Smithsonian
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Mark Ferrari reads you his article selections from the prestigious journal of the Smithsonian Institution.
| Title | Podcast Description | Author/Reader | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sake in the USA - Oct 2021 | The ancient Japanese art of brewing a fragrant alcoholic drink from rice is being reinterpreted by Atsuo Sakurai in an unlikely setting. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:08 |
| The Wonder of Avi Loeb - Oct 2021 Pt 1 of 2 | The physicist thinks we might have glimpsed evidence of an alien civilization. Despite controversy, he's determined to find more. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:20 |
| Decoding Lady Wroth - Sep, 2021 | On the trail of the first female English novelist, a Renaissance noblewoman with a secret she hinted at in a cipher. By V. M. Braganza | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:11:05 |
| In the Land of the Ancients - Sep 2021 | Archaeologist Ann Axtell Morris featured in a movie created partly on remote tribal lands she studied nearly a century ago. Part 2 of 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:35 |
| In the Land of the Ancients - Sep 2021 | Archaeologist Ann Axtell Morris featured in a movie created partly on remote tribal lands she studied nearly a century ago. Part 1 of 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:07 |
| After 9/11, Part. 2 - Sept 2021 | Twenty years after terrorist attacks killed nearly 3000 people, memories from first responders and those who lost a loved one. Part 2 of 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:48 |
| After 9/11, Part. 1 - Sept 2021 | Twenty years after terrorist attacks killed nearly 3000 people, memories from first responders and those who lost a loved one. Part 1 of 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:18:39 |
| Collect, Wait, Study - Aug 2021 | Bird specimens gathered during an illustrious expedition nearly two centuries ago only grow more valuable to science. By Scott Weidensaul | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:08:16 |
| Whistle Down the Line - Aug 2021 | The golden spike made the newspapers. But another railroad made an even bigger difference to the nation. By John Sedgwick | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:13:09 |
| Don't Call It Doo-Wop! - Aug 2021 | The world's greatest record store is run by a lovable grouch obsessed with the magic of American sidewalk harmony. By Richard Grant | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:23:12 |
| Spy In the Forest - Aug 2021 | A French botanist supported by Thomas Jefferson faced an historic decision. He chose betrayal. Part 2 of 2. By Shaun Assael. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:18:40 |
| Spy In the Forest - Aug 2021 | A French botanist supported by Thomas Jefferson faced an historic decision. He chose betrayal. Part 1 of 2. By Shaun Assael. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:13:49 |
| Tombs of Saqqara - Jul 2021 | Inside the Tombs of Saqqara. Dramatic new discoveries in the ancient Egyptian burial ground. Part 2. By Jo Marchant. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:57 |
| Tombs of Saqqara - Jul 2021 | Inside the Tombs of Saqqara. Dramatic new discoveries in the ancient Egyptian burial ground. Part 1. By Jo Marchant. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:14:29 |
| Listening to Stonehenge - Jul 2021 | A new understanding of what it meant to be a member of the inner circle. By Richard Grant | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:06:41 |
| The Sacred Runner - Jun 2021 | He was an Olympic star. But he was also a holy man who just wanted to go home. By Kathleen Sharp | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:15 |
| Rising Again - Jun, 2021 | The colossal California condor was nearly gone when biologists rescued it from extinction. Raging fires pose a new challenge | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:21:21 |
| Earthly Delights Part 2 - Jun 2021 | These truffles were harvested in North Carolina in a breakthrough experiment that has food-lovers and farmers ravenous for more. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:01 |
| Earthly Delights Part 1 - Jun 2021 | These truffles were harvested in North Carolina in a breakthrough experiment that has food-lovers and farmers ravenous for more. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:02 |
| Making of a Mom - May 2021 | Scientists are revealing how a child can shape a mother's heart and mind - literally. Part 2, by Abigail Tucker. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:29 |
| Making of a Mom - May 2021 | Scientists are revealing how a child can shape a mother's heart and mind - literally. Part 1, by Abigail Tucker. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:15 |
| Roget Gets the Last Word - May 2021 | Long before compiling his famed thesaurus, Roget had to escape Napoleon's dragnet. By Claudia Kalb. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:02 |
| The Light Fantastic - May 2021 | In the Arizona desert, James Turrell is creating one of the most ambitious artworks in American history. Here's an exclusive look. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:08 |
| American Terror Part 3 - Apr 2021 | Remembering Tulsa 100 years ago. The murderous attack on the most prosperous black community in the nation. By Tim Madigan | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:17 |
