Episodes

  • Episode 1: The Crazy Way We Invented the Bulldog
    Apr 20 2023

    From fierce fighter to adorable lap dog, we trace the family tree of one of our most beloved breeds.

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    11 mins
  • Episode 2: Will Winning the Lottery Ruin Your Life?
    Apr 20 2023

    Do Mega Millions and Powerball have roots in the Han Dynasty? The history of the lottery – and how it would change your life if the odds end up in your favor.

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    12 mins
  • Episode 3: The Old-Fashioned Way We Fell in Love (We Didn’t)!
    Apr 20 2023

    Diamonds are forever— just a marketing ploy? A history of marriage and the proposal.

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    10 mins
  • Episode 4: How Hollywood Created a Fake Accent
    Apr 20 2023

    Why do old movie stars talk funny? We track how the Mid-Atlantic accent was created, mainstreamed, and eventually disappeared from popular culture.

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    9 mins
  • Episode 5: Is the Mob Responsible for Your Recycling Bins?
    Apr 20 2023

    From the ancient origins to our current reliance on plastics, we explore the history of recycling. Plus! How did one man get in bed with the New York mob to start a modern recycling revolution?

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    14 mins
  • Episode 6: How Bras Helped Pass Title IV
    Apr 20 2023

    Why was running considered unladylike, and who burst through the finish line like shattering a glass ceiling? The (alarmingly recent) history of women and running.

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    10 mins
  • Episode 7: The Dark Reason Henry Ford Wanted Us to All Learn to Square Dance
    Apr 20 2023

    Why did we study square dancing in gym class? How Henry Ford’s fear of jazz led to generations of children learning to do-si-do. Plus, the real, multi-cultured history of square dancing.

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    11 mins
  • Episode 8: Pirates are the Reason We Measure in Inches
    Apr 20 2023

    Why can’t the US just get along with the rest of the world and use the metric system? How American industrialists lobbied to make their preferred units of measurement the standard.

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    13 mins