English Learning for Curious Minds | A More Interesting Way To Learn English

  Starting in the 17th century, Britain sent hundreds of thousands of people to America and Australia for crimes as small as stealing a loaf of bread. Learn about why this happened, how it worked, and the legacy it has left on the countries where these prisoners were sent to. Sending criminals away as a punishment - as old as time The Bloody Code & being killed for stealing a rabbit Impact of...

  From black cats to Friday the 13th, superstitions exist in cultures all over the world. Where do they come from? Why do so many people believe them? And is there any evidence to suggest that they are actually true? Definition of 'superstition' Superstitions in Ancient Rome Superstitions + religion The Catholic Church + superstitions Why are so many superstitions about 'bad' luck? Superstition St...

  It's the belief that the world is unstable and unpredictable, and that we should all be prepared for what happens when catastrophe strikes. Learn about where this idea came from, what survivalists do, and why the USA is the world's survivalist capital. What is survivalism? Different types of survivalist 1960s and the birth of survivalism Reasons that survivalism has grown Doomsday Preppers TV sh...

  In 70 countries around the world we change the time twice a year, giving us longer evenings in summer. Why did we start doing this? Why do some people love it, others hate it, and will we ever stop doing it altogether? Early ideas about timekeeping Romans & hours that were longer or shorter than 60 minutes When every town had its own time zone The invention of standard time zones The Earth's...

  He has been called 'the most relentlessly curious man in history', and was the quintessential Renaissance man. Learn all about the fantastic life of the genius after whom Leonardo English is named, from his talents as an artist to his skills as an engineer, and get inspired by his insatiable curiosity about how the world works. His early life in Vinci Apprenticeship in Verrocchio's workshop Keep...

  “It measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.” - Robert Kennedy It's the number that world leaders constantly talk about, using it as proof of what a great job they are doing. But what does it actually mean? What does it tell us, and what doesn't it tell us? And what would happen if we stopped using it altogether? Measuring growth in history Simon Kuznets & the i...

  For almost 300 years the vikings terrorised large parts of Europe, arriving in boats and killing anyone that got in their way. But they were also traders, inventors, and storytellers, and they have had a lasting legacy on the world we live in. In this episode we cover: The oversimplification of the vikings The first viking attack in 793 Why did the vikings invade in the first place? Overpopulati...

  You've heard of zoology, but you might not have heard about its pseudoscience cousin, cryptozoology, the subculture that attempts to prove the existence of mysterious animals from folklore and popular culture. In today's episode we cover Origins of Cryptozoology 1960s and conspiracy theories The discovery of the komodo dragon and the giant panda Problem with cryptozoology #1: lack of professiona...

  The Prime Minister of the UK has a unique way of using language, which shows his privileged upbringing and elite education. Learn about how he uses language, why he talks in this way, why this appeals to the British people, and what similarities he has with Donald Trump. In today's episode we cover: The early life of Boris Johnson Johnson's classical language Clip of Johnson in an Ancient Rome v...

  "He it is who decides peace and war… He is king in all but name.”  Quote about Cosimo de' Medici The Medici family rose to power in Florence in the 1400s, and controlled the city for a large part of the Renaissance. Their legacy lives on through much of the art, culture, and architecture that we now take for granted. In this episode we tell the story of how they rose to power and developed the i...

  “The whales do not sing because they have an answer, they sing because they have a song.”- Gregory Colbert Whales are some of the most amazing animals that have ever existed. From where they come from to how they live their lives, through to the threats that they have faced and how they bring new life in death, it's time to learn more about the amazing life these animals lead. In today's episode...

  The history of electric cars goes back a lot further than Tesla and Elon Musk. Indeed, the 'golden age' of electric cars was over 150 years ago. Discover how electric cars have evolved, why some people say they aren't as green as people think they are, and we run the calculations to see what the true environmental cost of electric car ownership is. Electric vs. Petrol vs. Steam The Golden Age of...