| American Terror Part 2 - Apr 2021 | Remembering Tulsa 100 years ago. The murderous attack on the most prosperous black community in the nation. By Tim Madigan | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:10 |
| American Terror Part 1 - Apr 2021 | Remembering Tulsa 100 years ago. The murderous attack on the most prosperous black community in the nation. By Tim Madigan | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:23:59 |
| Wolf Discovers Golden State - Apr 2021 | Nearly a century after wolves were exterminated in California, an intrepid female founded a pack in Lassen County. Part 2. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:13 |
| Wolf Discovers Golden State - Apr 2021 | Nearly a century after wolves were exterminated in California, an intrepid female founded a pack in Lassen County. Part 1. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:40 |
| The Ice Is Calling - Mar, 2021 | A climate change dispatch from the polar bear capital of the world. By Neil Ever Osborne and Mark Jacquemain. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:13:22 |
| The Fever That Struck New York - Mar 2021 | The front lines of a terrible epidemic, through the eyes of a young doctor profoundly touched by tragedy. By Carolyn Eastman | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:14:57 |
| Cuba Confidential Pt 2 - Mar 2021 | On the brink of nuclear war, America's response to the USSR depended on an unknown spy agency operative named Juanita Moody. Part 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:21:19 |
| Cuba Confidential Pt 1 - Mar 2021 | On the brink of nuclear war, America's response to the USSR depended on an unknown spy agency operative named Juanita Moody. Part 1 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:23:43 |
| Alphabet & Going Nuts - Feb 2021 | Our writing system was devised by folks who Couldn't read. The bizarre sanitarium staple that became a spreadable obsession | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:28 |
| Lost History of Yellowstone - Feb 2021 | Debunking the myth that the great national park was a wilderness untouched by humans. Part 2. By Richard Grant | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:18:40 |
| Lost History of Yellowstone - Feb 2021 | Debunking the myth that the great national park was a wilderness untouched by humans. Part 1. By Richard Grant | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:18:49 |
| First In the House - Jan 2021 | Born a slave, South Carolina's Joseph Rainey was elected to Congress in 1870. This step in race relations didn't last long. Pt. 3 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:14:13 |
| First In the House - Jan 2021 | Born a slave, South Carolina's Joseph Rainey was elected to Congress in 1870. This step in race relations didn't last long. Pt. 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:01 |
| First In the House - Jan 2021 | Born a slave, South Carolina's Joseph Rainey was elected to Congress in 1870. This step in race relations didn't last long. Pt. 1 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:44 |
| Case of the Autographed Corpse - Dec 2020 | The author of the Perry Mason novels rose to the defense of an Apache shaman convicted of killing his wife. Part 2 of 2. By Jack El-Hai | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:08 |
| Case of the Autographed Corpse - Dec 2020 | The author of the Perry Mason novels rose to the defense of an Apache shaman convicted of killing his wife. Part 1 of 2. By Jack El-Hai | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:14:24 |
| Prairies of the Sea - Dec 2020 | A vast, mostly invisible ecosystem shapes life on Earth, from the food we eat to the air we breathe. Scientists say it's in trouble | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:12:43 |
| Evolution of a Friendship - Dec 2020 | Scientists studying dog bonding have discovered that dogs have been studying us for thousands of years. By Jeff MacGregor. Part 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:18:03 |
| Evolution of a Friendship - Dec 2020 | Scientists studying dog bonding have discovered that dogs have been studying us for thousands of years. By Jeff MacGregor. Part 1 of 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:21:47 |
| Rosa Bonheur Redemption - Nov 2020 | She was a superstar, then was ignored. Now a family works to restore the forgotten artist to greatness. Pt 2 of 2 by Elaine Sciolino | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:18:12 |
| Rosa Bonheur Redemption - Nov 2020 | She was a superstar, then was ignored. Now a family works to restore the forgotten artist to greatness. Pt 1 of 2 by Elaine Sciolino | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:32 |
| White House & Honor Legacy - Nov 2020 | Laura Bush Salutes the long-serving White House staff. A new memorial on the National Mall. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:12:15 |
| Venom Antidote Shortage - Nov 2020 | A little-known laboratory is rising to the challenge of saving thousands of snakebite victims every year. By Miles Karp | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:59 |
| Voracious Insect Pt. 2 - Oct 2020 | A voracious, shape-shifting insect native to Asia is attacking crops. Can scientists stop the swarm? By Jeff MacGregor | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:18:22 |
