The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

Podcast Transcript In the early 1950s, war ravaged the Korean peninsula. However, the fighting ceased on July 27, 1953. Both sides of the conflict pulled back from the front and created a buffer zone 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles wide.  That buffer zone still exists today.  Learn more about the Korean Demilitarized Zone, its past …

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Treachery of the Long Knives

Treachery of the Long Knives

Podcast Transcript According to legend, sometime in the 5th century, a king of the Celtic Britons named Vortigern hired Anglo-Saxons mercenaries to help him fight his domestic enemies to hold his grip on power.  His plan worked really well. Until it didn’t. And then it blew up in his face.  Learn more about the Treachery …

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The Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge

Podcast Transcript San Francisco Bay is one of the largest and best natural harbors in the world. The entrance to the harbor is a one-mile, 1.6 kilometer, wide straight called the Golden Gate.  Historically, getting from one side of the Golden Gate to the other was a time-consuming task. During the Great Depression, the problem …

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Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Medal and Record Recap

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Medal and Record Recap

Podcast Transcript Most coverage of the Olympics is very biased towards whatever country you happen to live in, and certain popular sports.  Lesser sports and accomplishments from athletes in other countries may often be completely overlooked.  So, I figured I’d give a recap of the Tokyo Olympics by putting my very special touch on it, …

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The Children of Nazis

The Children of Nazis

Podcast Transcript Almost everyone has a black sheep in their family. Someone who maybe gets in trouble with the law and doesn’t follow rules. But what if you had the misfortune to be related to someone truly horrific? What if you had a relative who was in the upper echelon of the Third Reich? For …

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The Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Kingdom of the Netherlands

Podcast Transcript If I say the Kingdom of the Netherlands, you are probably thinking of the country in Europe that is really flat, where they ride bikes, have windmills, and grow tulips. Well, that is only partially correct. Well, technically 98% correct. There are other parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and they are …

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Tarrare: The Hungriest Man in History

Tarrare: The Hungriest Man in History

Transcript Have you ever been really full after a meal? Like really really full?  Could you imagine eating and never feeling full? Like going to an all you can eat fish restaurant and then getting kicked out for eating too much and going fishing so you can eat more fish?  Well, there was one Frenchman …

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The Svalbard Global Seed Vault

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Transcript Far above the Arctic Circle on the Norwegian island of Svalbard, built into the side of a mountain which is permanently frozen, is humanity’s greatest insurance policy.  There lie genetic backup copies for much of the world’s agricultural crops.  These seeds are stored for a day which hopefully will never come. Learn more about …

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A History of the Zeppelin

A History of the Zeppelin

Transcript Airplanes were not the first type of aircraft. Lighter-than-air airships were flying decades before the Wright Brothers flew their first airplane. Of all the airships, there was one company that became so successful in airship development and construction that their name became synonymous with the rigid airship. Learn more about zeppelins on this episode …

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