1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Get in test with technology with text stuff from half 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: stuff dot com. Everyone, and welcome to text Stuff. I'm 3 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland and I'm Lauren, both of them, and today 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 1: our episode, part one of a two part episode comes 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: to us courtesy of a listener request. Richard on Facebook said, 6 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: how about doing a show on Perkin Elmer from optics 7 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: for the war, computers, medical devices, etcetera. And can't forget 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: the fault faulty Hubble lends that was never tested it 9 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: before sending up to space. A show could have been 10 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: made just on this blooper. We agree, we could have 11 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: done a show really probably about the Hubble space telescope 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 1: in general, but we're going to cover the Perkin Elmer 13 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: part of that in the second part of this episode 14 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: because it's complex, y'all. Yeah, they really do have their 15 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: hands in a lot of different projects, partially because, uh, 16 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: because we're talking about multiple companies and all kinds of 17 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: mergers and corporate shenanigans to go on over the course 18 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: of this company's history. But the more that we started 19 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: researching that, the more we realized exactly how much they've 20 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: had their fingers in, how many really important historical events 21 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: they've had their fingers in right, and and part of 22 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: that complicated nature comes to us from the the the 23 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: the fact that two big companies merged together, or at 24 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: least parts of two big companies merged together to form 25 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: the modern day Perkin Elmer. So the very the Perkin 26 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: Elmer that exist today is not exactly the same company 27 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: that made the the ill fated mirror for the Hubble 28 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: space telescope um. And in fact, we have to go 29 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: pretty far back and look at these two individual companies 30 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: that remained individual companies for a really long time to 31 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: get a real handle on what this company is all about. 32 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: And also the stuff that each company makes really complicated 33 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: science and technology stuff. So that's why this episode is 34 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: doubly complicated. You got the Shenanigans, and you got the 35 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: technolo oology. We could also, I mean, we could really 36 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: do stories on any one of these technological innovations that 37 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: we're going to be talking about. And uh so, you know, 38 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: let us know if any of them, uh sporks spark 39 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: your interest. Were I would like it if they would 40 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: spark the interest. Yeah, I um, it's true. We could 41 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,519 Speaker 1: take any one of these and make a full episode 42 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: about it. Uh So, we're giving you the cliffs notes 43 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: version of a lot of these. We will be giving 44 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: you some science one oh one, which was very important 45 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: for me because it's been a long time since I've 46 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: taken any chemistry classes physics classes, so I needed the reminder. 47 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: I'm sure some of our listeners do too. Okay, So 48 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: before we get into all of this, what what is 49 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: Perkin Elmer? What did they do? Uh? You know, I 50 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: wish there were an easy, simple, like one sentence. I 51 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: don't know what the elevator pitch for Perkin Elmer is 52 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: other than to say it's an international, multibillion dollar company 53 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: and it calls itself a global leader focused on improving 54 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: human and environmental health. But that that does not give 55 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: you a full indication of all the stuff they do. 56 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: And it's pretty heavily geared toward making scientific equipment and 57 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: process SATs. So sort of the if you think of 58 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: the stuff that whenever you see like complicated things happening 59 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 1: in laboratories, they have their hands in that. So a 60 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: lot of it in the health industry in particular, especially 61 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: more recently. But you know, it's kind of funny because 62 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 1: you look back at the origins of all this and 63 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: you would never imagine that this incredibly complicated company would 64 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: spring up from from from what it did. Yeah, and 65 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,839 Speaker 1: so Perkin Elmer was indeed started by two dudes named 66 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: Parking and Elmer. But due to the aforementioned of vultron 67 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: like combination of multiple corporations that we're going to be 68 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: talking about, we're kicking off by talking about some important 69 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: people who are neither Perkin nor