Episode – 2047 : The Dust Bowl Podcast Transcript The Great Depression inflicted an economic disaster on the United States, driving unemployment to a staggering 25%. While urban areas faced […]
Episode – 1934 : The Younger Dryas
Episode – 1934 : The Younger Dryas Podcast Transcript Around 12,900 years ago, the last ice age was ending. Things were warming up, and the glaciers were starting to recede.…and […]
Episode – 1902 : The Domestication of Sheep
Episode – 1902 : The Domestication of Sheep Podcast Transcript Sometime around 9,000 to 11,000 years ago, somewhere in the Middle East or Central Asia, someone figured out how they […]
Episode – 1726 : The Many, Many Invasions of Sicily
Episode – 1726 : The Many, Many Invasions of Sicily hr class=”wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity”/> Podcast Transcript Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea is its largest island: Sicily. Given its […]
Episode – 1722 : The Columbian Exchange
Episode – 1722 : The Columbian Exchange hr class=”wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity”/> Podcast Transcript In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. He wasn’t looking for it, and, in fact, he […]
Episode – 1653 : Famines
Episode – 1653 : Famines Podcast Transcript One of the most devastating disasters that has afflicted humanity are famines. Unlike other natural disasters, famines do not have a single cause. […]
Episode – 1624 : Peanuts
Episode – 1624 : Peanuts Podcast Transcript One of the world’s most popular snack foods is peanuts. Peanuts are consumed by themselves as a snack, processed in the form of […]
Episode – 1453 : Maize aka Corn
Episode – 1453 : Maize aka Corn Podcast Transcript The biggest agricultural crop in the world today, by total weight, is corn. Also known as maize, corn is a crop […]
Episode – 1422 : The Wonderful World of Bees
Episode – 1422 : The Wonderful World of Bees Podcast Transcript There are millions of different insect species on Planet Earth. All of them fill some niche in the ecosystem […]
Episode – 1303 : Domestication of the Horse
Episode – 1303 : Domestication of the Horse Podcast Transcript Sometime around 5,500 years ago, an event took place on the Eurasian steppes that fundamentally changed the world. We don’t […]
Episode – 1246 : The History of Farming
Episode – 1246 : The History of Farming Podcast Transcript Over 10,000 years ago, humans began to cultivate and raise crops. Back then, a single farm could maybe grow enough […]
Episode – 1148 : A History of Human Labor
Episode – 1148 : A History of Human Labor Podcast Transcript Ever since humans came out of the African savannah, they have had to work to survive. But the nature […]
Episode – 1040 : The Domestication of Cats
Episode – 1040 : The Domestication of Cats Podcast Transcript Dogs and cats are both domesticated, four-legged, fur-bearing mammals. Beyond that, they really don’t have much in common. One of […]
Episode – 1015 : The Rise of Agriculture
Episode – 1015 : The Rise of Agriculture Podcast Transcript For hundreds of thousands of years, humans lived a nomadic life, hunting for game and foraging for food. Then, several […]
Episode – 0904 : The Little Ice Age
Episode – 0904 : The Little Ice Age Podcast Transcript Approximately 700 years ago, something happened to the Earth’s climate. The world started to cool down. It wasn’t dramatic enough […]
Episode – 0821 : How Barbed Wire Shaped the West and the World
Episode – 0821 : How Barbed Wire Shaped the West and the World Podcast Transcript When Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act of 1862, there was a rush of people […]
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 – 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 – 0651 : Chickens
Episode – 0651 : Chickens Podcast Transcript Around 10,000 years ago, someone in Southeast Asia captured a bird that lived on the floor of the jungle. Today, billions of descendants […]
Episode – 0609 : Why Wasn’t the Wheel Invented Sooner?
Episode – 0609 : Why Wasn’t the Wheel Invented Sooner? Podcast Transcript If you were to ask most people what the very first invention that humans came up with is, […]