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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 yes…
5 years, 9 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 bandag…
5 years, 9 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 t…
5 years, 10 months ago
Flashback: Unforeseen Consequences Throughout History: Part 1
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 t…
5 years, 10 months ago
Louis Wain, the Godfather of Cat Memes: Part 2
Before the days of WiFi, Reddit, nyan cat and grumpy cat alike, one man set the art world on fire with his increasingly bizarre paintings and sketche…
5 years, 10 months ago
Louis Wain, the Godfather of Cat Memes: Part 1
If you're listening to this podcast, you definitely know about cat memes. At this point, they're almost like an internet currency all their own. But …
5 years, 10 months ago
Feedsack Fashion: How Thrifty Inventiveness Transformed America
In the early 20th century, rural US residents were all-too-accustomed to scraping by, often by any means necessary. Families without the means to buy…
5 years, 10 months ago
Emperor Tiberius Was Debauched, Deranged and Probably Not Fun At Parties
When Emperor Tiberius first ascended to the throne in AD 14, he seemed to be a principled reformer set on cleaning up the empire -- checking excesses…
5 years, 10 months ago
The Return of Historical Flexes, Part 2: Flexcessiveness
History is riddled with bizarre stories of flexes — things people of the past thought were somehow impressive at time. The Ridiculous Historians are …
5 years, 10 months ago
The Return of Historical Flexes, Part 1: 2 Flex 2 Furious
History is riddled with bizarre stories of flexes — things people of the past thought were somehow impressive at time. The Ridiculous Historians are …
5 years, 10 months ago