5 Sinners in Dante's Inferno
When Dante wrote The Divine Comedy, he consigned several of his real-life enemies to hell. In this podcast, Katie and Sarah examine Dante's habit of putting his enemies in his fiction, focusing on fiv...
29 Sep 201023min
The Whaleship Essex: Real-life Moby Dick Sinks a Ship
Although Herman Melville's opus is a work of fiction, it was inspired by real-life events. In this episode, Katie and Sarah explore the story of the real-life Moby Dick -- and the unfortunate vessel t...
27 Sep 201020min
The Race to the South Pole
When Scott and Amundsen launched rival expeditions to the South Pole, they knew that only one group could be the first to reach the pole. Each believed his strategy would prevail, but which explorer w...
22 Sep 201022min
The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond
The Koh-i-noor diamond has a long, storied history -- and a reputation for bringing trouble to its (male) owners. In this episode, Katie and Sarah trace the adventures of the infamous diamond, from it...
20 Sep 201019min
Who was King Tut... really?
When Egyptologists studied King Tutankhamen's DNA, they learned some surprising things: In addition to being disabled, the king was inbred. And this is just the beginning. Learn more about the real Ki...
15 Sep 201016min
The Death of Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in December of 1791, bringing his profound career to an untimely end. But how exactly did he die? Join Katie and Sarah as they examine the life of Mozart -- and the questi...
13 Sep 201014min
Sir Roger Mortimer: Who was the "Greatest Traitor?"
Sir Roger Mortimer is known as the "greatest traitor," but why? Sarah and Katie explore the life and times of Sir Mortimer in this episode, from his early conflicts, his successful rebellion against E...
8 Sep 201016min
Was there a female pope?
During the Middle Ages, thousands of faithful Catholics believed in the story of a female pope named Joan. But is there any evidence for this story -- not to mention the other stories that grew from t...
6 Sep 201015min
