Uranium is the fuel for nuclear power stations, which generate carbon-free electricity, but also...
41:23
Uranium is the fuel for nuclear power stations, which generate carbon-free electricity, but also...
41:23
Nickel is the metal that made the jet age possible, not to mention margarine and bicycle...
34:12
Lead is the sweetest of poisons, blamed for everything from mad Roman emperors to modern-day...
38:31
The atomic clock runs on caesium, and has redefined the very meaning of time. But it has also...
38:16
Sulphur is in abundant supply thanks to its extraction from sour oil and gas, in order to prevent...
34:29
Plutonium is one of a family of highly radioactive "synthetic" elements cooked up in nuclear...
37:48
Already responsible for the IT revolution, could silicon be about to pull off an energy...
38:39
Tungsten is one of the hardest, heaviest and highest melting metals, used in everything from...
34:43
Silicon is synonymous with the computer revolution. We travel to its eponymous birthplace -...
39:50
What links soap, paper, heart disease and murder? Sodium. In the latest in our series of...
32:50
Chlorine is more than just a chemical used in swimming pools. This poisonous green gas is the...
33:28
Lithium is the electro-chemical element - big in batteries and bipolar disorder. Over two decades...
33:00
Traditionally used as a magic ingredient to produce tougher, more wear-resistant steels, vanadium...
28:41
Nitrogen is a crucial ingredient in fertilisers. And thanks to a pair of clever Germans, the...
33:40
70% of the Earth's atmosphere is nitrogen. Yet this seemingly inert gas is the key component of...
35:54
Polymers – or plastics – are enduring, cheap, mouldable and versatile. Yet their very durability...
35:00
Rare Earth Elements (Ce, Nd, Dy, Er, etc)
Neither rare nor earths, these 17 elements are nonetheless difficult and unpleasant to mine and...
32:43
Diamonds are not forever. They can be burned, and these days they can be mass-produced in a...
31:38
Tin may seem old-fashioned, but it plays some surprisingly important roles in the modern economy....
32:04
The periodic table provides an entirely new perspective on how the global economy works, as we...
26:41