Podcast Transcript Whaling is something that humans have engaged in for thousands of years. For most of that time, indigenous groups conducted it on a small scale for subsistence purposes. Over time, whaling became commercialized, the annual whale harvest exploded, and whaling became a cornerstone of the early industrial revolution. Alas, it couldn’t last forever. …
Podcast Transcript Every March, the United States experiences a period known as March Madness. It is the time when college basketball teams compete for a national championship. The process of crowning a national champion is a months-long process where teams vie for a chance to make the national tournament. Once there, in theory, every team …
Podcast Transcript All of you are familiar with the ABCs. It is one of the very first things that children are taught. Not only are they taught the letters that comprise the alphabet, but they are also, usually at the same time, taught the order of the alphabet. The order of the alphabet is something …
From the World Heritage inscription: The religious complex represented by the former Lorsch Abbey with its 1,200-year-old gatehouse, which is unique and in excellent condition, comprises a rare architectural document of the Carolingian era with impressively preserved sculpture and painting of that period. It gives architectural evidence of the awakening of the West to the …
Podcast Transcript In 1869, the world was shocked by a discovery that was made outside of the town of Cardiff, New York. Two workers discovered what was claimed to be the remains of a 10 foot tall, petrified human being. The claim set off a fiery debate between those who thought it was proof of …
Podcast Transcript One of the most devastating weapons in the medieval world was the crossbow. It evolved from an early hand-held projectile weapon into a powerful tool of warfare that shaped battles for centuries. It was one of the few weapons powerful enough to stop a fully armored knight. Yet, despite its power, it wasn’t …
Podcast Transcript For centuries, people have been transfixed by the “the big city.” Kids growing up in small towns would dream of going to the big city where they could find opportunity and fortune. People in the big city often looked down on those in smaller communities because they were from the big city. Believe …
Podcast Transcript In 1965, the world’s first fully enclosed sports facility, the Houston Astrodome, was opened to the public. The Astrodome itself was a marvel of engineering, but because it was enclosed, the grass that was initially planted soon died. It was replaced with artificial grass, which was basically a synthetic carpet that looked like …
Podcast Transcript For thousands of years, humans have used the power of water to do work for them. At first, it was very simple, then it gradually evolved to more complex and more efficient devices to harness the power of water. Eventually, we were able to harness some of the world’s largest rivers to produce …