesome apples to people, but liquor—and lots of it, all thanks to the bizarre biology of this misunderstood fruit... false full 4 6a6bd64e-a936-47c9-aa69-2c0e331360c2 The Most Evil Molecule It fueled slavery, as well as the Nazi death machine. It kills millions of people every year through cancer and heart disease. And you almost certainly have some in your home. That’s the legacy of sugar...


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]]> Tue, 11 Oct 2022 14:03:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-most-evil-molecule/ It fueled slavery, as well as the Nazi death machine. It kills millions of people every year through cancer and heart disease. And you almost certainly have some in your home. That’s the legacy of sugar...


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]]> The Most Evil Molecule Sam Kean 00:20:29 It fueled slavery, as well as the Nazi death machine. It kills millions of people every year through cancer and heart disease. And you almost certainly have some in your home. That’s the legacy of sugar... It fueled slavery, as well as the Nazi death machine. It kills millions of people every year through cancer and heart disease. And you almost certainly have some in your home. That’s the legacy of sugar... false full 3 755fdc03-09ba-46b2-90a4-8ea47ec4fa65 The Life-Saving Rat Poison Warfarin was the best rat poison in history. It’s also, now, one of the most important, life-saving—and freakishly unlikely—drugs in the history of medicine...


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]]> Tue, 4 Oct 2022 13:20:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-life-saving-rat-poison/ Warfarin was the best rat poison in history. It’s also, now, one of the most important, life-saving—and freakishly unlikely—drugs in the history of medicine...


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]]> The Life-Saving Rat Poison Sam Kean 00:22:32 Warfarin was the best rat poison in history. It’s also, now, one of the most important, life-saving—and freakishly unlikely—drugs in the history of medicine... Warfarin was the best rat poison in history. It’s also, now, one of the most important, life-saving—and freakishly unlikely—drugs in the history of medicine... false full 2 a6208252-872e-4802-a6b1-624c782673dc The Making of a Lobotomist Dr. Walter Freeman blamed himself for the death of his favorite son. But instead of reflecting or growing personally, he used that death to become the most notorious lobotomist in the history of medicine...


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]]> Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:00:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-making-of-a-lobotomist/ Dr. Walter Freeman blamed himself for the death of his favorite son. But instead of reflecting or growing personally, he used that death to become the most notorious lobotomist in the history of medicine...


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]]> The Making of a Lobotomist Sam Kean 00:20:27 Dr. Walter Freeman blamed himself for the death of his favorite son. But instead of reflecting or growing personally, he used that death to become the most notorious lobotomist in the history of medicine... Dr. Walter Freeman blamed himself for the death of his favorite son. But instead of reflecting or growing personally, he used that death to become the most notorious lobotomist in the history of medicine... false full 1 a0e368ae-187e-4843-957e-ab42c417ad7f Icepick Surgeon bonus excerpt on the making of the Unabomber A bonus excerpt from my book The Icepick Surgeon on the making of the Unabomber, through a cruel, unethical psychology experiment at Harvard University...


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]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2022 14:00:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/icepick-surgeon-bonus-excerpt-on-the-making-of-the-unabomber/ A bonus excerpt from my book The Icepick Surgeon on the making of the Unabomber, through a cruel, unethical psychology experiment at Harvard University...


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]]> Icepick Surgeon bonus excerpt on the making of the Unabomber Sam Kean 00:24:50 A bonus excerpt from my book The Icepick Surgeon on the making of the Unabomber, through a cruel, unethical psychology experiment at Harvard University... A bonus excerpt from my book The Icepick Surgeon on the making of the Unabomber, through a cruel, unethical psychology experiment at Harvard University... false full 52 b5cdb489-040a-4395-b7a9-4b8ee4244055 The Murderer Who Made Movies Possible Like Leonardo and Albrecht Dürer before him, photographer Eadweard Muybridge was a legendary pioneer in both art and science. He was also a cold-blooded murderer.


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]]> Tue, 10 May 2022 14:00:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-murderer-who-made-movies-possible/ Like Leonardo and Albrecht Dürer before him, photographer Eadweard Muybridge was a legendary pioneer in both art and science. He was also a cold-blooded murderer.


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]]> The Murderer Who Made Movies Possible Sam Kean 00:22:33 Like Leonardo and Albrecht Dürer before him, photographer Eadweard Muybridge was a legendary pioneer in both art and science. He was also a cold-blooded murderer. Like Leonardo and Albrecht Dürer before him, photographer Eadweard Muybridge was a legendary pioneer in both art and science. He was also a cold-blooded murderer. false full 10 0e7b909a-f458-427f-8d08-7ab0e24d233f Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, and the Irish Giant Charles Byrne was an eight-foot Irish giant ️who loved a beer or 3 with the lads. His funeral became a legendary party—as well as one of biggest scandals in science history, when a famous anatomist named John Hunter stole his body for dissection.


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]]> Tue, 3 May 2022 13:30:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/dr-jekyll-mr-hyde-and-the-irish-giant/ Charles Byrne was an eight-foot Irish giant ️who loved a beer or 3 with the lads. His funeral became a legendary party—as well as one of biggest scandals in science history, when a famous anatomist named John Hunter stole his body for dissection.


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]]> Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, and the Irish Giant Sam Kean 00:20:02 Charles Byrne was an eight-foot Irish giant ️who loved a beer or 3 with the lads. His funeral became a legendary party—as well as one of biggest scandals in science history, when a famous anatomist named John Hunter stole his body for dissection. Charles Byrne was an eight-foot Irish giant ️who loved a beer or 3 with the lads. His funeral became a legendary party—as well as one of biggest scandals in science history, when a famous anatomist named John Hunter stole his body for dissection. false full 9 1aaf2cab-1e1b-4074-99c0-48fe34540ec8 The Screwiest—and Perhaps Most Original—Idea of the 20th Century The New York Times one credited biologist Edward Knipling with “the most original idea of the 20th century.” What was it? A way to fight the screwworm, the vilest parasite on earth—and maybe stop malaria, the deadliest disease in human history, too.


