Imagine a world in which you can’t lie because, if you do, you will be found out 100% of the time. We obviously don’t live in this world, but we’ve built machines in an attempt to get closer to that reality. So-called lie detectors—a staple of police procedural dramas—are an attempt to suss out the truth of a testimony using science. But is that science real, or is it more of a reflection of a moment in time in history? Join us as we explore the history of lie detectors.

Imagine a world in which you love skiing, but the only way to shush down the mountain is to trudge to the top of the mountain with the skis strapped to your back. There are no lift lines, sure, but each run requires an arduous effort to make happen. Conversely, imagine a world in which ski lifts are abundant, but a lift ticket doesn’t cost north of $200 per day at the window. Why and how did the ski business in North America get so expensive and how did it become what some might describe as a duopoly? Join us as we explore the world of the ski business.

Why did the Cold War end? Every high schooler in the country would likely answer that with some reference to the steely-eyed resolve of John F. Kennedy, or America's overwhelming economic power. But Professor Fritz Bartel of Texas A&M University has a compelling--and very surprising--new theory he put forth in his recent book The Triumph of Broken Promises.