Elmer, right, but they 70 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: are just as important to the company as it exists 71 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: today as anyone else. And so back in nineteen thirty one, 72 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: Professor Harold doc Edgerton of m i T partnered with 73 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: two students, Kenneth Germshalsen and Herbert Greyer to study high 74 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: speed photography and stroboscopic techniques. So the idea here was 75 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: that they wanted to, you know, photography was still a 76 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: fairly young uh art and science at this time, and 77 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: they wanted to be able to make cameras that could 78 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: take photos of stuff that's in motion without it being 79 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: really blurry. And so they really began to put their 80 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: minds to this, and they all kind of formed this 81 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: sort of research partnership, uh not necessarily thinking about making 82 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: a full company at this point, but that was the 83 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: origin of their part Meanwhile, in seven another partnership would form, 84 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: and that was between banker Richard S. Perkin, who was 85 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: thirty one at the time, and a court reporter by 86 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 1: the name of Charles w Elmer, who was sixty five 87 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: at the time. And I find their age difference just 88 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: interesting in the fact that they would go on to 89 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: do so many things together and what if they bond 90 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: over They were both really interested in astronomy. UM. The 91 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: company first helped import and then design optics and procedures 92 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: with with a primary interest in astronomical equipment UM and 93 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: and this was due to Okay, so so perkins childhood 94 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: passion was astronomy. He was putting together his own telescopes 95 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: by the age of eleven and grinding his own lenses 96 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: by the age of thirteen. I don't even want to 97 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: talk about the things I did at age thirteen. They 98 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: seemed so incredibly trivial in comparison. Yeah, I think I 99 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: was playing a lot of Donkey Kong Country at the time. Um. 100 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: But he he studied chemical engineering for a year at college, 101 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: then left for Wall Street, hence the banker thing. UM. 102 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 1: The two of them actually met when Elmer was delivering 103 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: an amateur astronomy lecture at the Brooklyn Institute UM. By 104 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: the way, the the Custer Institute and Observatory in New 105 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: York was named for Elmer's wife. They were really serious 106 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: amateur astronomers and would begin construction of that public observatory 107 00:05:55,920 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: that the Custer Observatory UM in ninety eight. So Perkin 108 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: and Elmer began importing optical instruments from Europe because the 109 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: US wasn't manufacturing a whole lot of that at the time, 110 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: But within a year they would begin manufacturing their own 111 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 1: out of New Jersey. And then in nineteen thirty nine, 112 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: Perkin Elmer incorporates. So there's something else that happened right 113 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: around nineteen thirty nine. Yeah, little thing you might have 114 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: heard of World War two um it, but basically broke 115 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,919 Speaker 1: out around the same time and started creating a huge 116 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: demand for for field optics, you know, periscopes and range finders, uh, 117 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: gun sights and cameras and all kinds of stuff like that. 118 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: And so Perkin Elmer began to branch out at the 119 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: same time that group that I talked about earlier, Edgerton 120 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: and germ Shausen and Greer, and I apologize if I'm 121 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: totally misspelling or mispronouncing rather their names that that became 122 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: known as E. G and G, which makes life so 123 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: much easier. And they also were being, uh, pretty instrumental 124 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: in the war effort. We'll talk a little bit about 125 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: that in just a couple of seconds. But nineteen forty 126 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: one we get into one of the first major products 127 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: from Perkin Elmer. It was a spectra photometer. So what 128 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: the heck does that mean? I mean, you hear spectro photometer, 129 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: and you start to try and break it down, and 130 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: there's only so much that an ignorant person such as 131 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: myself can do before I say, okay, I is it 132 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: a ghost light meter. No, it is not a specter photometer, 133 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: spectro photometer. I'm gonna go need to take some different notes. Yeah, 134 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: well we'll be right back. Okay, we're back, and now 135 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: we understand what this is kind of now, So, a 136 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: spectra photometer measures the amount of light that's either absorbed 137 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: or transmitted reflected from a sample object. So you pass 138 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: a beam of light through a sample and then by 139 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: observing the intensity of the light that reaches a detector 140 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: on the other side, you can determine exactly how much 141 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: of a particular material happens to be, say, in in 142 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: that sample. Usually you're talking about solution of some sort. 143 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: So you shine the light through and by observing that, 144 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: by by measuring the light, you can really determine what 145 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: sort of stuff is in there and how much of 146 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: a concentration there is. Because different materials absorb different kinds 147 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: of light, different wavelengths, different colors of light. Um. So, yeah, 148 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: so you can figure out what type of material you're 149 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: dealing with or um or detect particular materials in like 150 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: a blood sample for example. Yeah, really really useful technology. 151 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: And in nineteen six the United States government awards herald 152 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: Doc Edgerton the Medal of Freedom for his work in 153 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:36,319 Speaker 1: developing technology for night time photography. And you might wonder, well, 154 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: what's the big deal there, Well, when you're talking about wartime, 155 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: when you have to go on these missions to try 156 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: and determine what the enemy uh fortifications are, what they're 157 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: where they are, and you want to be able to 158 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: take these these images at night, it became incredibly important. 159 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: And so his work with E. G and G became 160 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: something that was so notable that the government ended up 161 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: awarding him the Medal of Freedom after World War Two. 162 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: Now we move on to nineteen and E G and 163 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: G Incorporates. So Perkin Elmer had already incorporated E G 164 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: and G Incorporates. And the only real reason I could 165 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: find that they incorporated was not because they had intended 166 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: to make a big company, but was because a certain 167 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: governmental agency urged them to incorporate. And that would be 168 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: the Atomic Energy Commission or a e C. Now a 169 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: e C formed after the end of World War two 170 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 1: and had the goal of developing atomic energy for peace 171 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: time applications. So that raises the question what sort of 172 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: peaceful applications was E G m G working on. How 173 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: about creating timed and triggered nuclear bomb. Yeah, that's super peaceful. 174 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 1: So they were really looking at a triggering systems. Um 175 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: that not the bombs themselves. They didn't build bombs, but 176 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 1: they build the systems that either would allow a bomb 177 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: to trigger or a timed system that would then have 178 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: a bomb go off. And they weren't necessarily thinking of 179 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: bombs just for military purposes, as we'll find a little 180 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: bit later, although I think at this time it was 181 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 1: primarily for military purposes. Ah. Yeah, all of those bombs 182 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: for private sector purposes are I'm I'm not sure where 183 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: that's going. I mean, however, in better news late in 184 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: in in that same year, Edgerton would publish his first 185 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: article in National Geographic Magazine called Hummingbirds in Action. Yeah, 186 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: fantastic contrast to making trigger systems for nuclear bombs. And 187 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: if you're wondering what the whole hummingbirds and action thing was. Again, 188 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: he kept working on creating better and better high speed photography, 189 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: and he was able at this point to take pictures 190 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: of hummingbirds and get a clear view of their wings 191 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: while they were in flight instead of just that blur 192 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,959 Speaker 1: that you would usually see. So again, more examples of 193 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 1: him working in that field. Okay, this is a lovely 194 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: pleasant note. While we are in this terrific mood, let's 195 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 1: take just a quick break for a word from our sponsor. Alright, 196 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: we're back nineteen nine. We get a the PE model 197 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: five to a flame photometer from Brokin Elmer. There So, 198 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: flame photometer, flame photometer, yep, what what's a flame photogram? 199 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: Oh boy, I had to do so much research in 200 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: this episode. So this is another instrument that helps you 201 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: analyze materials. Okay, so you essentially burned them to analyze them. 202 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: So I hope you don't need it after you analyze it, 203 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: because you're going to be out of luck. So what 204 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: you usually would do is you would spray a solution 205 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: of metallic salts. You would have these metallic ions in 206 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: a solution that you you spray into a chamber that 207 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: has an extremely hot flame. We're talking like degrees celsius 208 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: hot enough to vaporize the sample YEA, and then the 209 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: light given off by the vaporized solution can be analyzed. Uh, 210 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 1: and certain elements will give off certain types of light 211 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: during this vaporization process of exactly, so you'll get different 212 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,319 Speaker 1: colors that way, and by analyzing those colors, you can 213 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: determine exactly what those elements are and their concentration within 214 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:06,239 Speaker 1: that mixture. So it's usually used in inorganic chemistry applications 215 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 1: because again you're looking at metallic ions, you're not you're 216 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: not looking at organics like carbon based material. So let's 217 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: move on to nineteen fifty. That's when E. G and 218 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 1: G perfects an ultra high speed photography technique that allows 219 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: a camera with no moving mechanical parts to take images 220 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 1: with an exposure time as short as four millions of 221 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 1: a second, So there was a very specific reason they 222 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: wanted to develop this camera. That was around the same 223 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: time that that nuclear blast testing was going on. Yeah, 224 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: so we're we're talking about areas in the South Pacific, 225 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: uninhabited areas in the South Pacific where the United States 226 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: was testing nuclear bombs, and they needed to be able 227 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: to take images of this. But the problem was that 228 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: those bombs give off a little bit of light, and 229 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: by a little bit of light, I mean a whole 230 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: bunch of light, so much light. So finding a way 231 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: to have a camera that could take that image with 232 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 1: stand that much light was really challenging. And they found 233 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 1: this way of creating a camera where as soon as 234 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: that that light hit the camera, it would then activate 235 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 1: the shutter without any mechanical parts, so it could take 236 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 1: that picture that instant and they could get a really 237 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: good look at what happens the moment after a bomb explodes. Yeah. 238 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 1: A couple of years later, Edgerton would be the photographer 239 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,079 Speaker 1: who who went to the South Pacific to take pictures 240 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: of the h bomb there. Yeah. He uh, he stood 241 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: always away several miles. Yeah, it's not not good to 242 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: be right at ground zero. For that ninety one, Perkin 243 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 1: Elmer offers an infrared spectra photometer. So essentially we're talking 244 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: about just uh an additional tool here for chemical analysis, 245 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: and it allows you to use a different, different part 246 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: of the spectrum of light, the infrared spectrum, in that 247 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: type of analysis, which gave you a broader range of 248 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 1: materials you could use that that particular process on so 249 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: important development. I have nothing more to say of at it, 250 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: but I do have a lot to say about this one, 251 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: so let's see if I can say it correctly. Nineteen 252 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: fifty four, Perkin Elmer introduces the TI Celius electrophoresis instrument. Wow, 253 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,680 Speaker 1: I think I got that on the first try. You did, 254 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: so I had to sit there. I saw electrophoresis and 255 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: you know, kind of like spectro photometer. I see this word. 256 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, I know what some of these syllables mean. 257 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 1: What the heck is this? We we actually talked a 258 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: little bit about this in our episode on how gene 259 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: Therapy works, which was published on December. Come on, Lauren, 260 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: I don't remember what episodes we do when I'm aware. 261 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: That's why. That's why I'm reminding for it. For anyone 262 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: else out there who perhaps has a vaguely faulty memory 263 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 1: kind of like me. Yes, but so okay, So what 264 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: is electrophoresis? This is actually really cool and it did 265 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: start to sound familiar as I was looking more into it. 266 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: I wish my brain would just hold onto information longer. 267 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: So electrophoresis is a process where chemists use charged electric 268 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: fields to manipulate molecules within a solution. So you've got 269 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: a solution in there if you use this this uh, 270 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: if you apply this um electric field to the fluid, 271 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: you can actually move molecules around within a solution and 272 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: thus start to sort them right. And by by tuning 273 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: that field, yeah, you can you can select molecules for 274 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: for their size, or their makeup, or or their charge exactly. 275 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: So this means that within a solution itself, which may 276 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: have lots of different types of molecules in it, you 277 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: can start to sort things through. Again, very important in chemistry. 278 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: Not something that I would necessarily ever use, or that 279 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: anyone with the in the right mind would ever let 280 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: me get near. But it's super cool. No, no electricity 281 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: for you ever. No, I'm not even allowed to use 282 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: a computer anymore. I get all my information by talking 283 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: to this guy on the street. He's nice, though, breakin 284 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: Elmer unveils the vapor fractometer. When am I going to 285 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: land on an instrument that I understand immediately just based 286 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: upon the name? I? How how many degrees do you have? 287 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: In scientific I have zero degrees and never Yeah, it's 288 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: probably never gonna happen. So this is the first commercially 289 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: available gas chromatograph chromatograph. So now this case, I knew 290 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: what a chromatograph was. That one I understood. Um, I've 291 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: never used one, but I am familiar with what they're 292 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: supposed to do. That's actually when I had to look 293 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: up some good times. I'm glad. I'm glad that we 294 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: flipped back and forth. So in order to understand exactly 295 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: what a chromatograph is and why it's important, we need 296 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: to do a little chemistry one oh one, right, all right, 297 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: just to just to define some terms. So first we're 298 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: gonna define the term mixture, and it's pretty much what 299 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: you would think it is. A mixture is a substance 300 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: of at least two or more components that are mixed 301 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: together but do not in any way chemically combine. Right, 302 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: you can physically separate the components of a mixture. Right, 303 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: So if you if you thought of like, um, I 304 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: don't know, iron filings and some non ferres material like sand, 305 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: and you mix them together. If you had a magnet, 306 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: you could pull the iron silings out of that without 307 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 1: affecting the sand. There's no chemical common combining going on there. Right, 308 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: Then you have solution. And a solution is sort of 309 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: a subset of what a mixture is. So not all 310 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 1: mixtures are solutions, but all solutions are mixtures, right, And 311 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,640 Speaker 1: in this one. In in a solution, you've got one 312 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,639 Speaker 1: substance that has been dissolved into another. That the solute 313 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: is dissolved into the solvent. That's correct, And so it 314 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 1: makes it look like it's a single substance because of 315 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: that that dissolving factor. So saltwater, for example, looks like 316 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: it's a single substance. It's just it's it's water that 317 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: happens to be salty. But if you were to boil 318 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: off the water, the salt would remain behind, once again 319 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 1: showing that this is truly a mixture. The salt has 320 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: not chemically bonded in this case, so you do have 321 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: to go an extra step there by boiling it. You 322 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,120 Speaker 1: can't just physically remove it like you know. You could 323 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 1: maybe filter it out the thousand times using very very 324 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: fine filters, but that's it still is a lot more 325 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: work than you know your basic macro exture. Sure. Sure, However, 326 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: compounds are materials in which two or more elements have 327 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: chemically combined. Right, So salt is an example. Salt water 328 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 1: is a mixture, but salt is a compound. Salt is 329 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 1: sodium and chloride that has been combined together chemically, and 330 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: that changes the chemical composition. So you anyone who's done 331 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: any chemistry knows sodium, for example, explosive when it comes 332 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: in contact with water, uh, chlorine and it's and it's 333 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: our chloride and all of those kind of a lovely materials, 334 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 1: not so healthy to be around. But sodium chloride, when 335 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: you add the two together, totally harmless, table salt delicious, yes, 336 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: as moderate amounts people moderate amounts. So chromatography refers to 337 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: this broad collection of physical methods that are used to 338 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: separate and analyze complex mixtures, and it gets its name 339 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: from the practice of using these methods to separate out 340 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,360 Speaker 1: the various pigments that were found in plants, and each 341 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: pigment was different colors. So the process became known as chromatography, 342 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: or if you were to translate, it would roughly mean 343 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 1: to right colors right w R I T E. So 344 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:12,719 Speaker 1: we still use that term today, even if we're not 345 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 1: really concerned about colors at all. We just want to 346 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: be able to separate out a mixture. I think in 347 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: most most cases these days, we're not concerned about colors. 