Elemental

Zirconium - shape-shifting time capsule

22 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Zirconium is a shape-shifting tough cookie, that is a tale of gemstones, medical implants and nuclear reactors, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 98 ...

Zinc - more useful than you realise

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Zinc is a very useful metal that turns up in everything from sunscreen to paint, & galvanised metals to cereals, as well as brass instruments, says Pr...

Yttrium - here's that village Ytterby again

15 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Yttrium is yet another element named after the village of Ytterby and is important in the development of high temperature superconductors, says Allan ...

Ytterbium - yet another element named after Ytterby

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ytterbium is yet another lanthanoid named after the Swedish village of Ytterby, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 95 of Elemental.Ytterbium is yet anothe...

Xenon - a stranger in search of strange particles

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Xenon is a noble gas that turns up in various lights, gets used in xenon ion propulsion systems for spacecraft & plays a key role in the search for da...

Vanadium - Model T Fords, big batteries & sea squirts

08 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Vanadium makes steel stronger & lighter, is being used in what will be the world's largest battery, and sea squirts are full of it, says Prof Allan Bl...

Uranium - first radioactive element to be discovered

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Named after the planet Uranus & associated with Hiroshima & nuclear bombs, uranium is the highest-numbered element found naturally in significant quan...

Tungsten - highest melting point of any metal

01 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tungsten's very high melting point made it an ideal filament for incandescent light bulbs, & as it is in some enzymes it is the heaviest element used ...

Titanium - light, strong & quite pretty

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Titanium is light, strong, corrosion resistant & is used to repair broken limbs as it is able to get integrated into the bone, says Allan Blackman fro...

Tin - from whistles to organ pipes & anti-fouling paint

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The element tin turns up in all sorts of alloys, but tin cans are - mostly - not made from tin, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT, in ep 89 of Element...

Thulium - the most laborious of the lanthanoids

24 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Isolating the element thulium was a truly laborious process that took many years, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 88 of Elemental.Isolating th...

Thorium - potential source of cleaner nuclear energy

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Named after Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, thorium could provide a cleaner source of nuclear power in the future, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT i...

Thallium - the poisoner's poison

17 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Thallium is most famous for some infamous poisoned family cases & its appearance in an Agatha Christie novel solved a medical mystery, says Allan Blac...

Terbium - turns up in old TVs & new Euro notes

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A discovery from the chemically prolific Swedish village of Ytterby, terbium produced the green on old TV sets & adds security to Euro notes, says Pro...

Tellurium - usually associated with gold

10 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tellurium is a metalloid often found with gold and the US town Telluride is named after it, says Prof Allan Blackman, in ep 84 of Elemental.Tellurium ...

Technetium - the first synthetic element

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Technetium was the first element on the periodic table to be synthesised. It is rare, radioactive and has only a few uses, says Prof Allan Blackman in...

Tantalum - a tantalising chemical element

03 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The metal tantalum is usually found with the element niobium, has a very high melting point but is a 'conflict mineral', says Prof Allan Blackman in e...

Sulfur - king of bad smells

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sulfur is responsible for some very bad smells, is the number one industrial chemical and is also an essential element, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep...

Strontium - from sensitive teeth toothpaste to nuclear fission

27 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Named after a Scottish town, strontium can be highly radioactive & glow-in-the-dark, but also used in toothpaste, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT, i...

Sodium - a salt of the earth spectator

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sodium is vital for life & usually found in combinaton with other more interesting elements, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 79 of Elemental.Would you ...

Silver - a popular noble metal

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Silver is widely used in jewellery, has interesting light sensitive abilities and has antimicrobial properties, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in e...

Silicon - a ubiquitous part of modern life

20 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Silicon is a blockbuster metalloid with many uses, from glass to computer chips & bathroom sealants, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 77 of Ele...

Selenium - good reason to eat seafood & Brazil nuts

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

New Zealand soils lack the vital element selenium, which also used to be important in photocopiers and bathroom plumbing, says Prof Allan Blackman fro...

Scandium - the scandal of the scandium cricket bat

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Predicted by Mendeleev & useful for alloying with aluminium, scandium was involved in a famous cricket scandal, says AUT's Allan Blackman in ep 75 of ...

Samarium - magnets for making & listening to music

13 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Samarium magnets are used in headphones & guitar pickups, and samarium was the first element named after a real person, says Prof Allan Blackman from ...

