Petra Browne joins us to talk about her own journey into the world of competitive bodybuilding, why exceptional power must come with weight loss, and how traditional female roles still reign supreme in a boundary-breaking sport.
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Why Scientists Experiment With Demons (Yes, Really)
Jimena Canales of the University of Illinois joins us to talk about the scientific thought process of some of the world’s most brilliant minds, a wild journey into imagination, fear, and theory to make the impossible, possible.
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History’s Real-Life Fashion Police
Stanford Law professor Richard Thompson Ford joins us to talk about a long and fascinating list of rules about who could dress in which ways and why, and how they were often used as a cudgel to keep people from rising above their station.
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Unfriendly Skies: The Lives Of Flight Attendants
Journalist Darryl Campbell joins us to talk about the modern airline industry and how angry passengers and harsh working conditions are undermining efforts to protect the health and safety of both customers and staff.
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What The World Demands Of Deaf People
Jaipreet Virdi, assistant history professor at the University of Delaware, joins us to talk about her research into medicine’s long legacy of promised hearing cures and why science has yet to achieve a universal solution.
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The Female Abolitionists Of San Francisco’s Chinatown
Julia Flynn Siler joins guest host John McCaa to tell the story of a group of female abolitionists who dedicated their lives to rescuing slaves in San Francisco.
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What It Was Like To Be Mr. Rogers’ Friend
Tom Junod joins us to talk about an interview that turned into an unlikely, lifelong friendship with a quiet man who possessed a special power to deeply empathize with children and adults alike.
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Inventing The Wheel (The First Time)
Science writer Cody Cassidy joins us to tell the stories of people who changed how we live in ways big and small.
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Modern Man Vs Cave Man: Why We Might Be Losing That Battle
Christopher Ryan joins us to talk about how our ancestors might not have enjoyed some of the perks of the 21st Century, but they also didn’t have some of the worries that we do today.
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Women Couldn’t Fight (But Went To War Anyway)
Kara Dixon Vuic, professor of war, conflict and society in 20th Century America at TCU, joins us to discuss the roles of young women volunteers through the Vietnam War and beyond. Her new book is called “The Girls Next Door: Bringing the Home Front to the Front Lines.”
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The Making And Breaking Of The Middle Class
David Stebenne teaches political, legal and constitutional history at The Ohio State University. He joins us to talk about the social movements and government policies that defined the mid-20th century.
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The Remarkable Materials That Changed The Way We Live
Ainissa Ramirez joins us to talk about eight inventions we often overlook – including an accurate clock – and how they changed the way we live.
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