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]]> Tue, 26 Apr 2022 13:08:19 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-screwiest-and-perhaps-most-original-idea-of-the-20th-century/ The New York Times one credited biologist Edward Knipling with “the most original idea of the 20th century.” What was it? A way to fight the screwworm, the vilest parasite on earth—and maybe stop malaria, the deadliest disease in human history, too.


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]]> The Screwiest—and Perhaps Most Original—Idea of the 20th Century Sam Kean 00:22:10 The New York Times one credited biologist Edward Knipling with “the most original idea of the 20th century.” What was it? A way to fight the screwworm, the vilest parasite on earth—and maybe stop malaria, the deadliest disease in human history, too. The New York Times one credited biologist Edward Knipling with “the most original idea of the 20th century.” What was it? A way to fight the screwworm, the vilest parasite on earth—and maybe stop malaria, the deadliest disease in human history, too. false full 8 e8e1ab91-eb72-4220-a9e9-eec93b0348f9 The Bird with Four Sexes What a strange little sparrow can teach us about love, sex, human biology, and a whole lot more...


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]]> Tue, 19 Apr 2022 13:05:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-bird-with-four-sexes/ What a strange little sparrow can teach us about love, sex, human biology, and a whole lot more...


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]]> The Bird with Four Sexes Sam Kean 00:24:12 What a strange little sparrow can teach us about love, sex, human biology, and a whole lot more... What a strange little sparrow can teach us about love, sex, human biology, and a whole lot more... false full 48 7dc3bcbd-7b4b-44e7-b57a-29a3ee19e106 When the Brain Deceives Itself Can we ever truly lie to ourselves? Actually, yes—just ask Woodrow Wilson and William O. Douglas. They’re two famous examples of a bizarrely common neurological disorder. One that you might have fallen victim to yourself...


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]]> Tue, 12 Apr 2022 13:55:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/when-the-brain-deceives-itself/ Can we ever truly lie to ourselves? Actually, yes—just ask Woodrow Wilson and William O. Douglas. They’re two famous examples of a bizarrely common neurological disorder. One that you might have fallen victim to yourself...


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]]> When the Brain Deceives Itself Sam Kean 00:21:22 Can we ever truly lie to ourselves? Actually, yes—just ask Woodrow Wilson and William O. Douglas. They’re two famous examples of a bizarrely common neurological disorder. One that you might have fallen victim to yourself... Can we ever truly lie to ourselves? Actually, yes—just ask Woodrow Wilson and William O. Douglas. They’re two famous examples of a bizarrely common neurological disorder. One that you might have fallen victim to yourself... false full 47 297ce1a6-7051-4d28-a234-f7001ebc2257 Stephen Hawking and the Black Hole Mistake that Made His Career In 1971, Stephen Hawking made a hasty, emotional mistake in a paper about black holes—and it turned out to be the smartest thing he ever did. Sometimes in science, big blunders are the best way forward...


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]]> Tue, 5 Apr 2022 13:37:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/stephen-hawking-and-the-black-hole-mistake-that-made-his-career/ In 1971, Stephen Hawking made a hasty, emotional mistake in a paper about black holes—and it turned out to be the smartest thing he ever did. Sometimes in science, big blunders are the best way forward...


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]]> Stephen Hawking and the Black Hole Mistake that Made His Career Sam Kean 00:21:33 In 1971, Stephen Hawking made a hasty, emotional mistake in a paper about black holes—and it turned out to be the smartest thing he ever did. Sometimes in science, big blunders are the best way forward... In 1971, Stephen Hawking made a hasty, emotional mistake in a paper about black holes—and it turned out to be the smartest thing he ever did. Sometimes in science, big blunders are the best way forward... false full 5 2727a366-df60-4320-8098-ac08013f88aa Albert Einstein and the Worst Prediction in the History of Science Albert Einstein’s self-proclaimed “biggest blunder”—the cosmological constant in his theory of relativity—turned out to not be blunder at all. In fact, it might hold the key to the future of physics. (Now that’s genius!)


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]]> Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:24:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/albert-einstein-and-the-worst-prediction-in-the-history-of-science/ Albert Einstein’s self-proclaimed “biggest blunder”—the cosmological constant in his theory of relativity—turned out to not be blunder at all. In fact, it might hold the key to the future of physics. (Now that’s genius!)


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]]> Albert Einstein and the Worst Prediction in the History of Science Sam Kean 00:20:20 Albert Einstein’s self-proclaimed “biggest blunder”—the cosmological constant in his theory of relativity—turned out to not be blunder at all. In fact, it might hold the key to the future of physics. (Now that’s genius!) Albert Einstein’s self-proclaimed “biggest blunder”—the cosmological constant in his theory of relativity—turned out to not be blunder at all. In fact, it might hold the key to the future of physics. (Now that’s genius!) false full 4 a6a90999-759d-449a-8534-f5366dea2577 How to Be Smarter than Isaac Newton You think Isaac Newton was smart? Not so fast. He made one mistake so dumb that scholars still shake their heads over it. Find out how to avoid this mistake—and be smarter than Newton—in this episode...


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]]> Tue, 22 Mar 2022 13:55:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/how-to-be-smarter-than-isaac-newton/ You think Isaac Newton was smart? Not so fast. He made one mistake so dumb that scholars still shake their heads over it. Find out how to avoid this mistake—and be smarter than Newton—in this episode...


