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That Time People Were Terrified of Libraries
Today, libraries across the US and the rest of the world are seen as centers of free learning, presenting enormous opportunities for children and adu…
4 years, 10 months ago
Ostracism: How Ancient Greeks Handled Uncool Politicians
What if you could put troublesome citizens into time out for a decade? That's what ancient Athenians did through the practice of ostracism. This vote…
4 years, 10 months ago
Military Cats, Part 2: Simon Saves the British
When 17-year old British seaman George Hickenbottom saw an undernourished, ailing stray wandering the dockyards of Hong Kong, his heart melted. He sm…
4 years, 10 months ago
Military Cats, Part 1: Spies and Mascots
When you think of military animals, you might imagine horses, dogs and elephants — but what about cats? As it turns out, humanity’s feline friends ha…
4 years, 10 months ago
That Time People Rioted Over a Hot Air Balloon
These days hot air balloons are often thought of as anachronistic novelties -- but in the early days of aeronautics, they were considered fascinating…
4 years, 10 months ago
An Alabama Town Built a Statue Honoring the Insect that Almost Destroyed It
Enterprise, Alabama is home to a fascinating statue honoring the boll weevil, a tiny creature that once wreaked havoc across cotton country. So what …
4 years, 10 months ago
A Prince and His Poodle: The Supernatural Adventures of Rupert and Boy
When the Earl of Rundel learned his acquaintance Prince Rupert was languishing in an Austrian prison during the Thirty Years' War, he gifted the prin…
4 years, 11 months ago
How One Guy Made Europe Fall In Love With Potatoes
Today, the humble potato can be found in restaurants and dinner tables across the world -- but this wasn't always the case. In today's episode, Ben a…
4 years, 11 months ago
Weird Courtship Rituals, Part Two
What exactly is Bhutanese "Night Hunting," and how does it work? How do some rural Cambodian communities navigate the tricky world of dating while li…
4 years, 11 months ago
Weird Courtship Rituals, Part One
Would you whisper sweet nothings to your sweeheart through a six-foot tube with your Puritan grandmother in the room? Would you force feed your child…
4 years, 11 months ago