Sam Kean, "Caesar's Last Breath"
August 20, 2017
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49:49Now PlayingSam Kean, "Caesar's Last Breath"
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as posted by the channelKean starts his fourth book with the extraordinary fact that every breath we take involves sextillions of molecules entering or leaving the lungs. Tracing the paths of a few of these molecules, Kean, as he did with the elements of the periodic table in The Disappearing Spoon, gives us a fresh and unique view of something so essential we rarely think of it. With his signature combination of science and storytelling, Kean explains how air changes over the course of a lifetime, how balloon flight was inspired by lingerie, and how nitrous oxide went from recreational drug to dental mainstay—just a few examples of how the seemingly insubstantial chemicals we call “air” have shaped the physical world and influenced human culture.
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Produced by Tom Warren
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