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]]> How to Be Smarter than Isaac Newton Sam Kean 00:19:00 You think Isaac Newton was smart? Not so fast. He made one mistake so dumb that scholars still shake their heads over it. Find out how to avoid this mistake—and be smarter than Newton—in this episode... You think Isaac Newton was smart? Not so fast. He made one mistake so dumb that scholars still shake their heads over it. Find out how to avoid this mistake—and be smarter than Newton—in this episode... false full 3 e61ddb8c-95d2-4ce7-b481-95bdb9927153 Claude Monet and Bee Purple When Impressionist painter Claude Monet developed cataracts, he thought his painting career was over. Hardly. He actually developed a human superpower—the ability to see, like bees do, a much wider range of colors...


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]]> Tue, 15 Mar 2022 13:09:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/claude-monet-and-bee-purple/ When Impressionist painter Claude Monet developed cataracts, he thought his painting career was over. Hardly. He actually developed a human superpower—the ability to see, like bees do, a much wider range of colors...


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]]> Claude Monet and Bee Purple Sam Kean 00:20:50 When Impressionist painter Claude Monet developed cataracts, he thought his painting career was over. Hardly. He actually developed a human superpower—the ability to see, like bees do, a much wider range of colors... When Impressionist painter Claude Monet developed cataracts, he thought his painting career was over. Hardly. He actually developed a human superpower—the ability to see, like bees do, a much wider range of colors... false full 2 77770e69-09be-41ff-9fe8-d77bca640164 The Unsung Heroes of Darwin’s Evolution Charles Darwin didn’t give a crap about Galápagos finches, despite what you maybe heard. So what animals did light his fire while forming his theory of evolution? Pigeons, worms, and especially a despised marine pest—the lowly barnacle...


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]]> Tue, 8 Mar 2022 14:05:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-unsung-heroes-of-darwins-evolution/ Charles Darwin didn’t give a crap about Galápagos finches, despite what you maybe heard. So what animals did light his fire while forming his theory of evolution? Pigeons, worms, and especially a despised marine pest—the lowly barnacle...


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]]> The Unsung Heroes of Darwin’s Evolution Sam Kean 00:25:02 Charles Darwin didn’t give a crap about Galápagos finches, despite what you maybe heard. So what animals did light his fire while forming his theory of evolution? Pigeons, worms, and especially a despised marine pest—the lowly barnacle... Charles Darwin didn’t give a crap about Galápagos finches, despite what you maybe heard. So what animals did light his fire while forming his theory of evolution? Pigeons, worms, and especially a despised marine pest—the lowly barnacle... false full 1 95d438fd-0f60-46e9-824a-3bcacbf8a19a The Sinister Angel Singers of Rome How a simple operation—castrating little boys—produced the greatest singers the world has ever known...


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]]> Tue, 7 Dec 2021 14:10:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-sinister-angel-singers-of-rome/ How a simple operation—castrating little boys—produced the greatest singers the world has ever known...


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]]> The Sinister Angel Singers of Rome Sam Kean 00:20:11 How a simple operation—castrating little boys—produced the greatest singers the world has ever known... How a simple operation—castrating little boys—produced the greatest singers the world has ever known... false full 10 c927ebbf-58b8-4f98-80f5-63db8993f5a0 The Murderous Origins of the American Medical Association How a bloody gun duel between two doctors in Transylvania sparked a frenzy of outrage—as well as the American Medical Association...


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]]> Tue, 30 Nov 2021 14:35:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-murderous-origins-of-the-american-medical-association/ How a bloody gun duel between two doctors in Transylvania sparked a frenzy of outrage—as well as the American Medical Association...


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]]> The Murderous Origins of the American Medical Association Sam Kean 00:21:51 How a bloody gun duel between two doctors in Transylvania sparked a frenzy of outrage—as well as the American Medical Association... How a bloody gun duel between two doctors in Transylvania sparked a frenzy of outrage—as well as the American Medical Association... false full 9 16010e7c-2c0d-4e27-9361-021a667ad53a The Big ‘What If’ of Cancer How a feisty, suicidal Nobel laureate infuriated both Hitler and Stalin, and stalled cancer research for fifty years along the way...


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]]> Tue, 23 Nov 2021 14:25:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-big-what-if-of-cancer/ How a feisty, suicidal Nobel laureate infuriated both Hitler and Stalin, and stalled cancer research for fifty years along the way...


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]]> The Big ‘What If’ of Cancer Sam Kean 00:21:42 How a feisty, suicidal Nobel laureate infuriated both Hitler and Stalin, and stalled cancer research for fifty years along the way... How a feisty, suicidal Nobel laureate infuriated both Hitler and Stalin, and stalled cancer research for fifty years along the way... false full 8 4451ce97-04c6-41e4-abab-c72505bcfabb The Harvard Medical School Janitor Who Solved a Murder In a building full of dead bodies, how can you tell a murder victim from an unlucky stiff?


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]]> Tue, 16 Nov 2021 13:58:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-harvard-medical-school-janitor-who-solved-a-murder/ In a building full of dead bodies, how can you tell a murder victim from an unlucky stiff?


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]]> The Harvard Medical School Janitor Who Solved a Murder Sam Kean 00:25:16 In a building full of dead bodies, how can you tell a murder victim from an unlucky stiff? In a building full of dead bodies, how can you tell a murder victim from an unlucky stiff? false full 7 bee142fb-9bca-4e52-9e12-47b6318d2103 Burn After Watching The world’s first plastic made Hollywood possible—and killed thousands of people along the way...


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]]> Tue, 9 Nov 2021 14:12:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/burn-after-watching/ The world’s first plastic made Hollywood possible—and killed thousands of people along the way...


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]]> Burn After Watching Sam Kean 00:24:16 The world’s first plastic made Hollywood possible—and killed thousands of people along the way... The world’s first plastic made Hollywood possible—and killed thousands of people along the way... false full 6 edac1890-a49d-4fbd-b032-ce0d3fb53533 History’s First Car Crash Victim How a steam-powered automobile in 1869 snuffed out the life of the brilliant female naturalist and astronomer Mary Ward...


