October 21, 1879. It’s late in the evening and a 32-year-old inventor is in his New Jersey lab, tinkering with a carbon thread. When that young inventor—Thomas Edison—lights that thread that night, it isn’t quite a “eureka," lightbulb-over-the-head moment, but the lightbulb in his lab did stay lit long enough to convince him he was on the right track. How di ... Show More
Jun 8
Why the Crusades Became Cool Again
June 8, 1191. The Crusaders and Muslim forces are locked in battle over the city of Acre. On one side is Saladin, the great Muslim leader who has already recaptured Jerusalem. On the other, an armada arrives carrying England’s king: Richard the Lionheart.The Crusades will become ... Show More
26m 59s
Jun 1
How Higgins and His Boats Won the War
June 6, 1944. As thousands of Allied soldiers prepare to storm the beaches of Normandy, they climb down rope nets into small wooden landing craft bobbing in the dark waters of the English Channel. Within hours, these boats will carry them into the largest amphibious invasion in h ... Show More
30m 17s
Aug 2022
The Bowery Boys and the Black Tom Explosion
Cautionary Tales returns next week, but in the meantime enjoy a story of disaster from The Bowery Boys Podcast. It's July 30th 1916, just after 2am, and a massive explosion rips apart the munitions depot on Black Tom, an island off Jersey City. Tons of debris and jagged shrapnel ... Show More
45m 29s
Oct 2021
La formidable invention du phonographe par Thomas Edison
<p>En 1877, Thomas Edison a mis au point le tout premier appareil capable d'enregistrer et de reproduire des sons ! Cette invention lui a aussi donné l'idée d'une machine pour communiquer avec les défunts... Du phonographe au gramophone, en passant par le nécrophone, le paléophon ... Show More
8m 35s
Dec 2021
EP134: Origin of Everyday Sayings, The Woman Introducing STEM Careers to Young Girls and Thomas Edison at Menlo Park
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson continues to share another slice from his ultimate guide to understanding these baffling mini mysteries of the English language; Nicole Small, the former CEO of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, shares how she is now ... Show More
38m 16s