The Untitled History Podcast

Episode 20: When Radium Was Put in Everything

The Untitled History Podcast

Show Notes

The discovery of Radium in 1898 opened up new frontiers of science and medicine. But the sheer difference between the behaviour of radium and every element that had been discovered before, led to wild claims about its properties.

These claims, and the mystery surrounding the new element, led to a period sometimes known as the ‘Radium Craze’. For decades, this potentially dangerous element would be used for medical experimentation and in consumer products, with news of its effects - real and exaggerated - making headlines around the world.

Guest: Lucy Jane Santos is a historian whose work ranges across beauty, science, technology, popular entertainment and nightlife, uncovering fresh angles and new insights into the moments that have shaped the modern world.

Cats present: Napoleon, Cecilia

Useful links: https://lucyjanesantos.com https://lucyjanesantos.com/half-lives/ https://daily.jstor.org/the-serpentine-career-of-loie-fuller/ https://fuel-design.com/publishing/soviet-sanatoriums/ https://www.theradiumgirls.com/the-girls

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Host: Gareth Edwards More about Gareth Edwards: https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host

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Credits: - Host: Gareth Edwards - Editing: Hunter Christensen - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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