The start of the New Year in 2017 began in the usual way, with a countdown. But what happens when that countdown is eleven seconds rather than ten? In this final episode of the first series, Tom Whipple explores the evolution of time measurement, the complications a leap second can cause, and the ongoing debate among international 'time lords’ about what's to be done about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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12:01
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12:01
The Tree of Life
In this episode of Making Science, Tom Whipple tells the story of physician and alchemist Johannes Baptist van Helmont. In the 17th-century Van Helmont believed he had created the Philosopher's Stone, a substance that could turn base metals into gold. Whilst this might have been a pipe dream his work indirectly paved the way for a monumental scientific discovery - photosynthesis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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13:53
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13:53
Glow in the dark cocktails and radioactive health drinks
The Sunshine Dinner of 1904 in New York was known for its glow-in-the-dark theme, featuring illuminated decorations, paint and of course, drinks. But what made these cocktails glow? It turned out to be none other than radium. In this episode of Making Science, Tom Whipple goes back to a time when radioactive products touted alluring health benefits. What they didn’t know then, was that the substance was unstable and would prove deadly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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9:08
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9:08
The kilogram that lost its weight
For over a century, the kilogram was defined by a single, shiny lump of metal locked in a vault near Paris. But what happens when your definition of mass starts...losing mass? In this episode, Tom Whipple, Science Editor at The Times, unpacks the surprisingly dramatic story of the kilo - from the French Revolution’s quest for order, to a quantum reimagining of what “weight” really means. Enter the kibble balance: a machine so precise it can weigh light itself. Sort of. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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10:52
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10:52
How do you hide a lump of gold in plain sight?
It's April in 1940. The Nazis are occupying Copenhagen. As they march through the streets, a stark realisation hits the physicist Niels Bohr. He has hours - maybe less - to make two Nobel Prize medals disappear completely. What might a substance named Aqua Regia and a humble beaker do conceal two huge lumps of gold? And bring it back again...a decade later. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What connects 200 hand-holding monks, a lump of gold hidden in a beaker, and irradiated cocktails? Welcome to Making Science with Tom Whipple, Science Editor at The Times and Sunday Times. This is the podcast where history, innovation, and the unexpected collide, as we uncover jaw-dropping stories behind the scientific discoveries we take for granted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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