| Voracious Insect Pt. 1 - Oct 2020 | A voracious, shape-shifting insect native to Asia is attacking crops. Can scientists stop the swarm? By Jeff MacGregor | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:22:54 |
| Knowing Nero, Pt. 2 - Oct 2020 | Reassessing history's most maligned ruler, notorious for fiddling while Rome burned. Part 2. By Joshua Levine. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:24:26 |
| Knowing Nero, Pt. 1 - Oct 2020 | Reassessing history's most maligned ruler, notorious for fiddling while Rome burned. Part 1. By Joshua Levine. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:23:49 |
| The History Thief Pt 2 - Sep 2020 | Precious maps, books & art vanished from a Pittsburgh library. The caper's final chapter was written this past summer. By Travis McDade | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:18 |
| The History Thief Pt 1 - Sep 2020 | Precious maps, books & art vanished from a Pittsburgh library. The caper's final chapter was written this past summer. By Travis McDade | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:57 |
| Senator McCarthy's Nazi Problem - Aug 2020 | He sided with the German military in a war crimes trial, raising questions about his anti-Semitism. Part 2. By Larry Tye | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:13:59 |
| Senator McCarthy's Nazi Problem - Aug 2020 | He sided with the German military in a war crimes trial, raising questions about his anti-Semitism. Part 1. By Larry Tye | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:15 |
| The Virus Hunters Pt. 2 - Aug 2020 | Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists searched for potential human pathogens in wild animals. They found thousands. Part 2 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:42 |
| The Virus Hunters Pt. 1 - Aug 2020 | Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists searched for potential human pathogens in wild animals. They found thousands. Part 1 | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:13:53 |
| The Way of the Shogun - Jul, 2020 | Looking for the soul of modern Japan on an ancient road once traveled by poets and samurai. Part 2 of 2. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:20:06 |
| The Way of the Shogun - Jul, 2020 | Looking for the soul of modern Japan on an ancient road once traveled by poets and samurai. Part 1 of 2. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:13 |
| The Divide Pt 3 of 3 - Jul, 2020 | A world-famous bonobo and the celebrated psychologist who raised him are no longer allowed to visit. Part 3 of 3. By Lindsay Stern | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:23:51 |
| The Divide Pt 2 of 3 - Jul, 2020 | A world-famous bonobo and the celebrated psychologist who raised him are no longer allowed to visit. Part 2 of 3. By Lindsay Stern | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:20:14 |
| The Divide Pt 1 of 3 - Jul, 2020 | A world-famous bonobo and the celebrated psychologist who raised him are no longer allowed to visit. Part 1 of 3. By Lindsay Stern | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:41 |
| Two Short Articles - Jun 2020 | The haunting beauty of an ancient desertscape and How a medical researcher protected millions of Americans from a new contagion. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:12:15 |
| Home Brew Hero, Pt. 2 - Jun, 2020 | Meet the grade school teacher whose basement hobby half a century ago sparked America's craft beer revolution. By Matthew Shaer | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:14:32 |
| Home Brew Hero, Pt. 1 - Jun, 2020 | Meet the grade school teacher whose basement hobby half a century ago sparked America's craft beer revolution. By Matthew Shaer | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:13:01 |
| The King and the Conqueror, Pt. 2 - Jun, 2020 | Alexander the Great changed the world. But archaeologists are showing how his murdered father led the way. By Richard Grant | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:20:02 |
| The King and the Conqueror, Pt. 1 - Jun, 2020 | Alexander the Great changed the world. But archaeologists are showing how his murdered father led the way. By Richard Grant | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:11:53 |
| When the Race Is Over - May, 2020 | In Kentucky, an idyll for retired Thoroughbreds. By Jay Hovdey. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:13:13 |
| Desert Wine - May, 2020 | Overcoming heat and dryness, experimental vineyards in Israel teach winemakers to cope with climate change. By Lindsay Fendt. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:14:29 |
| Meet the Beatle! - May, 2020 | On the brink of world stardom, George Harrison made a visit to small-town America he would never forget. By Alan Pell Crawford | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:20:12 |
| Pacific Treasure & Hiking Invention - May, 2020 | Rise and fall and rise of a Hawaiian export is a shirt tale like no other. The Frenchman who made the world's first nature preserve. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:04 |
| Mind Craft Part 2 - Apr, 2020 | Mind Craft. Understanding how Asian elephants think - in order to save them. By Jennie Rothenberg Gritz. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:14:21 |
| Mind Craft Part 1 - Apr, 2020 | Mind Craft. Understanding how Asian elephants think - in order to save them. By Jennie Rothenberg Gritz. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:13:22 |
