The London Beer Flood

The London Beer Flood

Transcript Early 19th century London was a dangerous, dirty, dingy place with tons of poverty and a lot of drinking.  Alcoholism was common and excessive drinking, especially amongst lower-income people in London, was the norm, not the exception.  All of that alcohol had to be produced, which meant lots of breweries and lots of beer. …

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The Deep Biosphere

The Deep Biosphere

Transcript Imagine taking all of the trees, grass, animals, insects, fish, coral, and bacteria on the surface of the Earth and in the sea. Basically, every living thing on the planet.  If you were to add it all up, all of the biomass, it would be quite a bit.  Yet according to some scientists, that …

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Darwin’s Other Theory: Coral Atoll Formation

Darwin's Other Theory: Coral Atoll Formation

Transcript From December 1831, to October 1836, the HMS Beagle set out on a scientific expedition in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On the ship was a young man named Charles Darwin. That expedition exposed him to ideas that would develop his theory of natural selection which would revolutionize the world of biology. This episode …

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Why Does San Marino Exist?

Why Does San Marino Exist?

Transcript The country of San Marino is one of the smallest countries in the world. It is completely surrounded by Italy, is about 24 square miles in area, and has a population of about 33,000 people.  The most interesting thing about San Marino is the fact that it exists.  Why didn’t San Marino get sucked …

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How Australia Won Its First Winter Olympic Gold Medal

How Australia Won Its First Winter Olympic Gold Medal

Transcript Australia is what I would call a sporting country. Cricket, rugby, and Australian Football are all incredibly popular sports.  Australia has also really punched above its weight in the Summer Olympics, earning an oversized number of medals given its population.  Their performance at the Winter Olympics, however, has not been so great.  Learn more …

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How the US Civil War Really Ended

How the US Civil War Really Ended

Transcript According to most history books, the United States Civil War ended on April 9, 1865,  when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.  This is a truth, but it really isn’t the truth. At best it could be described as the beginning of the end of …

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El Gordo: The World’s Biggest Lottery

El Gordo: The World's Biggest Lottery

Transcript Every so often, you see lottery jackpots that grow to enormous levels. Lotteries such as Powerball and Mega Millions have on occasion grown to have prizes over $1 billion dollars. However, they all pale in comparison to the annual lottery which takes place in Spain every year. The total amount of money given away …

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The Yellow Fleet

The Yellow Fleet

Transcript In 1967, war broke out between Israel and Egypt. It was the beginning of what would be known as the Six-Day War. As Israeli forces raced across the Siani Peninsula, Egyptian forces took measures to ensure that the Suez Canal wouldn’t be captured. They scuttled ships on either end of the canal to prevent …

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The B-52 Stratofortress

The B-52 Stratofortress

Transcript World War II was the first major conflict that saw the use of strategic bombers. In the months immediately after the war, the US saw the need for an advanced bomber to replace the bombers which were developed during the war. Moreover, they wanted something bigger, faster, and that used newly developed jet engines.  …

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