The Disappearing Spoon podcast
People & Politics
Science in a world of rules, regulations, and conflict
Darwin’s Self-Proclaimed ‘Stupidest’ Child
Charles Darwin’s work was misused by social Darwinists to justify inequality—work that received significant support from a surprising source: his own son.
The Battle Over the Cause of Down Syndrome
A breakthrough proved that people with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome; it also led to a battle with a would-be saint that raises questions about how scientists determine who gets credit.
The Art of Counting Chromosomes
How did the simple act of counting human chromosomes become a saga that destroyed a friendship and started a battle over the cause of Down syndrome?
Why Keep a Diary of a Toxic Snakebite?
After 40 years of studying snakes, Karl Schmidt suffered his first bite. And when he did, he kept a gruesome diary to document the danger—right to the edge of death.
The Woman Who ‘Turned Back a Plague of Old Testament Proportions’
FDA scientist Frances Oldham Kelsey spared thousands of babies from deadly birth defects and revolutionized drug research. But was her legacy all good? It’s a complicated story.
Savant Idiots
In the early 1800s, the first Egyptian mummies in Europe served as a crucial test for evolution—a test that, according to people then, evolution flunked.
The Sadder Side of the Nobel Prizes
How did a scientist who developed a Nobel Prize–worthy idea end up driving a shuttle van for a living and miss the award completely?
The Scientific Way to Fool a Nazi
Physicist György Hevesy had a talent for tricks and stunts—including one that prevented Nazi storm troopers from stealing a Nobel Prize.
The Science of D-Day
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings during WWII, we look at the surprisingly important role science played.
Can Plastic Surgery Keep You Out of Prison?
One doctor’s controversial crusade to keep people out of prison through nose jobs, eye lifts, and other plastic surgery.
The Russian Roswell
In 1959, nine Russian hikers mysteriously died on a snowy trek known as the Dyatlov Pass incident. Has science finally cracked the case?
When Tenure Means Life and Death
After a tenure dispute, engineer Valery Fabrikant murdered four colleagues. So why is he still allowed to publish scientific papers?
A Deadly Soup for Babies
World famous 19th-century chemist Justus von Liebig quickly became infamous for his role in the killing of four starving infants.
How the ‘Worst Serial Killer in Holland’s History’ Went Free
Patient after patient died under the care of a single nurse. Why did so many statisticians think she was innocent?
The Eclipse That Killed a King
Rama IV of Siam used an eclipse to save his kingdom from greedy colonial powers. But it cost him his life.
The Sex-Cult ‘Antichrist’ Who Rocketed Us to Space: Part 2
Sam Kean continues the wild story of rocket scientist/devil worshipper Jack Parsons in the second episode of this two-part series.
The Sex-Cult ‘Antichrist’ Who Rocketed Us to Space: Part 1
Jack Parsons practiced the occult and led a sex cult. He was also one of history’s most important rocket scientists.
Was Charles Darwin a Murderer?
Two men committed murder—and blamed the English naturalist. The aftermath solidified Darwin as the greatest scientist of his age.