Podcast Transcript In 1959, a small band of guerrilla fighters marched out of the mountains of Cuba and toppled a government backed by one of the most powerful nations on Earth. What began as a rebellion against corruption and inequality quickly became something much bigger, transforming Cuba into a focal point of the Cold War. …
Podcast Transcript In the middle of one of the harshest deserts in North America sits a city that, by all rights, shouldn’t exist. What began as a watering hole for ancient peoples became a railroad stop, then a gambling outpost, and ultimately one of the most famous cities on Earth. Its story involves mobsters, mega-resorts, …
Podcast Transcript Every day, thousands of ships crisscross the oceans, carrying the goods that power the global economy. But flying at the stern of those ships often flies a flag that puzzles people. Many vessels are registered in countries they’ve never visited, and in some cases cannot visit, under legal systems chosen not for geography, …
Podcast Transcript A thousand years ago, the world was a radically different place. Europe was fragmented and struggling, while China and the Islamic world stood at the height of their power and innovation. Great empires rose and fell, religions spread across continents, and trade routes quietly began stitching distant civilizations together. It was a world …
Podcast Transcript The African Great Lakes are some of the largest bodies of freshwater on Earth, yet they weren’t carved by ice, but by a continent literally tearing itself apart. These lakes are older, deeper, and more biologically diverse than almost any others on the planet, home to thousands of unique species and tens of …
Podcast Transcript Long before modern democracies, before constitutions or elections as we know them, a society of Viking settlers gathered in a windswept valley to create laws, settle disputes, and govern themselves without a monarch. Against the odds, this institution endured for over a thousand years, in various forms, shaping a nation and influencing ideas …
Podcast Transcript In the early 20th century, a glowing new element promised progress, prosperity, and even health. It lit watch dials, captivated the public, and symbolized the cutting edge of science. But behind that glow was a hidden danger that slowly poisoned the very workers who brought it to life. Their suffering would expose corporate …
Transcript When we think of what made human beings into human beings, one of the first things which come up is the discovery of fire. The control and use of fire is one of the earliest things which our ancestors did, which separated us from other apes and began us on the path to becoming …
Transcript In the course of doing research for shows, I often come across interesting facts that wouldn’t really make for an entire episode. They are really interesting, but I’m not sure how I could turn it into even a short daily podcast like this one. So, the solution was to create an episode where I …