Surprisingly Brilliant

Latest Episodes:

The Chemist Who Saved the Lepers Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

Maren tells Greg the story of a gruesome disease and the woman who came up with a solution...but who disappeared from history until now: Alice Ball. Oh and also - there are armadillos.

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Case Of Death By Peach Melba May 28, 2020

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Greg tells Maren a true crime science history story about a famous chef who served her entrees with a special side... of death! This is the story of Mary Mallon, aka “Typhoid Mary”.

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Deadly Buzz May 21, 2020

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Maren tells Greg the story of a historic plague...or is it? It's a tale of a gruesome disease and how a few courageous, self-experimenting scientists finally figured out what role mosquitos play in public health.

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Thick Brown Muck May 14, 2020

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Greg tells Maren about the discovery of one of medicine’s biggest breakthroughs -a drug that has saved millions of lives: Insulin. It’s a story about drug development & testing, a dog called Marjorie… and a missing person?

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Great Air Debate May 07, 2020

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The discovery of one of our most important elements is hugely disputed. Maren tells Greg the twists and turns of the story of oxygen, the battle between Lavoisier & Priestley, a self-effacing… Pomeranian, a revolutionary, a teenage girl, and the guillotine.

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Queen of Nuclear Research Apr 30, 2020

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The Queen of Nuclear Research very few people - including those working in Physics - know of! Greg tells Maren a trans-Pacific tale of passion, dedication, and the work of a gifted scientist who fundamentally changed physics forever, yet (some say) was overlooked for the Nobel Prize. This is the story of Chien-Shiung Wu.

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Admiral and the Moth Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Maren tells Greg about the person responsible for the foundations of modern computing, yet her name is rarely mentioned in the history books. Her innovations have made possible many of the things we take for granted today—like personal computing, stock market analysis, and commercial industrialization. This is the story of Grace Hopper.

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Inventor From The Future Apr 16, 2020

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A man you know. A story you don’t. His electric revolution lit up America but he also worked on what’s been called early radar, robotics, and... a death ray? Greg tells Maren the full story of Nikola Tesla, and also uncovers a link between him and Donald Trump.

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Case of Botanical Espionage Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

Grab a gin and tonic as you listen to Maren tell the story of a miraculous discovery, espionage and economic cartels all surrounding...a tree? A very special tree that cures malaria, shaped the development of the modern world as we know it… and is in tonic water (hence the drink).

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant

The Annoying Noise Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

Perhaps the biggest accidental discovery story in the history of the universe. Well, definitely *about* the history of the universe. Greg tells Maren about a weird sound, and how two guys, Wilson & Penzias, figured out what it was, rocking the world of cosmology along the way.

Show notes, sources, and transcript can be found at https://linktr.ee/surprisinglybrilliant