Podcast Transcript People are fascinated by extremes. We are interested in the biggest, strongest, fastest, and tallest. I’m certainly no exception. One of the things I’ve been fascinated with is the past, and in particular, very old things. Things which have withstood the test of time. So, let’s learn more about the oldest things in …
Podcast Transcript One of the most popular foods in the world is tomatoes. Tomatoes are grown almost everywhere in the world today, and they have become the basis of several international cuisines. However, just a few hundred years ago, very few people were eating tomatoes as we know them today. In fact, even after they …
Podcast Transcript World War II was famously fought between two forces, the Axis and the Allies. Most people know that the Axis was comprised of Germany, Italy, and Japan. What many people don’t know is that there were actually several more countries that were part of the alliance. …and why exactly was it called the …
Podcast Transcript One of the biggest changes to humanity over the last 100 years has been the increase in life expectancies. One of the biggest reasons for the increase in life spans has been the development and use of antibiotics. Yet, the development of antibiotics was often accidental, and now they have become so ubiquitous …
Well, I managed to get my passport submitted and put in the queue. Going to the consulate was like my previous trips to US Embassies, which is to say it was a very weird experience. First, the whole “appointment” thing was a total farce. It turns out the system ended up making my appointment at …
Podcast Transcript In the early 12th century, a military monastic order developed in the Middle East with the express intent of protecting Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Despite its rather modest mission statement, over the next 200 years, this organization became one of the most powerful entities throughout the Middle East and Europe. …
Podcast Transcript Throughout the Second World War, one of the world’s most popular musicians was the American big band leader Glenn Miller. He had a string of hits over a very short period of time, and his music is so synonymous with that period that it can be heard in almost every movie and documentary …
Podcast Transcript On December 10, 1896, the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel passed away. In his will, he gifted most of his estate for the creation of a prize that rewarded people for excellence in various forms of human endeavor. Over a hundred years later, the prize he created is one of the most prestigious awards …
Podcast Transcript In 1947, India and Pakistan became independent countries after almost 200 years of British colonial rule. However, this wasn’t just a case of a former colony becoming independent. It was a single colony which was partitioned into two separate countries. That partition had wide-ranging implications, many of which are still being felt today. …