Podcast Episodes

The Travels of Marco Polo, Part 2

Let's continue our journey with Marco Polo along the Silk Road through Persia, and relax with totally, totally true facts about magical fogs, three k…

5 years, 2 months ago

Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott, Part 2

Let's return to a sleepy satirical world of two dimensions, and learn about seeing, irregularity, and the dreaded perils of not being dull.

Want to s…

5 years, 2 months ago

Woodworking for Beginners, by Charles Wheeler, Part 2

Let's take "sawing wood" literally, and find relaxation and sleep with this handy manual of woodworking basics. You'll never look at lumber the same …

5 years, 2 months ago

The Wanderings of a Spiritualist, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Part 1

Let's relax and sleep to these ruminations on psychic phenomena and the afterlife. It's all about vibrations, etheric bodies and...an argument for re…

5 years, 2 months ago

Bacteria, by Sir George Newman, Part 1

Let's drift into the busy micro-world of bacteria. But first, a long and sleepy introduction to the history of bacteriology, so new, it's barely hist…

5 years, 3 months ago

A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Part 4

This week, let's continue our sleepy stroll through history's halls and relax with nomadic wanderers, seafarers, and the ever-shifting conquerors of …

5 years, 3 months ago

The History of Bread, by John Ashton, Part 2

Tonight, let's continue sifting through the sleepy history of the staff of life, including Greek myths, Pompeii's ruins, Chinese threshing, and chapa…

5 years, 3 months ago

In Praise of Folly, by Erasmus, Part 1

This week, let's enjoy a renaissance of relaxation with the thoughts on Erasmus. This dense mix of social commentary and satire is the perfect soluti…

5 years, 3 months ago

The Book of the Ocean, by Ernest Ingersoll, Part 1

This week, let's float away on gentle waves with this exploration of our oceans. It's a lovely dip into marine science—some good, some…not, and all s…

5 years, 4 months ago

Biographical Sketch of Henry David Thoreau, by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let's relax and sleep with a lengthy paean of praise written after the death of Thoreau by his contemporary, friend and worshipful admirer, Ralph Wal…

5 years, 4 months ago