The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
Sam Kean
A topsy-turvy science-y history podcast by Sam Kean. I examine overlooked stories from our past: the dental superiority of hunter-gatherers, the crooked Nazis who saved thousands of American lives, the American immigrants who developed the most successful cancer screening tool in history, the sex lives of dinosaurs, and much, much more. These are charming little tales that never made the history books, but these small moments can be surprisingly powerful. These are the cases where history gets inverted, where the footnote becomes the real story.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 3, 2023 • 19min
The Most Exclusive Club in the World
Explore the challenges of reaching extreme ocean depths, the design of deep sea submersibles, and the dive towards the lowest point on Earth in this fascinating podcast. Discover the exclusive club of Challenger Deep explorers and the limited knowledge we have of the ocean floor.
Sep 26, 2023 • 20min
Death-Defying Science at 75,000 Feet
You wouldn’t think a lanky, awkward balloon geek would inspire Hollywood. But the death-defying Auguste Piccard was a worthy namesake for Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek fame...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Sep 20, 2023 • 20min
Proving Einstein Right
Albert Einstein’s relativity was just another theory at first, speculative and unproven—until Arthur Eddington and a special eclipse. Meet the weirdo scientist who made Einstein into *Einstein*...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Sep 12, 2023 • 20min
Einstein's Golden Moment
This podcast explores Albert Einstein's confirmation of his theory of relativity, the failed attempts to find the hypothetical planet Vulcan, the experiment that challenged Newton's laws of motion, Einstein's revolutionary contributions to science, and his emotional experience while solving the mystery of Mercury's orbit.
Jul 11, 2023 • 19min
Everything You Know About Phineas Gage Is Wrong
Phineas Gage's story challenges misconceptions as he demonstrates resiliency and overcomes trauma. The podcast explores his life in Chile, his declining health and behavioral changes, and his lasting impact on neuroscience and the understanding of the brain's connection to personality and self-identity.
Jun 27, 2023 • 21min
Why Do We Obsess Over Charles Darwin’s Health?
Is it serious historical work? Respectable gossip? Blatantly prying into people’s lives? Retro-diagnosing historical celebrities like Darwin and Lincoln and Hitler and Poe is all of the above and more...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Jun 20, 2023 • 21min
The Seeds of Starvation
During the Nazi invasion of Russia during World War II, nine Soviet scientists starved to death surrounded by millions of delicious fruits, seeds, and nuts. Were they mad? No. They wanted to save humankind from doomsday...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Jun 13, 2023 • 20min
When Scientific Brilliance Isn’t Enough
William Halford thought he had a surefire vaccine to stop herpes. And he wasn’t going to let anything—laws, ethics, his patients’ well-being—stop him from saving the world...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Jun 6, 2023 • 19min
The Curse of Knowing Too Much
Paul Stoutenburgh knew more atomic secrets than anyone on Earth. So was that why he killed himself? And if not, why was the government (seemingly) so uninterested in getting to the bottom of his death?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
May 30, 2023 • 18min
The Enigmas of Foreign Accent Syndrome
Can you really collapse and wake up speaking a totally new language? Not quite. But “foreign accent syndrome” is a real, frightening—and bizarre—neurological disorder...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
