Science Diction
Science Diction is a podcast about words and the science stories behind them.
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Each episode of Science Diction takes a word or phrase, and with the help of historians, authors, etymologists, and scientists, serves up language with a side of science.
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Listen To All Episodes
5:08
New Science Diction Episode: Learn About The Fishy History Of Ketchup
Ketchup is an essential companion of American summer cuisine, but where did it come from?
17:16
A Pandemic Precedent—Set in 1918
What can we learn from the United States’ response to the 1918 influenza pandemic?
Science Diction: Quarantine
Quarantine is on all our minds lately. But the word goes all the way back to the time of the Black Death.
6:07
The New ‘Science Diction’ Podcast Brings You: Vaccine
Here’s what cows have to do with your yearly flu shot.
4:44
Introducing Our New Podcast: Science Diction
A new podcast from Science Friday looks at the scientific backstories behind words.
Science Diction: Cobalt
‘Cobalt’ takes its name from a pesky goblin—and mischief is baked into its name.
Science Diction: Dinosaur
The origin of the word ‘dinosaur,’ and the story of its self-sabotaging inventor.
Science Diction: Vaccine
The origin of the word ‘vaccine’ stretches back to a disease, a test subject, and… a cow.