Ignaz Semmelweis: The Doctor Who Proved Handwashing Saves Lives
A doctor in Vienna proved that washing hands with chlorinated lime could slash maternal death rates — and his colleagues still fought him. In this episode, we unpack Ignaz Semmelweis, childbed fever, ...
7 Aug 3min
Great Molasses Flood of 1919: The 25-Foot Syrup Wave That Killed 21
How does a tank full of molasses turn into a 25-foot wave that kills 21 people in Boston? In this episode, we unpack the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, the engineering failure, the science of sticky fl...
5 Aug 4min
Wojtek the Soldier Bear: The Bear on the Army Roster
How did a bear end up on a WWII army roster—and why did Polish soldiers in exile give him a rank? This episode follows Wojtek the Soldier Bear from Iran to Monte Cassino and Edinburgh Zoo, uncovering ...
3 Aug 5min
Business Plot: The Alleged Coup to Oust FDR
What if a decorated Marine was quietly approached to front a plan to pressure Franklin D. Roosevelt out of power? In this episode, we dig into the Business Plot, the alleged 1933 coup attempt, the vet...
31 Juli 5min
Cymothoa exigua: The Tongue-Eating Parasite That Becomes the Tongue
What kind of parasite eats a fish’s tongue and then stays behind as the tongue? In this episode, we unpack Cymothoa exigua, the tongue-eating parasite, how it gets into fish through the gills, why the...
29 Juli 7min
Encephalitis lethargica: The Sleeping Epidemic That Vanished
A real epidemic once left people trapped in a strange half-awake state, sometimes frozen in place, and then seemed to disappear before doctors could fully explain it. In this episode on encephalitis l...
27 Juli 4min
Bal des Ardents: The Masked Ball That Nearly Burned the King
One torch, one masked costume, and a royal ball in 1393 nearly ended with the King of France burning alive. In this episode, we unpack the Bal des Ardents, Charles VI, medieval Paris, and the fire tha...
24 Juli 3min
Fritz Haber: Feeding Billions, Fueling Chemical War
One chemist helped turn air into fertilizer for billions of people — and then helped turn the same science toward poison gas. In this episode, we unravel Fritz Haber, the Haber-Bosch process, the rise...
22 Juli 6min
