Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
Did People Really Throw Tar And Feathers On Each Other?
It's true -- people used to throw tar on other people, then shake feathers on them as a specific form of legally-sanctioned punishment. Where did the concept of tarring and feathering a person actual…
Published on 5 years, 5 months ago
Kate Warne, the Pinkerton Detective Who Saved Abe Lincoln, Part 2: To Rescue A President
While Kate Warne had numerous adventures (and brilliantly solved multiple high-profile cases), her most well-known work with pinkerton involved none other than Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of …
Published on 5 years, 5 months ago
Kate Warne, the Pinkerton Detective Who Saved Abe Lincoln, Part 1: The Origin Story
Kate Warne wasn't just the first female private investigator in the US -- she was also one of the best Pinkerton detectives in the history of the agency. In this special two-part series, the guys joi…
Published on 5 years, 5 months ago
What is Fudge, Part 2: The Rebellion
The students of Vassar thrived despite a system of Victorian -- near Orwellian -- control. In a time when these college students were not allowed to have agency over their own diet, they rebelled, po…
Published on 5 years, 6 months ago
What is Fudge, Part 1: The Science, The Curious Name
Nowadays, most people in the global West associate fudge with the idea of a homemade, homely confection. Yet once upon a time, this dangerously delightful, sugar-laden snack was the domain of the eli…
Published on 5 years, 6 months ago
The North Pole, Part 2: The Chase To The North
The Mercator Projection continues to inform explorers, many of whom send their own appropriative versions of the Mythical North. Join Ben, Casey and Noel as they ask: Who actually discovered the Nort…
Published on 5 years, 6 months ago
The North Pole, Part 1: Maps and Legends
In 1569, Gerardus Mercator creates the first world map. It's the predecessor of the cartoonishly inaccurate Mercator projection, and this math guides people toward what they believe to be the North P…
Published on 5 years, 6 months ago
The Mysterious Origin of (and Disturbing Problems with) the "Wolf Whistle"
It's one of those iconic 'you know it when you hear it' sounds - the two-note whistle made famous in old Tex Avery cartoons and multiple films of yesteryear. But what is the wolf whistle? Where did i…
Published on 5 years, 6 months ago
World War I and the Rise of the Peat Moss Bandage
War often drives innovation — often out of desperation. In World War I, doctors were overwhelmed and dangerously short on supplies, especially bandages. With no end in sight for the cotton shortage, …
Published on 5 years, 6 months ago
Flashback: Unforeseen Consequences Throughout History: Part 2
How did air conditioning fundamentally change the course of U.S. politics? What does the Y.M.C.A. have to do with cigarettes? Join Ben and Casey as they welcome special guest, Sean Braswell, to learn…
Published on 5 years, 6 months ago