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]]> Tue, 2 Nov 2021 13:50:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/historys-first-car-crash-victim/ How a steam-powered automobile in 1869 snuffed out the life of the brilliant female naturalist and astronomer Mary Ward...


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]]> History’s First Car Crash Victim Sam Kean 00:19:15 How a steam-powered automobile in 1869 snuffed out the life of the brilliant female naturalist and astronomer Mary Ward... How a steam-powered automobile in 1869 snuffed out the life of the brilliant female naturalist and astronomer Mary Ward... false full 34 d3db6981-b5ce-44e9-8d69-f7ba9f1c1eb3 Real Life Zombies What a bizarre psychological disorder can teach us about memory, human nature, and our sense of who we are


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]]> Tue, 26 Oct 2021 13:37:19 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/real-life-zombies/ What a bizarre psychological disorder can teach us about memory, human nature, and our sense of who we are


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]]> Real Life Zombies Sam Kean 00:21:58 What a bizarre psychological disorder can teach us about memory, human nature, and our sense of who we are What a bizarre psychological disorder can teach us about memory, human nature, and our sense of who we are false full 5 8be26a2d-b19c-4dd0-8bd3-5132aeaf90f8 How Climate Change Will Remake the Human Body Scientists know how other animals’ bodies will change in warmer climates, but how will human beings respond?


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]]> Tue, 19 Oct 2021 14:20:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/how-climate-change-will-remake-the-human-body/ Scientists know how other animals’ bodies will change in warmer climates, but how will human beings respond?


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]]> How Climate Change Will Remake the Human Body Sam Kean 00:23:14 Scientists know how other animals’ bodies will change in warmer climates, but how will human beings respond? Scientists know how other animals’ bodies will change in warmer climates, but how will human beings respond? false full 33 46c30d81-4e1f-4852-b7cd-5c586aec44c8 The ‘Mary Poppins’ Cancer The life of chimneysweeps was nasty, poor, brutish, filthy dirty, and usually short, thanks to a rare cancer of the genitals...


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]]> Tue, 12 Oct 2021 14:35:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-mary-poppins-cancer/ The life of chimneysweeps was nasty, poor, brutish, filthy dirty, and usually short, thanks to a rare cancer of the genitals...


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]]> The ‘Mary Poppins’ Cancer Sam Kean 00:22:45 The life of chimneysweeps was nasty, poor, brutish, filthy dirty, and usually short, thanks to a rare cancer of the genitals... The life of chimneysweeps was nasty, poor, brutish, filthy dirty, and usually short, thanks to a rare cancer of the genitals... false full 32 7c16a47c-3447-4077-bef9-28060c6a8128 Kangaroo (and Pig and Monkey and Dog and Donkey) Courts The long, wacky, and surprisingly thought-provoking history of trying animals in human courts...


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]]> Tue, 5 Oct 2021 14:30:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/kangaroo-and-pig-and-monkey-and-dog-and-donkey-courts/ The long, wacky, and surprisingly thought-provoking history of trying animals in human courts...


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]]> Kangaroo (and Pig and Monkey and Dog and Donkey) Courts Sam Kean 00:20:53 The long, wacky, and surprisingly thought-provoking history of trying animals in human courts... The long, wacky, and surprisingly thought-provoking history of trying animals in human courts... false full 26 512e9d3e-e58d-40d0-bc25-1bbf7a34b607 Icepick Surgeon audiobook excerpt The prologue and introduction to the book The Icepick Surgeon. Written by Sam Kean, read by Ben Sullivan.


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]]> Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:39:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/icepick-surgeon-audiobook-excerpt/ The prologue and introduction to the book The Icepick Surgeon. Written by Sam Kean, read by Ben Sullivan.


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]]> Icepick Surgeon audiobook excerpt Sam Kean 00:22:26 The prologue and introduction to the book The Icepick Surgeon. Written by Sam Kean, read by Ben Sullivan. The prologue and introduction to the book The Icepick Surgeon. Written by Sam Kean, read by Ben Sullivan. false full 31 3a590846-9b91-4d24-b100-aa583785e9ae The Anatomy Riots How early anatomists provoked some of the strangest riots in history, over stolen corpses (plus, bonus preview of my new book, The Icepick Surgeon!)


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]]> Tue, 1 Jun 2021 13:10:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-anatomy-riots/ How early anatomists provoked some of the strangest riots in history, over stolen corpses (plus, bonus preview of my new book, The Icepick Surgeon!)


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]]> The Anatomy Riots Sam Kean 00:21:23 How early anatomists provoked some of the strangest riots in history, over stolen corpses (plus, bonus preview of my new book, The Icepick Surgeon!) How early anatomists provoked some of the strangest riots in history, over stolen corpses (plus, bonus preview of my new book, The Icepick Surgeon!) false full 9 fed56467-6007-44da-9e61-7c12326ab3f5 When a Hole in the Head Is Good for You How a rogue archaeologist in Peru—and a stolen skull—provided the first real evidence that ancient people practiced neurosurgery...


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]]> Tue, 25 May 2021 13:23:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/when-a-hole-in-the-head-is-good-for-you/ How a rogue archaeologist in Peru—and a stolen skull—provided the first real evidence that ancient people practiced neurosurgery...


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]]> When a Hole in the Head Is Good for You Sam Kean 00:19:41 How a rogue archaeologist in Peru—and a stolen skull—provided the first real evidence that ancient people practiced neurosurgery... How a rogue archaeologist in Peru—and a stolen skull—provided the first real evidence that ancient people practiced neurosurgery... false full 29 c1120031-407d-4e11-9bc5-0467246c8a59 When Mosquitos Cured Insanity How one doctor in the early 1900s risked the lives of patients by pitting one ancient scourge (malaria) against another (syphilis)—and won a Nobel Prize in the process...


