Light Your Bunsen Burner

Salvador Luria and Max Delbrück travelled a long road to finally meet each other. Little did they know, their collaboration would change how bacterial genetics was conducted. From attending summer camp for geniuses to gaining "enemy alien" status together, Salvador and Max formed an unlikely yet productive friendship. Join us as we fluctuate with this pair and find out if we're worthy of joining Max's "tiny island" phage cult.  Special guest vocals by Mariela's cat, Masapan.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Salvador Luria was a young doctor trying to find his calling in fascist Italy. A little help from his friends and the discovery of another physicist's paper put Salvador on the path to greatness. Little did he know that the path to greatness involved a long bicycle ride and dodging a Nazi invasion. Join us as we paddle furiously along with Salvador on his journey from indifferent medical student to genetics pioneer. Along the way we'll take romantic strolls through Turin, run into famous poets and finally meet out one true love, Max Delbruck.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

In the first episode of our three part arc on phage genetics pioneers, we discuss the early life and career of physicist Max Delbruck. From failing his PhD exams to failing out of Nazi indoctrination camps, Max worked under the mantra of "Go big or go home." Well, mostly he went home. Until he stumbled into the field of phage genetics. Join us as we examine Max's life in the shadow of his famous father and his realization that he wasn't that great at physics. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Monarch butterflies embark on a yearly 3000 mile migration to spend the winter in the mountains of central Mexico, but that is not the only amazing part of their story. Join us as we fire up the Winnebago to go in search of the Monarch's history. We'll pick up Canadian bug PhDs, intrepid Mexican women and anti-logging activists on our journey. Just make sure to pack plenty of sperm pouches.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

A strange new illness began to spread from the wet markets in China during the winter of 2002. By early 2003, the world was in a panic due to a virus with pandemic potential. Surprise! 17 years later its all happening again! Join us as we trace the epidemic that hurled the global public health system into dismay way before it was bogged down by fake news and internet grifters. From government inaction to parrot chlamydia and superspreaders, the 2003 SARS outbreak straddled the line between tragedy and comedy.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

It's the late 1700's in France and a different reign of terror is underway for the cats and dogs that happen to cross Tarrare's path. Join us as we gorge ourselves on the story of one of the most bizarre medical marvels of that era. Tarrare's unique ability took him from street performer and pickpocket to experimental guinea pig and French spy. But the whole ordeal left the gross young man with a pit in his stomach and possibly a golden fork.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Once again we take questions from all the listeners and try to answer them... if we don't get distracted by electric cloud discharges. Learn the answers to questions about petrified glass, mass extinctions and the Mandela Effect. Also we delve into some philosophical queries regarding scientific ethics and the role of spirituality in the sciences.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

In 1995, the world was introduced to the most famous sheep in science history. While Dolly the sheep was the star of the show, she wasn't the first animal - or even the first sheep - ever cloned. Join us as we duplicate the surprisingly long history of animal cloning and separate the fact from the fiction. Also find out why you don't want to be up front at a DJ Diploid concert and all the things you can accomplish with baby hair and salamander eggs.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

After the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the third core slated for another shot at Japan was relegated for experimental use. But this instrument built for death would not go without taking a couple of lives of its own. Join us as we critically examine the deaths of two Manhattan Project scientists and the ignored safety protocols that could have saved them. We also try to figure out how swinging works, find that cowboy boots in a lab is definitely and aesthetic, and create a new genre of heavy metal called Demoncore. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

As far back as ancient Greece, seafarers have told myths of massive tentacled sea monster. From tales of the Kraken to Archie the preserved giant squid, this elusive cephalopod has terrified and captivated sailors and scientists alike. Come aboard our French ship as we traverse the ocean in search of the giant squid. On our odyssey we discover that Norwegian names are very difficult to pronounce, sperm whales are swallowers and European Seashells will be the next big hit. Grab a mothjito and join us on a deep dive.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

When the Third Reich fell, there was a mad grab for German technology by the United States. Although many of the scientists recruited under this top secret operation were proven or probable war criminals, the perceived advantages were too good to pass up. Join us as we declassify the origins and legacy of Operation Paperclip.  From being tracked down by elite T Forces, to building rockets for NASA, we find that some of these "intellectual assets" got off too easy.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

You wanted to know about global warming, human evolution and hangovers... Well, here is the episode where we answer all your burning questions! Join us as we discuss Darwinian Demons, the "Ice Man" (not THAT Ice Man) and how to quantitatively transfer "baby powder." We also have  a special quest appearance from a demon spider. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

