Gunung Padang

Gunung Padang

Podcast Transcript Located on the island of Java in Indonesia, just 100 kilometers from the capital of Jakarta, lies what might be one of the most important archeology sites in the world.  While it has been known to locals for centuries and to professional archeologists for over 100 years, it has only been seriously studied …

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The History of Comic Books

The History of Comic Books

Podcast Transcript One of the most popular forms of media is comic books. Initially created as entertainment for children, they have since grown into a global media consumed by people of all ages.  The development of the comic book was not something that came out of nowhere. It was the culmination of a type of …

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November 13, 1833: The Night the Stars Fell Down

November 13, 1833: The Night the Stars Fell Down

Podcast Transcript In the early morning of November 13, 1833, one of the greatest astronomical spectacles in recorded history took place. It was seen by millions of people, and no one was sure what was happening. Some thought it was the end of the world or judgment day.  Both common people and scientists recorded the …

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England, Britain, and the United Kingdom: What’s the Difference?

November 13, 1833: The Night the Stars Fell Down

Located off the Northwestern Coast of continental Europe lies an archipelago of islands that most of you are familiar with.  The thing is, the name of the islands and the names of the places that make up the islands are often used incorrectly.  Moreover, how all the various parts of this archipelago are related to …

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The Cadaver Synod

The Cadaver Synod

Podcast Transcript In January 897, something unprecedented took place in Rome.  Pope Formosus, the leader of the Catholic Church, was put on trial.  What made this unprecedented wasn’t that the pope was on trial, although that was unprecedented.  The remarkable thing was that Pope Formosus had died nine months earlier, and it was his exhumed …

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How The Secret to Silk Was Smuggled Out of China

How The Secret to Silk Was Smuggled Out of China

Podcast Transcript There was no product more important to the economy of the ancient world than silk.  Silk was transported thousands of miles to be purchased by people so far away from its source that they had no clue where it came from.  The source of silk, however, was China, and for centuries, they had …

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Rio Rico: The Town That Forgot It Was Part of the United States

The Town That Forgot It Was Part of the United States

Podcast Transcript International borders can be very strange things.  Sometimes they measured down to the millimeter and a heavily marked and fortified.  Other times they run through desolate areas where hardly anyone pays attention to the actual location.  The latter was the case with much of the US/Mexican border in the early 20th century, and …

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Questions and Answers: Volume 7

Podcast Transcript In June of every year, the sun has its solstice. In the north, the days are long; in the south, the days are short, and we can plan our calendars around this event.  Just as certain as the sun follows its path in the sky, so too do the listeners of this podcast …

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The East African Rift

The East African Rift

Podcast Transcript Today there is a giant rift that is tearing the continent of Africa apart. ..and I mean this quite literally because the rift isn’t cultural, economic, or political, it’s geologic. In several million years, Africa will be split into two continents, and while the process will take a long time, you see ample …

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