| Surge Engine - Apr, 2020 | A bold approach to generating clean electricity faces the ultimate test - the greatest tide on earth. By Elizabeth Royte. Part 2 of 2. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:14:51 |
| Surge Engine - Apr, 2020 | A bold approach to generating clean electricity faces the ultimate test - the greatest tide on earth. By Elizabeth Royte. Part 1 of 2. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:14 |
| The Comeback - Apr, 2020 | Africa's mountain gorillas are in the midst of a rebound that is sparking new hopes for the beloved primate. By Mark Jenkins. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:09 |
| Explosive! - Mar, 2020 | A new theory explores what doomed the crew aboard the Hunley, the most famous submarine of the Civil War. By Rachel Lance. Part 2 of 2. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:19:28 |
| Explosive! - Mar, 2020 | A new theory explores what doomed the crew aboard the Hunley, the most famous submarine of the Civil War. By Rachel Lance. Part 1 of 2. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:20 |
| Grandma Moses & Arctic Winters - Mar, 2020 | How our Government sent Grandma Moses overseas in the Cold War. Braving Arctic winters to study fierce, elusive wolverines.. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:11:57 |
| Florence Nightingale - Mar, 2020 | Scholars say there's more her than her exploits as a nurse in the Crimean War. Part 2. By Joshua Hammer. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:26 |
| Florence Nightingale - Mar, 2020 | Scholars say there's more her than her exploits as a nurse in the Crimean War. Part 1. By Joshua Hammer. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:47 |
| Nature's Pharmacy - Feb, 2020 | An ancient legend leads to a graveyard in Northern Ireland where scientists are zeroing in on a powerful new antibiotic. By Franz Lidz | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:22:26 |
| The Navigator, Part 2 - Jan, 2020 | A son discovers the astonishing heroism of the U.S. mission to bomb a Nazi weapons factory in Czechoslovakia. By Brian Mockenhaupt | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:18:55 |
| The Navigator, Part 1 - Jan, 2020 | A son discovers the astonishing heroism of the U.S. mission to bomb a Nazi weapons factory in Czechoslovakia. By Brian Mockenhaupt | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:44 |
| The Charlatan Will See You Now - Jan, 2019 | A notorious quack peddled cures at an Arkansas hotel in the 1930s. Nowadays the con game is all for show. By Jeff MacGregor | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:42 |
| The Fertile Shore, Pt. 2 - Jan, 2020 | Archaeologists and geneticists are close to understanding when humans made the first bold journey to the Americas. By Fen Montaigne. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:32 |
| The Fertile Shore, Pt. 1 - Jan, 2020 | Archaeologists and geneticists are close to understanding when humans made their first journey to the Americas. By Fen Montaigne. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:20 |
| Lost City of Myanmar -Dec, 2019 | The ancient kingdom of Mrauk U welcomed Buddhists and Muslims. Now ethnic hostilities appear, Part 2 of 2. By Joshua Hammer | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:22 |
| Lost City of Myanmar -Dec, 2019 | The ancient kingdom of Mrauk U welcomed Buddhists and Muslims. Now ethnic hostilities appear, Part 1 of 2. By Joshua Hammer | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:16:31 |
| Hermits & DNA - Dec, 2019 | A monk living in a New Mexico cave inspires an act of faith. Researchers develop a gene therapy that cures a rare deadly disease. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:17:48 |
| Bicycles - Dec, 2019 | When Two Wheels Are the Rage. Bicycles revolutionized personal transport. Will the electric scooter do the same? By Clive Thompson. | Reader: Mark Ferrari | 00:15:58 |
| Paul Revere Beyond His Midnight Ride - Sep, 2019 | The hero was an artisan, activist, entrepreneur. by Meilan Solly | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:53 |
| "Earliest Idaho Humans" - Aug, 2019 | Humans in America 16,000 Years Ago-They got here before the Clovis people. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:05 |
| Invention of the Slinky - Aug, 2019 | An accident became a toy. by Rachel Lallensack | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:08 |
| Aaron Burr's Son, Abolitionist John Burr - Aug, 2019 | His mother was Aaron's servant, Mary Emmons, by Meilan Solly | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:15 |
| How the Fish Tube Works - Aug, 2019 | It carries salmon past dams. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:08 |
| Why Coyotes Outlived Saber-Tooths - Aug, 2019 | The big cats hunted big prey until both died out. by Meilan Solly | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:48 |
| "Vampire" Was a Farmer Named John - Aug, 2019 | TB blamed on dead relatives who rise from the grave. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:08 |
| Game Boy Changed American Video Games - Jul, 2019 | Handheld, lots of games, long battery life, by David Kindy | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:08 |
| Seditious Glass Jewel in Old Tavern - Jul, 2019 | 18th Century bead is etched with secret message. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:27 |
