Hasan Jeffries, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University, talks about hip-hop’s birth in the Bronx and its dual identities of both protest music and party music.
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How the U.S. became a superpower
U.S. foreign policy expert Sean A. Mirski discusses how the U.S. attained superpower status, the invasions and occupations that got us there, and where we go next.
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How the Founding Fathers argued over slavery
Pepperdine University professor Edward Larson joins us to discuss strategies from the American and British sides to emancipate enslaved Black people against the backdrop of the American Revolution.
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The beauty of beetles
Entomologist Arthur V. Evans joins us for a primer on the world of beetles – some 400,000 species strong – their ability to survive and their importance to ecosystems.
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The flying machines that almost ruled the skies
Author S.C. Gwynne talks about the zeppelins that were built to connect the British Empire in style and grace but had fatal flaws that were overlooked by the bombastic men who championed them.
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The alliances and rivalries of Cold War-era journalists
Journalism professor Kathryn J. McGarr joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the media after WWII often presented a monolithic view of the world while keeping their readers and listeners in the dark about the truth.
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The devilish decade: A look back at the 2000s
Critic Kristian Vistrup Madsen makes the case that the aughts were marked by sexualization, obscenity and war – and why we ate it up.
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Winning WWII didn’t win Black military members their civil rights
Matthew Delmont, a history professor at Dartmouth College, joins guest host John McCaa to discuss the Black leaders who shined a light on the racism at home after fighting fascism abroad.
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The case for Europe acting like an empire
Oxford professor Timothy Garton Ash makes the case that to stabilize the continent, the E.U. must embrace some imperial characteristics.
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What Holocaust education misses
Dara Horn joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why focusing on the atrocities of WWII hasn’t stopped growing antisemitism today – and to offer ways we need to expand education about Jewish life to combat it.
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Is beauty always worth the pain?
Katy Kelleher, a contributor to Paris Review, pulls back the curtain on the luxuries we long for – from flowers to gems – to show beauty doesn’t come without a price.
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The purr-plexing evolution of cats
Jonathan B. Losos joins us to discuss the evolution of our feline friends and explore the relationship we humans have with Felis catus.
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