Podcast Transcript Located on the tips of our fingers are features known as friction ridges. We evolved them to get a better grip on objects. It just so happens that those friction ridges are unique to every person. That allows us to use friction ridges as unique identifiers and for authorities to use them to …
Podcast Transcript Located in southeastern Europe is the Balkan Peninsula. It is home to multiple ethics groups, languages, and religions. It has one of the most dynamic and confusing histories of anywhere in Europe, with multiple migrations of people arriving over the centuries. Not surprisingly, it has also been the source of many conflicts, some …
Podcast Transcript Gravity is the weakest of the fundamental forces of nature, yet, if you have enough of it, it can create the most powerful thing in the known universe: a black hole. The very idea of a black hole didn’t really exist until the early 20th century, and now they are regularly found by …
Podcast Transcript Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last ruler of an independent Egypt and one of the most important women of the ancient world. In addition to being a brilliant and cunning ruler in her own right, she was also famously associated with two of the most powerful men in the late Roman Republic. Yet …
Podcast Transcript Located in the middle of North America lies one of the largest collections of freshwater lakes in the world. These lakes have a unique geological origin, and function like few lakes on Earth. Also, given their location, they are home to several large industrial centers and is part of one of the most …
Podcast Transcript In 1947, a Norwegian adventurer named Thor Heyerdahl set out to prove a theory of his that the people of Polynesia came there from South America. To prove his theory, he built a raft out of local materials in Peru and set sail across the Pacific. His voyage was successful, but the same …
Podcast Transcript Depending on how you define it, there were approximately 70 Roman Emperors. They were a mixed bag ranging from philosophers to the insane, from generals to children. Some were truly horrible, but some were actually pretty good at their job. In particular, there were five consecutive emperors who reigned during the peak of …
Podcast Transcript 2 years, nine months, and one day ago, I sat down and recorded the first episode of a daily podcast. Today, I’m recording episode 1000. It has been a lot of work, but it has been a great experience, and to date, hundreds of thousands of people from almost every country on Earth …
Podcast Transcript Throughout history, people have bet on everything and anything. From the mundane to the extremely important. From casino bets to bets on science, and even the future of humanity. These bets can serve as vehicles to win or lose tons of money or as a way to prove a point. Other times they …