Language is fundamental to how people experience the world, but how can we know what languages people spoke in the distant past? By 1200 BC, the linguistic outlines of the world were becoming a bit clearer, thanks to an explosion in written texts. Follow along as we go on a historical linguistic tour of the globe around 1200 BC, from the first Bantu-speakers ... Show More
Apr 16
Lost Worlds Audiobook Chapter: "The World As It Was"
Patrick's new book Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World comes out May 5th! Check out a free preview of the first chapter of the audiobook, "The World As It Was," and learn about the Clovis people and reindeer hunters in Europe at the end of the la ... Show More
50m 43s
Apr 9
What I've Learned From Tides of History
Does history repeat itself? Not really, but that's not the reason it's worth studying: Our past is nothing more or less than the collective record of our species' achievements and failures, and it contains a variety of lessons, few of them easy and straightforward. In this episod ... Show More
33m 56s
Jun 2023
Esperanto and the Search for a Global Language (Encore)
In the 1880s, a Polish ophthalmologist set out to create a universal language. A language that could be a second language for everyone around that world that no one country or one people would control.
It was a good idea, but things didn’t quite pan out as he had hoped, and alon ... Show More
11m 11s
Sep 2021
World history in 100 moments
Archaeologist and television presenter Neil Oliver discusses his new book, The Story of the World in 100 Moments, which explores the whole of human history through just 100 milestone events.
(Ad) Neil Oliver is the author of The Story of the World in 100 Moments (Bantam Press, ... Show More
47m 50s
Jan 2024
The 7 Wonders of the Ancient World
<p>People have always looked to the wonders of the ancient world for awe and inspiration. In the Ancient era, people embarked on dangerous pilgrimages to visit storied sites like the Pyramids of Giza, or the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. While only one of them remains, they still ex ... Show More
31m 52s