Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids
Episode: How is Metal Made?
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Molly Bloom
Co-Host: Ava (from West Melbourne, Florida)
Guest Expert: Dylan Thuras (Atlas Obscura)
Overview
In this engaging episode, Brains On! explores the question: How is metal made? Host Molly Bloom and kid co-host Ava guide listeners through metals’ origins, how humans first discovered and shaped them, and the ingenious inventions that allowed us to create tools from metal. Guest expert Dylan Thuras from Atlas Obscura shares stories that stretch from exploding stars to ancient murder mysteries, helping explain why metals have fascinated and empowered people throughout history.
This is part one of a three-part series on how metal changed the world.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Metals: The “Super Material”
- Metals are everywhere: Buildings, jewelry, technology, electricity wires, ships, and armor.
- Unique properties: Hard, strong, moldable.
- Metals have shaped human technology and civilization.
- (00:16) “Imagine an amazing material. It’s hard, but you can make it soft and gooey like honey.” (Molly Bloom)
2. What is a Metal?
- Metal is a broad category (like "fish"): includes gold, steel, lead, tin, etc.
- Diverse metals, each with special uses and characteristics.
- Ava’s question inspiration:
- She noticed her jewelry looked similar but felt and weighed differently—sparking curiosity about metal’s origins.
- (04:00) “I was fidgeting with ... my bracelets that had metal ... I was wondering, how are they made?” (Ava)
3. Origins: Where Does Metal Come From?
- Not made on Earth, but in space:
- Inside massive stars, elements are fused to create metals.
- When stars explode, these elements scatter, eventually making up planets—including Earth.
- (07:04) “They do that by smushing tiny things called elements together. This makes new elements. Some are metals.” (Ava)
4. Early Human Use of Metal
- Discovery: Early humans found easily malleable lumps of copper or gold, shaped with stones or fire.
- Example: Copper beads (10,000 years ago), gold ornaments (7,000 years ago).
- Meteorite metal:
- Sometimes iron literally “fell from the sky” as meteorites.
- Example: King Tut’s iron meteorite dagger.
- (14:00) “Buried with the Egyptian king Tutankhamun ... the blade is made from an iron meteorite ... these things were considered ... a gift from the gods.” (Dylan Thuras)
5. The Otzi the Iceman Mystery (Ancient Metalworking)
- Discovery of a 5,300-year-old frozen body (the “Iceman”) in the Alps.
- Key artifact: Copper axe head, made by smelting—heating rocks to extract metal.
- Evidence that people were making metal tools and had trade networks in Europe 5,000+ years ago.
- (18:48) “What this ax tells us is that even 5,300 years ago, this hunter gatherer was carrying an axe where the copper head was made through smelting.” (Dylan Thuras)
6. Smelting and Casting Explained
- Smelting: Heating rocks to melt out the metal.
- Casting: Pouring molten metal into molds to create objects.
- (19:15) “Casting is when you pour really hot metal into a shape, so the metal cools and hardens into that shape.” (Ava)
7. Beyond Copper: The Quest for Stronger Metals
- Copper is soft—breaks easily. People mixed copper with tin to make bronze (stronger).
- Discovery of iron and later steel (iron + carbon) happened independently all around the world.
- (21:11) “People were so obsessed with figuring out, okay, how do we make even better metal? ... many groups ... figured out how to make iron and ... steel.” (Dylan Thuras)
8. The Haya People’s Steel Innovation (Tanzania)
- 2,000 years ago: Built kilns from termite mound mud to make high-heat ovens.
- Used air holes, preheating, and added reeds/wood for carbon—making true steel, centuries before industrial steelmaking elsewhere.
- (22:38) “What they were making was steel ... so strong that once humans master making it, they rebuild the world using it.” (Molly Bloom)
9. Mystery Sound Segment
- Mystery sound: Revealed at the end to be tap dancing—metal taps on shoes making percussive sound.
- (26:06) “I’m Nora ... the sound you just heard was me practicing my tap dancing.” (Nora)
- Discussion about how metal’s properties create familiar sounds.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- (01:21) “You’re right. We should have three [sandwich closets].” (Molly Bloom—playful tone, setting the show’s whimsical vibe)
- (06:22) “The truth is, most metal isn’t made here on Earth.” (Molly Bloom—setting up the science of metals’ cosmic origins)
- (07:59) “Once all that stuff is floating in space, it can start to clump together and eventually make planets like ours. The plucky little planet we call Earth.” (Molly Bloom)
- (14:00) “The blade is made from an iron meteorite ... a gift from the gods.” (Dylan Thuras—on King Tut’s dagger)
- (18:48) “Even 5,300 years ago, this hunter gatherer was carrying an ax where the copper head was made through smelting.” (Dylan Thuras)
- (22:53) “Steel is full of strength. In fact, it is so strong that once humans master making it, they rebuild the world using it.” (Molly Bloom)
Important Segments & Timestamps
- Overview of metals’ importance (00:16–01:03)
- Kid Q&A about metals (03:19–05:00)
- How metals are made—in stars! (06:12–07:19)
- Early human use of metals (12:35–13:49)
- King Tut’s meteorite dagger (13:49–14:26)
- Otzi the Iceman’s copper axe (17:39–19:06)
- Smelting & casting explained (19:06–19:21)
- Quest for stronger metals—bronze, iron, steel (20:13–22:45)
- Haya steelmaking (21:22–22:53)
- Mystery sound reveal (tap dancing) (26:06)
Tone and Language
The episode is conversational, curious, and full of playful humor. Molly Bloom keeps the mood light and encourages wonder, while Ava provides relatable kid perspectives. Dylan Thuras offers expert, adventure-filled storytelling.
Summary for New Listeners
This episode is a journey through the story of metal—from its fiery cosmic birth to how ancient inventors changed history with clever chemistry. You'll hear about meteorites, ancient murder mysteries, and ingenious kilns made from termite mounds. Real science, historical detective stories, and plenty of humor make this an exciting listen for curious minds of all ages.
Stay tuned for the next installment, where the team will explore how steel helped rebuild the world!