Alcohol in Early America

Alcohol in Early America

Transcript In the very days of the United States, the country was mostly made up of farmers.  They primarily ate the food which they grew, and maybe hunted to supplement their diet.  They also drank. Alcohol. A lot of alcohol. In fact, the amount of alcohol consumed by early Americans on average might have been …

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David Rice Atchison: President For A Day?

David Rice Atchison: President For A Day?

Transcript At 12 noon on March 4, 1849, the presidential administration of James Polk ended.  24 hours later, at noon on March 5, President Zachary Taylor took the oath of office to become president.  During those 24 hours in-between, who was the president? According to some, it was a member of the United States Senate. …

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The 2013 America’s Cup: The Greatest Comeback in Sport’s History

The 2013 America's Cup: The Greatest Comeback in Sport's History

Transcript Comeback stories are some of the best stories in sports. Whether it is coming back from a huge deficit, or being on the brink of elimination in a series, these are often some of the most dramatic moments in sports history. They don’t happen that often because once you are down by a large …

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All About the Latin Language

All About the Latin Language

Transcript “E Pluribus Unum”, “Habeus Corpus”, “Carpe Diem”, “Caveat Emptor”. All of these phrases are known by most people, yet they come from a language that has been dead for 1500 years: Latin. Latin is on our money, serves as mottos for universities, and is the foundation for our entire naming system in biology. Many …

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How Orchestras Work

How Orchestras Work

Transcript Even if you aren’t a fan of classical music, you are probably at least familiar with what an orchestra is.  But have you ever wondered why orchestras use the instruments they do? Or why they have them in that combination, or why it is even called an orchestra at all?  And what exactly is …

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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist

Transcript In the early hour of March 18, 1990, two police officers enter Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The problem was, they weren’t police officers. They were thieves.  In a little over an hour, they stole 13 valuable works of art which had a combined value of over $500 million dollars.  It was the largest …

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All Rats Must Die! The Story of Rat Eradication on South Georgia Island

All Rats Must Die! The Story of Rat Eradication on South Georgia Island

Transcript Humans and rats have lived in an uneasy relationship for millennia. Rats have spread diseases like the bubonic plague, destroyed grain harvests, and stolen our pizzas.  In return, rats have given humans……pretty much nothing.  As such, humans have waged a relentless war against rats, which for the most part has gone nowhere. However, there …

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The Vasa: Sweden’s Titanic

The Vasa: Sweden's Titanic

Podcast Transcript The Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus oversaw the rise of Sweden as one of the great powers in Europe. In 1626, he ordered the construction of a warship that would be the most powerful floating platform in Northern Europe.  Its maiden voyage in 1628 was one of the most memorable of any ship in …

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How Accounting Changed The World

How Accounting Changed The World

Podcast Transcript There are some subjects that are perceived to be mind-numbingly dull and boring. One such subject is accounting.  Yet, believe it or not, accounting and bookkeeping have not only have been around since the dawn of human civilization, but they also had a hand in shaping it.  Without it, the world would be …

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