British Coronation Traditions

British Coronation Traditions

Podcast Transcript On May 6, 2023, something will happen in London that hasn’t occurred in 70 years. A British monarch will be crowned. An event for which King Charles has spent his entire life in preparation. The ceremony, which will take place in Westminster Abbey, and will incorporate centuries of traditions, both civil and religious. …

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The History of Cinco de Mayo

The History of Cinco de Mayo

Podcast Transcript Every year Mexico and Mexican culture are celebrated during the holiday of Cinco de Mayo, which in Spanish just means May 5th.  However, many people, especially those outside of Mexico, have no idea what exactly is being celebrated on May 5, and many of those who think they know have the wrong idea. …

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Identical Twins Separated at Birth

Identical Twins Separated at Birth

Podcast Transcript In the 1960s, a New York clinical psychiatrist and an adoption agency conducted an experiment. They separated multiple sets of identical twins and one set of identical triplets into different families to test how much of personality is due to genetics or the environment.  None of the children or families were ever told …

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Galaxies

Galaxies

Podcast Transcript For most of human existence, we looked up at the night sky and thought that was all there was to the universe. However, in the 20th century, as telescopes improved, we made a shocking discovery. The universe was much, much larger than we supposed, and some of those points of light in the …

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Lady Jane Grey: Queen of England?

Lady Jane Grey: Queen of England?

Podcast Transcript Probably the most consequential monarch in British history was Henry VIII. He upended much of English society by changing the religion in the country from the top down.  He also left in his wake a century of controversy and turmoil about the succession of the monarchy. In all of that controversy, one figure …

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The Pantheon

The Pantheon

Podcast Transcript Located in the heart of Rome is one of the oldest standing buildings in the world. Unlike other ancient structures, it isn’t a ruin. For almost 2,000 years, it has been in continuous use. When it was built, it was an unrivaled architectural masterpiece. Today, it remains the largest building of its type, …

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Arbor Day

Arbor Day

Podcast Transcript Every year the last Friday in April in the United States is Arbor Day.  Arbor Day is not the sexiest holiday on the calendar. I don’t think anyone listening is getting the day off from work, and you don’t see used car dealerships offering Arbor Day sales. Nonetheless, for over 150 years, Arbor …

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The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation

The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation

Podcast Transcript In 1897, the visionary Russian rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky discovered an equation that governed how rockets worked.  His equation, which was independently discovered by several other rocket scientists, immutably governs how we can send rockets into space.  The variables in his equation have determined everything surrounding spaceflight and rocketry since its inception and …

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The Aral Sea

The Aral Sea

Podcast Transcript At the start of the 20th century, the world’s third-largest lake was located in Central Asia. It had been known to the people of the Asian steppes for thousands of years.  However, by the end of the 20th century, the lake had all but disappeared.  Somehow, over the course of a century, one …

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