| Woman Fought in the Revolutionary War - Jul, 2019 | Deborah Sampson was wounded, got a pension, by Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:04 |
| Archaeologists at Woodstock - Jun, 2019 | The festival really did take on life of its own. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:37 |
| Invention of Scotch Tape - Jun, 2019 | It leads to a revolution in company management. by Emily Matchar | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:58 |
| Ladybug Swarm over San Diego - Jun, 2019 | Storm radar showed a cloud...of insects. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:14 |
| Navajo Treaty - Jun, 2019 | Historic Treaty Returned to the Navajo-1868 document cedes them a homeland. by Bigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:26 |
| Morse Code at 175 - May, 2019 | The code still works, even on a smartphone, by Eddie King | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:08 |
| Escaped Parrots Doing Great - May, 2019 | They're breeding in 23 states. by Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:48 |
| Site of First Country Hit to Be Razed - May, 2019 | Record studio put 1923 Atlanta on the music map. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:45 |
| World's Only Dummy Museum - May, 2019 | 1,000 ventriloquist dolls preserved in Kentucky. by Jennifer Nalewicki | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:31 |
| A Brief History of Cooties - May, 2019 | One hundred years later, a kid's game is still going strong! By James C. Hu. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:42 |
| History of the Spelling Bee - May, 2019 | America is still in love with the centuries-old contest. By Rebecca Sealfon. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:18 |
| Agua Caliente Indians in Palm Springs - Apr, 2019 | They've held on to a tiny plot of land in a resort. by Roger Catlin | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:03 |
| Cocoa Packets Changed Hot Chocolate - Apr, 2019 | Inventor made the drink using water instead of milk. by Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:26 |
| Original "Dumbo" Was a Scrolling Book - Mar, 2019 | Unusual format halted when Disney bought the rights. by David Kindy | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:30 |
| Flooding Creates Death Valley Lake - Mar, 2019 | 10-mile lake caused by 0.87" of rain, by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:54 |
| Chicago Is Sinking - Mar, 2019 | Blame it on the glaciers. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:53 |
| Radar Scans Reveal Fort Under Alcatraz - Mar, 2019 | The famous prison sits on an old military installation. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:03 |
| World's Largest Outhouse Race - Mar, 2019 | Competitors don't want to be number two. by Jennifer Nalewicki | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:58 |
| Academy Awards Folklore - Feb, 2019 | Oscar is surrounded by superstitions. by James Deutsch | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:53 |
| Frank Robinson, Baseball Great - Feb, 2019 | He broke barriers as player and manager. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:39 |
| New Father for American Pizza - Feb, 2019 | The pie came to the U.S. earlier than we thought. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:50 |
| Accidental Invention of Bubble Wrap - Jan, 2019 | It began as wallpaper but changed shipping. by David Kindy | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:52 |
| GM Introduced the Concept Car in 1939 - Jan, 2019 | Buick "Y-Job" was stylish and futuristic, by William Knoedelseder | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:25 |
| U.S. Slave Wrote Biography in Arabic - Jan, 2019 | Unique narrative is made public. by Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:14 |
| Poe, Our Premier Storyteller - Jan, 2019 | He invented American macabre and detective fiction. by Michael Capuzzo | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:30 |
| 1923 Finally Enters Public Domain - Jan, 2019 | A quirk kept those works private for 20 years. by Glenn Fleishman | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:43 |
| Fentanyl Outpaces Heroin in Fatal Overdoses - Dec, 2018 | The opioid is involved in 29 percent of cases. by Meilan Solly | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:12 |
| What Sank the USS San Diego in WW1 - Dec, 2018 | A German U-boat did it near Long Island. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:12 |
| History of the Christmas Letter - Dec, 2018 | Ours is a love-hate relationship with it, by Ann Hodgman | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:00 |
| Wilbur Wright Deserves First Flight Credit - Dec, 2018 | It was he, not Orville, who invented the design. by William Hazelgrove | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:39 |
| Which Town Is Connecticut's Oldest? - Nov, 2018 | New find upends century-old dispute. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:40 |
| Mud Pot Crawls Across SoCal - Nov, 2018 | Geyser gurgles toward rail and pipe lines, by Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:45 |
| Poppies, More Than Just Flowers - Nov, 2018 | They grew on WWI battlefields, becoming symbols, by Gary Krupnik | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:55 |
| Maize in Ancient America - Nov, 2018 | An early form of corn reveals much about bygone peoples. By Charles C. Mann. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:20 |
