The Lykov Family

The Lykov Family

Transcript In 1978, a Soviet helicopter pilot flying over the forests of Siberia made an incredible discovery. Not far from the border of Mongolia, up the side of a mountain, he saw a clearing and signs of human habitation.  The location was far removed from any other humans. In fact, it was almost 250 kilometers …

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The British Pound(s)

The British Pound(s)

Transcript If you visit a different country you might need to get some of the local currency. You might get Ringgit in Malaysia, Pesos in Mexico, Kip in Laos, or Tala in Samoa.  However, there is one country where you have to be careful what currency you get because there are different notes produced in …

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Giving the Finger to the Denisovans

Giving the Finger to the Denisovans

Podcast Transcript In 2008, researchers searching for fossils in the Denisova cave in Siberia came across something interesting. It appeared to be the bone from an ancient hominid species. Subsequent DNA analysis on this bone has revolutionized everything we know about the origin of humanity. Had this bone been discovered a few decades beforehand, we …

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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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