The Vanished Stone Mountain of Borobudur
This episode provides a comprehensive biography of Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple located in Java, Indonesia. Constructed in the ninth century through advanced mortarless engineering, ...
10 Jun 22min
The Victorian Architect of the First Computer
Picture a functional, 15-ton, steam-era calculating machine built entirely from 150-year-old forgotten blueprints. In this episode of pplpod, we dive deep into the fascinating life of Charles Babbage ...
10 Jun 20min
The Violent Birth of the Marathon
This episode explores the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, contrasting the historical reality of the conflict with the modern myths it inspired. It details how a vastly outnumbered Athenian army utilized...
10 Jun 21min
The Violent Death of Captain James Cook
This episode explores the life and contradictory legacy of Captain James Cook, a self-taught navigator who rose from humble origins to redefine the global map. The dialogue examines his monumental mar...
10 Jun 21min
The First Scientist: The Life of Mary Somerville
This episode explores the remarkable life of Mary Somerville, a self-taught Scottish polymath who became the first person ever described in print as a scientist. Despite facing severe social restricti...
10 Jun 17min
Frances Perkins: Architect of the Modern American Workplace
This episode explores the life and legacy of Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member in United States history and the primary architect of the New Deal. Born into a traditional middle-class f...
10 Jun 55min
Katherine Johnson: The Human Computer Who Mapped the Stars
This episode chronicles the life of Katherine Johnson, a brilliant mathematician whose calculations were essential to the success of the American space program. Despite facing systemic racism and gend...
10 Jun 36min
Émilie du Châtelet: The woman who corrected Isaac Newton
In the lavish and rigid court of 18th-century France, Émilie du Châtelet defied every limitation imposed on women of her class. Born in 1706 to the principal secretary of King Louis XIV, she bypassed ...
10 Jun 25min
