Episode – 0180 : The SS Warrimoo Transcript In the waning days of the 19th century, a passenger steamer crossing the Pacific Ocean en route from Canada to Australia did […]
Episode – 0179 : Why Does The New Year Start on January 1?
Episode – 0179 : Why Does The New Year Start on January 1? Transcript New Year’s Day is not only the day we turn over a new year on the […]
Episode – 0169 : Why Do We Celebrate Christmas on December 25?
Episode – 0169 : Why Do We Celebrate Christmas on December 25? Transcript Every year, people around the world celebrate Christmas on December 25. In many countries, it is the […]
Episode – 0167 : Why Don’t We All Drive on the Same Side?
Episode – 0167 : Why Don’t We All Drive on the Same Side? Transcript Standards make everything easier. When everyone can agree on a standard way to do things, regardless […]
Episode – 0164 : The Rosetta Stone
Episode – 0164 : The Rosetta Stone Transcript The ancient Egyptian civilization was one of the oldest civilizations that we know of on Earth. While there is much we know […]
Episode – 0161 : The World’s Oldest Democratic Body
Episode – 0161 : The World’s Oldest Democratic Body Transcript If you happen to be in Valencia, Spain, on a Thursday, at noon, in front of the cathedral, you might […]
Episode – 0162 : All About ZIP Codes
Episode – 0162 : All About ZIP Codes Transcript Back in the day, sending letters was slow and complicated. Nothing could travel faster than the speed of a horse or […]
Episode – 0160 : The Terrible Fate of Blanche Monnier
Transcript Born in 1849 in Poitiers, France, Blanche Monnier was a beautiful young woman who was born into an aristocratic family. When she was 25 she suddenly disappeared. When people […]
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Episode – 0156 : Roman Concrete
Episode – 0156 : Roman Concrete Transcript There are lots of stories about technologies and knowledge from ancient peoples that have been lost to us through history. In reality, most […]
Episode – 0157 : The Man Who Didn’t Want to be Pope
Episode – 0157 : The Man Who Didn’t Want to be Pope Transcript On February 10, 2013, in what began as a rather innocuous assembly, Pope Benedict the XVI stunned […]
Episode – 0154 : Picasso
Episode – 0154 : Picasso Transcript He has been called the most famous artist of the 20th century. His work single-handedly defined an artistic style. He was more loved and […]
Episode – 0153 : The Real Illuminati
Episode – 0153 : The Real Illuminati Transcript In 1776, an obscure Bavarian professor of philosophy created a society for like-minded individuals who upheld the values of the Enlightenment. Fast […]
Episode – 0150 : Syndrome K
Episode – 0150 : Syndrome K Transcript In 1943, the Italian government surrendered to the Allied forces. The Germans, not wanting to cede such a large part of Europe to […]
Episode – 0151 : How Many Nobel Prizes Should Einstein Have Won?
Episode – 0151 : How Many Nobel Prizes Should Einstein Have Won? Transcript In the 120 year history of the Nobel Prize, there have been four people who have been […]
Episode – 0149 : Martha Mitchell Was Right
Episode – 0149 : Martha Mitchell Was Right Transcript Have you ever thought something and everyone else said you were crazy?Have you ever been called crazy and then have the […]
Episode – 0147 : Spanish Foods
Episode – 0147 : Spanish Foods Transcript Whenever lists of the world’s great cuisines are published, there is one country which is always at or near the top: Spain. Yet […]
Episode – 0146 : Battle of Cannae
Episode – 0146 : Battle of Cannae On August 2, 216 B.C the Republic of Rome faced its greatest test. I covered much of this in my episode on the […]
Episode – 0142 : George Eyser
Episode – 0142 : George Eyser Transcript Although you probably never heard of him before, American George Eyser is one of the most decorated Olympians in history. In the 1904 […]
Episode – 0141 : The History of Thanksgiving
Episode – 0141 : The History of Thanksgiving Transcript On the fourth Thursday in November every year, American’s celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. It is a holiday that originated in […]
Episode – 0140 : The Holy Grail
Episode – 0140 : The Holy Grail Transcript For centuries the Holy Grail has been a metaphor for ultimate achievement. The quest for the Holy Grail is likewise considered a […]