The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress

Podcast Transcript According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest library in the world is the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.  The Library of Congress was originally intended to be the library of the United States Congress, but over two centuries since its founding, it has evolved to something much grander, covering …

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The History of Yellowstone National Park

The History of Yellowstone National Park

Podcast Transcript Located in the state of Wyoming and a little bit of Montana and Idaho lies one of the greatest national parks on Earth: Yellowstone.  In the 19th century, Yellowstone was declared the first national park in the world. However, what makes Yellowstone special actually dates back millions of years.  The geologic circumstances that …

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Gamblers Who Beat the House

Gamblers Who Beat the House

Podcast Transcript You have probably heard the expression, “The house always wins.” This is usually true….in fact, it’s almost always true.  If it weren’t true, then casinos wouldn’t exist. Every game in a casino is designed to give the house an edge so that in the long run, with enough players, they are mathematically guaranteed …

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Why Did the Roman Empire Fall?

Why Did the Roman Empire Fall?

Podcast Transcript For over 1200 years, Rome, either in its Republican or Imperial form, was the dominant power in the Mediterranean.  Then, at least in the West, the empire eventually fell apart.  Ever since, historians have been asking the question….why? After 1500 years of debate, there still isn’t a consensus.  Learn more about the various …

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The Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope

Podcast Transcript On April 24, 1990, the Space Shuttle Discovery launched the Hubble Space Telescope into low Earth orbit. After some initial technical problems, it began providing images of our universe, the likes of which we’ve never seen before.  Even though larger, better telescopes have since been sent to space, for over 30 years, the …

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A History of Motion Pictures

A History of Motion Pictures

Podcast Transcript Perhaps the greatest advancement in the arts in the 20th century was the creation of motion pictures.  Motions Pictures was a brand-new art form. While initially it was just recorded stage presentations, it eventually evolved into something much more.  Today, it is a multi-billion-dollar industry, which is all due to countless technical advancements …

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A Brief History of Nothing

A Brief History of Nothing

Podcast Transcript One of the most difficult concepts for early thinkers to get their heads around was the idea of nothing.  Everywhere we go, all our lives, there is something. There is air and matter that surrounds us everywhere because if there weren’t, we wouldn’t be here.  Eventually, scientists and philosophers became comfortable with the …

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The Geography of Mexico

The Geography of Mexico

Podcast Transcript Just south of the United States and north of Guatemala is Mexico, a fact which I’m sure all of you know.  However, most people don’t know that much about Mexico. There are caricatures of Mexico, and many people are familiar with some of the tourist areas, but that’s about it.  In reality, Mexico …

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The Germ Theory of Disease

The Germ Theory of Disease

Podcast Transcript For thousands of years, many theories have been put forward as to the cause of communicable diseases.  These theories ranged from the religious to the magical and sometimes quasiscientific, but what they all had in common was that there was no proof for anything.  Over the centuries these theories became dogma and often …

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