The Life and Contributions of the Smithsonian Founder
Guest: Steven Turner, Historian of Science and Curator Emeritus of Physical Sciences at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and author of "The Science of James Smithson: Discoveries from the Smithsonian Founder"
You’ve heard of the Smithsonian, but you probably don’t know much about the man who funded the museum. James Smithson was a brilliant scientist, but even the institution named after him downplayed his achievements. Steven Turner wants to set the record straight, and he has even replicated many of Smithson’s experiments to prove the value of his contributions.

The Science Behind the First Science-Fiction Novel
Guest: Kathryn Harkup, chemist and author of “Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein"
The years before Mary Shelley published "Frankenstein" saw huge leaps in our understanding of natural sciences, and many of the most popular experiments, lecturers, and science gossip made its way into Shelley’s famous novel. Kathryn Harkup, a chemist herself, talks about the science fact behind the science fiction.