S1E9 - Episode #9 - Mercury

In this episode we welcome Colby to talk about nuclear power. Could it be the solution to the climate emergency? We also discuss a darker side of uranium - nuclear weapons - and play Science Fact or Science Fiction and Secret Scientist. 

We've got a double whammy for you this week! Fluorine and Chlorine are elemental cousins. They're both halogens, highly reactive elements that sit in the penultimate column of the periodic table. In this episode, we talk about why fluorine is added to water and chlorine's deadly ...  Show more

When you think of mercury, what springs to mind? Is it the entrancing drop of shimmery liquid that flows from a broken thermometer, giving the metal the name quicksilver? Or is it the warnings of overconsumption of fish and bioaccumulation? Or perhaps it’s the Mad Hatter from Ali ...  Show more

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. 

In this episode, we break the thermometer watch the mercury spill out as we discover temperature is far stranger than it seems. Five stories that run the gamut from snakes to stars. We start out underwater, with a snake that has evolved a devious trick for keeping warm. Then w ...

The most beautiful and shimmering of the elements, the weirdest, and yet the most reviled.Chemist Andrea Sella tell the story of Mercury, explaining the significance of this element not just for chemistry, but also the development of modern civilisation. It's been a a source of w ...  Show more