Reflecting History

From their new base in Tenochtitlan, the Mexica people slowly built the Aztec Empire over the course of the 1300's. While the "myth of the Aztec" ascribes this accomplishment to the barbarism of human...

11 Nov 202441min

The story of the Aztec Empire is a story unlike any other. From it's origins as a nomadic underdog, to it's ascendance at the rich and powerful city of Tenochtitlan, to it's clash of civilizations wit...

21 Okt 202445min

This bonus episode is the first episode of a nine part podcast series on the Netflix show "Arcane." I recap season 1 of the show and delve into the history, psychology, and philosophy underpinning the...

30 Sep 202430min

Is history a cycle? How do the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shed light on the discovery of prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux Cave? What is the link between prehistory and posthistory?...

9 Sep 202428min

In 20th century China, ordinary people had to make incredibly hard decisions every day to simply survive. One generation passed the torch of war and death to the next, and people had to live with the ...

19 Aug 202451min

What is memory? Why do we remember and forget? How does the puzzle of memory fit together or fall apart in our minds? In the 2022 film "Aftersun," written and directed by Charlotte Wells, a woman trie...

29 Jul 202427min

Leadership is one of the most interesting avenues of historical study, but also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode I'm joined by historian Martin Gutmann to talk about some of the myths an...

8 Jul 202455min

Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" depicts a horrific wasteland that is the worst possible example of an existential threat coming to life. But like in his other novels, there are also moments where you won...

17 Jun 202420min