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The Story of the Nuclear Boy Scout
David Hahn was a kid who was really into science. So much that he built a nuclear reactor in his mother's potting shed. And it worked.
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2 years, 3 months ago
Short Stuff: Benin Bronzes
One of the world’s cultural treasure troves were created in West Africa. But for over a century they’ve been held in museums outside of Africa. In fa…
2 years, 3 months ago
Ray and Charles Eames: More than Chairs
Charles and Ray Eames were superstar designers who dreamed up some of the most iconic pieces of furniture ever made. And they did much more than that…
2 years, 3 months ago
Selects: Geodesic Domes: The Wave of the Future That Wasn't
Sometimes a good idea doesn’t pan out in real life. Take Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome: It requires less energy to heat and cool, it’s cheap, an…
2 years, 3 months ago
Like, here's the episode on "like"
Like is a very divisive word. Purists think it's like, a filler word born in the 80s that's like, destroying the English language. Turns out none of …
2 years, 3 months ago
Short Stuff: The Original Snake Oil Salesman
There’s a great origin story behind snake oil salesmen, and it has to do with just one guy who singlehandedly gave it a bad name.
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2 years, 3 months ago
What Americans Ate When There Were No Food Laws
There was a brief period in America’s history – after people left the farm to work in the city and before the government started regulating it – when…
2 years, 3 months ago
Selects: The Unabomber: Misguided to say the least
The Unabomber was one of the most notorious and longest lasting cases in the history of the FBI. Just because the manifesto reads like he was a fortu…
2 years, 3 months ago
What's the Pygmalion Effect?
Do teachers and managers give special treatment to those who they're told have great academic or professional promise? Does this create a self-fulfil…
2 years, 3 months ago
Short Stuff: School Bus Yellow
Why are all school buses the same color? Because one man made it so. This is that story.
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2 years, 3 months ago