Elements Podcast
A close look at chemical elements, the basic building blocks of the universe. Where do we get them, what do we use them for and how do they fit into our economy?
Episodes to download
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Iron (Fe) - industrialisation
Wed 1 Apr 2015
What the collapse in iron ore prices means for the economic progress of China & India.
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Iron & Manganese (Fe, Mn) - steel-making
Wed 25 Mar 2015
The two key ingredients that enabled the mass production of steel.
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Iron (Fe) - the Industrial Revolution
Wed 18 Mar 2015
Moments in history that transformed this metal element into modern life's key material.
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Technetium (Tc)
Wed 11 Mar 2015
Essential for medical imaging, supplies of this manmade element are far from guaranteed.
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Bromine (Br)—Elements
Thu 5 Mar 2015
Bromine-based flame retardants are all over your home, but are they a health risk?
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Fluorine (F)
Wed 4 Mar 2015
The key building block for a string of gases that pose a threat to mankind.
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Calcium (Ca)—Elements
Thu 26 Feb 2015
The great structural element - both in the natural world and in modern engineering
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Chromium (Cr)
Wed 25 Feb 2015
The metal of modernity - spawning icons like the Chrysler Building and Harley Davidson.
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Uranium (U)—Elements
Thu 19 Feb 2015
Nuclear power is carbon-free but leaves radioactive waste - a real dilemma for Greens
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Nickel & Rhenium (Ni, Re)
Wed 18 Feb 2015
The metal that made the jet age possible, as well as margarine and bicycle sprockets.
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Lead (Pb)—Elements
Thu 30 Oct 2014
The sweetest of poisons, have we learnt how to handle this heavy metal?
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Caesium (Cs)—Elements
Sat 25 Oct 2014
The caesium-based atomic clock has redefined the very meaning of time.
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Sulphur (S)—Elements
Sat 11 Oct 2014
Does the world face a looming glut of this devilish yellow element?
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Tungsten (W)
Sat 26 Jul 2014
Hot, hard and heavy - it cuts steel and penetrates armour, yet China has a near monopoly
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Silicon (Si) - chips
Wed 23 Jul 2014
We ask chip pioneers why silicon has supported a billion-fold increase in computing power.
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Sodium (Na)
Sat 19 Jul 2014
The alkali metal that plays a role in soap, paper, human health and murder.
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Lithium (Li)
Sat 5 Jul 2014
Lithium batteries may be the future for cars, but does Bolivia hold the keys?
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Vanadium (V)
Wed 11 Jun 2014
Could this neglected metal provide a counterpart for temperamental energy sources?
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Nitrogen (N) - fertilisers
Wed 4 Jun 2014
Does nitrogen threaten Earth with an environmental disaster worse than climate change?
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Nitrogen (N) - explosives
Wed 28 May 2014
Nitrogen may seem a dull and inert gas, yet it is the key component in most explosives.
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Carbon (C) - plastics
Wed 7 May 2014
Could the future be to use nature to draw plastics from the atmosphere?
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Rare Earth Elements (Ce, Nd, Dy, Er, etc)
Wed 19 Mar 2014
Should we worry about China's stranglehold over the supply of these 17 crucial elements?
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Carbon (C) - diamonds
Wed 5 Mar 2014
Can manmade diamonds be put to use beyond drilling rocks and adorning the wealthy?
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Tin (Sn)
Sun 2 Mar 2014
Tin: From the glue that holds our electronic world together to a revolution glass-making
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The Elements and the Economy
Sun 9 Feb 2014
From aluminium to zinc, how the chemical elements are driving the global economy
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Carbon (C) - materials
Wed 22 Jan 2014
We know carbon's role in global warming, but could element 6 also provide some solutions?
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Carbon (C) - energy
Wed 15 Jan 2014
Carbon is a great energy store, but can we ever get by without carbon-based energy?
