American Innovations

By Wondery

DNA science. Artificial intelligence. Smartphones and 3D printers. Science and technology have transformed the world we live in. But how did we get here? It wasn’t by accident. Well, sometimes it w

... more

4.6

40424,042 ratings

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about American Innovations:

How many episodes does American Innovations have?

The podcast currently has 88 episodes available.

American Innovations episodes:

May 19, 2020 Fighting Coronavirus | Will We Remember 2020 A Century From Now? | 9
While the U.S. has countless WWI memorials, it has almost none dedicated to the 1918 flu pandemic – even though the pandemic claimed six times as many American lives.
On this episode, Steven talks to historian Nancy Bristow, author of American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic, about the blind spot in America’s collective memory. Why did we forget the 1918 pandemic? And how well will future generations remember this one?
New episodes of “Fighting Coronavirus” will publish here every Tuesday, or you can listen and subscribe at https://wondery.com/shows/fighting-coronavirus/.
Support us by supporting our sponsors!
Keeps - Get your first month free when you go to keeps.com/fightingcv.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
24min
May 14, 2020 Chewing Gum | The Champion of Chewers | 2
This episode is available exclusively for Wondery+ subscribers.
It’s the early 1890s and thanks to the adoption of chicle, chewing gum is bigger than ever. But it’s still a niche American habit. Men still shun it in favor of tobacco, and women who chew it in public are frowned upon.
But that’s all about to change thanks to the newest face on the gum scene. He’s name is William Wrigley Junior and he’s going to teach the world to chew.
Support us by supporting our sponsors!
Policy Genius - Head to policygenius.com to find the best life insurance rate today.
Express VPN - Protect you online activity with expressvpn.com/innovations.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
42min
May 12, 2020 Fighting Coronavirus | We’re More United Than You Think | 8
Communication and cooperation across our society are as important as they’ve ever been. This week, Steven talks with Andy Slavitt, the former Medicare and Medicaid chief, who has emerged as one of the most effective communicators during this crisis. Andy and Steven discuss the future of healthcare, how to find trustworthy news sources, and how to make the most of your child’s senior year in isolation. (Hint: Start a podcast together!)
Check out Andy Slavitt’s podcast In the Bubble.
You can learn more about his new healthcare nonprofit, the United States of Care, here.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
23min
May 07, 2020 Chewing Gum: Snapping and Stretching | S29-E1
It’s the mid-1800s and in Maine, John Bacon Curtis is back from clearing the spruce forests with a crazy idea. He’s going to sell ready-to-chew gum.
But his bold plan is only the start of what will become a decades-long search for the ideal chew. It’s a search that will see the nascent gum business butt heads with newspaper tycoons, strike an alliance with oil refineries, and get a helping hand from the self-styled Napoleon of the West.
You can binge all episodes of American Innovations exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
34min
May 05, 2020 Fighting Coronavirus: Is Social Distancing Enough? | 7
If we really want to reopen our economy, we need to do more than just flatten the curve. In the words of Dr. Jim Kim, the former president of the World Bank, we need to “start coming down the mountain.” And to do that, Dr. Kim says there is only one valid solution: “contact tracing,” one of the most low-tech and labor-intensive weapons in our public health arsenal.
On this week’s episode, Steven talks to Dr. Kim about how he convinced Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to invest in contact tracing when other governors wouldn’t even return his calls, and why contact tracing is the best way to contain the spread of Covid-19.
New episodes of “Fighting Coronavirus” will publish here every Tuesday, or you can listen and subscribe at https://wondery.com/shows/fighting-coronavirus/.
Listen ad-free on Wondery+ here.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
25min
April 28, 2020 Fighting Coronavirus: Pandemic DIY | 6
When health care workers began running out of protective equipment, makers around the world powered up their 3D printers and got to work. This week, Steven talks to journalist Clive Thompson about the maker movement, an informal network of sewers, tinkerers, and engineers whose ingenuity is bridging supply gaps and increasing the pace of technological innovation, sometimes in a very retro way.
Read Clive Thompson’s article, “When Government Fails, Makers Come to the Rescue,” on Wired.com.
Download Budmen Industry’s templates for 3D face shields.
Enter the CoVent-19 Challenge.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
26min
April 23, 2020 Dynamite: Audrey Kurth Cronin on New Technology and Terrorism | 4
This episode is available exclusively for Wondery+ subscribers.
Alfred Nobel worked on dynamite in distinctly unglamorous labs, but his ambitions were as grand as his labs were small. He envisioned dynamite transforming cityscapes and connecting rail lines across Europe. When Alfred finally got dynamite right, it did exactly that – but it also led to new and terrifying forms of political violence.
On the last episode of our dynamite series, Steven Johnson talks to security expert Audrey Kurth Cronin, author of “Power to the People: How Open Technological Innovation is Arming Tomorrow's Terrorists.” Cronin argues that Nobel’s story is also the story of our times: once again, backyard inventors are spearheading new technology but not always thinking through the technology’s consequences.
Support us by supporting our sponsors!
SimpliSafe - Head to simplisafe.com/innovations for FREE shipping and a 60 day risk free trial.
Express VPN - When you go to expressvpn.com/innovations to get an extra three months FREE for your first year.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
32min
April 21, 2020 Fighting Coronavirus: Are Our Kids Alright? | 5
Let’s face it: we’re worried about our kids. How can we protect their mental health? Should the normal rules around screen time still apply? What will school look like come September? This week, Steven talks with Anya Kamenetz, an education correspondent for NPR and author of the book The Art of Screen Time, to get some answers.
New episodes of “Fighting Coronavirus” will publish here every Tuesday, or you can listen and subscribe at https://wondery.com/shows/fighting-coronavirus/.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
31min
April 16, 2020 Dynamite: The Merchant of Death is Dead | 3
This episode is available exclusively for Wondery+ subscribers.
How did Alfred Nobel, the “Merchant of Death,” go from inventing dynamite to establishing the Nobel Peace Prize? The answer lies in a personal ad, a poorly vetted obituary, and a surprising new use for nitroglycerine.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
36min
April 14, 2020 Fighting Coronavirus: How Can Data Save Lives? | 4
Where are new cases being detected? How many beds are available in local hospitals? What’s the growth rate of ICU admissions? These are some of the most urgent questions in the world right now, and they’re being answered by data pioneers like Dr. John Brownstein, the Chief Innovation Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Brownstein talks to host Steven Johnson about his new crowdsourced website, CovidNearYou.org, and how public health data doesn’t just track deaths, but helps prevent them.
New episodes of “Fighting Coronavirus” will publish here every Tuesday, or you can listen and subscribe at https://wondery.com/shows/fighting-coronavirus/
Contribute to Dr. John Brownstein’s live map of Covid-19 symptoms at https://covidnearyou.org/.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
...more
29min

