Cold War
1947–1991 tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies
Episodes
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#5706: Two Poles, Two Fates: Arctic vs AntarcticOne pole is a militarized chessboard, the other a treaty-bound science preserve. Same frozen water — completely opposite outcomes. -
#5498: Who Was a Superpower Before America?The word "superpower" was invented in 1944. So how do you build a list of them stretching back to Akkad? -
#5179: Covert Ops That Weaponize Division—What's RealFrom KGB active measures to Taiwan's elections: which covert influence operations are documented, and which dramatic claims don't hold up. -
#5794: Starfish Prime: When the US Nuked SpaceIn 1962, the US detonated a 1.4-megaton warhead 400 km above the Pacific. The sky turned green for 90 minutes. -
#5714: The Moon's Junkyard Has a Gift Shop150 tons of stuff sits on the Moon. Two objects on one square meter tell opposite stories: a $5.50 nylon flag and a silicon disc built for millennia. -
#5709: Life at 76°N: Inside Canada's Arctic OutpostsGrise Fiord scores 0.9839 on Canada's remoteness index. Toronto scores zero. What daily life looks like at the top of the world. -
#5651: Nuclear Convoys: The Physics Package and the HighwayThe most secretive objects on Earth move by truck on civilian highways — and people photograph them at rest stops. -
#5649: Who Actually Controls Europe's B61 Bombs?The US parks B61 bombs in six allied countries — but never hands over the keys. How nuclear sharing is engineered to not require trust. -
#5229: How Spies Actually Learn Social EngineeringThe CIA spent decades not teaching its core skill. Then a case officer wrote it down — and the tradecraft got a curriculum. -
#5126: The Volunteers Who Let Science Shock ThemCharles Dalziel's volunteers endured muscle-locking shocks to create the safety standards we rely on today. What do we owe them?