The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza

Podcast Transcript The Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as the Great Pyramid of Khufu, is a structure in which superlatives don’t really do justice.  It isn’t just old, it’s really old. It isn’t just big, it’s really big. It has served as a sentinel to some of the most important people and events in …

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The Unlikely Survival of Phineas Gage

The Unlikely Survival of Phineas Gage

Podcast Transcript On September 13, 1848, a 25-year-old man named Phineas Gage received a horrific brain injury while working on a railroad in Vermont. The odds of anyone surviving such an accident were a million to one.  Yet, despite astronomical odds, he survived his injury and he became a case study for neuroscientists ever since.  …

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The Carrington Event

The Carrington Event

Podcast Transcript On September 1 and 2 of 1859, people all over the world were treated to something quite rare. Auroras were seen in the skies as far south as the Caribbean and as far north as Brisbane, Australia.  However, some astronomers and telegraph operators experienced something different.  If this same event were to happen …

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The Birth of the Modern Olympic Games

The Birth of the Modern Olympic Games

Podcast Transcript Almost 2,800 years ago the Ancient Greeks held a sporting event every four years on Mount Olympus.  The festival was part competition, part religious celebration, and it was considered so important that wars would come to a halt in honor of the games. Then in the 19th century, one man came up with …

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The Halifax Explosion

The Halifax Explosion

Transcript On December 6, 1917, one of the greatest tragedies of World War I took place.  In a single instant, 2,000 people, mostly civilians were killed.  However, this tragedy didn’t take place on the fields of Belgium or in a trench in France. It took place in the harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Learn more …

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All About Cosmic Rays

All About Cosmic Rays

Podcast Transcript Who matter where you are right now, no matter what time you are listening to this, there is one thing that I can safely say about you right now. Your body is being bombarded with cosmic rays.  In fact, pretty much every moment of your life since you’ve been born, you’ve been hit …

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Ignaz Semmelweis and the Simple Idea that Saved Millions of Lives

Ignaz Semmelweis and the Simple Idea that Saved Millions of Lives

Podcast Transcript In the mid-19th century, a Hungarian physician advocated for an incredibly simple technique that would go on to save millions of lives.  However, when he first proposed it, his idea wasn’t just ignored, it was vehemently rejected by the very people who could have used it to save lives. Not only was the …

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The Korean Axe Murder Incident

The Korean Axe Murder Incident

Podcast Transcript Ever since the cease-fire which ended the Korean war, the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea has been a tense stand-off. Standing only a few meters from each other, soldiers from North Korea stand on one side with soldiers from South Korea and the United States on the other.  On August 18, …

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The Sibylline Books

The Sibylline Books

Podcast Transcript What do you do when you are facing a crisis? Perhaps you might consult a friend, or maybe some sort of expert? Well, the ancient Romans had a go-to source for advice whenever they a major problem.  And the advice they got was……different.  Learn more about The Sibylline Books, and how they gave …

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