HI101

In this episode we discuss the destructive effects of Gorbachev’s reforms, both in the satellite Soviet countries and in Russia itself, culminating in the formal dissolution of the USSR. Dan McGinnis returns as guest.

In this episode we talk about the difficulties facing the Soviet Union throughout the 1980’s, as well as the policies of its young new leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Dan McGinnis returns as guest.

In this episode we follow Joseph Smith and the early LDS church from their origins in Ohio through a number of states until finally settling, after their founder’s death, in what would become Utah. We also cover the immense legal and moral battle with the federal government over the issue of polygamy. Gary Hallman returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss some of the basic tenets of Mormonism, including its links to American exceptionalism, as well as the founding of the church by Joseph Smith. Gary Hallman returns as guest.

In this episode we briefly cover the lives of a number of famous pirates, as well as discuss the end of the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean. Yumiko Hutchenreuther returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss the global framework that allowed piracy to become such a strong phenomenon in the Caribbean Sea, as well as what being a pirate was like. Yumiko Hutchenreuther returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss both the Kennedy assassination and Project MKULTRA. Rebecca Bleskie returns as guest.

In this anthology episode we cover both the moon landing conspiracy theories and the phantom time conspiracy theory. Rebecca Bleskie joins as guest.

In this episode we discuss the painting, sculpture, and architecture of the Italian Renaissance, as well as its end and aftermath. Kevin Miller returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss the political, economic, and philosophical climate that converged to allow the Italian Renaissance to occur. Kevin Miller returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss the Paris Commune – the first in vivo communist experiment – as well as the USSR, Communist China, and the Cold War. Ethan Bleskie returns as guest.  

In this episode we talk mostly about the ideas and concepts behind communism to create a context in which we can talk about the numerous ways the system has clashed with Western society throughout the 20th century. Ethan Bleskie returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss the Rachni Wars and the resulting Krogan uplifting, as well as the ensuing Krogan rebellions and eventual deployment of the biological weapon known as the genophage. Ethan Bleskie returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss the problems of anesthesia, antisepsis, and blood loss in surgery, as well as some modern surgery milestones. Yumiko Hutchenreuther returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss ancient surgery, as well as the first major hurdle to its modernization: a proper understanding of human anatomy. Yumiko Hutchenreuther returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss the building of Hadrian’s Wall, the maturation of the province of Britain, the political upheavals of the later Western Roman empire, and the eventual Saxon raids that mark the end of Roman influence on the British Isles. Phil Downey returns as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the roots of both the Celtic and Roman civilizations very briefly before diving into their early intersections, beginning with the invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar and ending this part with the Boudican Rebellion and immediate aftermath. Phil Downey returns as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the development of modern forensics and its application to detective work, beginning with the work of Alphonse Bertillon, moving through the golden age of fingerprint analysis and criminal profiling, touching on the Jack the Ripper and H H Holmes murders, and ending with the implementation of DNA profiling in the 1980s.

In this episode we look at the Victorian view of criminology as informed by Darwin, the scientific revolution, and recent anthropological finds. We discuss the focus on scientific racism, the belief in the inability of humans to escape their biological destiny, and the extremely dangerous and harmful conclusions this led to. Dan McGinnis joins as guest.

In this episode we follow Vlad the Impaler from his war against the Ottoman Empire to his imprisonment by the Hungarian King, re-institution as ruler of Wallachia, and mysterious death. We also spend some time discussing moral justifications of the deeds of historical figures. Colin Oliver returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss the early years of Vlad III of Wallachia, also known as Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler, both personally and in the context of the contemporary collapse of the Byzantine Empire and expansion of the Ottoman Turks. Colin Oliver returns as guest.

In this episode we follow some of the non-Lutheran reformers in their early days, as well as the Catholic response to the Reformation and the ensuing religious wars, culminating in the Peace of Westphalia. Gary Hallman returns as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the roots of Luther’s reformation philosophies, as well as what set Luther apart from other early heresies. Gary Hallman joins as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the jazz age, the gentrification of jazz under the banner of big band, and the maturation and diversification of the genre in the post-war era. Yumiko Hutchenreuther returns as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the beginnings of the music tradition that would eventually become jazz, as well as some landmark works that were pivotal in the development of the style, up to 1923. Yumiko Hutchenreuther returns as guest.