Giant Leap with Taylor Wilson

Thank you for joining us this season. In this season 1 finale we take listener questions! What's the most dangerous experiment Taylor's ever done? How does lab glass work? What IS detergent? Those questions and more.YouTube • Podcast • Website • PatreonGiant Leap is a podcast hosted by nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson and journalist Joey Lovato. Shot in Taylor's lab, the show digs into hard science, big ideas and possible futures by speaking with the people making those futures reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Giant Leap, the search for elements beyond the end of the periodic table. Taylor and Joey visit the Heavy Element group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to learn more about the search for new superheavy elements. At the 88-inch Cyclotron, we take an inside look at the race to create new artificial elements and understand their chemistry. We explore the history and future of the quest to expand the periodic table and explore the implications for humanity if we finally discover the long-sought island of stability. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GiantLeapPodcast Podcast: https://www.giantleappodcast.org/subscribe Website: https://www.giantleappodcast.org/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/giantleappodcastYouTube • Podcast • Website • PatreonFeaturing: Jacklyn Gates: Group Leader, Heavy Element Group, Nuclear Science Division, LBNL Scott Small: Operator, 88-inch Cyclotron, Nuclear Science Division, LBNL Jennifer Pore: Research Scientist, Heavy Element Group, Nuclear Science Division, LBNL Taylor Wilson: Nuclear Physicist, Host of Giant Leap Joey Lovato: Journalist, Co-host Giant LeapGiant Leap is a podcast hosted by nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson and journalist Joey Lovato. Shot in Taylor's lab, the show digs into hard science, big ideas and possible futures by speaking with the people making those futures reality. This podcast is made with listener support. Thank you this week to Adrian Davis and John Lawson. If you’d like to join the Giant Leap community, and get access to bonus content, Q+As and more, head to https://patreon.com/giantleappodcast to set up a monthly donation.Keywords: Join us inside the legendary 88-Inch Cyclotron at Berkeley Lab as Giant Leap hosts Taylor Wilson and Joey Lovato explore the cutting-edge search for superheavy elements and the long-theorized island of stability. This episode reveals how researchers create brand-new elements atom-by-atom, the incredible engineering behind particle accelerators, how nuclear chemistry is pushing the periodic table into its eighth row, and why blue-sky science fuels breakthroughs in medicine, energy, and our understanding of the universe. From the history of plutonium discovery to the future quest for elements 119 and 120, this deep dive uncovers how tiny collisions inside a cyclotron may unlock entirely new forms of matter — and reshape the periodic table forever. superheavy elements, island of stability, Berkeley Lab, cyclotron, particle accelerator, nuclear chemistry, heavy element discovery, periodic table expansion, element 119, element 120, fusion reactions, nuclear physics, UC Berkeley, Glenn Seaborg, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, radioactive isotopes, atom smasher, gas-filled separator, Fiona spectrometer, blue sky science, nuclear research, ion beams, actinides, nuclear medicine, scientific discovery, new elements, atomic structure Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're wrapping up production of Giant Leap Season 1.Before we go, we're taking listener questions at [email protected] or Video is preferred, but if you can send text too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How are species are evolving in response to climate change, ecosystem loss and humanity as a whole? On this episode we speak with evolutionary biologist Shane Campbell-Staton about microevolution, animals responding to urban environments, and the effect of nuclear radiation on ecosystems like Chernobyl.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GiantLeapPodcast Podcast: https://www.giantleappodcast.org/subscribe Website: https://www.giantleappodcast.org/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/giantleappodcastGiant Leap is a podcast hosted by nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson and journalist Joey Lovato. Shot in Taylor's lab, the show digs into hard science, big ideas and possible futures by speaking with the people making those futures reality.This podcast is made with listener support. Thank you this week to Adrian Davis and John Lawson. If you’d like to join the Giant Leap community, and get access to bonus content, Q+As and more, head to https://patreon.com/giantleappodcast to set up a monthly donation.Keywords graph: This episode explores evolution and evolutionary biology through real examples of biodiversity, natural selection, and rapid evolution happening around the world today. We look at how urban ecology and human impact on nature drive species adaptation and microevolution, from tuskless elephants shaped by poaching to Chernobyl wildlife thriving in unexpected ways. The conversation dives into apex predators, invasive species, genetic adaptation, ecological resilience, and the growing challenges of climate change as ecosystems transform. Through stories of wildlife adapting to cities, evolutionary responses to pollution, and the complex pressures driving conservation, we uncover how human-caused evolutionary change influences species extinction, environmental pressures, and the future of life on Earth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Giant Leap, Joey and Taylor discuss Taylor’s recent trip to Carlsbad Caverns and why he was radioactive when he left. They discuss the element Radon, the physics of radioactive decay, the origins of Helium gas, and why people used to think radioactivity was actually good for you. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GiantLeapPodcast Podcast: https://www.giantleappodcast.org/subscribe Website: https://www.giantleappodcast.org/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/giantleappodcast Giant Leap is a new podcast hosted by nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson and journalist Joey Lovato. Shot in Taylor's lab, the show digs into hard science, big ideas and possible futures by speaking with the people making those futures reality. In between guest episodes, Taylor and Joey will talk about advances in science and technology. This podcast is made with listener support. Thank you this week to Adrian Davis and John Lawson. If you’d like to join the Giant Leap community, and get access to bonus content, Q+As and more, head to https://patreon.com/giantleappodcast to set up a monthly donation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.