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How Do We Know How Old the Earth Is?
Season 4
Episode 31
Since there’s no “established in” plaque stuck in a cliff somewhere, geologists deduced the age of the Earth thanks to a handful of radioactive elements. With radiometric dating, scientists can put an age on really old rocks — and even good old Mother Earth. For the 30th anniversary of National Chemistry Week, this edition of Reactions describes how scientists date rocks.
17:15
We explore how far carbon structures are from revolutionizing the world.
14:45
We dig into the science of flavor pairings, especially when it comes to the famous combo.
10:39
Can a medicine cause a war? The treatment for Malaria may just have.
11:30
We explore what happens to space debris closest to the earth.
12:47
We look at the century-long quest for the Holy Grail: synthetic blood.
13:38
The process might be relatively simple but it's dangerous and illegal without a license.
9:32
Gas stove ranges are polluting our homes.
13:43
We look at the science behind the whole process, from sap to syrup.
11:50
With the right cleaning methods, we can turn the dirtiest water into safe cleaning water.
9:12
Counterintuitively, you do it with explosives.
12:10
We’re gonna dive into the controversial chemistry of water's unusual properties.
10:03
Plot twist: Toxic Anhydrous ammonia is responsible for 50% of the food on your table.