The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean cover image

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean

Latest episodes

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Mar 12, 2024 • 20min

The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 1)

Guest Jack Parsons, a devil-worshiping FBI rat and rocket scientist, led a sex cult with L. Ron Hubbard. Podcast explores his childhood, rocket experiments, and involvement in JPL. It delves into his interest in the occult, charismatic cult leader persona, and tragic turn of events.
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Jan 16, 2024 • 42min

Don't Drink the Milk bonus episode - Milk: From mutations to mustaches

Who put the cheese in your stuffed-crust pizza? Or cows on a Caribbean island? And when more than half the world's population can't actually digest milk, is it really essential for a healthy diet? On a trip through time and taste—to dairy-obsessed Bulgaria, colonial Trinidad and Tobago and the ‘Got Milk?’ era—we explore humanity's millennia-long relationship with milk.Listen to Don't Drink the Milk wherever you get your podcasts! https://pod.link/1704462801 Also on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpBAZYDqAE8nzvIRx2dApgkDi3zkSe3GS Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Nov 14, 2023 • 20min

Was Darwin a Murderer?

In this podcast, the connection between a murder case and Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is explored, raising the question of whether Darwin was to blame. The aftermath of the murder reveals a cover-up, investigation, and unequal distribution of stolen money. The controversy surrounding Darwin and evolution is discussed, along with public opinion on Darwin's nomination to the French Academy of Sciences. Connections to the novel Crime and Punishment and Dostoyevsky's views on natural selection and morality are also highlighted.
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Nov 7, 2023 • 20min

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...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Oct 31, 2023 • 18min

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...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Oct 24, 2023 • 19min

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...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Oct 17, 2023 • 19min

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...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Oct 10, 2023 • 21min

"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...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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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.
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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

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