RNZ: Elemental

About this podcast

A journey through the periodic table of elements with chemistry professor Allan Blackman, from AUT, and Alison Ballance

RNZ: Elemental

Episodes

2019
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 in ep 96 of Elemental.
December 22, 2019
13 min
Zinc - 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 instruments, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 95 of Elemental.
December 19, 2019
13 min
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, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 94 of Elemental.
December 15, 2019
9 min
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 93 of Elemental.
December 12, 2019
9 min
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 search for dark matter, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 92 of Elemental.
December 10, 2019
10 min
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 Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 91 of Elemental.
December 8, 2019
10 min
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 significant quantities on earth, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 90 of Elemental.
December 5, 2019
9 min
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 element used in nature, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 89 of Elemental.
December 1, 2019
9 min
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 Blackman from AUT speaking from personal experience in ep 88 of Elemental.
November 28, 2019
9 min
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 87 of Elemental.
November 26, 2019
11 min
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 86 of Elemental.
November 24, 2019
10 min
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 from AUT in episode 85 of Elemental.
November 21, 2019
10 min
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 Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 84 of Elemental.
November 17, 2019
9 min
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, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 83 of Elemental.
November 14, 2019
9 min
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 82 of Elemental.
November 10, 2019
10 min
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 Blackman in ep 81 of Elemental.
November 7, 2019
9 min
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 Blackman in ep 80 of Elemental.
November 3, 2019
8 min
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 Blackman in ep 79 of Elemental.
October 31, 2019
15 min
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 from AUT, in ep 78 of Elemental.
October 27, 2019
10 min
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 77 of Elemental.
October 24, 2019
12 min

RNZ: Elemental

About this podcast

Categories

About this podcast

Categories

RNZ: Elemental

Episodes

Zirconium - shape-shifting time capsule

Zinc - more useful than you realise

Yttrium - here's that village Ytterby again

Ytterbium - yet another element named after Ytterby

Xenon - a stranger in search of strange particles

Vanadium - Model T Fords, big batteries & sea squirts

Uranium - first radioactive element to be discovered

Tungsten - highest melting point of any metal

Titanium - light, strong & quite pretty

Tin - from whistles to organ pipes & anti-fouling paint

Thulium - the most laborious of the lanthanoids

Thorium - potential source of cleaner nuclear energy

Thallium - the poisoner's poison

Terbium - turns up in old TVs & new Euro notes

Tellurium - usually associated with gold

Technetium - the first synthetic element

Tantalum - a tantalising chemical element

Sulfur - king of bad smells

Strontium - from sensitive teeth toothpaste to nuclear fission

Sodium - a salt of the earth spectator