| DNA Extracted from Seabiscuit's Hooves - Oct, 2018 | It gives clues to how he was so fast. By Steven Tammariello | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:57 |
| Mushroom Big as 3 Blue Whales - Oct, 2018 | Michigan's "humongous fungus" is 2,500 years old. by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:42 |
| Huskies' Blue Eyes - Oct 10, 2018 | They're genetic; most dogs don't have them, by Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:02 |
| Drunk Birds in Minnesota - Oct 4, 2018 | Blame it on fermented berries. by Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:58 |
| Cats Are Bad at Killing Rats - Sep 28,, 2018 | They prefer smaller prey, mice and birds. by Meilan Solly | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:40 |
| Ig Nobel Season - Sep, 2018 | Harvard hands out goofy science awards, by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:27 |
| Bighorn Migration - Sep, 2018 | They teach the route to their offspring, By Meilan Solly | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:48 |
| WWII Fighter Planes Found in Greenland - Aug, 2018 | "Lost Squadron" frozen beneath 300 feet of ice, by Meilan Solly | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:50 |
| Congress Was Once a Hotbed of Violence - Sep, 2018 | Lawmakers scuffled a lot before the Civil War. By Anna Diamond | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:20 |
| The Moment that Defines Leonard Bernstein - Aug, 2018 | The composer-conductor's essence in a photo. By Marissa Vonesh | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:11 |
| New U.S. Space Force? - Aug, 2018 | The American military has been in space for decades, By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:04 |
| Female Duck with 76 Ducklings - Jul, 2018 | Multiple broods form a "ducky day care" By Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:11 |
| Whole Earth Catalog at 50 - Jul, 2018 | Hippies and techies used it to reshape environmentaism. By Andy Cook | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:18 |
| Why Confederate Sub Sank - Jul, 2018 | Crew may have died while blowing up enemy ship. By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:29 |
| Flight 93 Memorial Tower - Jul, 2018 | The edifice will house the world's largest set of chimes. By Emily Matchar | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:29 |
| Founding Fathers' Food and Drink - Jul, 2018 | Water was iffy, so they drank a lot of beer. By Amanda Cargill | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:21 |
| S'mores - Jun, 2018 | Let us tell you S'more about the history of the gooey American snack. By Jeffrey Miller. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:00 |
| Astronauts on Moon - Jun, 2018 | Astronauts Footsteps Warmed the Moon? Their footsteps certainly roiled the lunar dirt. By Brigit Katz. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:27 |
| Bees - Jun, 2018 | Bees May Understand the Concept of Zero. They know that nothing is less than something. By Kate Keller. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:43 |
| Ancient Migration to the Americas - Jun, 2018 | They might have walked down the Alaskan coast. By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:27 |
| Women's Baseball - Jun, 2018 | They "hit the dirt in the skirt" and changed our views. By Sally Jenkins | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:17 |
| Polaroid Inventor Edwin Land - May, 2018 | He gave us more than instant photos, By Ann Elsner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:11 |
| The Annoying "Poet Voice" - May, 2018 | Poets read their works in a halting, bland intonation. By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:24 |
| Rise of the Christian Right - May, 2018 | Anti-Vietnam-war sermons divided worshipers. By David Mislin | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:32 |
| Geyser's Trio of Eruptions - May, 2018 | Yellowstone's largest awakens after 15 years, By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:57 |
| Franklin Manuscripts Digitized - Apr, 2018 | 8,000 documents can now be viewed, By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:17 |
| Advice Columns: Uniquely American - Apr, 2018 | We believe guidance will change our lot in life. By Jackie Mansky | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:23 |
| U.S. Chemical Weapons Debate - Apr, 2018 | It got started when 6,000 sheep died, By Lorraine Boissoneault | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:11:48 |
| Human Havoc on Walden Pond - Apr, 2018 | Visitor pollution threatens historical site. By Julissa Trevino | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:55 |
| Wreck of USS Juneau Found - Mar, 2018 | The WWII ship took the Sullivans to the grave, By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:27 |
| Polk's Grave - Mar, 2018 | Tennessee Keeps President Polk's Grave Where It Is. A vote to move the 11th president fails. By Jason Daley. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:57 |
| America's Happiest City- Mar, 2018 | Naples, Florida has older, healthier, more satisfied residents. By Brigit Katz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:00 |
| Sightless Visionary Invented Cruise Control - Mar, 2018 | Engineer who "saw" with his hands crafted automatic speed control. By David Sears | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:30 |
