Football, Soccer, and Rugby

Football, Soccer, and Rugby

Transcript While different countries may debate as to what sport should really be called ‘football’, the reality is that the word football describes a broad family of sports all of whom have a very similar background and origin.  Just like species with a common ancestor can evolve in ways where they look totally unlike each …

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The Latin Alphabet

The Latin Alphabet

Transcript The Latin Alphabet has become the most widespread system of writing in the world. Its origins can be traced back thousands of years to Ancient Romans and to civilizations before that. It is probably the single biggest thing that we use today which originated in Rome. Today’s English alphabet, you know that one from …

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Why are French Fries called French Fries?

Why are French Fries called French Fries?

Transcript Everyone loves french fries. It is one of the few things which most people can agree on in the world today.  The average American consumes over 16 pounds of them every year, and they have become a staple part of the cuisine in countries all over the world. Yet, why do American’s call them …

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The English Longbow

The English Longbow

Transcript The longbow was one of the most devastating weapons in medieval Europe. It was a weapon that could launch projectiles hundreds of yards and pierce the heaviest of armor. It was the battlefield trump card to heavy armored cavalry. No country adopted and mastered the longbow quite like the English. One reason why they …

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Norman Borlaug: The Man Who Fed the World

Norman Borlaug: The Man Who Fed the World

Transcript Which person can be credited with having saved the most human lives in history? There might not be a direct answer to that question, but one person whose name always comes up is that of Normal Borlaug.  Borlaug has been called “Humanity’s Forgotten Benefactor” and was the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. His …

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Supernovas

Supernovas: They're a Blast

Podcast Transcript One of the brightest things in the universe is caused by one of the most powerful explosions in the universe: a supernova.  While they don’t happen very often, they were known to ancient peoples and their appearance would often be recorded because they were such a rare and special event. Today, astrophysicists have …

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The Last US Civil War Pension

The Last US Civil War Pension

Transcript On May 31, 2020, Irene Triplett passed away at the age of 90. Her life was rather unremarkable save for one important fact: she was the last person who received a pension from the United States government from the US Civil War. Find out how a woman who died two decades into the 21st …

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The US/Canadian Border

The US/Canadian Border

Transcript The border between the United States and Canada is the longest border between any two countries in the world. The total length of the land border is 8,891 kilometers or 5,525 miles long. In addition to being the longest border in the world, it is also the longest non-militarized and non-fenced border in the …

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Tulipmania!

Tulipmania

Transcript In the 17th century, the Netherlands was struck by the world’s first investment bubble. They weren’t investing in stocks or bonds or real estate. They were investing in…..tulip bulbs.  Tulip bulbs became a mania and even common people were spending money on tulips. The price of some tulip bulbs rose so high that at …

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