Chemistry
Boron - made by cosmic rays, useful in the kitchen
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 boron in ep 12 of Elemental. Audio
Bismuth - an unusual heavy metal
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 episode 11 of Elemental. Audio
Our Changing World for 28 March 2019
Caves hold a record of past climate change captured in flow stones, and the synthetic heavyweight elements at the bottom of the periodic table have only ever existed fleetingly. Audio
Beryllium - sweet and precious, but deadly
You'll find beryllium in precious jewels and a space telescope mirror, but just don't inhale the dust - all in episode 10 of Elemental, with AUT's Professor Allan Blackman. Audio
Berkelium and the synthetic heavyweights
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 episode 9 of Elemental. Audio
Our Changing World for 21 March 2019
Barium is a chemical element that hates being on its own, and experts from Orana Park and Auckland Zoo are looking after hand-reared kakapo chicks. Audio
Barium - never found on its own
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 barium's secrets in episode 8 of Elemental. Audio
Turning wool into cat food
Dr Santanu Deb-Choudhury and his team at AgResearch have found that proteins from sheep wool fibre can help improve the digestive health of cats. Audio
Astatine - awfully rare
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 Blackman from AUT in episode 7 of Elemental. Audio
Arsenic - the well-known poison
Arsenic is a well-known killer that was once dubbed 'succession powder'. Join Allan Blackman from AUT in episode 6 of Elemental, a journey through the periodic table. Audio
Argon - every breath you take
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 Elemental. Audio
Antimony - takes lives, saves lives
Antimony can be used to take lives - and to save lives. Check out episode 4 of Elemental with Professor Allan Blackman from AUT. Audio
Our Changing World for 28 February 2019
Professor Allan Blackman from AUT explores the chemical elements actinium and americium, and the Kakapo Files podcast catches up with the work of the island rangers. Audio
Americium - a radioactive, domestic do-gooder
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 of Elemental. Audio
Aluminium - light & versatile
Aluminium is a light, well-known metal with lots of useful properties. Join AUT chemistry professor Allan Blackman for episode 2 of Elemental. Audio
Actinium - rare & radioactive
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 Professor Allan Blackman from AUT. Audio
Tales from the periodic table
In the prequel to Elemental, AUT's Allan Blackman introduces us to Dmitri Mendeleev and chemistry's periodic table of elements. Audio
MOFs: tackling big problems with new materials
Berkeley Professor of Chemistry and Nobel Prize nominee, Omar Yaghi, talks with Kathryn about solving some of the world's most challenging problems through the construction of metal-organic frameworks… Audio
Finding new drugs from the sea
Michele Prinsep is a 'drug hunter' - she looks for potential pharmaceuticals in marine organisms and cyanobacteria. Audio
Our Changing World for 14 June 2018
A chemist talks about sourcing potential new drugs from marine creatures, and understanding the largest deep-ocean volcanic eruption ever documented. Audio