SYMHC Classics: The Darien Disaster

Charles Goodyear's work is important to so many things we have in the 21st century. But his life and his work to create a stable rubber was full of problems -- many of them caused by Goodyear himself. Research: Britannica Editors. "Charles Goodyear". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 D ... Show More

This 2022 episode covers the development of penicillin, which started – but definitely did not end – with the chance discovery of some mold in a petri dish. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Tracy shares stories of her time in London. There is also a discussion of Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin’s marriage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

When charting the rise of Scotland’s global influence, few events have been as tragically remarkable as the Darien Scheme of 1698, which saw woefully unprepared Scottish pioneers attempt to settle and colonise the Isthmus of Panama. Scotland during this period was a country bound ... Show More

The girlies tell the stories of two historical events that were doomed from the start: the Donner Party and The Great Emu War. From the cannibalistic Western settlers to the Australians who thought they could gun down 20,000 wild emus, humans vastly underestimated their environme ... Show More

How devastating were European arrivals to the Americas in terms of deaths and the introduction of new infectious diseases? Tom and Dominic are joined by Professor Kyle Harper from the University of Oklahoma to discuss the relationship between disease and colonial expansion, the ... Show More

<p>While historians continue to explore the details of the infamous Salem witch trials, another, earlier panic swept through New England -- something modern historians often refer to as the "Vampire Panic." In part one of this two-part series, Ben is joined again with guest host ... Show More

<p>It's Dark History time this week as the boys set their sights on the high seas for a treacherous tale of mutiny, madness... and murder! We're traveling way back to 1628 for the tragedy of the Batavia and the story of the ship's doomed voyage from the Netherlands to Indonesia.< ... Show More

<p>The nautical tale of the Batavia continues this week as the boys follow the path of the Dutch merchant ship's treacherous maiden voyage along the southern tip of Africa, where after enduring harsh conditions, lack of food, the spread of disease, and a brewing mutiny, one misse ... Show More

It's often been said that "the art of losing isn't hard to master", and humanity overall seems to have a knack for losing everything from car keys to entire civilizations. Join Ben and Noel as they travel (vicariously) to South America and delve into the story of two nations who, ... Show More

<p>Pirates weren’t just a menace on the high seas - they were a direct threat to Spain’s empire-building ambitions in the Pacific. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Kristie Patricia Flannery to hear the untold story of how Spanish officials, Catholic missionaries, Indi ... Show More

Reeling from his failure in Scotland, Edward II needs to up his game, unite his kingdom and keep the peace with Thomas Earl of Lancaster. But before he can get started, Edward and his people are flung into one of the worst environmental disasters ever seen. This would test the re ... Show More

Who was Captain Morgan, and why is a spiced rum named after him? How did a Welsh buccaneer lead an attack on the heart of Spain’s empire in Panama? How did Elizabeth I fund Francis Drake’s first slaving voyage? William and Anita are joined once again by historian and archaeologis ... Show More