POP! FIZZ! CLINK! Join us as we uncork the bubbly history of Champagne! As we drink we'll find that exploding bottles can scare off monks, the English really loved their sugar, and slightly turning thousands of bottles every day can be quite a riddle. The Romans may have spread it to France, but it was Dom Perignon who perfected it. We also have a special guest appearance from Mr. Jonah's Dad.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

A polymath isolated it, a young scientist popularized it, a dentist applied it to his field, and we inhaled it at a party. It started off as a "glorious gas" but ended up as the undoing of a very thin-skinned dentist. Join us this week as we drill into the dental applications of nitrous oxide! As you inhale deeply, you'll find that the best job is the one that requires you to get high, a chloroform habit is a bad idea and, most importantly, it's ok to fail. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Whether you're eating steak or guzzling down beer, everything you eat undergoes the process of digestion. For centuries this mechanism was poorly understood and a debate raged on. That is until one frontier doctor found himself a not so willing guinea pig to experiment on. Join us as we bite into the tale of Dr. Beaumont and his digestive experiments on Alexis St. Martin. Learn how eager scientists were to taste bodily fluids, how good Hippocratic Oats are for you, and why medical issues are measured in food sizes.   --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Proof of the Big Bang had eluded astrophysicists throughout the early 20th century. That is until two radio-astronomers working for a telephone company stumbled upon of of the most significant find in cosmology. Join us as we listen to the universe weave a tale of childhood escapes from Nazi Germany, experimental satellites, and pigeon murder! Along the way we explore the proper way to measure your PhD and speculate as to what exactly "pigeon fanciers" do with all those pigeons. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Before proper food safety regulation, everything from borax to formaldehyde could end up on your dinner plate. Then in the early 1900's, one wily chemists assembled a group of volunteers to eat poison for science. Join us as we digest the appetizing story of The Poison Squad! We learn what eating borax for a year will do to a healthy young man, pour some praise for the AOAC and give you advise on which side of the glory hole you want to be on. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

In 1912, an amateur archeologist found a skull fragment and a jawbone in the English town of Piltdown. What was once thought as a ground breaking find turned out to be an elaborate fraud that misguided evolutionary biology for decades. Join us as we uncover the culprit behind the Piltdown Man hoax! Along the way we knight ourselves, find out how far English men will go to join the Royal Society and have a guest appearance by our boy, Mothman. Be prepared for bad English accents! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

 It's the episode on acid, where we're NOT on acid. Extracted from a dangerous fungus, lysergic acid diethylamide became the preferred party drug of the counterculture. Join us as we take a trip from ergotism epidemics in the middle ages to microdosing by Silicon Valley techies. On our magical mystery tour we find that you shouldn't eat the weird-looking rye, riding your bicycle on LSD is just one bad trip and you can't absorb acid through your skin (unless you lick it). Also: Timothy Leary, MK-ULTRA, and orifices!!!   --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

During the Second Battle of Ypres, the Germans unleashed a vile weapon against Allied troops. Standing on the German side as the yellowish fog of war swept across the land killing thousands, was German scientist, Fritz Haber. Join us as we piece together the complicated legacy of this chemist who pulled bread from the sky and fed the world. We also propose ending war through diplomatic makeout sessions and figure out that a fur coat and a pair of funky glasses really make the villain. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Being a completely selfless person sounds like a wonderful thing, until you end up homeless sleeping on the street because you gave away all your possessions. Delusions of Jesus and the pursuit of scientific greatness drove George Price to a tragic fate. But along the way he developed one of the most profound (and poorly understood) equations in evolutionary biology. Join us as we talk about the implications of altruism, how suave vampire bats are and why only true friends will puke blood in your mouth. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

As the lives of these researchers have come together, a race for the DNA structure breaks out. Watson and Crick are seeking to beat Linus Pauling. Maurice Wilkins is trying to surpass Rosalind Franklin. And it seems Rosalind is running against everyone. Join us for the dramatic conclusion of this saga. Maybe you'll fall on the side that thinks Watson and Crick got lucky. Or maybe you'll see them as geniuses. Maybe you can help us cast the Rosalind Franklin in our movie! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

On April 25, 1953, three papers appeared in the journal Nature establishing the helical structure of DNA. The authors of the first paper, James Watson and Francis Crick, are most commonly associated with the discovery. But their work heavily borrowed from that of the authors of the other two papers. Maurice Wilkins received due credit in the form of a Nobel Prize, but Rosalind Franklin... not so much. Join us as we layout the lives of the four people who heralded this discovery. Along the way we'll find what DNA really celebrates, that Crick definitely smoked a lot of weed, and Franklin was so much better than you at everything. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

