Today, if we want to take a photo, we unlock our phone, aim, and click. It can be done on a whim, without a second thought. We document everything from new haircuts to latte art, cute cats to baby’s first smile. But prior to the 1900s, photography was the exclusive domain of professionals and dedicated hobbyists -- people willing to learn complex skills and ... Show More
Jan 2020
Electronic Television: The Picture Radio | S24-E1
<p>The invention of the electronic television was uniquely complicated for its time. So complicated, in fact, that the prevailing narrative is that it couldn’t have been invented by a single person -- let alone Philo Farnsworth. </p><p><br></p><p>After all, some of the most ... Show More
38m 57s
Feb 2020
Valium: Miltown Magic | S25-E1
<p>Anxiety. It’s something everyone experiences at some point in their lives, but for centuries doctors had no effective way to treat it. They could send patients on rest cures, order them to do nothing at all, or prescribe barbiturates that depressed the central nervous system, ... Show More
39m 31s
Mar 2020
Organ Transplant: The Kidney Twins | S26-E1
<p>A century ago, organ transplants were the stuff of science fiction. But a handful of experimental surgeons believed that transplants were not just possible – they had the potential to save thousands of lives. Then, in 1954, a man agreed to donate his kidney to his twin brother ... Show More
42m 50s
Mar 2023
Can You Picture That? This Photographer Can and Does
Photographer Mark Thiessen, who’s worked on staff at National Geographic for over 30 years, likens his job to a Swiss army knife—versatile enough to tackle many kinds of assignments. Even when the subject is challenging, he approaches each assignment with a lot of curiosity and c ... Show More
28m 30s
Apr 2021
Ancient Egypt in Context: Interview with Professor David Wengrow
<p>Professor David Wengrow is one of the world's leading experts on Egypt before the pharaohs. He's also one of the most creative and wide-ranging archaeologists working right now, and he has fascinating insights into the primordial emergence of inequality, hierarchies, states, a ... Show More
54m 50s
Jul 2023
The Disappearance of General Magic | The Pocket Crystal | 1
<p>Almost two decades before the launch of the iPhone, Apple Executive Marc Porat launches a project to develop the world’s first smartphone. But to fulfill his ambitions, he will have to launch his own company: General Magic. There, he will assemble a team of brilliant engineers ... Show More
34m 33s
Feb 2021
Hunter-Gatherers, Archaeology, and Prehistory: Interview with Professor Robert Kelly
<p>What can we learn about the deep human past by studying present-day hunter-gatherers? I asked that question to Professor Robert Kelly of the University of Wyoming, who's both one of the world's experts on hunter-gatherers and an accomplished archaeologist. Today's hunter-gathe ... Show More
56m 30s