Global Reserve Currencies and the Triffin Dilemma
Today, approximately 160 currencies are used worldwide. Some countries share the same currency, while others use the currency of another country. However, not all currencies are equal. One currency ...
20 Apr 202514min
Biological Taxonomy and the Tree of Life
All living things on the planet Earth, from microbes to whales, can be categorized into a single hierarchical system. This system has been developed over the last 300 years. Layers have been added, ...
19 Apr 202516min
The Search for Life Outside the Solar System
In 1995, the first planet outside our solar system was discovered. Since then, with improved techniques and tools, over 5,000 exoplanets have been confirmed, and another 10,000 candidates are awaiti...
18 Apr 202515min
Rare Earth Elements (Encore)
Modern society is completely dependent on a set of technologies that include computer chips, fiber optic cables, lasers, video screens, electric motors, and batteries. All of those things are depend...
17 Apr 202510min
The History of Wire
The modern world runs on metal wires. These thin metal strands literally circle the globe and are responsible for much of the world’s electrical power and communications. It is something so basic ...
16 Apr 202515min
The Occupation and Liberation of Paris
Of all the cities that experienced the Second World War, one of the most interesting stories is that of Paris. Paris was not the scene of major fighting like Warsaw, which was all but destroyed. It ...
15 Apr 202515min
Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium: The Other Precious Metals
When I say precious metals, most of you probably immediately think of gold and silver. Historically, they have indeed been precious metals. However, they are not the only ones. There are elemental...
14 Apr 202515min
Operation Barbarossa (Encore)
On June 22, 1941, German forces crossed into the Soviet Union. It was, and remains, the largest military operation in human history. The force that the Germans assembled for the invasion was staggerin...
13 Apr 202514min
