A History of Weather Forecasting

A History of Weather Forecasting

Podcast Transcript Almost every day, you might check the weather forecast to see what the temperature will be like in the near future or if it might rain. When you hear a forecast, how exactly do they know what the temperature will be or if it will rain?  Also, just how accurate are weather forecasts, …

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The Basque Country and the Basque People

The Basque Country and the Basque People

Located in northcentral Spain live one of the most unique people in all of Europe.  They have a language that is literally like no other, and even their genetics are unlike the people around them.  In addition, they have a unique culture, a mysterious history, and just may have visited the Americas before Columbus.  Learn …

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A History of the Word, OK

A History of the Word, OK

Podcast Transcript If you ever want to travel around the world, even if you don’t know another language, no matter where you go there is already one word you know. It is the most ubiquitous word in the world, can be found in almost every language, and it has multiple meanings. The good news is …

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The Greatest Buildings Never Built

The Greatest Buildings Never Built

Podcast Transcript The world has many amazing buildings. From the 2,000-year-old Pantheon in Rome to the gleaming new Burj Khalifa in Dubai, humanity is often reflected in its buildings.  However, some of the greatest architectural concepts were buildings that were never built. Whether it was due to a lack of money, having ideas before the …

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History of the FIFA World Cup

History of the FIFA World Cup

Podcast Transcript In 1872 the first international football match took place between England and Scotland.  Since then, international football has been at the apex of world sport.  Starting in 1930, a quadrennial competition has been held where the greatest national teams competed to determine the world champion. Learn more about the FIFA World Cup, its …

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The Gracchi Brothers

The Gracchi Brothers

Podcast Transcript During the Roman Republic, two brothers took it upon themselves to seek to change Rome to benefit the poor and underclass. Needless to say, the Roman elites did not like this and did everything in their power to ensure it didn’t happen.  …and the elites were successful. But in the process, they changed …

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Leap Seconds

Leap Seconds

Podcast Transcript Every few years, without any regular schedule or planning, officials at the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service will add an extra second to the year.  The reason why this is done does make sense, but adding an extra second to a year can cause a host of problems, and many are …

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The Dieppe Raid

The Dieppe Raid

Podcast Transcript In 1942, Allied forces attempted a landing on the coast of France to gain a toe hold on the continent. Thousands of men took part in the landing…and it was a disaster. Over a thousand men were killed, and over 2,000 were captured.  Despite being a massive failure, the lessons learned from that …

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World Population Throughout History

World Population Throughout History

Podcast Transcript Human beings have been around for hundreds of thousands of years. For the vast majority of that time, the total population of humans has been quite small.  Then, quite suddenly, at least in the grand sweep of history, the population of humanity exploded.  Now, it appears that humans might be on the cusp …

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