The Cuban Missile Crisis
In October 1962, a U-2 spy plane discovered Soviet nuclear missile sites in Cuba. The subsequent 13 days were some of the tensest in human history. The United States and the Soviet Union came closer...
17 Mar 202315min
El Niño and La Niña (Encore)
Weather systems on Earth aren’t stable. There are cycles that weather patterns go through, which can have enormous effects around the globe. There is probably no more important weather cycle than the ...
16 Mar 20238min
RADAR
In 1887, the German physicist Heinrich Hertz discovered radio waves. While the first practical use of this discovery was communication, there were also some who realized that radio waves could serve ...
15 Mar 202313min
The Origins of Rock and Roll
In the early 1950s, a new type of music burst forth, which had its roots in blues, gospel, country, and swing. This new music took the world by storm and was as controversial as it was successful. T...
14 Mar 202313min
The National Park System: America's Best Idea
In 19th century America, a movement began to take areas of exceptional natural beauty and preserve them. This idea of setting aside land for the purpose of preservation is something that was never rea...
13 Mar 202314min
The Panama Canal
Every since the lands of the New World were mapped, people dreamt of creating a canal through Central America to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. For almost 500 years, that dream was just tha...
12 Mar 202315min
A Brief History of Paper
Four things are considered to be the Great Inventions of Ancient China: gunpowder, the compass, the printing press, and paper. Despite the incredible impact that all four things have had on the world...
11 Mar 202314min
The Legend of Harry Houdini
In the late 19th century, a young man by the name of Erich Weiss decided to pursue a career in magic and illusion. To honor his favorite magician, he took the name The Great Houdini. He became one of...
10 Mar 202315min
