Podcast Transcript In January 897, something unprecedented took place in Rome. Pope Formosus, the leader of the Catholic Church, was put on trial. What made this unprecedented wasn’t that the pope was on trial, although that was unprecedented. The remarkable thing was that Pope Formosus had died nine months earlier, and it was his exhumed …
Podcast Transcript There was no product more important to the economy of the ancient world than silk. Silk was transported thousands of miles to be purchased by people so far away from its source that they had no clue where it came from. The source of silk, however, was China, and for centuries, they had …
Podcast Transcript International borders can be very strange things. Sometimes they measured down to the millimeter and a heavily marked and fortified. Other times they run through desolate areas where hardly anyone pays attention to the actual location. The latter was the case with much of the US/Mexican border in the early 20th century, and …
Podcast Transcript In June of every year, the sun has its solstice. In the north, the days are long; in the south, the days are short, and we can plan our calendars around this event. Just as certain as the sun follows its path in the sky, so too do the listeners of this podcast …
Podcast Transcript Today there is a giant rift that is tearing the continent of Africa apart. ..and I mean this quite literally because the rift isn’t cultural, economic, or political, it’s geologic. In several million years, Africa will be split into two continents, and while the process will take a long time, you see ample …
Podcast Transcript If you are listening to me speak these words, regardless of where in the world you live, you are part of a global network we call human civilization. You share in the ideas, technology, and goods created worldwide and by people in your community. Most people on the planet are a part of …
Podcast Transcript Insurance seems like a pretty modern concept. There are insurance commercials on television, and insurance companies sponsor major sports teams. Most of us have to buy insurance, or we are at least under someone else’s insurance policy. However, insurance is far from a modern concept. It is actually one of the oldest financial …
Podcast Transcript During the 5th century, one name struck fear into the hearts of almost every European: Attila, leader of the Huns. For a period of almost 20 years, Attila ravaged Europe, conquering various tribes and causing one of the largest migrations ever seen on the continent. Then, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, the conquests of …
Podcast Transcript There were millions of stories that came out of the second world war. However, there were none like that of Tsutomu Yamaguchi. On August 6, 1945, he survived an event that no one in world history had encountered before. Just three days later, he had the misfortune of having to go through it …