Zirconium - shape-shifting time capsule
Zirconium is a shape-shifting tough cookie, that is a tale of gemstones, medical implants and nuclear reactors, says Allan Blackman from AUT...
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Elemental
A journey through the periodic table of elements with chemistry professor Allan Blackman, from AUT, and Alison Ballance
Elemental Podcast Guide
Listen to Elemental, a Science & Medicine podcast by RNZ. Stream 98 episodes in English, follow new audio stories, and play episodes online on Radio and Podcast.
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Episodes
20 of 98 episodesZinc - more useful than you realise
Zinc is a very useful metal that turns up in everything from sunscreen to paint, & galvanised metals to cereals, as well as brass instrument...
Yttrium - here's that village Ytterby again
Yttrium is yet another element named after the village of Ytterby and is important in the development of high temperature superconductors, s...
Ytterbium - yet another element named after Ytterby
Ytterbium is yet another lanthanoid named after the Swedish village of Ytterby, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 95 of Elemental. Ytterbium is...
Xenon - a stranger in search of strange particles
Xenon is a noble gas that turns up in various lights, gets used in xenon ion propulsion systems for spacecraft & plays a key role in the sea...
Vanadium - Model T Fords, big batteries & sea squirts
Vanadium makes steel stronger & lighter, is being used in what will be the world's largest battery, and sea squirts are full of it, says Pro...
Uranium - first radioactive element to be discovered
Named after the planet Uranus & associated with Hiroshima & nuclear bombs, uranium is the highest-numbered element found naturally in signif...
Tungsten - highest melting point of any metal
Tungsten's very high melting point made it an ideal filament for incandescent light bulbs, & as it is in some enzymes it is the heaviest ele...
Titanium - light, strong & quite pretty
Titanium is light, strong, corrosion resistant & is used to repair broken limbs as it is able to get integrated into the bone, says Allan Bl...
Tin - from whistles to organ pipes & anti-fouling paint
The element tin turns up in all sorts of alloys, but tin cans are - mostly - not made from tin, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT, in ep 89...
Thulium - the most laborious of the lanthanoids
Isolating the element thulium was a truly laborious process that took many years, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 88 of Elemental. I...
Thorium - potential source of cleaner nuclear energy
Named after Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, thorium could provide a cleaner source of nuclear power in the future, says Prof Allan Blackman...
Thallium - the poisoner's poison
Thallium is most famous for some infamous poisoned family cases & its appearance in an Agatha Christie novel solved a medical mystery, says...
Terbium - turns up in old TVs & new Euro notes
A discovery from the chemically prolific Swedish village of Ytterby, terbium produced the green on old TV sets & adds security to Euro notes...
Tellurium - usually associated with gold
Tellurium is a metalloid often found with gold and the US town Telluride is named after it, says Prof Allan Blackman, in ep 84 of Elemental....
Technetium - the first synthetic element
Technetium was the first element on the periodic table to be synthesised. It is rare, radioactive and has only a few uses, says Prof Allan B...
Tantalum - a tantalising chemical element
The metal tantalum is usually found with the element niobium, has a very high melting point but is a 'conflict mineral', says Prof Allan Bla...
Sulfur - king of bad smells
Sulfur is responsible for some very bad smells, is the number one industrial chemical and is also an essential element, says Prof Allan Blac...
Strontium - from sensitive teeth toothpaste to nuclear fission
Named after a Scottish town, strontium can be highly radioactive & glow-in-the-dark, but also used in toothpaste, says Prof Allan Blackman f...
Sodium - a salt of the earth spectator
Sodium is vital for life & usually found in combinaton with other more interesting elements, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 79 of Elemental....
Questions About Elemental
Where can I listen to Elemental episodes?
You can listen to Elemental episodes online on Radio and Podcast. Open an episode and the site player will stream the available audio.
What is Elemental about?
Elemental is listed as a Science & Medicine show. The show language is listed as English.
How many Elemental episodes are listed?
This page lists 98 episodes for Elemental. More episodes are available from the View more button when the list continues.
Quick Answers About Elemental
Where can I listen to Elemental?
You can listen to Elemental episodes on this page by opening an episode and using the site player.
What type of podcast is Elemental?
Elemental is listed as a Science & Medicine show by RNZ.
How many episodes are available?
This page lists 98 episodes for Elemental where feed data is available.