Elemental

Beryllium - sweet and precious, but deadly


Listen Later

You'll find beryllium in precious jewels and a space telescope mirror, but just don't inhale the dust - all in episode 11 of Elemental, with AUT's Professor Allan Blackman.

Beryllium is a very light metal (atomic number 4, symbol Be), found at the top of the periodic table.

It's colourless, but in combination with other chemicals you'll find it on jewel-encrusted rings and necklaces in the form of emeralds, beryls and aquamarines.

It tastes sweet but it's poisonous (so don't eat it or inhale the dust).

And Professor Allan Blackman from AUT says that beryllium is being used to create the massive mirrors that will be part of the upcoming James Webb space telescope.

We are exploring the periodic table alphabetically and so far we have looked at all the As: actinium, aluminium, americium, antimony, argon, arsenic and astatine.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

ElementalBy RNZ

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

30 ratings


More shows like Elemental

View all
In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

736 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

609 Listeners

Big Picture Science by Big Picture Science

Big Picture Science

941 Listeners

SpaceTime with Stuart Gary by Stuart Gary

SpaceTime with Stuart Gary

324 Listeners

The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

The Quanta Podcast

539 Listeners

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries by Professor Fred Watson and Andrew Dunkley

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries

238 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

334 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

362 Listeners

FROM ZERO by RNZ

FROM ZERO

1 Listeners

Go Ahead Caller by RNZ

Go Ahead Caller

1 Listeners

Here Now by RNZ

Here Now

1 Listeners

The Common Descent Podcast by Common Descent

The Common Descent Podcast

741 Listeners

Slice of Heaven by RNZ

Slice of Heaven

1 Listeners

The Lost by RNZ

The Lost

42 Listeners

Pants on Fire by RNZ

Pants on Fire

102 Listeners

The Science Of… by RNZ

The Science Of…

1 Listeners

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

2,361 Listeners

The Worst Sitcom Ever Made by RNZ

The Worst Sitcom Ever Made

7 Listeners

Best of Storytime by RNZ

Best of Storytime

2 Listeners

The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

The Supermassive Podcast

328 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

115 Listeners

The Citizen's Handbook by RNZ

The Citizen's Handbook

3 Listeners

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean by Sam Kean, Bleav

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean

1,329 Listeners

After the Virus by RNZ

After the Virus

0 Listeners

The Service by RNZ

The Service

31 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,320 Listeners

Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

Why This Universe?

388 Listeners

Short Story Stack by RNZ

Short Story Stack

0 Listeners

Fight for the Wild by RNZ

Fight for the Wild

4 Listeners

Deer Wars by RNZ

Deer Wars

3 Listeners

Voice of Tangaroa by RNZ

Voice of Tangaroa

2 Listeners

Hair and Loathing by TAHI

Hair and Loathing

0 Listeners

Sci Fi / Sci Fact by RNZ

Sci Fi / Sci Fact

3 Listeners

The Stolen Children of Aotearoa by RNZ

The Stolen Children of Aotearoa

2 Listeners

No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds by RNZ

No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds

0 Listeners