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In a world where materials were limited to wood, leather, metal, and cloth, rubber was something new: a substance that was strong, soft, flexible, and waterproof—but completely undependable. Then along came a 33 year- ... Show More
Feb 2019
Coca-Cola: The Cocaine Clinician | S12-E1
<p>In the wake of the Civil War, Atlanta emerged as both the cultural capital of the New South, and the epicenter of its snake oil trade. A shell-shocked populace, haunted by poverty, hunger and disease sought salvation in the dubious cure-all tonics of the pharmacy trade. What t ... Show More
42m 30s
Mar 2023
How Data Happened: Professors Chris Wiggins and Matthew L. Jones on the History of Data
<p>Chris Wiggins and Matthew Jones, authors of the new book <em>How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms</em>, join Patrick to discuss the history of data, why enumerating things isn't a neutral act, and the ethics of building a world on the fo ... Show More
59m 16s
Aug 2023
Building Lego | Out of the Ashes | 1
<p>A small Danish toy company survives World War Two thanks to its quality craftsmanship, but behind the scenes all is not well. Despite its good reputation, Lego teeters on the edge of bankruptcy, and a choice to change production methods threatens to tear the family-owned compa ... Show More
35m 40s
Apr 2023
Competition, Tyranny, and the Birth of Ancient Greece
<p>Archaic Greece went through some of the most explosive and rapid transformations of any ancient society, but why? What stands out the most is the intense strand of competition running through every aspect of society, from athletics to the economy to politics.</p><p><br></p><p> ... Show More
39m 42s
Jul 2017
Introducing Tides of History
<p>History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme, said Mark Twain. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the modern world: history ebbs and flows over the centuries, driven by great tides of economic, social, political, religious, and cultural change that shap ... Show More
1m 49s