PODCAST · science
Surprisingly Brilliant
by Seeker
A science history podcast uncovering the little-known stories and less-talked-about people behind well-known science & tech. Written & Hosted by Maren Hunsberger & Greg Foot for Seeker
Episodes
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The Impossible Picture
Time travel? Aliens? Seeing the invisible? This special episode’s tale from science history has them all as Maren takes Greg down the long and winding road science took to understand what is perhaps the most perplexing object in the universe: the black hole. Special thanks to the John Templeton...
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The Helplessly Human Doctor
The man who changed our understanding of disorders of the brain was a man who couldn't recognize faces himself. He was a man who saw music as a therapeutic tool, who broke all the existing rules for how to talk to and about patients, and who made us all feel a little more human. Maren tells Greg...
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The Lifesaving Bean
One bean has changed the world in unexpected ways, and the man behind it was even more extraordinary. This is the story of a man whose genius shone against all odds, how his discoveries shaped much of our modern world, and the science that he could have done...if society had let him. Maren...
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The Half-Walnut of Pus
Vaccines. They're a big topic of conversation right now. But who discovered them? Who gave the first one? And what was the rather effective method around for hundreds of years before them?? Greg tells Maren a (rather gross) story of pus, pox parties, and… cuckoos? It's a tale that travels from...
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The Language of the Universe
The universe speaks in a common language...the mathematics of change. Maren wasn't so sure about math, but after this episode she's a truly changed person. Isaac Newton DID stand on the shoulders of giants to translate the universe...but he also had his rivals, like Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.…
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The Donald Trump Of Science
A story in three parts: The discovery of a revolutionary biotechnology that’s used every day by countless scientists. How that works. And the dangerous ideas (& behaviour) of the man who won a Nobel Prize for its invention. Greg tells Maren about Kary Mullis and PCR. Show notes, sources, and...
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The Secret Doctor
This doctor was a public health pioneer, a visionary in the medical treatments of his day, and a relatively radical voice against the entrenched establishment...but do we only remember him because of this one secret? Maren tells Greg about James Barry and a story that travers the globe and...
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The Forgotten Whiskey Chemist
Greg tells Maren about a chemist who develops hit product after hit product, from revolutionising whisky production to developing ‘the first wonder drug'… a man who was once the most famous Japanese person in America but was soon forgotten. This is the story of Takamine Jōkichi. Show notes,...
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The World in a Jar
A forgotten figure, shrouded in mystery, is the true voice behind our modern understanding of perhaps the most important issue facing humanity today: climate change. Maren tells Greg about Eunice Foote, and a story filled with…intrigue and lost voices, and they come to understand why all these...
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The Puzzle Beneath Your Feet
This week Greg tells Maren about shovel-faced reptiles, giant ferns, land bridges, and classified war-time research. This is the story of how we worked out what shaped - and shapes - our planet. The story of an idea that's said to be as big a deal to Earth Sciences as Darwin’s Theory of Evolution...
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The Reinvention of Sex
One pill changed the world forever. It replaced crocodile dung inserted into the vagina. It involved rabbit embryos fertilized in a test tube. And it may be available for men in the future. Maren tells Greg a story filled with the wild characters and moral quandaries that have defined our modern...
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The Way To Win At Everything
Chess... Poker... Rock Paper Scissors... Your daily commute..? Nuclear war..? AND your Social Media?? Turns out you can form a winning strategy for all of these using 'Game Theory' - and in this episode Greg not only tells Maren how, but also untangles the story of its development. It’s the story...
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The Virus Queen
The first human coronavirus, yoga, and the recorder all have something in common: they were all mastered by the same woman. In this episode, Maren tells Greg the story of June Almeida, an extraordinary woman who completely changed the way we literally SEE viruses. Show notes, sources, and...
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The Question Of Who Flew First
This is the story of not just one set of brothers, but three: the Wrights, the Montgolfiers & the Lilienthals. It’s a story that does pre-flight checks in Italy, takes off in France, and soars to the US, with a quick layover in Brazil. Along the way Greg tells Maren about the contenders who some...
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The Electronic Ear
A story that spans from the tiniest cells in your inner ear to a technology that changed the world and will shape our future. It takes us through all of recorded history, uncovering not only how we hear the world, but how biased that world is too. Maren tells Greg a tale of biophysics, Alexander...
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The Twist In The Tale
We kick off Season 2 with the story of your most requested person: Rosalind Franklin. But it’s not the story we should be remembering her for either. Greg tells Maren the tale of how the structure of DNA was unravelled, but the twist leads us somewhere else entirely. Show notes, sources, and...
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Season 2 Is Here!
New amazing stories from science history are coming Thursday, November 19th!
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The Fourth Astronaut
Meet the ‘Rope Mother’ - the lady whose code, weaved into copper wire and magnetic rings, saved the Apollo 11 mission to the moon… Greg tells Maren the story of an incredible person who has not only been called The Fourth Astronaut, but who also pioneered, and coined the term for, ‘Software...
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The Fungus that Shaped the World
The course of World War II, the development of successful cancer treatment, and just being able to go outside without fear all come down to one thing: the humble Penicillium fungus. Maren tells Greg a tale of accidental discoveries, fungal espionage, and the daunting potential future of medicine...
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The Mystery & Might of Ectoplasm
What do a children’s birthday party, an accidental discovery, a shoe shop gadget, and Marie Curie have in common?? Have a listen to find out, as Greg tells Maren the amazing origin story of one of the most important pieces of medical tech ever developed: X-rays. Show notes, sources, and…
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The Chemist Who Saved the Lepers
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
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The Case Of Death By Peach Melba
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
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The Deadly Buzz
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...
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The Thick Brown Muck
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...
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The Great Air Debate
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...
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The Queen of Nuclear Research
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...
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The Admiral and the Moth
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...
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The Inventor From The Future
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...
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The Case of Botanical Espionage
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,...
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The Annoying Noise
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…
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The Discovery of Dragons
Meet the ‘Princess of Paleontology’ you may not have heard of. Maren tells Greg all about the lady who’s life work was finding the fossils that would eventually change the way scientists thought about the entirety of Earth’s natural history despite getting very little official credit… This is the...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Surprisingly Brilliant have?
Surprisingly Brilliant currently has 31 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Surprisingly Brilliant about?
A science history podcast uncovering the little-known stories and less-talked-about people behind well-known science & tech. Written & Hosted by Maren Hunsberger & Greg Foot for Seeker
How often does Surprisingly Brilliant release new episodes?
Surprisingly Brilliant has 31 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Surprisingly Brilliant?
You can listen to Surprisingly Brilliant on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Surprisingly Brilliant?
Surprisingly Brilliant is created and hosted by Seeker.
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