Podcast Transcript On the morning of August 27, 1883, one of the most destructive natural disasters of the 19th century occurred between the islands of Java and Sumatra, in what is today the nation of Indonesia. After weeks of low-level rumblings, a volcanic eruption totally obliterated the mountain that it had formed. The devastation wasn’t …
Podcast Transcript If you are listening to me speak these words and can understand what I’m saying, then you are a human being. If you are a human being, you are also a mammal, and if you are a mammal, you have hair….or at least the biological capability to produce hair. But why exactly do …
Podcast Transcript Michigan and Ohio are two states renowned for their intense rivalry. When you think of the rivalry between the two states, you probably think of the rivalry between the University of Michigan and Ohio State on the football field. However, their rivalry extends far beyond that. In 1835 and 1836, the two states …
Podcast Transcript In the early 20th century, the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra, welcomed a homeless monk into their home. As this scruff, unkempt-looking man became closer to the royal family, he seemingly performed miracles, predicted the future, and cured illnesses. He starts to gain influence over the Imperial Family…a …
Podcast Transcript At the end of the 15th century, Spain had almost completed the Reconquista and the removal of the Caliphate in the Iberian Peninsula, ending centuries of Islamic rule. One of the first things they did was usher in an attempt to unify and purify the country as a Catholic one, rather than a …
Podcast Transcript We have all looked at a map and seen all of the different countries represented by different colors. A country has some sort of border, and everything inside that border is what makes up the country. However, there are some exceptions. There are exclaves, which are bits of a country that are separated …
Podcast Transcript In the year 54, the Roman Emperor Claudius died, and his adopted son Nero became the Emperor of Rome at the age of 16. His reign was one of the most infamous in history, and over 2000 years after he came to power, his name is still used to invoke the image of …
Podcast Transcript In the game of baseball, it might not seem at first glance that there is much strategy involved in the game. However, there is an enormous amount of strategy that goes into every pitch in the game. Pitchers have different pitches in their repertoire, which can rise, fall, and curve on their way …
Podcast Transcript We like to think of the Earth as a very stable place. While there might be seasonal variation in the weather, things don’t really change that much within our lifetimes. However, if you take a longer perspective, a much longer perspective, things can change a lot. In fact, there have been five times …