Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we strike a match and step into the strange, smoky, and surprisingly human world of alchemy — where fire is sacred, emperors chase immortality, and one man’s glowing urine helps shape the story of modern chemistry.

Kevin is joined by award-winning journalist, adventurer, and author Dr Kit Chapman to discuss his new book The Age of Alchemy: How Early Innovators Shaped Modern Chemistry. Together, they travel through thousands of years of human curiosity, from the first use of fire to the myths, mistakes, rituals, and discoveries that eventually became modern science.

Along the way, we visit Mayan ruins in Guatemala, explore the origins of alchemy in Roman Egypt, decode the strange language of alchemical recipes, and discover why chemistry is not just a laboratory science, but a story of culture, religion, politics, travel, empire, and survival. From golden idols, Egyptian blue pigments, and Chinese emperors drinking mercury in search of eternal life, to Hennig Brand’s unforgettable attempt to turn urine into gold, Kit reveals how these curious histories connect to his own travels — from the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London to the Aral Sea — and to the wider story of science, humanity, and the world around us.

Then, after all that elemental adventure, we pop into the local for a quick pub quiz. This week’s round: Elemental Excellence. Test your knowledge of chemistry, curious elements, and the strange facts hiding in the periodic table.

We’re also trying something new, with episodes now coming to you every week. Join us next Thursday for more adventurous audio, including mischievous folklore from the north of England and another remarkable mudlarking discovery from the banks of the Thames.

So whether you’re warming your hands by the fire, wondering what the world is made from, or simply hoping your own experiments don’t get out of hand — there’s always something bubbling away in The Big Smoke

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1) Which element was named after the Greek word meaning “green-yellow”?

Answer: D) Chlorine

The name chlorine comes from the Greek word chloros, meaning green-yellow — a reference to the gas’s distinctive colour. Chlorine was identified as an element by Humphry Davy in 1810.

2) Which element was once considered so valuable that Emperor Napoleon III reportedly reserved cutlery made from it for his most important dinner guests?

Answer: C) Aluminium

Before modern industrial methods made it cheap and common, aluminium was considered more precious than gold. In the mid-19th century, Napoleon III reportedly used aluminium utensils for honoured guests — while everyone else had to make do with gold or silver.

3) Which element was first discovered by scientists studying the Sun — before it was ever found on Earth?

Answer: A) Helium

In 1868, astronomers studying a solar eclipse spotted a mysterious yellow spectral line in sunlight that didn’t match any known element. They named it helium after Helios — making it the first element discovered in space before being identified on Earth.

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Links

📖 The Age of Alchemy by Kit Chapman

🧑‍🔬 Dr Kit Chapman

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro & Show Menu

(01:39) Kit Chapman Interview

(44:34) Pub Quiz: Elemental Excellence

(46:03) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins