Episode – 0687 : A Brief History of the Mongol Empire Podcast Transcript In the year 1162, in the Khentii Mountains of what is today Northeastern Mongolia, a baby by […]
Episode – 0686 : Correlation vs Causation
Episode – 0686 : Correlation vs Causation Podcast Transcript You have probably heard the old saying that there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. There are several reasons why statistics […]
Episode – 0684 : Was the Holy Roman Empire Holy, Roman, or an Empire?
Episode – 0684 : Was the Holy Roman Empire Holy, Roman, or an Empire? Podcast Transcript In the 18th century, the French writer and philosopher Voltaire said, ??”This body which […]
Episode – 0683 : The History of Rice
Episode – 0683 : The History of Rice Podcast Transcript For thousands of years, rice has been one of the most important agricultural crops in the world. It has fed […]
Episode – 0682 : Lysenkoism
Episode – 0682 : Lysenkoism Podcast Transcript In the early 20th century, a Soviet agronomist named Trofim Lysenko developed some unique theories of biology and genetics. He rose to the […]
Episode – 0969 : Lysenkoism (Encore)
Episode – 0969 : Lysenkoism (Encore) Podcast Transcript In the early 20th century, a Soviet agronomist named Trofim Lysenko developed some unique theories of biology and genetics. He rose to […]
Episode – 0681 : The Petrodollar
Episode – 0681 : The Petrodollar Podcast Transcript On August 15, 1971, US President Richard Nixon ended the gold convertibility of the US Dollar and simultaneously ended the Bretton Woods […]
Episode – 0680 : How Worried Should We Be About Asteroids?
Episode – 0680 : How Worried Should We Be About Asteroids? Podcast Transcript About 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid collided with the Earth near the Yucatan Peninsula in […]
Episode – 0679 : Saint Peter’s Basilica
Episode – 0679 : Saint Peter’s Basilica Podcast Transcript In the early 4th century, the Roman Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of a church on the burial site of Saint […]
Episode – 0677 : The Library of Alexandria
Episode – 0677 : The Library of Alexandria Podcast Transcript Sometime during the reign of Ptolemy I or Ptolemy II, the Egyptian state decided to build an institution dedicated to […]
Episode – 0676 : Friday the 13th
Episode – 0676 : Friday the 13th Podcast Transcript Friday the 13th is a day associated with bad luck and ill omens. However, why is this particular combination of day […]
Episode – 0675 : King Tutankhamen
Episode – 0675 : King Tutankhamen Podcast Transcript In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter stumbled upon one of the most pristine tombs of an Egyptian Pharaoh ever found. The tomb […]
Episode – 0674 : The Vice President of the United States
Episode – 0674 : The Vice President of the United States Podcast Transcript At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the delegates worked hard to create a document that would govern their […]
Episode – 0673 : The Irish Potato Famine
Episode – 0673 : The Irish Potato Famine Podcast Transcript In 1845, farmers around Europe suffered from a blight that devastated the potato crop. This lasted for several years, but […]
Episode – 0672 : Nine Kings, One Room
Episode – 0672 : Nine Kings, One Room Podcast Transcript On May 20, 1910, an event occurred that had never occurred before or since. Gathered for the funeral of the […]
Episode – 0670 : Bretton Woods
Episode – 0670 : Bretton Woods Podcast Transcript Barely a month after the Normandy Landing in 1944, the allied powers were already thinking of what the post-war world would look […]
Episode – 0669 : All About Solar Power
Episode – 0669 : All About Solar Power Podcast Transcript In 1839, a French scientist by the name of Edmond Becquerel was experimenting with an electrochemical cell when he discovered […]
Episode – 0668 : The 1919 Chicago Black Sox Scandal
Episode – 0668 : The 1919 Chicago Black Sox Scandal Podcast Transcript In October 1919, the champions of the National League, the Cincinnati Reds, faced the champions of the American […]
Episode – 0667 : A Star is Born
Episode – 0667 : A Star is Born Podcast Transcript It is estimated that within the observable universe there might be as many as a septillion stars. While each of […]
Episode – 0666 : A History of the End of the World
Episode – 0666 : A History of the End of the World Podcast Transcript Over the centuries, there has been a host of self-proclaimed prophets, astrologers, scientists, and cranks who […]