FAQs about American Innovations:

How many episodes does American Innovations have?

The podcast currently has 88 episodes available.

More shows like American Innovations

This Is Actually Happening by Wondery

This Is Actually Happening

10,356 Listeners

Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled by JLML Press

Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled

3,656 Listeners

I Hate My Boss by Wondery

I Hate My Boss

483 Listeners

How I Built This with Guy Raz by Guy Raz | Wondery

How I Built This with Guy Raz

30,251 Listeners

History That Doesn't Suck by Prof. Greg Jackson

History That Doesn't Suck

5,643 Listeners

American History Tellers by Wondery

American History Tellers

18,956 Listeners

Business Wars by Wondery

Business Wars

12,779 Listeners

Felonious Florida by Wondery | Sun Sentinel

Felonious Florida

4,169 Listeners

American Scandal by Wondery

American Scandal

18,765 Listeners

Legal Wars by Wondery

Legal Wars

2,161 Listeners

Infamous America by Black Barrel Media

Infamous America

2,873 Listeners

The Shrink Next Door by Wondery | Bloomberg

The Shrink Next Door

22,994 Listeners

The Mysterious Mr. Epstein by Wondery

The Mysterious Mr. Epstein

7,583 Listeners

American Elections: Wicked Game by Airship

American Elections: Wicked Game

3,167 Listeners

HISTORY This Week by The HISTORY® Channel | Back Pocket Studios

HISTORY This Week

4,101 Listeners

Business Movers by Wondery

Business Movers

1,504 Listeners

Against The Odds by Wondery

Against The Odds

7,593 Listeners

The CRUX: True Survival Stories by Kaycee McIntosh, Julie Henningsen, Bleav

The CRUX: True Survival Stories

344 Listeners

Secret Sauce by Wondery

Secret Sauce

255 Listeners

British Scandal by Wondery

British Scandal

2,418 Listeners

Uncommon Ground with Van Jones by Amazon Music | Van Jones

Uncommon Ground with Van Jones

253 Listeners

History Daily by Airship | Noiser | Wondery

History Daily

2,012 Listeners

American History Hit by History Hit

American History Hit

1,366 Listeners

Diss and Tell by Wondery

Diss and Tell

833 Listeners

Oh What A Time... by CBW Productions | Wondery

Oh What A Time...

111 Listeners

Men in Blazers: Early Kick Off by Men in Blazers Media Network

Men in Blazers: Early Kick Off

395 Listeners

Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University by Wondery

Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University

1,518 Listeners

Severed Affair: The Gruesome Murder of Shad Thyrion by Law&Crime

Severed Affair: The Gruesome Murder of Shad Thyrion

217 Listeners

Over the Top with Beadle and Rosenberg by Wondery

Over the Top with Beadle and Rosenberg

96 Listeners

The Spy Who by Wondery

The Spy Who

557 Listeners

American Criminal by Airship

American Criminal

232 Listeners

Lemme Say This by Wondery

Lemme Say This

226 Listeners

Black Swan Murder by Law & Crime

Black Swan Murder

64 Listeners