logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
49m 18s

Switchboards: Please Hold While We Conne...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

The telephone switchboard was a real wonder of technology and laid the groundwork for the next generation of connectivity. Learn how these things worked today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Aug 23
Selects: The Flannen Isles Mystery
In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened to them. Find out all about this strange situation in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
50m 7s
Aug 21
Private Equity: Your Ears Will Bleed
Private equity is a business operation where companies are bought and run at their leanest to maximize returns for a handful of investors. It can be a lifeline for a flailing company or run it into the ground. Either way, PE firms make out like bandits.See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More
46m 42s
Aug 20
Short Stuff: The Lost (?) Continent of Lemuria
Why aren't there lemurs in Africa? That question created a whole theory about a lost continent. Turns out it's not true.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
11m 5s
Recommended Episodes
May 23
Phone Tap: A.I. Says STFU
Today’s Phone Tap victim just wants to know when he can pick up his order, but thanks to Artificial Intelligence, that has literally never been more impossible!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
5m 28s
Jun 2024
Un appel téléphonique 5G avec un son 3D spatialisé ?
Nokia, célèbre pour son héritage pionnier dans le domaine de la téléphonie mobile, frappe à nouveau fort en dévoilant le tout premier appel "audio et vocal immersif au monde". Cette avancée révolutionnaire, réalisée sur un réseau 5G et avec des smartphones commerciaux, promet de ... Show More
1m 56s
Jan 2025
Phone Tap: WeClick
Today’s Phone Tap victim is obsessed with online shopping so Brooke's calling her and enabling all the worst parts of her obsession with a new technology called “WE CLICK!”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
5m 22s
May 23
Phone Tap: A.I. Says STFU
Today’s Phone Tap victim just wants to know when he can pick up his order, but thanks to Artificial Intelligence, that has literally never been more impossible!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
5m 28s
Oct 2024
The TED AI Show: Is Google’s reign over? The future of AI search w/ Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas
Whether finding a restaurant or fact-checking a new claim, search engines are one of the main avenues we use to navigate the world. So why are modern engines so clunky and frustrating – and how is AI already changing the infrastructure we use to access information on the internet ... Show More
35m 51s
Oct 2024
Unlocking the Power of Data with Acxiom
On this episode, Janet Cinfio, Chief Information Officer of Acxiom, discusses the company's role in marketing intelligence and data management, the importance of balancing privacy with personalized marketing experiences, the need for responsible innovation in technology, and the ... Show More
36m 1s
May 27
The future isn't just coded — it's built | Lauren Dunford
Look around — almost everything you see was manufactured, from baby formula to AI data centers and beyond. Yet we rarely think about how it’s all made. Factory fixer Lauren Dunford pulls back the curtain on modern manufacturing, revealing just how thrilling and world-shaping this ... Show More
12m 8s
Feb 2025
Pocket Power: The History of Smartphones
Phones weren’t always smart! In this episode, we’ll talk about how phones changed over time, starting with big, heavy ones that could only make calls. We’ll learn how they got smaller, faster, and smarter, turning into the smartphones we use today. We’ll talk about cool invention ... Show More
6m 42s
Aug 2024
Let's Listen To Your Messages for Shannen
We were flooded with touching tributes and moving messages for Shannen Doherty.  Thank you for calling and telling us the impact she had on your life. This episode couldn't include the hundreds of phone calls we received, but we thank you for sharing your thoughts and memories as ... Show More
41m 7s
Oct 2024
Is Google’s reign over? The future of AI search w/ Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas
Whether finding a restaurant or fact-checking a new claim, search engines are one of the main avenues we use to navigate the world. So why are modern engines so clunky and frustrating – and how is AI already changing the infrastructure we use to access information on the internet ... Show More
35m 51s