348 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: That's usually the case. Yet, So in gas chromatography, the 349 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: process of separating these components of a mixture out is 350 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: going to involve first again vaporizing the sample, right, yeah, 351 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: which makes sense because you want it to be a 352 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: gas example, happens to be liquid or solid. That's that's 353 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: a problem right there. Um. Then you're going to pass 354 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: the gas through this equipment and the different components in 355 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: it are going to migrate at different rates based on 356 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: on the size or some of the chemical uh chemical 357 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: properties properties exactly, yeah, yeah, yeah. So if you have 358 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: just just imagine you've got this gas, it's got different 359 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 1: types of molecules in it by by applying some force 360 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: to it, depending upon what you know, what method you're using, 361 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 1: because again, chromatography is a collection of processes. Then these 362 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: molecules of different components move at different speeds. Usually what 363 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: they're moving through is this absorptive materials. And okay, that's 364 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,640 Speaker 1: ad absorptive. I did not mispronounce that. That's that's absorptive, 365 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: not absorptive UM. And I just like saying that word 366 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: now um and and adsorptive surface is um. I mean basically, 367 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: it's something that stuff sticks to. It's a physical process, 368 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 1: which differentiates it from absorption, which is either chemical or 369 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,439 Speaker 1: energetic UM. For for example, water sticks to sand or 370 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: silica gel, which is essentially really fancy sand. And if 371 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: you want to watch a whole video about that, I 372 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: talked about it on brain stuff. So you can just 373 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,439 Speaker 1: search for silica gel brain stuff on your interweb's brows 374 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: arab choice and then you can find out all about 375 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: this stuff. So you then have these two or more 376 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 1: components within a mixture moving at different speeds against this 377 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: adsorptive material and so they're going and to stick at 378 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: different points on this absorbative surface, which ultimately means you've 379 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 1: separated out those materials. Very important in chemistry and the 380 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 1: big benefit of the vapor fractometer. Ha ha, you thought 381 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 1: we forgot about that that's the whole reason we had 382 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: chemistry one on one people. But the vapor fractometer the important. 383 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: The reason why it was important was because it didn't 384 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:24,919 Speaker 1: require specialists. It didn't require a highly trained chemist to 385 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: operate it, so that you could separate out these materials 386 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: within a complex mixture, which meant that you could have 387 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,119 Speaker 1: lab technicians running this instrument and then you could have 388 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: your fancy schmancy scientists doing something else somewhere else. It 389 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: was really kind of a labor saving device in a 390 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: lot of ways in the laboratory. Sure, and if you're 391 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 1: wondering what exactly this kind of thing is used for, um, 392 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: it can be. It can it can automatically determine, say 393 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 1: like the alcohol level and blood or um the flavors 394 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: or pollutants or other chemical compounds and stuff like water 395 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: or food or booze, which are all important to chemically. 396 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: These are important things. So nineteen fifty six that's when E. 397 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:09,120 Speaker 1: G and G participates in programs to develop nuclear propulsion engines. 398 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: I'm just saying that to make people a mad nuclear 399 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 1: propulsion engines for space vehicles. They also start to develop 400 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: commercial products for the first time, including flash tubes and 401 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,880 Speaker 1: high speed measurement instruments. Those flash tubes will come really 402 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 1: interesting in a few moments too. In nineteen fifty eight, 403 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: E G and G supports the a EC Plowshare program. 