Science

Elemental

by RNZ

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Latest episodes

Zirconium - shape-shifting time capsule

December 22, 2019 · 13 min

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 of Elemental. Zirconium is a metal that is a shape-shifting tough cookie. It is found in…
Zinc - more useful than you realise

December 19, 2019 · 13 min

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 Prof Allan Blackman in ep 97 of Elemental. The major use of zinc is to galvanise steel in…
Yttrium - here's that village Ytterby again

December 15, 2019 · 8 min

Yttrium is yet another element named after the village of Ytterby and is important in the development of high temperature superconductors, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 96 of Elemental. Here we go again - yet another element named…
Ytterbium - yet another element named after Ytterby

December 12, 2019 · 8 min

Ytterbium is yet another lanthanoid named after the Swedish village of Ytterby, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 95 of Elemental. Ytterbium is yet another lanthanoid named after the Swedish village of Ytterby. It is a sister element to…
Xenon - a stranger in search of strange particles

December 10, 2019 · 10 min

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 dark matter, says Prof Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 94 of Elemental. Xenon is a noble gas…

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Vanadium - Model T Fords, big batteries & sea squirts

December 8, 2019 · 10 min

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 Blackman from AUT in ep 93 of Elemental. Vanadium is a transition metal used to make steel…
Uranium - first radioactive element to be discovered

December 5, 2019 · 8 min

Named after the planet Uranus & associated with Hiroshima & nuclear bombs, uranium is the highest-numbered element found naturally in significant quantities on earth, says Prof Allan Blackman in ep 92 of Elemental. Uranium is named after…
Tungsten - highest melting point of any metal

December 1, 2019 · 9 min

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 in nature, says Allan Blackman from AUT in ep 91 of Elemental. Tungsten is the metal with…
Titanium - light, strong & quite pretty

November 28, 2019 · 9 min

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 from AUT speaking from personal experience in ep 90 of Elemental. Titanium is light, strong…
Tin - from whistles to organ pipes & anti-fouling paint

November 26, 2019 · 11 min

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 Elemental. The element tin turns up in all sorts of alloys, especially bronze. Tin is found in…
Thulium - the most laborious of the lanthanoids

November 24, 2019 · 10 min

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 the element thulium was a truly laborious process that took many years. Charles James had…
Thorium - potential source of cleaner nuclear energy

November 21, 2019 · 9 min

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 in episode 87 of Elemental. Named after Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, thorium could…