Normally on American Innovations, we look at the history of the science and technology that transformed the world we live in. These stories teach us about the vision, grit, competition, and teamwork required to conquer new frontiers and forge new pathways to the future. But equally valuable, perhaps, are the stories of those visionary innovators who seemed p ... Show More
Aug 2019
The Heimlich Maneuver | S18-E1
<p>In the 1960s, choking was a national epidemic. In the United States alone, close to 4,000 people were dying from choking every year. Lobster, ham, and hamburger were common culprits. But steak was by far the greatest offender. </p><p>Coroners called for a solution to ... Show More
43m 45s
Aug 2019
Corn Flakes | The Brothers of Battle Creek | S19-E1
<p>For the first 150 years of American history, American citizens were plagued by gastrointestinal issues. Diarrhea, gastritis and dysentery were pretty much a way of life. Indigestion was such an immense problem, the poet Walt Whitman called it “the Great American Evil.” </ ... Show More
40m 36s
Sep 2019
Skylab: NASA’s Best-Kept Secret| Apollo’s Leftovers | S20-E1
<p>Fifty years ago, America’s space program achieved its greatest triumph, when Apollo Eleven put the first men on the moon.</p><p>The Apollo program was a remarkable success story. But as NASA was sending men to the moon, they were engaged in another, less celebrated project — o ... Show More
39m 2s
May 2018
History Through Innovation | Interview with Steven Johnson | 7
<p>The phone in your hand is more powerful than all of the computers that put a man on the moon, combined. In the age of supercomputers, driverless cars, and mail-order DNA testing it’s easy to forget that the journey to these incredible innovations was a lot of surprising moment ... Show More
40m 41s
Nov 2021
SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Un peu plus près des étoiles | 2
En 2003, en plein désert de Mohave, un génie rebelle de l’aviation, un certain Burt Rutan, construit une navette spatiale avec l’argent de Paul Allen, le cofondateur de Microsoft. Mais tandis que les deux pionniers travaillent au lancement du tout premier vaisseau spatial financé ... Show More
26m 3s
Dec 2021
SpaceX vs. Blue Origin | La guerre de l’espace | 5
En 2013, à Cap Canaveral, la Nasa, qui n’en peut plus de payer des fortunes pour l’entretien d’une de ses rampes de lancement devenue inutile, décide d’en concéder l’utilisation à l’un des nouveaux acteurs privés du secteur. Mais alors que Space X pensait récupérer facilement le ... Show More
26m 38s
Feb 2021
Episode 25: Elon Musk’s Secrets of Success
How did the world’s second-richest man become so successful? This week, Eric Berger, who spent time with Elon Musk as he built SpaceX, reveals how the real-life Tony Stark gets people to join him in his quests, and drives them to unheard-of achievements—insights you won’t want to ... Show More
28m 11s
Jun 2019
Condottieri: War for Profit in Renaissance Italy
<p>In Renaissance Italy, war was simultaneously art, science, and big business, waged for profit and glory by hired contractors known as <em>condottieri</em>. Today, we follow one <em>condottiere</em> as he makes his way through the dangerous world of mercenary warfare in the fif ... Show More
51m 37s