Podcast Transcript In the year 54, the Roman Emperor Claudius died, and his adopted son Nero became the Emperor of Rome at the age of 16. His reign was one of the most infamous in history, and over 2000 years after he came to power, his name is still used to invoke the image of …
Podcast Transcript In the game of baseball, it might not seem at first glance that there is much strategy involved in the game. However, there is an enormous amount of strategy that goes into every pitch in the game. Pitchers have different pitches in their repertoire, which can rise, fall, and curve on their way …
Podcast Transcript We like to think of the Earth as a very stable place. While there might be seasonal variation in the weather, things don’t really change that much within our lifetimes. However, if you take a longer perspective, a much longer perspective, things can change a lot. In fact, there have been five times …
Podcast Transcript There is a very good chance that many of you listening have had pasta, maybe within the last week. Pasta is a simple, affordable food that comes in a wide variety of forms. It can be served with almost anything and in a wide variety of styles. Despite its current global nature, pasta …
Podcast Transcript For a 10-month period from September 1793 to July 1794, the nation of France went through a period which could only be called insanity. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, a small group of radicals took control of the Revolutionary French government and began eliminating all enemies of the revolution, both real …
Podcast Transcript The Solar System is a pretty big place. When most people think of our Solar System, they probably think of the Sun, the planets, and all their moons. However, the solar system is much larger than most people realize. In fact, it is vastly larger than the model they have in their heads. …
Podcast Transcript On June 22, 1941, German forces crossed into the Soviet Union. It was, and remains, the largest military operation in human history. The force that the Germans assembled for the invasion was staggering, consisting of over 3 million men. However, the decision to go to war with the Soviets and break the alliance …
Podcast Transcript One of the most common types of plants in the world is grass. Grass is almost everywhere. An enormous part of the landmass on Earth is covered with grass. Grass isn’t just stuff in a field that cows eat, although that is part of it. Grasses also include some of the most economically …
Podcast Transcript In 1428, a young girl from the village of Domrémy, France, audaciously set out to meet the heir apparent to the French throne, the Dauphin, and told him what he had to do to defeat the English occupying her country. She claimed that she was told what to do by God. Against all …