84 episodes
The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean Sam Kean
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- History
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3.9 • 1.2K Ratings
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A topsy-turvy science-y history podcast, brought to you by the Science History Institute.
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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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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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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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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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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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"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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Customer Reviews
Good podcast, but have your ad skip button handy you’ll need it.
Interesting and well produced podcast. Stories are intriguing and the narrator is excellent. But the ads are out of control. Four to six minutes per episode. Set your fast forward to a minute.
I Used To listen
The quantity of ads is beyond obnoxious.
holy ads
omg please heed the reviews!! this used to be my favorite podcast but the ads are unbearable. I’ve listened to hundreds and this is by far the worst now.