Ruthenium - a 'sort of' precious metal

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ruthenium is a 'sort of' precious metal that is a useful catalyst and alloy. It is toxic and smells like ozone, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 73 ...

Rubidium - expensive and not very useful

06 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Rubidium is a reactive metal with few uses, named 'deepest red' due to its beautiful red spectral lines, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 72 of Elem...

Rhodium - used in cars, drugs... and aftershave

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Rhodium is an expensive precious metal that is used in catalytic convertors, to make the Parkinson's drug L-DOPA, create shiny jewellery and add the m...

Rhenium - has a number of claims to chemical fame

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Named after the Rhine river, rhenium is a metal with very high boiling and melting points, and it was the last naturally occuring, non-radioactive ele...

Radon - radioactive basement risk

29 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The radioactive gas radon can be a risk in the basements of stone houses and used to, erroneously, be touted for its health benefits, says Prof Allan ...

Radium - famous but not very useful

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Radium was famously found by the Curies, and was once widely used in face creams, drinks and luminous watch dials, despite being highly radioactive, s...

Protactinium - a very dull chemical element

22 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Protactinium is a rare, radioactive element that has no uses and may be the most boring element, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 67 of Element...

Promethium - rare and unremarkable

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Despite its gruesome mythical name, the radioactive element promethium has no particular claim to fame, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 66 of ...

Praseodymium - a long name but not many uses

15 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Praseodymium is a metal wirh the second longest name on the periodic table and not many uses, says Prof Alan Blackman from AUT in ep 65 of Elemental.P...

Potassium - a matter of life and death

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From levitating burnt buttocks, to excitable nerves and sure-to-rise baking, potassium is highly reactive and vital to life, says Prof Allan Blackman ...

Polonium - few redeeming features

08 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Polonium will be forever linked with the names Curie and Litvinenko and has negligible desirable features, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 63 of Elemen...

Plutonium - nuclear bombs & nuclear power

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A radioactive heavyweight associated with nuclear bombs & power, which is powering the Voyager spacecraft, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 62 ...

Platinum - another pricey precious metal

01 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Platinum is useful in catalytic convertors, is used to treat testicular cancer and will be useful in hydrogen fuel cells, says Prof Allan Blackman fro...

Phosphorus - P was discovered in pee

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Phosphorus, chemical symbol P, was first isolated as an element from thousands of litres of urine. Also found in guano, aka bird poo. Allan Blackman f...

Palladium - cleaning up your car's exhaust

25 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Palladium is a pricey precious metal most commonly used in catalytic convertors on car exhausts, says AUT's Allan Blackman in ep 59 of Elemental.Palla...

Oxygen - the friendly element

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Oxygen is very friendly with other chemical elements & very helpful for life on Earth, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 58 of Elemental.Oxygen is on...

Osmium - heavyweight champion of the elements

18 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Osmium is extremely rare and expensive. It is the densest chemical element, rivals diamond as being the least compressible of all known substances & h...

Nitrogen - a vital powerhouse

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Most important biological molecules contain nitrogen, even though it takes lots of energy to make or break its chemical bonds, says Allan Blackman fro...

Niobium - useful at high & low temperatures

11 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Niobium is a metal that is useful at both very high temperatures, as in jet engines, and very low temperatures as a superconductor, says Allan Blackma...

Nickel - more than just a 5 cent coin

08 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The chemical element nickel is named after a German word for Satan or the Devil, but nickel is now more usually thought of as a North American five ce...

Neon - the red of neon lights

04 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There are no known compounds of the noble gas neon, which does however produce the brilliant crimson of red - and only red - neon lights. Ep 53 of Ele...

Neodymium - the secret behind supermagnets

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Neodydmium magnets include the strongest permanent magnets known and are found in devices like speakers & headphones, says chemistry professor Allan B...

The most boring chemical element

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Elemental podcast has inspired Prof Allan Blackman from AUT and Dr Rebecca Jelley from the University of Auckland, to publish a paper in the journ...

Molybdenum - a catalyst at bacterial to industrial scales

28 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Molybdenum has an essential role as a catalyst at microbial and industrial scales and is an important element in enzymes, says Prof Allan Blackman, in...

