The War of the Roses
For thirty years between 1455 and 1485, England suffered its greatest civil war at that point. The war was ultimately over succession to the throne and who should be king. The period was filled with ...
3 Dec 202415min
The History of Tea (Encore)
Sometimes over 3000 years ago, somewhere in Southwestern China, a leaf from the Camellia sinensis plant may have accidentally found its way into a pot of boiling water. Noticing that the leaf had tur...
2 Dec 202413min
Questions and Answers: Volume 25
December is upon us, and we should be cognizant of the fact that December is based on the Latin word Decem, meaning tenth, which is why December is the 10th month of the year……except that it is actual...
1 Dec 202415min
Representative Riffs
Music is a very powerful thing. It can invoke a wide variety of emotions and moods. Particular songs we've heard might invoke memories of when we first heard them. However, there is some music that a...
30 Nov 202415min
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
