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The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
Sam Kean

A topsy-turvy science-y history podcast by Sam Kean. I examine overlooked stories from our past: the dental superiority of hunter-gatherers, the crooked... more

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Episodes

When Generosity Turns Pathological

One Brazilian man’s brain damage transformed him into a selfless giver. So why did he infuriate so many people—and what... more

26 Mar 2024 · 18 minutes
The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 2)

Jack Parsons was a devil-worshipping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard.... more

19 Mar 2024 · 21 minutes
The Sex-Cult “Antichrist” Who Rocketed Us to Space (part 1)

Jack Parsons was a devil-worshiping FBI rat who led a sex cult and was bosom buddies with L. Ron Hubbard.... more

12 Mar 2024 · 19 minutes
Don't Drink the Milk bonus episode - Milk: From mutations to mustaches

Who put the cheese in your stuffed-crust pizza? Or cows on a Caribbean island? And when more than half the... more

16 Jan 2024 · 42 minutes
Was Darwin a Murderer?

In 1878, two Paris dandies murdered an old woman—and blamed Charles Darwin for their crime. But the wild scandal that... more

14 Nov 2023 · 20 minutes
Mass Psychosis in Food Science

Americans happily ate monosodium glutamate for decades. Then one (possibly fake) letter sparked mass hysteria over “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”, and... more

07 Nov 2023 · 19 minutes
Accounting for Taste

Scientists have confirmed five basic human tastes—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. But is that all? Debate now rages about... more

31 Oct 2023 · 18 minutes
If Indiana Jones Were a Swindler

James Mellaart discovered one of the most important archaeological sites ever, Çatalhöyük in Turkey. But his lust for treasure—and a... more

24 Oct 2023 · 19 minutes
The British Tobacco Empire

He helped launch the British Empire and spawned a public-health epidemic that killed hundreds of millions of people. Blame him... more

17 Oct 2023 · 19 minutes
"Moldy Mary," The Forgotten Mother of Penicillin

She helped discover arguably the most important drug in history. And she got zero credit. They called her Moldy Mary—but... more

10 Oct 2023 · 21 minutes
The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
When Generosity Turns Pathological
The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean