Podcast Transcript In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Soviet space program was on a roll. They launched the first satellite into space. They launched the first man and woman into space. They conducted the first space walk. Then, around 1966, everything changed. The momentum they had ground to a halt, and the Americans …
Podcast Transcript Right now, you are listening to the sound of my voice on some sort of digital audio device. In fact, almost all of the audio you consume today was digitally recorded or edited at some point in the process. But sound is inherently analog. How does sound, the movement of air, become converted …
Podcast Transcript I’m at the store buying something at the checkout counter, and I’m talking to the cashier. A guy overhears my voice and says, “are you that guy from the podcast?” I reply, “Yeah, I have a podcast.” He says, “Well, I love your podcast, and I want to sponsor it for one million …
Podcast Transcript Approximately 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers from Earth lies our nearest star, the Sun. The Sun is responsible for life as we know it and for the entire solar system. The Sun doesn’t just provide light and heat. It also constantly affects the plants and the solar system in ways most …
Podcast Transcript The British ruled India for over 200 years. During that period, the British attempted to impose British culture on India. While they were somewhat successful, especially in exporting India’s national sport of cricket, they unknowingly were influenced by India as well. It turns out that words from several languages on the subcontinents have …
Podcast Transcript In 1692, in the village of Salem, Massessechuets, two young girls made claims that other members of their community were witches. These accusations soon spiraled out of control, resulting in multiple accusers, over 200 people being charged with witchcraft, and the deaths of 20. It remains one of the most notable cases of …
Podcast Transcript In 1893, the eyes of the world turned to the city of Chicago, which was hosting the World’s Fair. The fair was the largest public demonstration at that point of the new technology called electricity. However, there was a dark side to what was happening in Chicago. One man created a building that …
Podcast Transcript As early as 2400 years ago, Greek philosophers were coming up with paradoxes that seemingly had no solution. Early mathematicians came up with problems that seemed impossible to solve. It wasn’t until the 17th century that the techniques were finally developed to solve these problems and unlock new fields of science and mathematics. …
Podcast Transcript Located within the nation of China is the world’s third-longest river, the Yangtze. The Yangtze River has been one of the defining geographical features in China since the dawn of history. It had a significant role in cultivating Chinese civilization, and its flooding has been responsible for some of the greatest disasters in …