| Garfield Assassination Forgotten Today - Mar, 2018 | Yet the president's death changed America. By Kenneth D. Ackerman | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:50 |
| Billy Graham's Legacy - Feb 21, 2018 | He preached to billions, including many presidents, By Peter Manseau | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:00 |
| George Washington - Feb, 2018 | Fake stories about George Washington? Each tale is a legend with a kernel of truth. By James Deutsch. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:29 |
| Tabasco Sauce Musical - Jan, 2018 | 1890s comedy makes a comeback in New Orleans, By Jennifer Nalewicki | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:10 |
| Amateur Finds Lost Satellite - Jan 29, 2018 | Hobbyist detects signals from spacecraft thought dead, by Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:15 |
| Wildlife Burns Get Fish Skin Bandages - Jan, 2018 | Two bears and a cougar treated after a wildfire, By Mika McKinnon | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:50 |
| The Great L.A. Air Raid - Jan, 2018 | WWII jitters and a radar blip prompted anti-aircraft fire, By Lorraine Boissoneault | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:11:15 |
| Ten Myths About the 1918 Pandemic - Jan, 2018 | War and overcrowding made the flu much worse, by Richard Gunderman | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:11:00 |
| Dizzy Gillespie's Bent Trumpet - Jan, 2018 | How it got bent, and how it got to the Smithsonian, By Joseph Stromberg | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:56 |
| Prohibitionist Carry Nation - Dec, 2017 | She used speeches-and an axe-to combat drinking. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:21 |
| Romance of Mistletoe? - Dec, 2017 | The tree parasite begins as bird poop, By Brian Barth | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:46 |
| Christmas Ghost Stories - Dec, 2017 | It's and old tradition that predates Halloween. By Colin Dickey | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:52 |
| Apollo 17 - Dec, 2017 | It was the swan song of American space exploration. By Ryan P. Smith | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:40 |
| First Nuclear Chain Reaction - Dec, 2017 | The 1942 experiment ushered in the Atomic Age. By Artemis Spyrou | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:11:21 |
| What Did Jamestown Colonists Eat? - Nov, 2017 | During the Starving Time they ate horses, rats, and snakes, by Julissa Trevino | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:40 |
| The True Story of Plymouth Rock - Nov, 2017 | It got chipped away over time. By Megan Gambino | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:29 |
| 1918 Flu Killed Many Young Adults - Nov 10, 2017 | Millions died, especially recent war vets, By Ruth Craig | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:51 |
| Poetic Outlaw Black Bart - Nov, 2017 | The Wells Fargo bandit left verses at his heists. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:18 |
| Ironic History of Mar-a-Lago - Nov, 2017 | Rejected as winter White House, then Trump bought it. By Michael Luongo | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:18 |
| Grant's Vision for Black Americans - Nov, 2017 | President Grant signed the 15th Amendment to get Black Americans the right to vote, by Ron Chernow. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:08 |
| Self-Driving Cars for the Disabled - Oct, 2017 | New tech improves mobility for those who can't drive, By Srikanth Saripalli | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:21 |
| Even Colonials Liked Pumpkin Spice - Oct, 2017 | The seasonal craze goes back to the first American cookbook. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:30 |
| Human Echolocation - Oct, 2017 | Using vocal clicks to navigate, By Nathan Hurst | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:12:21 |
| The ABA's Impact on Basketball - Oct, 2017 | Today's flashy game started in the renegade league. By Franz Lidz | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:43 |
| President McKinley's Assassination - Sep, 2017 | Lax protection pushed the Secret Service to prominence. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:12 |
| America's Deadliest Natural Disaster - Sep, 2017 | A 1900 hurricane killed 8,000 in Galveston and destroyed 2/3 of the city. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:12 |
| Black Sox Scandal Was One of Many - Sep, 2017 | They cheated to get around bad pay system, By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:36 |
| Flappers Took the Country by Storm - Sep, 2017 | Their carefree lifestyle is echoed by Millenials. By Linda Simon | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:37 |
| What Does an Eclipse Sound Like? - Aug, 2017 | Phone app uses touch to describe the solar event. By Nathan Hurst | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:41 |
| Company Crashed Two Trains - Jul, 2017 | 40,000 people watched the engines collide and explode. By Lorraine Boissoneault | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:45 |
| Where Did "Gerrymander" Come From? - Jul, 2017 | A Founding Father invented the twisty voter districts. By Erick Trickey | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:13:18 |
| Disneyland's Terrible First Day - Jul 17, 2017 | The park wasn't ready, but people flocked to it anyway. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:18 |
