91 episodes

A topsy-turvy science-y history podcast, brought to you by the Science History Institute.

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean Sam Kean

    • History

A topsy-turvy science-y history podcast, brought to you by the Science History Institute.

    A Deadly Soup for Babies

    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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    • 20 min
    How the “Worst Serial Killer in Holland’s History” Went Free

    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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    • 20 min
    The Eclipse that Killed a King

    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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    • 19 min
    When Generosity Turns Pathological

    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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    • 18 min
    The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 2)

    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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    • 21 min
    The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 1)

    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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    • 19 min

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