From "chili queens" to the founder of Taco Bell to the invention of Doritos, how America embraced Mexican food.

Guests:

Gustavo Arellano, author of "Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America"

Paul W. Bosland, Professor of Horticulture and Director of Chile Pepper Institute, New Mexico State University

00:00:00 - How Mexican Food Conquered America

00:28:57 - Why Do You Enjoy Food That Sets Your Mouth on Fire?

Join host Marcus Smith for conversations that invite you to discover, explore, and reengage with the wonders of the world around you. Find new episodes that will be available each week starting February 9th, 2022.

Monuments and mummies alike provide insights to the distribution of power in ancient Egypt.

Guests:

Kara Cooney, Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA and author of "The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World."

Learn more about her work on her website: https://karacooney.squarespace.com/

Jamie Fraser, Curator for the Ancient Levant and Anatolia at the British Museum in London

00:00:00 - Just Men, Just Men, or Despots?

00:31:04 - Finding a New Mummy

The Santa Claus Association was supposed to help kids, but its founder was no saint. And, the myths behind the man Johnny Appleseed.

Guests:

Howard Means, journalist and author of "Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story"

Explore Howard's other writing on his website: https://howardmeans.com/

Alex Palmer, author of "The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York."

Discover more of Alex's work on his website: https://www.alexpalmerwrites.com/books

00:00:00 - Johnny Appleseed: The Eccentric Man Behind the Great American Legend

00:24:41 - A Cunning Christmas Crime

Climate change, ice instruments, and lab-designed snowflakes.

Guests:

David Robinson, geographer at Rutger's University, New Jersey State's climatologist, and member of Protect Our Winters (POW), a climate change organization that can be found here: https://protectourwinters.org/about-pow/

Kenneth G Libbrecht, Professor of Physics at Caltech

Tim Linhart, ice sculptor and founder of Ice Music. See some of his work here: https://cellomuseum.org/tim-linharts-ice-cellos-extreme-icemanship/

00:00:00 - How Snowfall Fits into Climate Change

00:21:56 - Snowflake Science

00:37:14 - Instruments Fashioned from Ice Actually Work . . . and Sound Good

Christmas wouldn't be the same without Dickens. And, the railroads changed Christmas forever.

Guests:

Lucinda Hawksley, art historian, public speaker broadcaster, and great-great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens.

Learn more about Lucinda's writing at her website: https://www.lucindahawksley.com/

Ainissa Ramirez, P.h.D and award-winning scientist. She has written for Forbes, The Atlantic, and the American Scientific, and is the author of "The Alchemy of Us."

Visit her website to learn about her other writing: https://www.ainissaramirez.com/books

00:00:00 - Our Obsession with Christmas

00:35:09 - Railroads and the Modern Christmas

Danielle Reed explores the wide genetic differences in taste buds, and a related topic, why COVID-19 causes some people to lose their sense of taste and smell. And, musician Annie Dickinson sees music in color.

Guests:

Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at Monell Chemical Senses Center.

Annie Dickinson, singer and director of A&R @ Nettwerk Music Group.

00:00:00 - Tasteblind

00:34:15 - Seeing Music in Color

Federal law enforcement was weak at the beginning of the 20th century.

Guest: Willard M. Oliver, Professor of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University, author of "The Birth of the FBI: Teddy Roosevelt, the Secret Service, and the Fight Over America's Premier Law Enforcement Agency."

00:00:00 - The Origin of the FBI

00:40:33 - The Pinkertons

Advances in cardiac surgery were pioneered by fearless heart surgeons, and some unsung heroes who assisted them.

Guest: Thomas Morris, historian award winning author of "A Matter of the Heart" and "The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth."

Visit Thomas Morris online to learn more about his work: https://www.thomas-morris.uk/the-matter-of-the-heart/

00:00:00 - The History of the Heart through Milestone Operations

00:38:40 - Fetal Surgery

Jim Thorpe was known as the greatest athlete in the world.

Guest: Robert. W. Wheeler, author of "Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete."

Still curious? Visit the Jim Thorpe Foundation's website to learn more about his legacy: https://www.jimthorpememorialfoundation.org/

00:00:00 - Jim Thorpe

00:41:45 - Jim Thorpe, PA