What Were The First and Second Reichs?

What Were The First and Second Reichs?

Podcast Transcript When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, he declared his new regime to be The Third Reich and that it would last 1,000 years. It turned out he was off by 988 years.  The big question for many people outside of Germany was and still is, if that was the third Reich, …

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The Destruction and Rediscovery of Pompeii

The Destruction and Rediscovery of Pompeii

Podcast Transcript In the year 79, Mount Vesuvius, a volcano located east of the modern-day city of Naples, erupted.  Vesuvius had erupted before, but this eruption was different. It ejected an enormous amount of ash which completely buried several towns and cities below the mountain. Almost 2,000 years later, the largest of those cities, Pompeii, …

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Limnic Eruptions: The Rarest Natural Disaster

Limnic Eruptions: The Rarest Natural Disaster

Podcast Transcript Early in the morning of  August 21, 1986, in a valley near Lake Nyos, Cameroon, something horrible happened.  1,746 people were killed, as were over 3,500 cattle and almost every other animal that breathed air.  There were no signs of violence or destruction. Everyone and everything seemed to have simply died.   They were …

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The Morgenthau Plan

The Morgenthau Plan

Podcast Transcript In September 1944, despite over half a year still remaining in World War II, the Allies began preparing for an eventual post-war world. One of the biggest questions being discussed was what to do with Germany. After two world wars with Germany in just a quarter century, no one wanted a third. One …

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Carbon: Can’t Live Without It

Carbon: Can't Live Without It

Podcast Transcript Every form of life which has ever been discovered, regardless of its size or how it metabolizes energy, has one thing in common.  They are based on the element carbon.  Carbon is the most important building block for life. It holds a unique place on the periodic table, and it can combine with …

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House of Representatives

Podcast Transcript The United States Congres is divided into two houses. The larger of the two houses, the House of Representatives, is led by a single representative known as the Speaker of the House. The duties and powers of the Speaker of the House have changed since the office was established in 1789 as they …

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The City of Troy and the Trojan War

The City of Troy and the Trojan War

Podcast Transcript Sometime about 3,200 years ago, one of the most famous wars in ancient history took place.  Maybe. It has been the subject of some of the greatest works of western literature, and it has given us some of the most enduring cultural references.  It was also the subject of one of the greatest …

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The Zone of Death in Yellowstone National Park

The Zone of Death in Yellowstone National Park

Podcast Transcript What if I told you there is a place within the borders of the United States where, theoretically, you could get away with murder scot-free? No matter what you did, a jury of your peer wouldn’t convict you because you could never convene a jury. According to at least one legal scholar, such …

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