The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
Hosted by Sam Kean · Sam Kean
4.2from 1,725 ratings
- 138
- Episodes
- 46
- Transcribed
- 1,725
- Ratings
- Daily
- Cadence
- 2019
- First episode
- 17M
- YouTube views
About The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
A topsy-turvy science-y history podcast by Sam Kean. I examine overlooked stories from our past: the dental superiority of hunter-gatherers, the crooked Nazis who saved thousands of American lives, the American immigrants who developed the most successful cancer screening tool in history, the sex lives of dinosaurs, and much, much more. These are charming little tales that never made the history books, but these small moments can be surprisingly powerful. These are the cases where history gets inverted, where the footnote becomes the real story.
- Publisher
- Sam Kean
- Category
- arts · history · science
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 26 Oct 2019
- Latest episode
- 11 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
46 of 138 episodes have a transcript.
11 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Museum of Lost Things
9 Jun 2026
NASA’s Unmentionable(s) Adventure
2 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Pioneers and Vestiges of Evolution
Inside a recent episode
The Museum of Lost Things
Published 11 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] The scenes paint an evocative picture of heaven. But what raises them to the level of Michelangelo is the little artistic flourishes. You can see the shimmering scales on the tilapia in the marsh. In the garden, you can pick out which dates are ripest by their color and texture. A shirtless old man in one scene has flyaway hair and an outie belly button. Another scene shows a servant clutching a dwarf gazelle. and you can practically see it trembling in the man's arms. Tiger butterflies flit by, and a tawny cat flashes its whiskers as it snatches birds. Each vignette is a masterpiece of realism in an age when realism hadn't even been invented yet. […]
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See plansReach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 16,751,226
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.0 / 5
- 1,342 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.9 / 5
- 383 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 60 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 45
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 93
- Engagement
- 93
Contact The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
- Guest appearances
- Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
Who hosts The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean?
Sam Kean host the show. Published by Sam Kean.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean take guests?
The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
46 of 138 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
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