The History of Academic Degrees

The History of Academic Degrees

Transcript Every year around June, millions of people will wear robes and put on funny flat hats to receive their university degrees. But why do they all wear robes, and what’s the deal with that flat hat, and why does the hat have a frilly thing hanging off of it? And why do we give …

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How Clarence Birdseye Created the Frozen Food Aisle

How Clarence Birdseye Created the Frozen Food Aisle

Transcript For thousands of years, food storage was one of humanity’s biggest problems. Even if you could grow or hunt sufficient calories when food was abundant, it was very difficult to store those calories for when food was scarce.  One man made a huge advancement in our ability to store foods, which now allows us …

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The Six Political Eras In American History

The Six Political Eras In American History

Transcript American history isn’t a single linear story. There are periodic changes to the political order where political parties and affiliations are reordered.  According to political scientists, there have been six different political eras in American history. Each era was a reflection of issues that confronted the country at the time. Learn more about America’s …

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The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti

The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti

Transcript In April 1920, two men who were delivering the payroll to the Slater-Morrill Shoe Company in Braintree, Massachusetts were killed in broad daylight. The payroll was taken by the killers, and they jumped into a getaway car. A few weeks later, two Italian immigrants with known ties to radical anarchist groups were arrested for …

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The History of the Microwave Oven

The History of the Microwave Oven

Transcript According to legend, in 1945 an engineer by the name of Perry Spencer was working in front of an active radar installation. As he was working, he noted that a candy bar that he had in his shirt pocket started to melt.  His investigation into the phenomenon resulted in a new technology that has …

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The World’s Greatest (Worst?) Misers

The World’s Greatest (Worst?) Misers

Transcript Have you ever known someone who was really cheap? Like they would wear clothes until they disintegrated? Or they would never pick up the tab? Or maybe they are horrible tippers? Well, there is cheap and then there is cheap. Some people are so cheap that they appear to live in destitute poverty, even …

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What and How Astronauts Eat in Space

What and How Astronauts Eat in Space

Transcript When the space race first began, scientists didn’t even know if it was possible for humans to eat in a zero-gravity environment. Once they figured out it was possible, it didn’t mean that it wasn’t without problems.  There was a host of issues with eating in a zero-g environment that had to be overcome. …

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The Voyages of Admiral Zheng He

The Voyages of Admiral Zheng He

Transcript In the early 15th century, just before Europe began its Age of Exploration, China was embarking on a series of voyages that put to shame anything anyone in Europe would do for centuries.  These voyages were led by a man who was the greatest admiral in history up to that point and the ships …

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A History of Computer Games

A History of Computer Games

Transcript Video games have become ubiquitous in today’s world. Most of us probably have some sort of computer game on our smartphone, as well as games on our desktop computer, and you might even have one or more dedicated computing devices dedicated solely to playing games hooked up to your TV.  The massive $100 billion …

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