The Episodic Table of Elements

T. R. Appleton

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

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98 episodes
Updated Sep 27, 2025

Episodes98

Newest first

May 6, 2019 · 12 min
36. Krypton: It’s A Metric
Like argon, today's noble gas coincidentally features prominently in science fiction -- albeit in name only. But krypton also takes a place in the science factual story of international weights and measures.
Apr 22, 2019 · 20 min
35. Bromine: Come At Me
Don't get too excited, because bromine is an element that brings the hammer down on both extreme emotions and extreme actions.
Mar 25, 2019 · 25 min
34. Selenium: A Fit Of Heat And Light
Throughout history, copying information has been arduous, messy, and even dangerous -- until one bored, depressed man figured out the secrets of selenium.
Mar 11, 2019 · 22 min
33. Arsenic: It’s Not Easy Being Green
Considering how synonymous this episode's element is with "poison," it's shocking how eager people have historically been to ingest the stuff.
Feb 25, 2019 · 17 min
32. Germanium: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Silicon gets all the press, but germanium was the real trailblazer of the Information Age.
Feb 11, 2019 · 17 min
31. Gallium: The Wet Bandits
Meet one of the periodic table's lesser-known liquid metals -- and beware some dangerous competition from a few felonious element collectors.
Jan 28, 2019 · 31 min
30. Zinc: The Lecture Circuit
Learn about some of Italy's most renowned chemists and how they inspired a most gruesome quest to conquer death.
Jan 14, 2019 · 28 min
29. Copper: Wires Crossed
We get lost in the woods with a couple of little guys in today's episode, and learn about a lesser-known American Civil War.
Dec 31, 2018 · 18 min
28. Nickel: Face Value
From religion to money to politics, nickel finds itself at the center of all kinds of awkward conversations.
Dec 17, 2018 · 25 min
27. Cobalt: Mischief Managed
Cobalt is a tricksy little element, which means the scientists who've dealt with it the most are some of the cleverest people to have ever walked the Earth.
Dec 3, 2018 · 22 min
26. Iron: As Above, So Below
Is iron a metal that's more valuable than gold, or are we forever trapped in its "hated shadow?"
Nov 19, 2018 · 25 min
25. Manganese: Undercover Operations
From giant prehistoric sharks to clandestine Cold War projects, manganese is an element that has concealed a lot of secrets.
Nov 5, 2018 · 22 min
24. Chromium: I’ll Be Your Mirror
It might be tempting to speed right on by, but it's worth stopping for a moment to gaze at element 24.
Oct 22, 2018 · 20 min
23. Vanadium: Beauty In The Background
From freeways to firefights to unfathomable depths, vanadium can often be found quietly doing the hardest work.
Oct 8, 2018 · 18 min
22. Titanium: Dignity Over Dentures
Titanium is an element valued as much for its beauty as its strength -- provided you can find a genuine sample of the stuff.
Sep 24, 2018 · 19 min
21. Scandium: Spoiling For A Fight
From jet fighters to sporting events to Low Earth Orbit, scandium seems to find itself at the center of conflict.
Sep 10, 2018 · 27 min
20. Calcium: Stone and Bone
Stories of turning flesh to stone -- and vice versa -- are common in mythology. With calcium, we see how those same transitions can happen in the real world.
Aug 20, 2018 · 20 min
19. Potassium: An Undeserved Reputation
There's no avoiding discussing the banana in this episode, even though it really doesn't deserve its strong association with Element 19.
Aug 6, 2018 · 16 min
18. Argon: More Than Meets The Eye
Today's element gets called "lazy," but that's actually a terrible misnomer.
Jul 23, 2018 · 32 min
17. Chlorine: Too High Or Too Low, There Ain’t No In-Betweens
Chlorine is an element that causes some extreme reactions, and occasionally inspires some pretty extreme reactions in humans, too.

The Episodic Table of Elements

36. Krypton: It’s A Metric

35. Bromine: Come At Me

34. Selenium: A Fit Of Heat And Light

33. Arsenic: It’s Not Easy Being Green

32. Germanium: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

31. Gallium: The Wet Bandits

30. Zinc: The Lecture Circuit

29. Copper: Wires Crossed

28. Nickel: Face Value

27. Cobalt: Mischief Managed

26. Iron: As Above, So Below

25. Manganese: Undercover Operations

24. Chromium: I’ll Be Your Mirror

23. Vanadium: Beauty In The Background

22. Titanium: Dignity Over Dentures

21. Scandium: Spoiling For A Fight

20. Calcium: Stone and Bone

19. Potassium: An Undeserved Reputation

18. Argon: More Than Meets The Eye

17. Chlorine: Too High Or Too Low, There Ain’t No In-Betweens