The History of Human Labor

The 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 of work has changed dramatically since we had to hunt wooly mammoths for food. We’ve gone from hunting to farming to sitting in front of a computer making podcasts.  Along the way, labor has …

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The History of Bricks

The History of Bricks

Podcast Transcript There is a good chance that every day, you encounter bricks. You might drive on them, walk on them, and live inside them, and you’ve probably never even given them a second thought.  However, bricks, brickwork, and bricklaying are some of the constants that have existed throughout history. We used bricks for construction …

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The Disappearance of Michael Rockefeller

The Disappearance of Michael Rockefeller

Podcast Transcript In 1961, Michael Rockefeller, an heir to one of the greatest fortunes in the world, disappeared on an art-collecting trip off the coast of the island of New Guinea.  For decades, the family simply assumed that he accidentally drowned off the coast in an attempt to rescue his anthropologist colleague.  However, in the …

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All About the Element Oxygen

All About the Element Oxygen

Podcast Transcript All around you, in the air and the ground, is the most common element on Earth: Oxygen. As you are certainly well aware, Oxygen is required for life on Earth as we know it. But you might realize that the Earth didn’t always have oxygen in its atmosphere.  Oxygen has been responsible for …

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A History of Tattoos

A History of Tattoos

Podcast Transcript Everyone listening to this is familiar with tattoos. All of you have at least seen someone with one, most of you know someone with one, and, statistically speaking, many of you have at least one of your own.  The act of putting permanent illustrations on skin is actually one that goes back thousands …

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Antarctica’s Dry Valleys

Antarctica's Dry Valleys

Podcast transcript Many places on Earth have extreme climates. However, there is one place on Earth that has a climate so extreme that it is the closest thing to it might be on another planet.  Despite having the most inhospitable and unforgiving climate on Earth, researchers have been shocked at what they’ve found there. Their …

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All About Gladiators

All About Gladiators

Podcast Transcript You’ve probably seen a movie or a TV show that took place in ancient Rome where gladiators fought in the coliseum or an amphitheater. At the end of the fight, the emperor or some other official would extend their thumb to see if the defeated gladiator would live or would die. But how …

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The Silk Road

The Silk Road

Podcast Transcript Despite having very different cultures and being separated by thousands of kilometers, Asia and Europe have been connected for thousands of years.  Through a series of overland and sea trade routes, goods, ideas, and people were able to move from east to west and vice versa.  These routes were responsible for some of …

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The Kingdom of Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga

Podcast Transcript Located in the South Pacific, squarely within the Polynesian Triangle, lies the Kingdom of Tonga.  While there are many islands and several countries within that region, Tonga has a unique history among them. The Tongans were one of the most dominant cultures in the Pacific, ruled an extensive sea-based empire, and were one …

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