Emperor Nero
In the year 54, the Roman Emperor Claudius died, and his adopted son Nero became the Emperor of Rome at the age of 16. His reign was one of the most infamous in history, and over 2000 years after he ...
19 Jan 202414min
Cahokia
You are probably familiar with several of the great pre-Columbian cities in the Americas. Places like Tikal in Guatemala, Copan in Honduras, and Tenochtitlan in Mexico are some of the great legacies o...
18 Jan 202413min
The Irish Potato Famine (Encore)
In 1845, farmers around Europe suffered from a blight that devastated the potato crop. This lasted for several years, but nowhere was it more pronounced than it was on the island of Ireland, where it...
17 Jan 202412min
The London Underground
The 19th century saw an explosion in population in London. The city grew severalfold and became the largest city in the world. With so many people and the city growing so rapidly, transportation beca...
16 Jan 202414min
The History of Pasta
There is a very good chance that many of you listening have had pasta, maybe within the last week. Pasta is a simple, affordable food that comes in a wide variety of forms. It can be served with almo...
15 Jan 202413min
Swiss Mercenaries (Encore)
When most people think of Switzerland, they think of a small country embedded in the Alps that makes fine chocolates and is the home of the cuckoo clock. They have been neutral in European conflicts f...
14 Jan 202412min
Alternative Forms of Space Flight
Every single rocket that has ever been launched into space has been a rocket that burned some sort of fuel. These chemical fuel rockets have worked well for making the short trip to orbit. Beyond tha...
13 Jan 202413min
Human Life Expectancy
Everyone, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that you and everyone else listening to me right now are mortal. As of the recording of this episode, time is undefeated. The good...
12 Jan 202414min