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]]> Tue, 18 May 2021 13:03:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/when-mosquitos-cured-insanity/ How one doctor in the early 1900s risked the lives of patients by pitting one ancient scourge (malaria) against another (syphilis)—and won a Nobel Prize in the process...


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]]> When Mosquitos Cured Insanity Sam Kean 00:21:31 How one doctor in the early 1900s risked the lives of patients by pitting one ancient scourge (malaria) against another (syphilis)—and won a Nobel Prize in the process... How one doctor in the early 1900s risked the lives of patients by pitting one ancient scourge (malaria) against another (syphilis)—and won a Nobel Prize in the process... false full 8 658335e0-f5b8-4381-aaaa-cdaa02f4f045 The Death of the Lord God Bird How greed, and a group of Nazi prisoners, killed off one of the most iconic birds in American history, the ivory-billed woodpecker...


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]]> Tue, 11 May 2021 12:51:44 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-death-of-the-lord-god-bird/ How greed, and a group of Nazi prisoners, killed off one of the most iconic birds in American history, the ivory-billed woodpecker...


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]]> The Death of the Lord God Bird Sam Kean 00:23:20 How greed, and a group of Nazi prisoners, killed off one of the most iconic birds in American history, the ivory-billed woodpecker... How greed, and a group of Nazi prisoners, killed off one of the most iconic birds in American history, the ivory-billed woodpecker... false full 27 326dc228-7e19-475b-aa4f-f11a3dc16374 Chewing it Over—and Over and Over and Over How a weird “scientific” diet fad conquered America in the early 1900s—and easily could have lost World War One for the Allies...


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]]> Tue, 4 May 2021 13:02:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/chewing-it-over-and-over-and-over-and-over/ How a weird “scientific” diet fad conquered America in the early 1900s—and easily could have lost World War One for the Allies...


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]]> Chewing it Over—and Over and Over and Over Sam Kean 00:22:06 How a weird “scientific” diet fad conquered America in the early 1900s—and easily could have lost World War One for the Allies... How a weird “scientific” diet fad conquered America in the early 1900s—and easily could have lost World War One for the Allies... false full 6 e4ee9a7b-1608-4430-acaf-6c8927308886 What's the Longest Word in the English Language? How the unique properties of carbon produced a 1,185-letter word...


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]]> Tue, 27 Apr 2021 13:21:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/whats-the-longest-word-in-the-english-language/ How the unique properties of carbon produced a 1,185-letter word...


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]]> What's the Longest Word in the English Language? Sam Kean 00:22:26 How the unique properties of carbon produced a 1,185-letter word... How the unique properties of carbon produced a 1,185-letter word... false full 5 1de151e8-ac88-489c-9265-50bce11533ab Why Don't We Have a Male Birth Control Pill Yet? How a bottle of prison hooch doomed the most promising candidate in history for a male birth-control pill, and why scientists still can't make one today...

https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon


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]]> Tue, 20 Apr 2021 13:30:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/why-dont-we-have-a-male-birth-control-pill-yet/ How a bottle of prison hooch doomed the most promising candidate in history for a male birth-control pill, and why scientists still can't make one today...

https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon


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]]> Why Don't We Have a Male Birth Control Pill Yet? Sam Kean 00:22:10 How a bottle of prison hooch doomed the most promising candidate in history for a male birth-control pill, and why scientists still can't make one today...https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon How a bottle of prison hooch doomed the most promising candidate in history for a male birth-control pill, and why scientists still can't make one today...https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon false full 4 83a1fd89-5fe6-4d21-9840-c3866d910730 Bonus interview with WNYC's Science Diction A two-fer: (1) A bonus interview with me about the orphan vaccine episode, from a great WNYC podcast called Science Diction. (2) A short episode of Science Diction on Edward Jenner and the very first vaccines.


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]]> Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/bonus-interview-with-wnycs-science-diction/ A two-fer: (1) A bonus interview with me about the orphan vaccine episode, from a great WNYC podcast called Science Diction. (2) A short episode of Science Diction on Edward Jenner and the very first vaccines.


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]]> Bonus interview with WNYC's Science Diction Sam Kean 00:30:15 A two-fer: (1) A bonus interview with me about the orphan vaccine episode, from a great WNYC podcast called Science Diction. (2) A short episode of Science Diction on Edward Jenner and the very first vaccines. A two-fer: (1) A bonus interview with me about the orphan vaccine episode, from a great WNYC podcast called Science Diction. (2) A short episode of Science Diction on Edward Jenner and the very first vaccines. false bonus fb1facd8-cb6a-41ad-819a-64b625c7e327 Marie Curie's (Nearly Disastrous) Trip to America How the women of America, exactly 100 years ago, scrimped and saved and sacrificed to secure a vital gram of radium for their scientific hero, Marie Curie...


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]]> Tue, 13 Apr 2021 13:17:53 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/marie-curies-nearly-disastrous-trip-to-america/ How the women of America, exactly 100 years ago, scrimped and saved and sacrificed to secure a vital gram of radium for their scientific hero, Marie Curie...


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]]> Marie Curie's (Nearly Disastrous) Trip to America Sam Kean 00:20:57 How the women of America, exactly 100 years ago, scrimped and saved and sacrificed to secure a vital gram of radium for their scientific hero, Marie Curie... How the women of America, exactly 100 years ago, scrimped and saved and sacrificed to secure a vital gram of radium for their scientific hero, Marie Curie... false full 3 b25ed034-3e2e-43de-9236-998573625efc The Most Important Lost Fossils in History How the legendary Peking Man fossils from China disappeared in the 1940s, and why archaeologists think that maybe—just maybe—they now know where to find them...


