Podcast Transcript In the 16th century, one ruler transformed a growing principality into a powerful empire, crowned himself with a new title, conquered vast territories, and reshaped the political order of Eastern Europe. Yet, history doesn’t necessarily remember him as a great leader, as his reign also became notorious for paranoia, executions, brutal repression, and …
Transcript Humans and rats have lived in an uneasy relationship for millennia. Rats have spread diseases like the bubonic plague, destroyed grain harvests, and stolen our pizzas. In return, rats have given humans……pretty much nothing. As such, humans have waged a relentless war against rats, which for the most part has gone nowhere. However, there …
Transcript If you visit a different country you might need to get some of the local currency. You might get Ringgit in Malaysia, Pesos in Mexico, Kip in Laos, or Tala in Samoa. However, there is one country where you have to be careful what currency you get because there are different notes produced in …
Transcript Since the year 1790, New York City has been the largest city in the United States. Given the population density of the city, the vast majority of the people there rent apartments. Now imagine if everyone in New York who switched apartments had to do so on the exact same day every year. Well, …
Transcript The printing press is considered to be one of, if not the greatest invention in history. The printing press allowed for an explosion in information and it ushered in the renaissance, the enlightenment, and the scientific and industrial revolutions. As such, Johannes Gutenberg is often considered one of the most important people in history. …
Transcript There is a number, a very special number, which is inside all of us. It is inside you, inside me, and inside every person on Earth. It dictates our social interactions. It has determined the size of communities, Christmas Card lists, and has implications for social media. Learn more about the Dunbar Number on …
Transcript On November 24, 1971, a man who identified himself as Dan Cooper purchased a $20 ticket for a short 30-minute flight from Portland to Seattle. He had with him a briefcase filled with dynamite and wanted $200,000. After getting his money, the plane took off again, Dan Cooper took the money, jumped out of …
Transcript There are many foods that are considered an acquired taste. Foods that might not be very palatable the first time you try it, or something that just doesn’t sit right with most people. It could be something as simple as blue cheese, or something like the Filipino delicacy, balut, which is a boiled, fertilized …
Transcript Before Spain became Spain, it was part of the Roman province of Hispania. To understand the language, and geography of not just Spain but of the entire Iberian Peninsula, you have to understand Hispania. Learn more about one of the greatest provinces in the Roman empire, and how it created modern Spain on this …