Podcast Transcript In 1778, in the middle of the Revolutionary War, while camped outside New York City, General George Washington and Major Benjamin Tallmadge hatched a plan. They created a network of spies that would provide information about British military effort, which could be used by the colonists in fighting the war. It turned out …
Podcast Transcript I’ve had many episodes where I talked about a country being a “republic”. In fact, we often use the word but many people have a mistaken idea about what exactly a republic is. So what exactly is a republic, and how does it differ from a monarchy or other forms of government? What …
Podcast Transcript They are some of the most devastating natural disasters on Earth. They can strike without warning, or sometimes you might have several hours’ notice. Their effects can be limited to small areas, or they can devastate communities on opposite sides of the world. They have killed hundreds of thousands of people and have …
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 …
Podcast Transcript According to the records of the Catholic Church, there have been 266 men who have been pope. However, for centuries it was thought that there was another pope not on the list that was different from all of the others. What made this pope different is that the pope was a woman. Learn …
Podcast Transcript Ever since humans have understood the workings of the atom, the potential has existed for humanity to exploit the energy source which powers the stars: fusion power. Yet, for decades fusion power has been just out of our grasp. Some have said fusion is the power source of the future, and always will …
Transcript Historically, in the aftermath of a battle, there was nothing formal in place to take care of injured or captured combatants. There was nothing formally or informally that dictated how such people should be treated. One man in the 19th century, having seen the horror of war, decided to do something about it. It …
Transcript If you are from Hungary, you have probably heard the story of Károly Takács. If you aren’t from Hungary, you probably haven’t, but probably should. His story is remarkable not only for what he had to overcome but how he managed to overcome it. Learn more about this remarkable Olympic Medalist on this episode …
Podcast Transcript Every element on the periodic table has a completely different story. They behave differently, they exist in different abundances, and humans have totally different uses for them. One of the most controversial elements, if that is in fact a thing, is uranium. Uranium can provide power, it can cause destruction, and most people …