Mercury - mesmerising quicksilver

25 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, says Allan Blackman in ep 49 of Elemental.Mercury is an unusual...

Manganese - the 'essential' essential element

23 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The metal manganese is a vital part of photosynthesis and is found in aluminium drink cans, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 48 of Elemental.Th...

Magnesium - loved by everyone and everything

21 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Magnesium is loved by plants, folk suffering constipation and boy-racers, as Allan Blackman reveals in ep 47 of Elemental.Magnesium is a crowd favouri...

Lutetium - an obscure Parisian

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After a fierce struggle for naming rights, the last lanthanoid element to be discovered was eventually named after Paris, says Allan Blackman in ep 46...

Lithium - a mood enhancing element

14 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lithium is the lightest metal, and it is used in batteries and for the treatment of bipolar disorder, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 45 of El...

Lead - sweet-tasting but deadly

11 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lead is the element that took down an empire, and its sweet taste belies a metal that is dangerous for human & animal health. All this and more with P...

Lanthanum - curious case of a 'lost' element

07 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Despite giving its name to a whole group on the periodic table, chemists can't agree if lanthanum even belongs in that group, says Prof Allan Blackman...

Krypton - its name means 'hidden' but it's a real thing

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In real life krypton is a noble gas which is commonly used in neon signs and laser light shows, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 42 of Elemental.The...

Iron - creator of the modern world

30 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Iron is formed in stars, makes up most of the Earth's core & as a result enables life as we know it to exist, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT, in ep...

Iridium and the end of the dinosaurs

27 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Iridium is the second-densest element on the periodic table and the most erosion-resistant metal. A layer of iridium in rocks marks the demise of the ...

Iodine - a vital trace element

23 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A lack of iodine causes goitre, and seafood and iodised salt are good sources of this important trace element, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT, in e...

Indium - Queen of the touchscreen

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Indium is a very soft metal, and as indium-tin-oxide it is an indispensable part of the swipeability of touchscreens, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ...

Hydrogen - 'number 1 in the Universe'

16 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hydrogen is the first element on the periodic table. It is the oldest, lightest and most abundant element in the universe, but on earth it is usually ...

Holmium - obscure, but an important surgical laser

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Holmium has interesting magnetic properties and is an important part of precise surgical lasers known as the 'Swiss Army knife' of lasers, according t...

Helium - rare on earth but universally abundant

09 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe and possibly the most unreactive element on the periodic table, says Prof Allan Blackman fr...

Hafnium - helped land the first astronauts on the moon

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hafnium is named after Copenhagen and as it has a very high melting point it was used in the thruster nozzles of the Apollo Lunar modules, according t...

Gold - a most desirable noble metal

02 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Gold is highly valued for its colour as well as for being malleable and ductile, and as a noble metal it is unreactive and doesn't rust, says Allan Bl...

Germanium - important in the first transistors

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Germanium is a metalloid that was a key element in early transistors and is now used in optical fibres and infrared night vision scopes, says Allan Bl...

Gallium - mysterious case of the disappearing spoon

28 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Gallium is the second element named after France, is a key element in mobile phones & Blu-ray players & melts at body temperature, says Prof Allan Bla...

Gadolinium - plays a key role in MRI scans

26 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Gadolinium has interesting magnetic properties and is used as a contrast agent in MRI scans, according to AUT's Prof Allan Blackman in ep 30 of Elemen...

Francium - final naturally-occurring element to be discovered

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Francium was the last naturally-occurring element to be discovered and has never been seen, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 29 Elemental.Franc...

Fluorine - the non-stick element

19 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fluorine is a highly toxic green gas that is the main ingredient in non-stick teflon coatings. In ep 28 of Elemental, Prof Allan Blackman from AUT, sa...

Europium - putting the security in the Euro

16 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Europium is named after Europe and is responsible for a forgery-busting aspect of the Euro banknote, reports Prof Allan Blackman in ep 27 of Elemental...

Erbium - through rose-tinted glasses

12 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Erbium is named after a chemically famous Swedish village, and adds a rose-tinted glow to the periodic table, in ep 26 of Elemental with Allan Blackma...

Dysprosium - hard to get

09 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dysprosium earned its name by being very hard to separate from other elements and has become very important in electric car motors. Join Allan Blackma...

