Cuppa Americano

Timothy May is Professor of Central Eurasian History at the University of North Georgia, author of The Mongol Art of War, and recipient of Mongolia’s Order of the Polar Star. He co-edited The Mongol World with Michael Hope. In this conversation we focus on the military side of the Mongol Empire. We start with 1206 and the creation of the Yeke Mongol Ulus, then dig into the Keshik—Chinggis Khan’s b...

Paul Musson is a veteran investor who spent more than twenty years managing assets at Mackenzie Investments in Toronto. He now runs Paddington Capital Management, writes the weekly Paulitical Economy blog, and is the author of the book Capital Offence: Why Some Benefit At Your Expense. In this conversation we talk about what money actually is and how the money supply works under fractional reserve...

Andrey Yanev is an upcoming competitor in various Quizzing competitions. With a thirst for history and trivia, we discuss the history of his native Bulgaria. We track mostly chronologically to cover the Volga Bulgars and the Danube state, Kubrat and his sons, Asparuh’s treaty of 681, centuries of war and tribute with Byzantium, Boris I’s conversion, the Cyrillic alphabet, Simeon the Great, the Bog...

Part 2 with Prof. Michael Hope, Professor History at Underwood International College, Yonsei University, author of Power, Politics, and Tradition in the Mongol Empire and the Īlkhānate of Iran, and co-editor of The Mongol World. In Part 1 we covered why Mongol studies are booming, the Secret History, steppe life, the conquests, succession, and how the empire was run. This half starts with women as...

Prof. Michael Hope is Professor History at Underwood International College, Yonsei University in Korea. He is a historian of the Mongol Empire and the Ilkhanate of Iran, author of Power, Politics, and Tradition in the Mongol Empire and the Īlkhānate of Iran, and co-editor, with Timothy May, of The Mongol World. In this first of two parts, we start with the causes of renewed interest in Mongol hist...

Dr. Danny Bate is a linguist, broadcaster, and the author of Why Q Needs U. In this episode, we talk about the fascinating and chaotic history of the English language and explore why English spelling seems inconsistent, how the Norman Conquest and the printing press shaped the way we write, the ancient origins of the alphabet, and the role of prestige and power in language. We also get into accent...

Glen Owen is a personal trainer and creator of the DRIVE Method who helps active adults stay strong, confident, and pain-free. We discuss practical fitness essentials: muscle growth through mechanical tension, training volume and recovery, nutrition for recomposition, the DRIVE Method, habits, mindset, and building systems that deliver long-term results. 00:00 – Intro, production setup & iPhon...

Michael “Mak” Makatura is a former U.S. Air Force captain and author of The Fightin’ Tenth: Cold War to Desert Storm . He served as executive officer of the elite 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron (the “Fightin’ Tenth”) at Hahn Air Base, Germany, living the intense culture of an F-16 Viper unit through the final years of the Cold War and into Operation Desert Storm. In this episode of Cuppa Americano...

Dr. Andrew Van Horn is a computational anthropologist whose research bridges evolutionary science, cultural evolution, and artificial intelligence. His recent work includes the 2026 Science Advances paper introducing PATCH, a deep-learning method for detecting heterogeneity of artistic practice in historical paintings, as well as studies on the compositional structure of traditional decorative art...

Dr. Doug Cardell is an economist, educator, and author of Why Socialism Struggles, a non-partisan book that examines socialism’s economic challenges through historical evidence and practical analysis rather than ideology. With a career spanning congressional aide, corporate CEO, professor, and policy consultant, he holds a PhD in Economic Policy and specializes in making complex economic principle...

Len May is the CEO and Co-Founder of EndoDNA, a genomic intelligence company focused on precision wellness. Len is a Certified Medical Cannabis Specialist with more than 25 years of experience in the field and a recognized authority on the endocannabinoid system and DNA-based approaches to health. Len discusses genetic testing and DNA analysis in the context of the endocannabinoid system, and how...

Mehdi Noori, PhD , is the founder and CEO of Patchline AI, a pioneering music tech platform that delivers agentic AI tools to give independent artists and labels major-label operational leverage—handling catalog management, playlist matching, releases, and more so creators can focus on the art. A former Senior Tech Lead at AWS’s Generative AI Innovation Center, MIT alumnus, and PhD engineer with r...

Mitch Brown is a Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Arkansas and director of the SPHERE Lab, where he researches evolutionary psychology with a focus on how physical formidability cues (facial width, strength, neck musculature) shape perceptions of personality, mating value, coalitional alliances, humor styles, parenting ability, and even political or moral judgments. A lifelo...

Oscar Stevenson, a certified yoga instructor and personal fitness trainer, shares his journey with psoriatic arthritis, the impact on his fitness, and how modern medicine and lifestyle changes helped him recover and train for a marathon. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Catching Up 03:25 Understanding Psoriatic Arthritis 06:24 The Journey of Diagnosis 09:28 Exploring Treatment Options 12:36 The Rol...

Gabriel Ludueña hosted language exchanges in Buenos Aires, bringing together native speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, English, and German among others. He achieved bi-lingual fluency through self-study and content immersion. Join us for this conversation on language learning tips, enjoying Argentine Asado, the visceral human connection through games like Dungeons and Dragons, and engaging with folk...

Exploring History, Music, and Technology: A Deep Dive with Rei Join us in this episode where Hugh chats with Rei, a molecular biologist and musician, about the interconnectedness of history, music influences, technological advances, and societal changes. Their conversation spans from ancient civilizations to modern-day innovations, blending personal stories with broad historical and cultural insig...

Lee Yek is a licensed Physical Therapist and the owner of his own practice in California, where he specializes in sports medicine, injury recovery, and helping athletes and active individuals return to peak performance. With more than a decade of clinical experience, Lee has worked extensively with patients recovering from ACL injuries, orthopedic surgeries, and complex musculoskeletal issues. He...

Robert Yi is the CTO at Oxygen Intelligence ( Oxy.tech ), where he works on an AI-powered data platform that lets people handle data through natural language instead of complex pipelines. He's worked in established, cutting edge tech firms (Airbnb, Wayfair) before navigating the startup scene and has spent years in data science and analytics. On his blog, he writes about practical stuff like runni...

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