A frantic mother brings her son to the laboratory of France's most influential bacteriologist. The boy had been bitten by a rabid dog and would certainly die from the dreaded disease. But would the cautious Louis Pasteur use his untested vaccine on the child? From ancient cures to modern protocols, rabies has had a crazy history. So grab some chicken nuggets and a bottle of wine and join us as we lose our minds trying to find the cure for this diabolical virus. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Jack Parsons was a man living a double life. By day he was a pioneering rocket scientist but by night he was the leader of a Thelemite sex cult. Little did he know that messing with magic, drugs and teenage sister-in-laws would lead to a fiery demise. Join us as we finish the downward spiral of this rocketeer. With special guest appearances by deadly coffee cans, fire demons, and L. Ron Hubbard! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

In the early 20th century, using rocket research was a ludicrous endeavor. Yet, one intrepid amateur rocketeer sought to reach the stars by explosive means. Join us as we conjure up the sordid details in the life of an eccentric scientist. In part one, we find out how a pudgy rich kid blew up toilets at a military academy, helped convict a car bomber and then found himself tangled up with a sex cult. We also have a guest appearance from the neighbor's dog. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

It's episode number 10, and this is a very special topic. The Bunsen burner is emblematic of this podcast and of science itself. But did you know, that the simple redesign of this gas burner opened up the field of chemical spectroscopy? Join us as we explore the career of Robert Bunsen, a beloved teacher who survived arsenic poisoning and explored the geysers in Iceland and finally created the much renowned burner. Also we tell you how Jonah made his own type of burner and what sound electrons make when they get excited. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

In the late 1800's, a scientist working with cathode tubes observed a bizarre phenomenon: some unknown ray was causing a plate to glow in the dark. His obsessive work ethic and a hand from his wife led to the discovery of X-rays. Join us as we practice our terrible German accents while exposing the history of this revolutionary tool. Also we get a special cameo from a historical hottie. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Do you like corn? Geneticists Barbara McClintock spent her entire life studying this singular crop and made some significant discoveries along the way. Join us as we delve into the myth of a slightly misunderstood but thoroughly fascinating woman. Also we drop some sad facts about the Nobel Prizes and share our plans for our future musical careers. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Humans have had their eyes on the stars since ancient times but the most bizarre member of the Solar System wasn't discovered until one obsessed musician turned his telescope to the heavens. Let's find out how an army deserter and accomplished composer managed to spot the planet that would spawn a million immature jokes. Join us as we gaze into deep space and discover Uranus! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

Peptic ulcers and gastritis had plagued humanity for millennia. Even though several researchers had come upon a mysterious little bacterium in the human stomach, it wasn't until the 1980's that two doctors finally made the connection between this microbe and PUD. Then it took drastic measures to convince the medical community of the importance of this discovery. Join us as we digest the history of Helicobacter pylori. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

On a cool spring night while on the road to Mendocino, Kary Mullis had a stroke of genius. He devised a technique that would revolutionize how DNA research is conducted. As it turns out, PCR was a gift to science but Kary Mullis... not so much. From bizarre encounters with glowing raccoons to spreading pseudoscience, Kary Mullis takes us on a trip through the astral plane. And somehow we end up in the middle of the O.J. trial. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

A court battle over the world's largest and most complete T. rex ensues, a judge makes questionable judgements and unlikely partners come together to find SUE a home. Also we learn that in JonahLand the beer flows free and that GPS and written contracts are a good idea if you're dealing with multimillion dollar fossils. Join us as we conclude the saga of SUE the T. rex. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

In the summer of 1990, the most complete T. rex in history was found in the badlands of South Dakota. What at first seemed like an incredible paleontological find by a group of commercial fossil hunters turned out to be one of the most drawn out legal fights in that field. Join us as we dig up all the details about SUE the Tyrannosaurus rex. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

We conclude the Oppenheimer saga by reviewing his work at the Manhattan Project, the infamous security hearing and how he dealt with his wife's alcoholism. Also find out who Paul Giamatti would play in the biopic and why we love Kitty so much. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support

In part one, we explore the transition of an awkward up and coming physicist into a wife stealing professor. Along the way we find out that fancy luggage can kill and that writing poetry about strangers in the library is 100% creepy. Join us as we talk about the Father of the Atomic Bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bunsenburnerpod/support