Chasing the Impossible: The Enigma of Perpetual Motion (Encore)
Imagine a device that could supply an unlimited amount of energy. It would solve many of the world’s problems in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, such a device is impossible to build, but that hasn’t s...
15 Jan 202511min
Famine
One of the most devastating disasters that has afflicted humanity are famines. Unlike other natural disasters, famines do not have a single cause. They have happened all over the world for a wide var...
14 Jan 202515min
The Schlitz Mistake
In the early 20th century, the Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the largest brewery in the world. However, by 1980, the company had fallen on hard times and was purchased by a com...
13 Jan 202514min
The History of the Tomato (Encore)
One of the most popular foods in the world is tomatoes. Tomatoes are grown almost everywhere in the world today, and they have become the basis of several international cuisines. However, just a few...
12 Jan 202512min
Gnosticism
In the first and second centuries, a Christian sect found a wide following throughout the Roman world. They weren’t your normal run-of-the-mill Christians. They had beliefs that were nothing like tho...
11 Jan 202515min
The Ultraviolet Catastrophe and the Creation of Quantum Mechanics
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a problem that stumped even the best minds in physics. Eventually, one man, Max Planck, solved the problem, but his solution was one that was o...
10 Jan 202516min
Fractals
Some of the most beautiful things in the world of mathematics are fractals. Fractals are unique geometric objects that are both easy to comprehend and have complicated mathematics. Moreover, fractal...
9 Jan 202515min
Hosting the Olympics
In July 2017, the International Olympic Committee did something unprecedented. It awarded not one, but two cities Olympic games at the same time. The 2024 games to Paris and the 2028 games to Los Ange...
8 Jan 202518min
