The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation (Encore)
In 1897, the visionary Russian rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky discovered an equation that governed how rockets worked. His equation, which was independently discovered by several other rocke...
29 Nov 202413min
The North American Turkey (Encore)
For about a month, from the end of November to the end of December every year, one of the most popular animals in North America is the turkey. Turkeys are the traditional meal served at Thanksgiving ...
28 Nov 202414min
The Islamic Caliphates
After the Prophet Mohammed's death in 632, his followers faced a dilemma. Mohammed was not only their spiritual leader but also their political leader. While no one could replace Mohammed, they neede...
27 Nov 202415min
Fermat's Last Theorem
For more than 350 years, a single problem stumped the world of mathematics. The problem was extremely simple to state, yet it proved fiendishly difficult to prove. For several centuries, bounties we...
26 Nov 202415min
Prisons and Jails
There are many things in our world that have surprisingly ancient origins. One of the things that most definitely does not have ancient origins in the concept of prison and incarceration as punishmen...
25 Nov 202415min
The Panic of 1893 (Encore)
It was the worst economic depression that the United States had ever seen. The stock market crashed. Thousands of businesses went bankrupt. The unemployment rate hit 20% There were soup lines and an ...
24 Nov 202412min
The Election of 1788
Since the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788, there have been 60 presidential elections, which have been run every four years. Over time, a system was developed for the election o...
23 Nov 202415min
The Year 1600
A little over 400 years ago, the world was undergoing a revolution, although most people who lived at that time probably didn’t know it. For better or worse, the long-term and short-term changes were...
22 Nov 202415min
