The Disappearing Spoon podcast

Topsy-Turvy Tales from Our Scientific Past

Inventions & Discoveries

The tools and technology that help us understand and change the world

illustration of two men in a balloon
Inventions & Discoveries

Death-Defying Science at 75,000 Feet

How balloon geek Auguste Piccard inspired Hollywood and became a worthy namesake for Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek fame.

Albert Einstein, Hendrik Lorentz and Arthur Eddington standing outdoors
Inventions & Discoveries

Proving Einstein Right

Meet Arthur Eddington, the weirdo scientist who made Albert Einstein the genius we know today.

Overhead view of DNA evidence kit on white background.
Inventions & Discoveries

How New DNA Sleuthing Can Expose Dangerous Killers—and You

The downside of using genetic genealogy to fight crime.

Inventions & Discoveries

The Big ‘What If’ of Cancer

How a feisty, suicidal Nobel laureate infuriated both Hitler and Stalin, and stalled cancer research for 50 years along the way.

Inventions & Discoveries

Burn After Watching

The world’s first plastic made Hollywood possible—and killed thousands of people along the way.