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 top of the Soviet hierarchy in his field, and Stalin himself endorsed his theories. The result of the implementation of his ideas was nothing short of disastrous. Learn more about …
Podcast Transcript On August 15, 1971, US President Richard Nixon ended the gold convertibility of the US Dollar and simultaneously ended the Bretton Woods System, which had governed international monetary policy since the end of the Second World War. The system which replaced Bretton Woods wasn’t built on formal treaties and conferences. It was a …
Podcast Transcript About 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid collided with the Earth near the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This impact ended the era of the dinosaurs and resulted in one of the greatest species extinctions in history. That large asteroid wasn’t the first to hit the Earth, nor will it be the last. …
Transcript Throughout history, there have been many causes for wars. Surprise attacks, broken marriages, unpaid debts, and even, of course, good old greed. However, an 18th-century war between Great Britain and Spain had perhaps the oddest genesis of all: a severed ear. Learn more about the War of Jenkin’s Ear on this episode of Everything …
Podcast Transcript In the early 4th century, the Roman Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of a church on the burial site of Saint Peter. It was the greatest church in Christianity. Centuries later, that building was falling apart, so Pope Julius II ordered the construction of a replacement church that would be newer and much …
Podcast Transcript Sometime during the reign of Ptolemy I or Ptolemy II, the Egyptian state decided to build an institution dedicated to accumulating all human knowledge in the City of Alexandria. As the city grew, this institution grew along with it to become the greatest knowledge repository in the ancient world. …and then Julius Caesar …
Podcast Transcript Friday the 13th is a day associated with bad luck and ill omens. However, why is this particular combination of day of the week and day of the month considered bad luck? If you think you know why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky, there is a good chance that the story you’ve …
Podcast Transcript In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Cater stumbled upon one of the most pristine tombs of an Egyptian Pharaoh ever found. The tomb of King Tutankhamen. That discovery because a pop culture sensation and revolutionized our understanding of Ancient Egypt. Learn more about King Tutankhamen, aka King Tut, on this episode of Everything Everywhere …
Podcast Transcript At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the delegates worked hard to create a document that would govern their new country. At the end of the convention, they had a session titled “Leftover Business.” It was here in the “leftover business” section of the constitutional convention where the Vice Presidency was born. Some say it …