Podcast Transcript Everything in the universe, from galaxies to the atoms in your body, is driven by just a few fundamental forces. It took centuries for physicists to identify these forces, but once identified, they believed that some of these forces were merely different manifestations of the same underlying phenomenon. Once they realized this, some …
Podcast Transcript One of the most important inventions of the 20th century was the transistor. Prior to the transistor, electronic devices were bulky and dependent on vacuum tubes. Vacuum tubes were large, fragile, power-hungry, and prone to failure. The transistor not only replaced the vacuum tube in many applications but also enabled the miniaturization and …
Podcat Transcript The Guillotine has become infamous for being a symbol of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. It has been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people since it was first used in 1792. But, of all the ways to execute people, why did they create an elaborate contraption …
Podcast Transcript The months of the year are named after Roman gods, and some are named after their placement in the calendar. However, the first month to be named after an actual person was the month of July, which was named after Julius Caesar. What is surprising isn’t that the name of the month has …
Podcast Transcript Five years ago today, I published the first episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Since then, I’ve published over 1,800 episodes, written close to 3,000,000 words, and had my podcast episodes downloaded almost 50,000,000 times. In the process of doing all of that, I’ve learned a lot about this show and this audience and …
Podcast Transcript Marcus Licinius Crassus was the richest man in the Roman Republic. His wealth bought him power and influence, but it couldn’t buy him everything. His massive wealth couldn’t give him the respect and authority that came from victory on the battlefield. His desperate attempt to achieve this glory led to his spectacular demise …
Podcast Transcript On the evening of January 30, 1945, the deadliest shipwreck in human history occurred. Most of you might be aware of the sinking of the Titanic or the Lusitania, yet you’ll have never heard of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff. With a death toll about six times worse than the Titanic, the Wilhelm Gustlof …
Podcast Transcript For many of you listening to the sound of my voice right now, the audio originated from a digital file that was transported across the globe at the speed of light on fiber-optic cables. The fiber optic cables, which crisscross the oceans, create a network that unites the entire globe. Almost all the …
Podcast transcript In late May and early June of 1917, the French Army faced what could have been an existential crisis. After three years of some of the most brutal conflict that the world had ever seen, many soldiers had had enough. Thousands of troops refused to obey orders and refused to go along with …