Episodes

Early civilizations came about with the domestication of fire, plants, animals, and humans. James C. Scott gives us the history of these early states and the problems they faced.

The road to social media stardom is difficult and rarely pays well. Brooke Erin Duffy shares stories of success and offers advice and a warning for those looking to make it big.

Interview with Monica Penick about her new book Tastemaker: Elizabeth Gordon, House Beautiful, and the Postwar American Home.

Anne-Marie Slaughter discusses foreign policy and the roles governments and individuals can play in an increasingly networked world.

The summer of 1858 was hot and stinky in London and filled with stories and scandals.

The Nazi obsession with the occult and supernatural are well-known in pop culture. Eric Kurlander gives us the real story beyond what we've seen in Hollywood and comics.

Scientists have finally measured gravitational waves from the collision of black holes. Marcia Bartusiak explains why this matters and talks about some of the universe's most mysterious objects.

Why was the FCC created and what was it's original purpose? Thomas Hazlett, former chief economist of the FCC, discusses the politics of the FCC and issues like censorship and net neutrality.

What role does social media play in networked protests? Zeynep Tufekci discusses this, online privacy, and how to combat fake news online.

Alvin Felzenberg shares stories about William F. Buckley, from his early family life to the formation of the modern conservative movement.

What should US foreign policy look like in the age of globalism? Foreign policy expert Thomas Wright discusses the threats and opportunities facing the US from places like Europe and East Asia and offers guidance on crafting a foreign policy that addresses these modern challenges. This episode was recorded on 5/16/2017.

Professor Patricia Mainardi discusses the earliest days of comics along with other exciting developments in the illustrated press in 19th-century France and England.

Millions of children have been born in the United States with the help of cutting-edge reproductive technologies. Tom Ekman discusses these technologies, where they are going, and more importantly, the rights of the children born using them.

Solar eclipses have fascinated us since the beginning of human existence. Astronomer and anthropologist Anthony Aveni discusses the cultural history of eclipses, the science behind them, and gives some tips for watching two upcoming US total solar eclipses.

Your privacy isn't safe even when you shop offline. Retailers are tracking your behavior and evaluating your value as a customer in physical stores. Privacy expert and author Joseph Turow discusses the ways they are doing this and what you can do to protect your privacy.

Daily Beast correspondent and author Jamie Kirchick discusses why the Europe as we know it may cease to exist as Russian meddling, uncertainty about the future of NATO, and events like Brexit push the EU in a new and uncertain direction.

Noted historian and author Carlos Eire breaks down some of the myths about Martin Luther and the Reformation and provides an insightful look at the history of the Catholic and Protestant religions from medieval to modern times.

Can pop artists be poets? Adam Bradley, professor of English, founding director of the Laboratory for Race & Popular Culture (RAP Lab), and author of The Poetry of Pop discusses this and more in a wide-ranging conversation on all things music from Gershwin to Chance the Rapper.

Kathleen A. Foster, curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, discusses the blockbuster new book and exhibition about American watercolor in the late 19th and early 20th century

We try to unlock the secrets of the Voynich Manuscript with Raymond Clemens from the Beinecke Library and Joseph Calamia, senior editor at Yale University Press

An interview with Yale University Art Gallery assistant curator Keely Orgeman about the book and exhibition Lumia, Thomas Wilfred and the Art of Light

Everyone could use more sleep, and Dr. Meir Kryger, global sleep expert and author of The Mystery of Sleep, tells us how to get it. We have tips for identifying common sleep problems and getting a better night's sleep as well as a discussion on what actually happens to your body when you sleep (or don't sleep).

Joe Moran, author of Shrinking Violets: The Secret Life of Shyness, discusses his own experiences with shyness as well as the history of this common and misunderstood aspect of the human condition.

North Korea expert and author Jieun Baek discusses how information gets in and out of North Korea and addresses common myths about the secretive country.