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]]> Tue, 6 Apr 2021 20:45:52 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-most-important-lost-fossils-in-history/ How the legendary Peking Man fossils from China disappeared in the 1940s, and why archaeologists think that maybe—just maybe—they now know where to find them...


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]]> The Most Important Lost Fossils in History Sam Kean 00:23:38 How the legendary Peking Man fossils from China disappeared in the 1940s, and why archaeologists think that maybe—just maybe—they now know where to find them... How the legendary Peking Man fossils from China disappeared in the 1940s, and why archaeologists think that maybe—just maybe—they now know where to find them... false full 2 ddde2ead-83a6-446b-8e55-6da2d70c0b14 The World’s First Global Vaccine Supply Chain Was Orphan Children How did they spread vaccines around the world in the early 1800s? By injecting orphans and forcing them onto a ship...


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]]> Tue, 30 Mar 2021 13:21:54 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-worlds-first-global-vaccine-supply-chain-was-orphan-children/ How did they spread vaccines around the world in the early 1800s? By injecting orphans and forcing them onto a ship...


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]]> The World’s First Global Vaccine Supply Chain Was Orphan Children Sam Kean 00:25:15 How did they spread vaccines around the world in the early 1800s? By injecting orphans and forcing them onto a ship... How did they spread vaccines around the world in the early 1800s? By injecting orphans and forcing them onto a ship... false full 1 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/cbcbabeb-4bc1-36f2-b102-5841dbfc2372 The Joys, and Pains, of Operating on Yourself Why otherwise sane and rational doctors love experimenting on themselves—up to and including self-surgery...


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]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2020 17:37:46 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-joys-and-pains-of-operating-on-yourself/ Why otherwise sane and rational doctors love experimenting on themselves—up to and including self-surgery...


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]]> The Joys, and Pains, of Operating on Yourself Sam Kean 00:18:45 Why otherwise sane and rational doctors love experimenting on themselves—up to and including self-surgery... For more on Sam's books, see http://samkean.com. And see bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Why otherwise sane and rational doctors love experimenting on themselves—up to and including self-surgery... For more on Sam's books, see http://samkean.com. And see bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon false full 20 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/2dcd0d1d-2107-3965-996e-335467fb1b0b A School Shooting for Science When a crank scientist needed to get the attention of Einstein and others for his crazy physics theory, there was only one sure way he knew to get publicity: murder...


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]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:46:41 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/a-school-shooting-for-science/ When a crank scientist needed to get the attention of Einstein and others for his crazy physics theory, there was only one sure way he knew to get publicity: murder...


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]]> A School Shooting for Science Sam Kean 00:20:09 When a crank scientist needed to get the attention of Einstein and others for his crazy physics theory, there was only one sure way he knew to get publicity: murder... For more visit http://samkean.com or https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon When a crank scientist needed to get the attention of Einstein and others for his crazy physics theory, there was only one sure way he knew to get publicity: murder... For more visit http://samkean.com or https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon false full 19 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/9bb05734-c2ab-3385-9bcd-72d97e3603df Star Wars, Death Rays, and Donald Trump How the brilliant geek Nikola Tesla grew obsessed with an outlandish “death ray,” and the ray’s surprising connection to Donald Trump


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]]> Thu, 15 Oct 2020 13:36:04 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/star-wars-death-rays-and-donald-trump/ How the brilliant geek Nikola Tesla grew obsessed with an outlandish “death ray,” and the ray’s surprising connection to Donald Trump


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]]> Star Wars, Death Rays, and Donald Trump Sam Kean 00:20:39 How the brilliant geek Nikola Tesla grew obsessed with an outlandish “death ray,” and the ray’s surprising connection to Donald Trump For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How the brilliant geek Nikola Tesla grew obsessed with an outlandish “death ray,” and the ray’s surprising connection to Donald Trump For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 18 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/ed603521-92cd-379e-900a-08bc585d52ae Vitamin G How one heroic doctor, and his revolting experiments, singlehandedly ended the deadliest dietary epidemic disease in American history...


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]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2020 13:23:24 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/vitamin-g/ How one heroic doctor, and his revolting experiments, singlehandedly ended the deadliest dietary epidemic disease in American history...


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]]> Vitamin G Sam Kean 00:21:12 How one doctor, and his revolting experiments, singlehandedly ended the deadliest dietary epidemic disease in American history... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How one doctor, and his revolting experiments, singlehandedly ended the deadliest dietary epidemic disease in American history... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 17 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/24dbdbcd-f805-334a-85bc-3df26ef81754 The CIA’s Drug-Fueled Orgies and You How the Central Intelligence Agency’s recklessly outrageous Operation Midnight Climax revealed some surprising psychological insights into sex, drugs, and human nature...


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]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2020 15:23:12 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-cias-drug-fueled-orgies-and-you/ How the Central Intelligence Agency’s recklessly outrageous Operation Midnight Climax revealed some surprising psychological insights into sex, drugs, and human nature...


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]]> The CIA’s Drug-Fueled Orgies and You Sam Kean 00:22:21 How the Central Intelligence Agency’s recklessly outrageous Operation Midnight Climax revealed some surprising psychological insights into sex, drugs, and human nature... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How the Central Intelligence Agency’s recklessly outrageous Operation Midnight Climax revealed some surprising psychological insights into sex, drugs, and human nature... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 16 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/ba0e761d-42ff-3130-a839-92d4a95919e8 From Siberia with (Manipulative) Love How two Russian scientists defied death and imprisonment to run a top-secret genetics experiment, and what it revealed about how dogs, babies, and stuffed animals manipulate our minds...

