The History of Ketchup

The History of Ketchup

Transcript It the one of the world’s most commonly used condiments. Even though it is most often associated with the United States, it has a pedigree that is extremely ancient and global.  I am of course talking about ketchup.  Learn more about this common condiment, and its extremely ancient and interesting history, on this episode …

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Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa: Number One at Being Number Two

Number One at Being Number Two: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa

Transcript History remembers the rulers and the leaders. We know of Napoleon, Caesar, Elizabeth, Genghis Khan, and Captain Picard. However, for every one of the people I just listed, their success was due in large part to the people who worked underneath them. The ones who carried out their orders and made sure things got …

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Episode 100!

Episode 100

Transcript Every so often you need to step back and take an assessment of where you’ve been and where you are going. This is the 100th episode of the podcast, so I figured now is a good time to take a one episode break from the normal content to give you the backstory of how …

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The Earth’s Most Extreme Places

The Earth\'s Most Extreme Points

Transcript Earth is a big place. Really big. And on it are mountains, deserts, rivers, and swamps.  Some of those points are higher than others, some of the deserts are drier than others, and some of the rivers are longer than others.  Learn more about the Earth’s most extreme points on this episode of Everything …

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The SR-71 Blackbird

The SR-71 Blackbird

Translate The Lockheed SR-71, nicknamed the Blackbird, holds the record for the fastest airplane ever. A record which it set in 1976 and has held for 44 years. It also set a record for the highest altitude ever recorded for a sustained flight.  Even though the plane hasn’t flown in over 20 years, it is …

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Getting Rid of the Penny

Getting Rid of the Penny

Transcript The US one-cent coin has been a part of American currency since the country started issuing money in 1793. As inflation has continued to creep up, the cost of making a one-cent coin is now more than it is worth.  Unsurprisingly, people have been starting to question if we should continue using the penny.  …

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When the CIA Kidnapped a Soviet Lunar Probe

When the CIA Kidnapped a Soviet Lunar Probe

Transcript In the late 50s and early 60s, the US space program wasn’t doing great. The Soviets had beaten the US to almost every major first in space, and American rockets kept blowing up on the launchpad.  According to declassified CIA documents, one night the American’s did their best to get back, even if it …

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The Fabian Strategy

The Fabian Strategy

Transcript Sometimes the best way to win is simply not to lose.  This strategy is called the Fabian Strategy and was given its name from an ancient Roman General and has been used throughout history, not just in warfare, but in many other areas as well.  Learn more about the Fabian Strategy on this episode …

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The History of the Shipping Container

The History of the Shipping Container

Transcript Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest impact. There is no better example of this in the modern world than the Intermodal Container, aka the shipping container.  You’ve probably seen them on ships, trains, and trucks, and believe it or not, these rectangular metal boxes are responsible for the entire modern economy. Learn …

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