History and Culture
The human past, language, religion, philosophy, arts, media, and food.
#735: When Time Stretched: The Magic of Proportional Hours
Before atomic clocks, time was a living thing. Discover how ancient civilizations used "flexible" hours to coordinate their lives.
#733: How Generals Learn to Think
How do modern generals use ancient history to plan for AI warfare? Explore the high-stakes world of professional military education.
#680: How a 3,500-Year-Old Faith Survives in Exile
Explore how the world’s oldest monotheistic faith survives today, from India's elite Parsis to Iran’s cultural renaissance.
#630: The Hidden Labor of Technical Consultants
Ever wonder how TV shows get those tiny details exactly right? Herman and Corn dive into the world of technical advisors and "verisimilitude."
#599: AI Hunted Soviet Subs Long Before It Wrote Your Emails
AI didn't start in 2022. Discover the 70-year history of the "invisible" systems that have been quietly running our world for decades.
#577: The Shadow City: Why Sewers Are Civilization's Last Frontier
Explore the hidden world of urban infrastructure, from Victorian brickwork to AI-powered robots and the battle against the "fatberg."
#576: The Sinai Years: Israel’s 15-Year Desert Experiment
From the white-stucco homes of Yamit to the Red Sea reefs, explore the 15-year history of Israeli life and settlement in the Sinai Peninsula.
#574: When Friction Creates Meaning: Travel as a Perspective Shift
Forget vacations. Herman and Corn explore five destinations where a month-long stay will fundamentally shift your perspective on how to live.
#568: The Birth of the Border: How Countries Were Invented
How did we go from sprawling empires to rigid borders? Explore the history of the modern country, from Westphalia to the French Revolution.
#566: When Cable Marketing Outruns Reality
Is DIY cable making the ultimate tech flex or a recipe for disaster? Corn and Herman break down the physics of home networking.
#556: The Toy-to-Interaction Ratio
Do "brain-boosting" toys actually work? Herman and Corn explore why less is more when it comes to toddler development and decluttering.
#546: Will Today’s Medicine Look Barbaric in 80 Years?
Herman and Corn explore the history of medical errors and ask: what are we doing today that will look like bloodletting in the future?
#534: Before the Pill: The Brutal History of Psychiatry
Before modern meds, doctors used ice picks and malaria to treat the mind. Herman and Corn explore the desperate, dark history of early psychiatry.
#494: The Telegram That Teaches You to Write
Learn how the rigid structure of diplomatic cables can transform your professional reporting and help you cut through the noise.
#492: Beyond the Folder: The Quest for a Graph-Based OS
Why are we still using 1970s folders? Explore how graph structures and associative memory are finally challenging the traditional file system.
#489: Tears of the Tree: The Secret History of Frankincense
Explore the biology, economics, and neuroscience of frankincense, from the ancient Incense Route to its psychoactive role in Temple worship.
#487: The Biblical Pantry: Dining in 700 BCE Jerusalem
Step back 2,700 years to discover why there were no tomatoes in ancient Jerusalem and how bread became the center of the universe.
#483: The Ottoman Empire's Hidden Blueprint
Explore how 400 years of Ottoman rule and 30 years of British mandate built the physical and legal foundations of the modern State of Israel.
#482: The Sensory Overload of Daily Life in Herodian Jerusalem
Step back into Herodian Jerusalem. From "liquid bread" for breakfast to the chaos of the Temple, discover how the average person really lived.
#481: Steel and Stone: Engineering Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage Road
Discover how modern engineering and ancient history collide beneath the streets of Jerusalem to reveal the legendary 2,000-year-old Pilgrimage Road.