Category Archives: Knowledge tidbit

History of Modern Africa Since 1880

Posted on January 26, 2011 by

While the first four lectures are missing from the new history course Modern Africa Since 1880 (feed), that’s no reason not to jump aboard and catch the rest of the ride. University of California San Diego (UCSD) historian Jeremy Prestholdt … Continue reading →

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The Star-Spangled Banner

Posted on December 30, 2010 by

Some things about “The Star-Spangled Banner” you probably didn’t know: 1. The Star-Spangled Banner is a poem originally entitled “Defense of Fort McHenry” and it has 3 additional stanzas which are seldom sung. 2. The difficult, almost unsingable melody was … Continue reading →

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The pursuit of happiness

Posted on September 6, 2010 by

Just what did Thomas Jefferson mean when he wrote that our inalienable rights include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Modern Americans are pretty sure they knew what he was talking about: our freedom to build our families and … Continue reading →

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The History of Iran from Columbia University

Posted on September 3, 2010 by

It was part of George W. Bush’s “axis of evil.” It haunts the nightmares of the Israeli military planners. And it is heir to a rich history going back thousands of years. It is of course the Islamic Republic of … Continue reading →

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The Rise and Fall of Prohibition

Posted on May 12, 2010 by

What did Prohibition and the income tax have in common? According to Daniel Okrent, author of the new book Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, the advent of the income tax was critical to the passage of Prohibition. … Continue reading →

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Who invented the Franklin Stove?

Posted on March 8, 2010 by

Benjamin Franklin didn’t really invent the Franklin Stove. Who knew? The story is related in Climate Control: A History of Heating & Cooling (website), the latest episode of BackStory (website, iTunes). It seems that Franklin made some (not very successful) … Continue reading →

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The truth about the Roman gladiator

Posted on August 13, 2009 by

Are you fascinated by gladiator, that killer-for-hire who entertained thousands back in ancient Rome’s heyday? Whether you love them or loathe them, you’ll enjoy Pennsylvania State University historian Garrett Fagan‘s talk Myths and Realities about the Roman Gladiator (iTunes). With … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic podcasts, Five-star professors, History, Knowledge tidbit, Lectures | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The ‘Game of Life’ and the 1960s Counterculture

Posted on July 29, 2009 by

I lived through the late 1960s as a student at UC Berkeley, the epicenter of the counterculture and radical chic. And yet somehow I missed the grand intellectual underpinnings of hippie-dom and the Summer of Love. (The people I knew … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic podcasts, Courses, Five-star professors, Idea of the week, Knowledge tidbit, Philosophy, Political Science | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A great Western Civ course from UCLA

Posted on May 8, 2009 by

Ah, what a joy it is to discover a great teacher! Thanks to podcast reviewer Anne at Anne is a Man, I’ve discovered the truly gifted Lynn Hunt, teacher of UCLA’s History 1C – Western Civilization, 1715-Present (Youtube). I’m an … Continue reading →

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Nationalism in Eastern Europe

Posted on April 16, 2009 by

Here’s a gem I recently discovered while rummaging around in iTunesU. George Mason University historian T. Mills Kelly has posted 7 lectures from his course Nationalism in Eastern Europe (iTunes), which open a window into an area usually glossed over … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic podcasts, Courses, Five-star professors, History, Knowledge tidbit | Tagged , | 1 Comment