404 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,439 Speaker 1: This is where we're talking about the peaceful use of 405 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: nuclear explosives. Yeah, so instead of trying to you know, 406 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: weaponize nuclear bombs, they're talking about using it to do 407 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 1: things like dig canals or harbors or look for natural gas. Uh. Yeah. 408 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: It was around that time that a treaty was signed 409 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: to ban nuclear weapons testing. Yeah. Yeah, lasted about two years, 410 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: so yea, yeah, nineteen fifty nine. This was a fun one, 411 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: an interesting little bit. Edgerton joins of a famous fellow, 412 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 1: Jacques Yes, and they use E. G and G underwater 413 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,879 Speaker 1: cameras and light sources to do ocean exploration. And I 414 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 1: get the feeling that Edgerton was really was, you know, 415 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: like an adventurous sort and truly brought his expertise in 416 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: photography to lots of different fields. He sounds, you know, 417 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 1: although I hadn't heard the name, I think before we 418 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 1: started doing this episode, he sounds a little bit like 419 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: a science rock star of the of the nineteen sixties era, 420 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: kind of which that that I had heard of him before. Yeah, yeah, 421 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: we might. Maybe one day we'll do a full episode 422 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: just on his contributions, because they do go outside of 423 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,360 Speaker 1: just E. G and G. So, in nineteen sixty two, 424 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: M I. T. Scientists use E. G. And G xenon 425 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 1: flash tubes to shine a light on the surface of 426 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:47,320 Speaker 1: the Moon, like from Earth. Yeah, like flashlight on the moon, right, So, 427 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: like you know, normally the light on the Moon is 428 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 1: coming from the Sun. Not this time, it's coming from 429 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: a xenon flash tube. That is amazing. Nineteen sixty three, 430 00:23:56,359 --> 00:24:00,400 Speaker 1: Perk and Elmer introduces the atomic absorption spectra of the ptometer. 431 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:04,919 Speaker 1: And I know what you're thinking, Okay, what does that mean. Well, 432 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,120 Speaker 1: don't worry, I looked into it for you. So it's 433 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,479 Speaker 1: an instrument that atomizes a sample, usually by applying a 434 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 1: whole lot of heat to it. Again we like burning 435 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: stuff here in science, yep. And then the spectral photometer 436 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: shines light through that atomized sample, and elemental atoms absorbed light, 437 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: but only at a particular wavelength specific to that element. 438 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: So sodium would absorb certain wavelengths and potassium would absorb 439 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 1: other wavelengths. So once you know that once you know 440 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: which elements absorb which wavelengths, then if you shine a 441 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 1: light through this atomized mixture and have a detector on 442 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: the other side, and you detect for specific wavelengths and 443 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: you know you know how much should be coming through, 444 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: and you see how much is actually coming through. That 445 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: tells you subtract and figure out how much of any 446 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,160 Speaker 1: given element is in your sample. Exactly, Lauren, you beat 447 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 1: me to it. That's exactly right. So it's one of 448 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: those things where you know, it's a kind of an 449 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: ingenious way of figuring out what was in that stuff 450 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: you just blew up, uh, and in a much more 451 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 1: specific atomic level way than any of the previous burning 452 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: and or spectra of p autometer methods that we have 453 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:13,360 Speaker 1: previously described. Right, Okay, so we've got a lot more 454 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: to talk about both e G and G and Perk 455 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:19,159 Speaker 1: and Elmer, including the point where these two companies shake 456 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: hands and come buddy buddy with each other. But as 457 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,640 Speaker 1: you can already tell, this is very complicated. So we're 458 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: going to take a break so we can get some 459 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 1: cupcakes that are sitting outside the door for us and macarons. Yeah, 460 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: and now we're going to enjoy those immensely. Meanwhile, why 461 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: don't you guys enjoy talking to us? Send us, send 462 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: us messages, guys, send us email, send us messages on 463 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: Twitter and Facebook and Tumblr. We want to hear from you. 464 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: We've heard from several folks this. This whole episode is 465 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 1: uh based off of a suggestion. Your suggestion can become 466 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: our next episode. To send us an email tech stuff 467 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: at Discovery dot com or drop us a line on Facebook, 468 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 1: Twitter Tumbler using tech stuff hs W, and we will 469 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: talk to you again really soon. For more on this 470 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics, is it how stuff works 471 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: dot com