| Spam Went from Necessity to Icon - Jul, 2017 | Somehow people bonded with the simple product. By Ayalla A. Ruvio | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:21 |
| The Myth of JFK's Jelly Donut - Jun, 2017 | The president said he was a Berliner, not a pastry. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:07 |
| Dealmaking Brought Hawaii Statehood - Jun, 2017 | Puerto Rico, take notice: it's harder than it looks. By David Stebenne | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:19 |
| Hot Dogs for a King - Jun, 2017 | When FDR Served Hot Dogs to a King. The British royals dined American-style with the president. By Kat Eschner. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:16 |
| Jet Indie Car - Jun, 2017 | A Jet-Powered car raced in the Indy 500. It was well ahead until a small part broke... then it disappeared! by Jeff MacGregor. | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:14 |
| Fun Facts About JFK - May, 2017 | President Kennedy was a war hero, Pulitzer and fan of thrillers. By Lorraine Boissoneault | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:46 |
| WWI Changed Weather Forecasting - May, 2017 | Forecasters began to use math to predict the weather. By Barry Sheils | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:46 |
| Apple Pie Is Not All That American - May, 2017 | It came from elsewhere, but Americans made it their own. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:44 |
| Animals That Helped Win WWI - May, 2017 | Many war heroes weren't human. By Jennifer Nalewicki | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:59 |
| From This Desk, U.S. WW I Were Run - Apr, 2017 | Pins on a map led to Germany's defeat, By Roger Catlin | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:25 |
| The Mustang - May, 2017 | How the Mustang, a Frontier Symbol, Became a Nuisance; Protected by law, they are now too numerous for the land. By Matt Shaer | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:21 |
| Why Is the Pentagon a Pentagon? - Apr, 2017 | Designed to fit an odd plot of land, its shape proved useful in other ways. By Alicia Ault | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:23 |
| Begich Towers, Alaska - Mar, 2017 | Alaskan Town Where Every Resident Lives in One Building. Winter makes Begich Towers a self contained city. By Jennifer Billock | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:31 |
| How a British Mutiny Helped Create American Political Asylum - Mar, 2017 | A refugee was returned and executed; outrage sparked laws to protect newcomers. By A. Roger Ekirch | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:40 |
| The Myth That Washington Was a Swamp Will Not Go Away - Mar, 2017 | The city was founded on rising farmland; later, some tidal flats became parkland, By Carl Abbot | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:09 |
| The Letters of Abigail and John Adams - Mar, 2017 | The letters reveal that the second president and his wife had a close and equal relationship. By Kat Eschner | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:42 |
| Andrew Jackson Was a Populist Even on His Deathbed - Mar, 2017 | The 7th president refused an ornate coffin as too kingly. By Sally Jenkins | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:07:10 |
| Saving Abe Lincoln's Life - Feb, 2017 | The Friendship That Saved Lincoln's Life. Joshua Speed helped Abe through a crisis in his courtship of Mary Todd. By Charles B. Strozier | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:53 |
| How Moonshine Bootlegging Give Rise to NASCAR - Feb, 2017 | After Prohibition ended, skilled smugglers and their souped-up cars took to auto racing. By Jennifer Billock | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:44 |
| The Legacy of the Apollo 1 Disaster - Jan, 2017 | The spacecraft fire killed three astronauts and slowed America's race to the moon. By Nancy Henderson | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:09:05 |
| Did Ellis Island Change Immigrants' Names? - Dec, 2016 | Mostly it was immigrants themselves who altered their own monikers. By Alicia Ault | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:10:56 |
| John Glenn Was Remarkably Down-to-Earth - Dec, 2016 | Fighter pilot, astronaut and U.S. Senator, he was also warm and approachable. By Ben Panko | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:08:42 |
| William Howard Taft's Dream Job - Dec, 2016 | Taft's great legacy lies in changes he made to the Supreme Court. By Erick Trickey | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:12:39 |
| Untangling the History of Christmas Lights - Dec, 2016 | A partner of Edison promoted the lights even before cities had electricity. By Jamie Malanowski | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:06:24 |
| The American Revolution Through the Eyes of King George III - Nov, 2016 | Oft-reviled, George in private was thoughtful and eloquent. By Sara Georgini | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:12:23 |
| Amelia Earhart Died as a Castaway? - Nov, 2016 | A recently discovered skeleton has arm bones that see to match hers. By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:11:53 |
| Diver Found Possible Inactive 1950 Nuke - Nov, 2016 | It might be the practice bomb lost off the British Columbia coast. By Jason Daley | Reader: Jim Hull | 00:05:18 |
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