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Why was Phrenology a Thing? Part II: A Pseudoscience (Sort of) Informs the Modern Day
While the credibility of phrenology inevitably deteriorated over time, it was neither a completely original concept, nor, in some respects, a complet…
3 years, 9 months ago
Why was Phrenology a Thing? Part I: The Rise of Dr. Finger
Once upon a time, a young man named Franz Joseph Gall thought "That's weird... all my school chums with big eyes are good at memorizing things." Year…
3 years, 9 months ago
Nancy Wake, the White Mouse of the French Resistance
Although Nancy Wake began her career as a journalist, her first-hand experience with Nazis compelled her to a new calling: the French Resistance. In …
3 years, 10 months ago
The US Boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and Puerto Rican Boxers Went Anyway
In a response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the US, along with more than 60 other countries, boycotted the Olympics. Yet three Puerto Rican …
3 years, 10 months ago
Disco Demolition Night: How Disco Died at a White Sox Game
Cast your memory back to 1979. Tensions across the US are high, on multiple levels. Disco dominates the music scene, and, oh boy, rock fans are mad a…
3 years, 10 months ago
Bolivia Fought -- And Lost -- A War For Bird Poop
Most people associate think of bird poop as an annoyance -- it can gunk up sidewalks and windshields, and, occasionally, even splat on an unlucky per…
3 years, 10 months ago
Why You Can't Say "MacBeth" in a Theater
As one of history's most well-known, highly-regarded writers, it's no secret that Shakespeare's life and work is full of strange stories -- but did y…
3 years, 10 months ago
Operation Mincemeat: Britain's Ghoulish Plan to Fool the Nazis
As World War II raged on in 1943, both Allied and Axis forces knew they were riddled with spies. In a dizzying cavalcade of undercover, double, and e…
3 years, 10 months ago
Who the heck was Joseph Warren?
When it's time to study the American Revolution in grade school, US kids tend to learn the same few names -- Betsy Ross, George Washington, Benjamin …
3 years, 10 months ago
Chocolate Syrup: From Medicine to Dessert
Most people nowadays associate chocolate syrup with ice cream -- but back in the day, it was considered a legitimate medicine. In today's episode, Be…
3 years, 10 months ago