logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2019
30m 23s

Lost Cities: Making Sense of Myths, pt. ...

American Public Media
About this episode

Was Atlantis a real city? If not, why have so many people gone looking for it? In part two of our series on modern myths and legends, we’re searching for lost cities.


We’ll trace the origins of El Dorado, and head to the ruins of an actual lost city in Egypt. We'll find out how mangrove trees could help prevent cities from being lost to climate change, and Sanden and Marc are back with another edition of Hoax Hunters. Plus, a Moment of Um about how tattoos stay put.


Today’s episode is sponsored by Quip (getquip.com/brains), KiwiCo (kiwico.com/brains), American Dental Association (ADA.org/brains) and Stitch Fix Kids (stitchfix.com/kids/brains). You can support Brains On at brainson.org/donate and get a bonus Mystery Sound Extravaganza episode this January!

Up next
Jun 11
A big update about the Brains On Universe
We're moving the Brains On Universe Headquarters, and that means we have to stop putting out new episodes until we get settled. We know: not cool. But, our new home is going to be bigger and better and the absolute BEST. We can't wait until it's ready for you to visit.In the mean ... Show More
2m 56s
Jun 3
The life of a NASA astronaut
Brains On is a non-profit public radio program. There are lots of ways to support the show:Support the podcast with donation | Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free episodes and bonus content | Buy our book and merch | Come to our live shows | Get the newsletter for parents | Find ... Show More
35m 17s
May 27
How do weather stations predict the weather?
Brains On is a non-profit public radio program. There are lots of ways to support the show:Support the podcast with donation | Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free episodes and bonus content | Buy our book and merch | Come to our live shows | Get the newsletter for parents | Find ... Show More
28m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
The Lost City of Atlantis
Learn about the mysterious civilization written about by Plato and the search to find the ruins of the lost city. In the episode, we ask the big question of whether Atlantis was real or just a myth. 📖  Full Text @ BedtimeHistoryStories.com 📺 YouTube 👍 Facebook | Instagram 🇲🇽 ... Show More
10m 23s
May 2019
Uncovering Atlantis - A Mythical Empire
Known as the first Empire, this great city ran afoul of the gods and was destroyed over 10,000 years ago. Despite expeditions made by everyone from Spanish Conquistadors to Nazis, there’s no proof the Atlantis actually ever existed. Parcasters - Have you checked out Mythology yet ... Show More
48m 27s
May 2023
S8E6 - You Odyssey This: Arrows and A-Rivals
Oh Muses! We return to Ithaca with Odysseus after 20 years of adventuring. In this episode we encounter PTSD in action, elaborate disguises, the death penalty, double standards, Agamemnon’s ghost, and a test of furniture. This episode has a lot of death, so if you don’t want to l ... Show More
35m 19s
Aug 2023
Uncovering Atlantis Pt. 2
Over 10,000 years ago, the city of Atlantis was believed to exist as a pinnacle of human achievement before it was suddenly, mysteriously wiped from the face of the earth. Over millennia of human evolution, our species has returned time and time again to the mystery of the Lost C ... Show More
52m 39s
Jun 2020
The Lost City of Ubar: The True Story of "The Atlantis of the Sands"
You've probably heard of the Atlantis before, but have you heard the legends of another lost city, somewhere out in the endless sands of the Arabian Peninsula's Rub' al Khali (or "Empty Quarter")? Tales of this city, known as Ubar or Iram of the Pillars, surface in countries thro ... Show More
1h 4m
Jul 2023
Obelisks: Tall and Sometimes Stinky
Episode 81: The Washington Monument is just one of many Obelisks in the world. Somehow several originals from Egypt have wound up all over the globe. And they inspired a stinky imitation in Australia, known as Thornton's Scent Bottle. The Washington Monument is the tallest, but i ... Show More
34m 28s
May 2023
S8E5 - You Odyssey This: The Breathless Dead
Oh Muses! Help us continue the tale of Odysseus attempting to make his way home from the ruins of Troy. In this episode we encounter upsetting pig facts, still-mooing beef, the burdens of leadership, hungry sea monsters, and that feeling you get when one of your sailors die? But ... Show More
31m 38s
Oct 2022
S7E3 - Akhenaten The Heretic King
Akhenaten, oh Muses, is who we discuss in today's episode. We'll talk through his religious beliefs and how it made sense to build a new city in the middle of the desert. We encounter anthropomorphic stars, megalomania, re-writing religion, the pain of moving, artsy fartsy stuff, ... Show More
23m 11s
Feb 2021
GT082 - Sweettoothia and the Egyptian Pharaohs
To flip through the photos that go with this gooptales story visit gooptales.com/sweettoothia Do you know a child who can’t keep their hands off sweets? Then it’s time to introduce them to Sweettoothia, who will teach them how to improve this habit as they learn about history, cu ... Show More
35m 54s
May 2022
Introducing: Not Lost
Brendan Francis Newnam was the host of a popular radio show, coasting through a happy adulthood when it all came crashing down. And so, like many before him, he decided to hit the road, but not on his own. In Not Lost, Brendan and a friend travel to a new place every week, meetin ... Show More
3m 32s