The Disappearing Spoon podcast

Topsy-Turvy Tales from Our Scientific Past

People & Politics

Science in a world of rules, regulations, and war

People & Politics

The Making of a Lobotomist

The story behind notorious surgeon Walter Freeman’s contempt for his father, failures with his sons, and obsession with lobotomies.

People & Politics

Stephen Hawking and the Mistake That Made His Career

The third episode in a three-part series on legendary physicists and their dumbest mistakes.

People & Politics

Albert Einstein and the Worst Prediction in the History of Science

Learn about the physicist’s biggest-blunder-turned-greatest success.

People & Politics

The Unsung Heroes of Darwin’s Evolution

Learn how an obsession with crustaceans guided the naturalist toward his most consequential insights.

People & Politics

Crowdfunding Radium

When American women bought Marie Curie a vital gram of the element.

People & Politics

Tales of Love and Madness from the Periodic Table

An interview with author Sam Kean.