  Tito, the former president of Yugoslavia, survived 21 assassination attempts, fought in two world wars, and managed to stand up to Josef Stalin and live to tell the tale. In this episode we tell the tale of the fascinating life of Josip Broz, 'Tito'. In today's episode we cover: Birth and early life of Josip Broz Joining the Austro-Hungarian army & World War One Being captured by the Russian...

  The former President of The United States of America uses a kind of English you won't find in a textbook.  Here we take a look at how he speaks, why he speaks like he speaks, and what Donald Trump can teach you about speaking English effectively.  In today's episode we cover:  "I have the best words" The vocabulary that Trump uses The coherence of Donald Trump The problems that translators have...

  It's one of the biggest financial frauds in history, and involves bankers, politicians, Hollywood celebrities, and The Wolf of Wall Street. It's time to find out what happened to the missing Malaysian billions. In today's episode we cover: Najib Razak comes to power in 2009 Malaysia and the role of a development fund Enter Jho Low From $1 billion to $10 billion Lavish shopping sprees “Big-spendi...

  The pirates of the 21st century don't have parrots and swords, but night-vision goggles and AK47s. Discover why pirates have re-emerged, how they work, and what the effect of piracy is on the areas in which they operate. In today's episode we cover: Somalia - the world's piracy hotspot Why pirates emerged in Somalia How fisherman became pirates How pirates are organised Ransoms and getting paid...

  It's one of the world's most important financial institutions, but also one of the most controversial.  Discover what the World Bank actually is, how it works, what happens when it gets things right, and what happens when things go badly wrong. In today's episode we cover: The creation of the World Bank The difference between the World Bank and the IMF The ambitious aims of the World Bank The fi...

  This far-right conspiracy theory has gone from niche internet forums to President Trump's Twitter account. Discover the story behind QAnon - where does it come from, what do they believe, and is it really the most dangerous conspiracy theory in America? In today's episode we cover: The first Q message PizzaGate Hillary Clinton What does Q actually believe? Donald Trump & QAnon QAnon & so...

  In 1971, Richard Nixon declared The War On Drugs. Almost 50 years later, and a war that has cost the US over a trillion dollars, we take a look at the effect that this war has had on society. Why was it declared, what actually happened, and who are the real winners? In today's episode we cover: History of drug use in the United States Sherlock Holmes & cocaine The prohibition era Why was The...

  In 1948 the United Nations signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which set out the 30 'inalienable' rights that all humans on Earth should get at birth. But where did this come from? How effectively does it actually work? And what comes next for human rights? In today's episode we cover: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The 'first' human rights Human rights vs. Natural right...

  There are 7,000 languages spoken across the world. Yet 80% of the population speaks just 1.1% of the languages, and 43% of the languages are endangered. What happens when they die out? In today's episode we cover: How people feel differently when speaking different languages The 12 'dominant' world languages Why have certain languages dominated? Why do languages die out? When the last two speake...

  Discover the amazing story of how a young woman from France befriended the royal family, escaped the guillotine, made death masks of revolutionaries, and then created the world's most successful waxworks museum.  The story of Madame Tussauds has a lot more to it than meets the eye. In today's episode we cover: What is wax-working? Going to Paris to seek fortune Teaching art to King Louis XVI’s s...

  Food delivery apps have taken over cities across the world, promising delicious food at the tap of a button. But is it really that simple? In this episode we discuss what the rise of food delivery apps means for us, for restaurants, and for the people who do the deliveries. In today's episode we cover: How food delivery apps work Why restaurants use them The early years of food delivery apps Unf...

  When a country finds gold, oil or diamonds, you might think this would be a good thing. But in many cases, it is a curse for that country, and it would have been better off leaving its natural resources in the ground. In today's episode we cover: Expression: "to strike gold" Wars & conflict What happens to your currency when you export natural resources Government accountability & politi...

  People in Britain have a unique sense of humour. For lots of foreigners it's difficult to understand and confusing. But British people are fiercely proud of their sense of humour, and Britain has produced some of the world's best comedies. In this episode we take a look at what makes Brits laugh, and tell a few jokes along the way. Introduction to British humour What do British people laugh abou...