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Walter Isaacson discusses the most powerful sentence in the Declaration of Independence, exploring how its authors crafted a nuanced mission statement about common ground, individual rights, and the ongoing pursuit of the American dream, while wrestling with the complex realities of their time.
Ken Burns explores the complexities of George Washington and the American Revolution, revealing the nuanced humanity of historical figures and challenging simplified narratives about America's origins.
Joel David Hamkins explores the profound mathematical concepts of infinity, set theory, and mathematical logic, revealing the beauty and complexity of mathematical truth through discussions of Cantor's paradoxes, Gödel's incompleteness theorems, and the multiverse view of mathematical reality.
Steven Rinella discusses the overlooked economic significance of hunting in early American history, exploring how animal products like deerskins, beaver pelts, and buffalo hides were crucial drivers of trade and industrial development.
A captivating conversation with Irving Finkel, a renowned curator at the British Museum, exploring the origins of writing, cuneiform script, ancient flood myths, the Royal Game of Ur, and the profound human drive to communicate, play, and preserve knowledge across millennia.
A humorous and wide-ranging podcast episode exploring historical oddities, from Japanese seppuku and post-war British politics to scientific racism and the potential future of embryo selection, told through the irreverent lens of comedians Finn Taylor and Horatio Gould.
Donald S. Lopez Jr., a leading scholar of Buddhism, discusses the religion's history, theology, myths, and global decline in a wide-ranging conversation exploring everything from the Buddha's legendary bodily marks to the random succession of Dalai Lamas.
Sir Tony Robinson interviews Oxford historian Janina Ramirez about her book Legendre, which explores the lives of medieval women like Joan of Arc and Lady Godiva, revealing how their stories have been mythologized and misappropriated through national narratives.
In this engaging podcast episode, historian Ian Mortimer explores the fascinating intricacies of English life across medieval, Elizabethan, Restoration, and Regency periods, offering unique insights into everyday experiences, social changes, and the resilient nature of human beings through his Time Traveller's Guide series.
Ken Burns delves into the complex and messy reality of the American Revolution, exploring its global significance, contradictions, and the profound ideas of citizenship and possibility that emerged from this transformative historical moment.
Historian Heather Cox Richardson discusses the "No Kings" protests, the erosion of democratic norms, the failure of corporate and political leadership, and how national service could help rebuild American unity and shared purpose.
In this episode, Philippa Gregory discusses her novel about Jane Boleyn, exploring how historical fiction can reveal the internal life of a woman often misunderstood by Victorian historians, offering a nuanced perspective on her role in the Tudor court as a possible spy for Thomas Cromwell.
Here's a concise description for the episode: Norman Ohler discusses his groundbreaking research into drug use during World War II, revealing how methamphetamine and other substances played a crucial role in Nazi military strategies and Hitler's personal health, challenging traditional historical narratives.