 


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]]> Tue, 1 Sep 2020 13:37:57 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/from-siberia-with-manipulative-love/ How two Russian scientists defied death and imprisonment to run a top-secret genetics experiment, and what it revealed about how dogs, babies, and stuffed animals manipulate our minds...

 


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]]> From Siberia with (Manipulative) Love Sam Kean 00:23:49 How two Russian scientists defied death and imprisonment to run a top-secret genetics experiment, and what it revealed about how dogs, babies, and stuffed animals manipulate our minds... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How two Russian scientists defied death and imprisonment to run a top-secret genetics experiment, and what it revealed about how dogs, babies, and stuffed animals manipulate our minds... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 15 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/4a9ec3ce-b76f-3d9d-a237-8ea0949ebfec The Man Who Couldn’t Read Numbers An Oliver-Sacks-like tale of a man with brain damage who can’t read numbers—even though he can still read words just fine! His amazing case could also shed light on the mysteries of human consciousness...


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]]> Mon, 17 Aug 2020 14:43:38 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-man-who-couldnt-read-numbers/ An Oliver-Sacks-like tale of a man with brain damage who can’t read numbers—even though he can still read words just fine! His amazing case could also shed light on the mysteries of human consciousness...


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]]> The Man Who Couldn’t Read Numbers Sam Kean 00:18:51 An Oliver-Sacks-like tale of a man with brain damage who can’t read numbers—even though he can still read words just fine! His amazing case could also shed light on the mysteries of human consciousness... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! An Oliver-Sacks-like tale of a man with brain damage who can’t read numbers—even though he can still read words just fine! His amazing case could also shed light on the mysteries of human consciousness... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 14 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/388e5068-ea84-3100-886d-be238bccaece The Teflon Bomb How did the nonstick frying pan in your kitchen make the first atomic bomb possible? A story about the innocent-seeming Teflon for this week’s 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs...


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]]> Thu, 6 Aug 2020 13:33:38 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-teflon-bomb/ How did the nonstick frying pan in your kitchen make the first atomic bomb possible? A story about the innocent-seeming Teflon for this week’s 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs...


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]]> The Teflon Bomb Sam Kean 00:24:02 How did the nonstick frying pan in your kitchen make the first atomic bomb possible? A story about the innocent-seeming Teflon for this week’s 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How did the nonstick frying pan in your kitchen make the first atomic bomb possible? A story about the innocent-seeming Teflon for this week’s 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 13 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/b9275aea-dade-3eec-8916-5bae1e42b957 Chocolate Cake & Atomic Bombs A story for the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs: How a now-forgotten teahouse in Los Alamos and its unlikely owners—the spitfire Edith Warner and the Pueblo builder Tilano Montoya—influenced Robert Oppenheimer and changed the face of the whole Manhattan Project...


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]]> Sat, 1 Aug 2020 18:01:41 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/chocolate-cake-atomic-bombs/ A story for the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs: How a now-forgotten teahouse in Los Alamos and its unlikely owners—the spitfire Edith Warner and the Pueblo builder Tilano Montoya—influenced Robert Oppenheimer and changed the face of the whole Manhattan Project...


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]]> Chocolate Cake & Atomic Bombs Sam Kean 00:23:52 A story for the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs: How a now-forgotten teahouse in Los Alamos and its unlikely owners—the spitfire Edith Warner and the Pueblo builder Tilano Montoya—influenced Robert Oppenheimer and changed the face of the whole Manhattan Project... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! A story for the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs: How a now-forgotten teahouse in Los Alamos and its unlikely owners—the spitfire Edith Warner and the Pueblo builder Tilano Montoya—influenced Robert Oppenheimer and changed the face of the whole Manhattan Project... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 12 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/f1354291-9a76-5c79-97cb-64f26cd401fa The Ice Island Murder How one of the messiest homicides in history - when one scientist killed another scientist over a jug of raisin wine way up inside the Arctic Circle - foreshadows the first murder in outer space...


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]]> Tue, 14 Jul 2020 13:02:53 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-ice-island-murder/ How one of the messiest homicides in history - when one scientist killed another scientist over a jug of raisin wine way up inside the Arctic Circle - foreshadows the first murder in outer space...


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]]> The Ice Island Murder Sam Kean 00:23:47 How one of the messiest homicides in history - when one scientist killed another scientist over a jug of raisin wine way up inside the Arctic Circle - foreshadows the first murder in outer space... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How one of the messiest homicides in history - when one scientist killed another scientist over a jug of raisin wine way up inside the Arctic Circle - foreshadows the first murder in outer space... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 11 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/aa346f3f-f593-592e-bffa-ef8741c8c968 Our Slimy Nazi Saviors How two crooked Nazis—and one top-secret scientific mission—saved thousands of American lives during World War II...


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]]> Tue, 7 Jul 2020 13:50:47 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/our-slimy-nazi-saviors/ How two crooked Nazis—and one top-secret scientific mission—saved thousands of American lives during World War II...


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]]> Our Slimy Nazi Saviors Sam Kean 00:21:12 How two crooked Nazis—and one top-secret scientific mission—saved thousands of American lives during World War II... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How two crooked Nazis—and one top-secret scientific mission—saved thousands of American lives during World War II... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 10 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/e9c4db64-288f-5a2a-b07a-7aaaaa02d0d7 Are Braces a Health Disaster? Why hunter-gatherers had perfect teeth, why modern humans rarely do, and the profound consequences for our health...


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]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:01:18 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/are-braces-a-health-disaster/ Why hunter-gatherers had perfect teeth, why modern humans rarely do, and the profound consequences for our health...


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]]> Are Braces a Health Disaster? Sam Kean 00:22:53 Why hunter-gatherers had perfect teeth, why modern humans rarely do, and the profound consequences for our health... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! Why hunter-gatherers had perfect teeth, why modern humans rarely do, and the profound consequences for our health... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 9 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/28e328b5-2a60-58c9-9c34-70a66afe565a The Science Immigrants Who Saved Millions How two unlikely immigrants teamed up and saved millions of women's lives by developing the most successful cancer screening tool in history...


