Podcast Transcript On January 28, 1986, an event occurred that would be remembered by almost everyone alive at the time. Seventy-three seconds into its flight, the Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed by a violent explosion, killing all seven astronauts on board. In addition to being seared into the minds of those who witnessed the tragedy, …
Podcast Transcript The third Monday of February every year in the United States is a holiday that most people know as Presidents’ Day. It is not the most glamorous holiday, and most people actually forget that it exists until they wonder why they didn’t get any mail. While the day itself isn’t really one that …
Podcast Transcript If you think of the first world war, your mind probably turns to images of trench warfare and thousands of men losing their lives to try and gain just a few meters of land. However, in the first few weeks of the war, this was not at all the case. In fact, it …
Podcast Transcript In 1879, Constantin Fahlberg, a chemist at Johns Hopkins University, made an astonishing discovery. He was conducting experiments with coal tar when he forgot to wash his hands. When he started eating lunch, he noticed something odd. His fingers tasted sweet. Fahlberg’s discovery was the start of a century-long pursuit to create alternatives …
Podcast Transcript On March 5, 1770, one of the major events leading up to the American Revolution occurred. A confrontation between Boston civilians and British soldiers resulted in the deaths of five Americans. While the events of that day helped spur the cause of American independence, the events which happened after helped determine what kind …
Podcast Transcript In 1999, two social psychologists, David Dunning and Justin Kruger, published a seminal paper on a cognitive bias that can affect nearly everyone. Since the paper was published, it has given a name to something which most people have recognized and, at times, may have been guilty of themselves. However, most people who …
Podcast Transcript 17th-century Europe was witness to one of the longest and most brutal wars in human history. The conflict lasted over a generation and was responsible for the deaths of up to half the population in some countries. When it finally ended, it resulted in a new geopolitical order, which, for the most part, …
Podcast Transcript Of all the vitamins and nutrients which are required by the human body, there are 13 of which that are considered essential nutrients. That means they can’t be produced within our bodies. One of those vitamins can be produced in our bodies, but it requires a little bit of help to make it. …
Podcast Transcript In 1612, when Galileo Galilei looked at the planet Jupiter through a telescope, he might have accidentally discovered a new planet, although he had no idea at the time. It wouldn’t be for another 300 years until astronomers found what Galileo had missed, and the process of discovery was unlike that for any …