Curium & meitnerium - in honour of two pioneering women

07 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There are only two chemical elements on the periodic table named after women: curium, in honour of Marie & Pierre Curie, & meitnerium after Lise Meitn...

Copper - essential, in moderation

05 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Copper is a soft metal that is an essential element for enzymes and life, gives octopuses their blue blood and was often used to make coins. Allan Bla...

Cobalt - goblin of the periodic table

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Famous as the colour of blue glass and important in red blood cells, cobalt can form a permanent magnet and is vital for livestock. Allan Blackman fro...

Chromium - colourful and shiny

28 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chromium is a transition metal that gives colour to precious jewels, the shine to your car fender and your kitchen bench, but can also be a killer. Al...

Chlorine - good for health, bad for health

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chlorine is the culprit in the 'case of the exploding trousers'. It is also well-known as a disinfectant and chloride ions are essential for life, but...

Cerium - combustible and confusing

21 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cerium is the most abundant rare-earth element and pops up in self-cleaning ovens, cigarette lighter flints and spectacle glass. Find out more with Al...

Carbon - life & times of the 'king of elements'

18 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Carbon underpins life as we know it, fuels our world and gets its own branch of chemistry, according to AUT professor Allan Blackman, in ep 18 of Elem...

Calcium - strength and beauty

14 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Calcium creates objects that are strong and beautiful, from caves, to teeth and bones, and coral reefs. Find out more in ep 17 of Elemental, with Alla...

Caesium - the time-keeper

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A second, the basic unit of time, is defined by caesium, which is also useful for dating things. Find out more about caesium's role as a timekeeper, i...

Cadmium - colour and quantum dots

07 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cadmium has featured in red traffic lights, rechargeable batteries and now has a role in quantum dots, according to Allan Blackman, from AUT, in ep 15...

Bromine - the colour purple and poison gas

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The story of bromine is one of the color purple, the Dead Sea and an early poison gas used in the First World War, says Allan Blackman from AUT, in ep...

Boron - made by cosmic rays, useful in the kitchen

31 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Made by cosmic rays and supernovae, used in ovenproof cookware, and a key ingredient in the strongest acid ever made. Allan Blackman from AUT explores...

Bismuth - an unusual heavy metal

28 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bismuth is a heavy metal that expands when frozen, and can be used to levitate trains and soothe upset guts, as Allan Blackman from AUT explains in ep...

Beryllium - sweet and precious, but deadly

24 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You'll find beryllium in precious jewels and a space telescope mirror, but just don't inhale the dust - all in episode 11 of Elemental, with AUT's Pro...

Berkelium and the synthetic heavyweights

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The heaviest elements on the periodic table have only ever existed fleetingly in the lab, so Allan Blackman from AUT has grouped them all together in ...

Barium - never found on its own

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Barium is never found on its own in nature, as it loves buddying up - but a version of it is found in hospitals. Allan Blackman from AUT reveals bariu...

Astatine - awfully rare

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

No one has ever seen astatine, which shares the distinction of being one of the rarest naturally-occurring elements on earth. Find out more with Allan...

Arsenic - the well-known poison

10 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Arsenic is a well-known killer that was once dubbed 'succession powder'. Join Allan Blackman from AUT in episode 7 of Elemental, a journey through the...

Argon - every breath you take

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Argon is in every breath you take and its inertness is its best feature, as we discover with AUT chemistry professor Allan Blackman, in episode 5 of E...

Antimony - takes lives, saves lives

03 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Antimony can be used to take lives - and to save lives. Check out episode 4 of Elemental with Professor Allan Blackman from AUT.Antimony can be used t...

Americium - a radioactive, domestic do-gooder

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Invented during war, radioactive americium has become a bit of a do-gooder that is in most homes. Find out more with AUT's Allan Blackman in episode 3...

Aluminium - light & versatile

24 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Aluminium is a light, well-known metal with lots of useful properties. Join AUT chemistry professor Allan Blackman for episode 2 of Elemental.Go to th...

Actinium - rare & radioactive

21 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The first alphabetical element in the periodic table is actinium. It is a heavy radioactive element, as we discover in episode 1 of Elemental, with Pr...

Tales from the periodic table

19 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the prequel to Elemental, AUT's Allan Blackman introduces us to Dmitri Mendeleev and chemistry's periodic table of elements.Follow and listen to El...