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]]> Tue, 9 Jun 2020 13:16:58 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-science-immigrants-who-saved-millions/ How two unlikely immigrants teamed up and saved millions of women's lives by developing the most successful cancer screening tool in history...


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]]> The Science Immigrants Who Saved Millions Sam Kean 00:23:21 How two unlikely immigrants teamed up and saved millions of women's lives by developing the most successful cancer screening tool in history... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How two unlikely immigrants teamed up and saved millions of women's lives by developing the most successful cancer screening tool in history... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 8 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/9c954e5b-50c5-5203-9b15-80cdf193f6f3 Tyrannosaurus sex How a man who hated dinosaurs ended up revolutionizing our understanding of them, including dinosaur beauty and dinosaur sex...


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]]> Tue, 2 Jun 2020 18:32:16 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/tyrannosaurus-sex/ How a man who hated dinosaurs ended up revolutionizing our understanding of them, including dinosaur beauty and dinosaur sex...


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]]> Tyrannosaurus sex Sam Kean 00:21:08 How a man who hated dinosaurs ended up revolutionizing our understanding of them, including dinosaur beauty and dinosaur sex... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How a man who hated dinosaurs ended up revolutionizing our understanding of them, including dinosaur beauty and dinosaur sex... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 7 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/7d4310b5-568e-5c0b-a3d0-8b20f519041a The Lost Dinosaurs of Central Park How a New York mob boss destroyed what would have been greatest dinosaur museum in the world...


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]]> Fri, 22 May 2020 21:15:00 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/the-lost-dinosaurs-of-central-park/ How a New York mob boss destroyed what would have been greatest dinosaur museum in the world...


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]]> The Lost Dinosaurs of Central Park Sam Kean 00:22:02 How a New York mob boss destroyed what would have been greatest dinosaur museum in the world... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How a New York mob boss destroyed what would have been greatest dinosaur museum in the world... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 6 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/d9486b4b-f3c4-506d-9eab-dd2733737a40 Exposing Nazi Medical Atrocities How one Jewish doctor, Leo Alexander, single-handedly exposed the worst Nazi medical atrocities of World War II...


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]]> Mon, 11 May 2020 19:23:09 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/exposing-nazi-medical-atrocities/ How one Jewish doctor, Leo Alexander, single-handedly exposed the worst Nazi medical atrocities of World War II...


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]]> Exposing Nazi Medical Atrocities Sam Kean 00:23:33 How one Jewish doctor, Leo Alexander, single-handedly exposed the worst Nazi medical atrocities of World War II... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How one Jewish doctor, Leo Alexander, single-handedly exposed the worst Nazi medical atrocities of World War II... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 5 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/cf8deeb1-af21-57cf-9ace-22551f64fb1d Glove at First Sight How a long-forgotten woman pioneered the first personal protective equipment (PPE) in history, rubber gloves for surgery, equipment that has been vital in fighting infections and pandemics ever since...


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]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2020 16:45:55 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/glove-at-first-sight/ How a long-forgotten woman pioneered the first personal protective equipment (PPE) in history, rubber gloves for surgery, equipment that has been vital in fighting infections and pandemics ever since...


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]]> Glove at First Sight Sam Kean 00:20:11 How a long-forgotten woman pioneered the first personal protective equipment (PPE) in history, rubber gloves for surgery, equipment that has been vital in fighting infections and pandemics ever since... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How a long-forgotten woman pioneered the first personal protective equipment (PPE) in history, rubber gloves for surgery, equipment that has been vital in fighting infections and pandemics ever since... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 4 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/a67e7992-2b56-540c-924b-c7de9f064577 Galileo and Art, part 2 How Galileo’s training in art helped topple the ancient Greek dogma about the moon...


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]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:25:10 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/galileo-and-art-part-2/ How Galileo’s training in art helped topple the ancient Greek dogma about the moon...


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]]> Galileo and Art, part 2 Sam Kean 00:18:54 How Galileo’s training in art helped topple the ancient Greek dogma about the moon... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How Galileo’s training in art helped topple the ancient Greek dogma about the moon... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 3 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/ec428f50-ec20-5659-a9b1-239b37f1baad Galileo and Art, part 1 How a nasty Renaissance spat toppled 2,000 years of Pythagoras...


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]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:22:58 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/galileo-and-art-part-1/ How a nasty Renaissance spat toppled 2,000 years of Pythagoras...


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]]> Galileo and Art, part 1 Sam Kean 00:21:25 How a nasty Renaissance spat toppled 2,000 years of Pythagoras... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How a nasty Renaissance spat toppled 2,000 years of Pythagoras... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 2 disappearingspoon.podbean.com/tea-test-7dc082b1c89712ecc13dc5ece55b8a71 Tea Test Tempest How a not-so-friendly bet over afternoon tea revolutionized modern science...


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]]> Sat, 26 Oct 2019 14:14:20 +0000 samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean) https://bleav.com/shows/the-disappearing-spoon/episodes/tea-test-tempest/ How a not-so-friendly bet over afternoon tea revolutionized modern science...


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]]> Tea Test Tempest Sam Kean 00:15:05 How a not-so-friendly bet over afternoon tea revolutionized modern science... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! How a not-so-friendly bet over afternoon tea revolutionized modern science... For more on Sam's New York Times-bestselling books, see http://samkean.com Help keep this podcast going by becoming a patron for as little as $2 a month, at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon See bonus material and hear bonus episodes at https://www.patreon.com/disappearingspoon Follow Sam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sam_kean ... on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamKeanBooks ... or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/historyschmistory/ Above all, thanks for listening! false full 1