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History
The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
by Sam Kean
Today: #162 in History on our combined chart.
Today: #140 in History, New Zealand on our combined chart.
Today: #115 in History, India on our combined chart.
Chart positions today · United States
Not on the United Kingdom charts we track today.
Not on the Canada charts we track today.
Not on the Australia charts we track today.
Not on the Germany charts we track today.
Not on the Brazil charts we track today.
Not on the Mexico charts we track today.
Not on the Ireland charts we track today.
Not on the Japan charts we track today.
Not on the Philippines charts we track today.
Not on the South Africa charts we track today.
If you like The Disappearing Spoon: a science…, try…
Viking Lives
Also in Books
History of the Philippines
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School of War
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راوکست | Ravcast
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شاهنامه خودمونی
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Ranking history · United States
Latest daily rankings: Oct 27. New rankings will appear after the next update.
Position on the History combined chart over the last 14 days. Toggle platforms to compare their positions. Lower rank numbers are better.
Episode releases
View as table
| Date | Combined Rank | Apple Podcasts |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 27 | #162 | #156 |
| Oct 26 | #158 | #151 |
| Oct 25 | #173 | #167 |
| Oct 24 | #169 | #162 |
| Oct 23 | #163 | #156 |
| Oct 22 | #136 | #129 |
| Oct 21 | #140 | #133 |
| Oct 20 | #194 | #187 |
| Oct 19 | #196 | #190 |
| Oct 18 | #200 | #194 |
| Oct 17 | #181 | #174 |
| Oct 16 | #160 | #153 |
| Oct 15 | #146 | #140 |
| Oct 14 | #164 | #157 |
Latest episodes
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The Herd Reich
October 27, 2026 · 20 minIn the 1930s, German scientists tried reviving extinct beasts for the Nazis—using sophisticated science that has uncomfortable echoes in certain conservation efforts today. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://ww…
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Lassoing Giraffes and Wrasslin’ Rhinos
October 20, 2026 · 19 minLassoing giraffes? 🦒 Wrasslin’ Rhinos?! 🦏 When new animals were needed for the Berlin Zoo, its keeper went Wild West on them. His exploits were as wild as the Serengeti itself. (Part 1 of 2.) Become a supporter of this podcast…
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The Birds and the Bees and the Astronauts
October 13, 2026 · 18 minBirds do it. 🦉 Bees do it. 🐝 But do astronauts a thousand miles above the trees do it? 🚀👩🚀 Maybe! Everything you need to know about sex in space. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcas…
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The Museum of Lost Things
September 11, 2026 · 27 minAn audio excerpt from my new book, The Museum of Long Things. Available now! Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader and use my code "Spoon" for a great deal: https://elevenreader.io Advertising Inquiries: https://redci…
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NASA’s Unmentionable(s) Adventure
June 9, 2026 · 19 minIn the 1960s, NASA needed a better spacesuit. So they turned to the one firm on earth capable of meeting their strict standards—the Playtex underwear company. Episode below! Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader and use my code "Spoon"…
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The Pioneers and Vestiges of Evolution
June 2, 2026 · 18 minHis book on evolution rocked 1800s England. Not Charles Darwin. Robert Chambers, whose infamous tome both horrified Darwin, yet paved the way for him. Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader and use my code "Spoon" for a great deal…
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The Angel of the Concentration Camp
May 26, 2026 · 18 minNurse Laura Cobb saved more lives than Clara Barton or Florence Nightingale, and under far worse conditions—in a brutal World War II concentration camp. So why did the world forget her? Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader and use my…
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The Battery Dope
May 19, 2026 · 19 minIn the 1950s, scientists hated politics. Then one Allen Astin got fired. After that, scientists knew they had to play politics—or face professional annihilation. Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader and use my code "Spoon" for a great…
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The Making of the “Flat Earth” Myth
May 12, 2026 · 17 minNo one in Columbus’s time believed the world was flat. So why did so many children learn this bogus “fact” in school? It all goes back to Rip van Winkle... Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader and use my code "Spoon" for a great deal…
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Forensic Pseudoscience
May 5, 2026 · 18 minWhen the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, the two most scientific detectives in the world took on the case. But they overlooked the real enemy—their own petty prejudice. Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader and use my code "Spoon"…
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Manhattan Project Propaganda
April 28, 2026 · 18 minThe Smyth Report is the strangest book ever written on atomic bombs—as well as highly effective science propaganda, warping our view of everything from the Manhattan Project to Robert Oppenheimer. Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader…
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Back-Breaking Science
April 21, 2026 · 18 minWhen a British sub sank with all hands, JBS Haldane volunteered to investigate by experimenting on himself—even if it meant losing his own life in the process. (Part 2 of 2.) Our Sponsors: * Check out ElevenReader and use my code "Spoon"…
About the show
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 Nazis who saved thousands of American lives, the American immigrants who developed the most successful cancer screening tool in history, the sex lives of dinosaurs, and much, much more. These are charming little tales that never made the history books, but these small moments can be surprisingly powerful. These are the cases where history gets inverted, where the footnote becomes the real story.