Episodes

95
Sept. 27, 2025

95. Americium: Mundus Novus

Many episodes have incorporated geology, but this one is more about geography. (And amateur nuclear science.)
94
March 3, 2025

94. Plutonium: Weapons-Grade

Element 94 causes a bit of a crisis for our collections.
93
Aug. 22, 2024

93. Neptunium: Great Expectations

To the person who said, "the episodes are never too long," I'm terribly sorry.
Dec. 20, 2023

The Episodic Table Of Elements Holiday Special

♪ O chemistry, o chemistry, the study of all matter ♫
92
May 29, 2023

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

America's worst radioactive accident isn't Three Mile Island, and the Nazi nuclear physicist wasn't assassinated by the famous baseball player.
91
Oct. 19, 2022

91. Protactinium: Decolonize Science

Sometimes we need a quiet moment in order to step back and look at the bigger picture.
90
Feb. 22, 2022

90. Thorium: Bright Lights, Big City

Sure, thorium could provide practically limitless clean energy, but then we couldn't build weapons of mass destruction.
89
Nov. 8, 2021

89. Actinium: The Windup… And The Pitchblende

We all know that radioactive rocks glow in the dark, except they actually don't, except for when they actually do.
88
Oct. 18, 2021

88. Radium: Several Sordid Affairs

Out of all the characters who encounter radium in this episode, the only one to emerge unscathed is the guy who comes face-to-face with Satan.
87
Sept. 13, 2021

87. Francium: Nothing To Do With Cats

You don't have to have a degree to do science, but it helps.
86
Aug. 23, 2021

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

You know something's amiss when you set off the radiation alarms while walking in to the nuclear power plant.
85
Aug. 2, 2021

85. Astatine: Pathological Science

The story of astatine takes us to Alabama, Dacca, Romania, Vienna, and California, but definitely not Switzerland.
84
July 5, 2021

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

Sadly, it's no longer possible to purchase this lethally radioactive element for fifteen cents and a cereal boxtop.
83
June 14, 2021

83. Bismuth: The Friendly Oddball

The periodic table shows the natural patterns and trends among the elements. Bismuth does not abide.
82
May 24, 2021

82. Lead: Irrational Self-Interest

We just can't seem to stop chasing the sweet, sweet taste of element 82.
81
April 26, 2021

81. Thallium: It Rides A Pale Horse

In which we learn how reading mystery novels might very well save a life.
80
April 12, 2021

80. Mercury: Fatally Toxic And Probably In Your Mouth

Even if you hate tuna, have flawless teeth, and only use digital thermometers, humans have historically not been shy about getting a mouthful of mercury.
79
March 29, 2021

79. Gold: Lump Sum

All other metals step aside, because today we deal with the king of elements.
78
March 15, 2021

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

Sometimes, being set in stone isn't permanent enough.
77
March 1, 2021

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

Alvarez noticed a great disturbance in the rocks, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
76
Feb. 8, 2021

76. Osmium: It Stinks!

This entire episode serves as cautionary advice to anyone seeking to add osmium to their element collection.
75
Jan. 25, 2021

75. Rhenium: A Love Of Two Brains

Witness an incredible, unbreakable bond between two who couldn't be more alike. We'll also learn about a married couple.
74
Jan. 11, 2021

74. Tungsten: What Is The Atom We Love?

All right, everybody settle down. Welcome to the weekly meeting of the National Association Of W Lovers.
73
Dec. 28, 2020

73. Tantalum: Mystery Meat

Once more, the periodic table drags us to hell -- this time by way of ancient Greece.