The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean

Latest Episodes:

The Museum of Lost Things Sep 11, 2026

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An audio excerpt from my new book, The Museum of Long Things. Available now!

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NASA’s Unmentionable(s) Adventure Jun 09, 2026

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In the 1960s, NASA needed a better spacesuit. So they turned to the one firm on earth capable of meeting their strict standards—the Playtex underwear company. Episode below!

The Pioneers and Vestiges of Evolution Jun 02, 2026

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His book on evolution rocked 1800s England. Not Charles Darwin. Robert Chambers, whose infamous tome both horrified Darwin, yet paved the way for him.

The Angel of the Concentration Camp May 26, 2026

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Nurse Laura Cobb saved more lives than Clara Barton or Florence Nightingale, and under far worse conditions—in a brutal World War II concentration camp. So why did the world forget her?

The Battery Dope May 19, 2026

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In the 1950s, scientists hated politics. Then one Allen Astin got fired. After that, scientists knew they had to play politics—or face professional annihilation.

The Making of the “Flat Earth” Myth May 12, 2026

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No one in Columbus’s time believed the world was flat. So why did so many children learn this bogus “fact” in school? It all goes back to Rip van Winkle...

Forensic Pseudoscience May 05, 2026

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When the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, the two most scientific detectives in the world took on the case. But they overlooked the real enemy—their own petty prejudice.

Manhattan Project Propaganda Apr 28, 2026

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The Smyth Report is the strangest book ever written on atomic bombs—as well as highly effective science propaganda, warping our view of everything from the Manhattan Project to Robert Oppenheimer.

Back-Breaking Science Apr 21, 2026

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When a British sub sank with all hands, JBS Haldane volunteered to investigate by experimenting on himself—even if it meant losing his own life in the process. (Part 2 of 2.)

The Canaries in the Submarine Apr 14, 2026

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There’s only one thing Dr. John Haldane loved more than running dangerous experiments on himself—running them on his son Jack. But the duo would revolutionize our understanding of the human body.