Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris Why does oxygen have the wrong name? | ELEMENTS
Sep 18, 2024
Dive into the whimsical world of element names, where history and culture collide! Discover why oxygen's name is a bit misleading and learn about elements named after mischievous mythological beings. Unearth the quirky origin stories that connect elements like tungsten and cobalt to miners’ folklore. Plus, explore how a small Swedish village inspired multiple element names. This enlightening journey reveals how language shapes our understanding of chemistry in unexpected ways.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Intro
00:00 • 2min
The Linguistic Journey of Oxygen and 'Stuff'
02:02 • 2min
The Fascinating History of Element Naming
03:38 • 11min
Exploring the Etymology of 'Plumber' and Phonotactic Rules
14:32 • 2min
The Quirky Origins of Elemental Names
16:06 • 7min
The Roots of Element Names
22:48 • 14min
The Etymology of Elements
37:14 • 8min
Understanding the Periodic Table and Its Significance
45:03 • 2min