Sidestories: History‘s Lost Tales

Operation Acoustic Kitty

This week we go undercover and analyze one of the most adorable disasters in CIA history: Operation Acoustic Kitty. Join us as we discuss all the hair-raising details of the intelligence agency's attempt to turn the ever-obstinate cat into the next American super spy. Listen to it meow!

 

Intro/outro music: "Crunk Knight" by Kevin MacLeod

President Lincoln's Wrestling Career

This week's episode is a solo by Aaron--a first for this podcast. In it, he details accomplished early-life wrestling career of America's sixteenth president and explains some of the interesting down-stream consequences of Lincoln's dedication to the sport. Enjoy!

 

Intro/outro music: "Crunk Knight" by Kevin MacLeod

Pythagoras and His Math Cult

Everyone knows Pythagoras from high school algebra (a^2 + b^2 = c^2, am I right?), but did you know he was not only one of the preeminent mathematicians of the Ancient Greek world, but also the divine leader of a wacky, number-worshiping cult? In this week's episode, rather than bore you with facts about right triangles, we dive deep into the beliefs and practices of the Pythagoras and his followers--the Pythagoreans...and then also bore you with some facts about their legitimate contributions to mathematics.

What's so special about the number 10? What's the deal with fava beans? Find all this out and more!

 

Intro/outro music: "Crunk Knight" by Kevin MacLeod

Biography: Christopher Lee

This week, we are excited to bring you a special episode in appreciation of the late Christopher Lee. Lee was an accomplished actor who rose to fame in his many portrayals of Count Dracula, though in his long and fulfilling life also pursued many other passions outside of the acting sphere. Check it out!

 

Intro/outro music: "Crunk Knight" by Kevin MacLeod

Byzantine Emperors

In this week's episode, we discuss the lives of some particularly interesting Byzantine emperors from the early years of the stand-alone Eastern Roman Empire. Enjoy!

 

Intro/outro music: "Crunk Knight" by Kevin MacLeod

Short-Lived Empires, Part 3

Today we wrap-up our miniseries on short-lived empires with the Tay Son Dynasty, an ostensibly populist rebellion that disrupted the status quo in late 18th century Vietnam.

Short-Lived Empires, Part 2

In this week's episode, we continue our series on short-lived empires by discussing the First Mexican Empire.

 

Intro/outro music: "Crunk Knight" by Kevin MacLeod

Short-Lived Empires, Part 1

We've all heard of great, illustrious empires like those of the Romans or the Mongols. Well in this episode, we'll be taking a look at some empires who just couldn't quite cut it and were dissolved almost as quickly as they were formed.

 

Catch part 2 next week!

 

Intro/outro music: "Crunk Knight" by Kevin MacLeod

Bonus Episode: History of Calculus, Part 1 - Introduction and Development

This episode will be a bit different than our regular content. In our first bonus episode, we will take a look at the development of one the most important inventions in human history: the theory of calculus. Before you immediately click away, however, know that this isn't going to be a dry, boring lecture on mathematical theory. The approach of this miniseries will be to look at the context in which calculus was developed, the lives of the major figures involved, and the centuries-long process of rigorization that fundamentally changed all of mathematics.

 

Intro/Outro: "Crunk Knight", Kevin MacLeod

Indonesia

Although it's the fourth largest country in the world by population and an up and coming industrial powerhouse in the Pacific, Indonesia seems to be all but unknown to the English-speaking west. In this episode, we dive into the history of this beautiful archipelago, touching especially the period of European colonialization and the lives of two of Indonesia's most important figures. Let's go!

 

Intro/Outro: "Crunk Knight", Kevin MacLeod