The History of Golf

The History of Golf

Podcast Transcript Every day, millions of people around the world hit the links to play a round of golf. The very best at the game are able to earn millions of dollars a year as professionals.  However, this global recreational and competitive sport has origins that most people aren’t aware of, dating back even earlier …

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The Maya Civilization

The Maya Civilization

Podcast Transcript Centuries before the arrival of Europeans, one of the greatest civilizations in the Americas rose and fell.  They left behind a rich legacy of roads and construction. They had an advanced system of writing as well as a highly developed system of mathematics and astronomy.  However, this advanced civilization suddenly ended. The people …

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The History of Wine

The History of Wine

Podcast Transcript For thousands of years, wine has been one of the most important beverages in the world.  It has been consumed by common folk and by emperors, and it can be made in a surprisingly wide variety of geographies.  It can be made by backyard vintners as well as by megacorporations.  It is so …

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The Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway

Podcast Transcript In June 1942, American and Japanese naval forces squared off in what was a decisive naval battle of the war in the Pacific.  The fleets, dominated by aircraft carriers, met just off the coast of a remote coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean known as Midway Island.  The battle was unlike any battle …

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The Discovery of Fire

The Discovery of Fire

Transcript When we think of what made human beings into human beings, one of the first things which come up is the discovery of fire. The control and use of fire is one of the earliest things which our ancestors did, which separated us from other apes and began us on the path to becoming …

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A Brief History of London

A Brief History of London

Podcast Transcript Almost 2000 years ago, after conquering most of the island of Great Britain, Roman forces established a settlement at a strategically narrow point on the Thames River. Since its establishment, the city has grown dramatically, at one point having secured the title of the largest city in the world.  Today it is one …

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The Silurian Hypothesis: How Could We Detect Extremely Ancient Civilizations

The Silurian Hypothesis: How Could We Detect Extremely Ancient Civilizations

Podcast Transcript The universe is billions of years old.  If, in the future, humanity were to explore the galaxy and visit other planets around other stars, we might be visiting places where at one time, an advanced civilization once existed.  However, if such a civilization existed, it might have been millions of years in the …

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Titanium: The Wonder Metal That Never Quite Was

Titanium: The Wonder Metal That Never Quite Was

Podcast Transcript Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.  However, titanium is not even remotely close to the ninth most common element in industrial or commercial use.  In fact, despite being so abundant, we didn’t even know titanium existed until the late 18th century, and we couldn’t figure out how to …

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The Greatest Concert of All Time: Beethoven’s Concert of December 22, 1808

The Greatest Concert of All Time: Beethoven's Concert of December 22, 1808

Podcast Transcript On December 22, 1808, concertgoers in Vienna, Austria, were witness to a monumental event in music history.  Ludwig van Beethoven held a concert where he debuted several of his greatest works in one program. While the concert has gone down as one of the most important in history, the conditions during the concert …

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