Don't Look Now

Today's topic is one from the all time annals of unethical experimentation, The Tuskegee Experiment.    From 1932-1972 black men who were infected with syphilis were monitored by their doctors without being told of their condition and without being treated long after the disease became easily curable.  Since their infected status was kept from them, they unknowingly infected their partners and children were born with congenital syphilis.  The experiment was not ended until a whistleblower finally went to the press about it, not due to any sudden bout of ethical or moral concern.  Come take a listen and learn about the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and other unethical medical experiments from history.

This week we continue our discussion of the Terra Nova expedition, Robert Falcon Scott's attempt to become the first human to reach the south pole. This week we discuss the push for the pole and the result of the race between Scott and Amundsen including the tragic aftermath.  Take a listen and join us for some time spent in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. 

This week we discuss the Terra Nova expedition, a largely privately funded attempt by Robert Falcon Scott to become the first human to reach the south pole.  While history most often centers on the race between Scott and Norwegian Roald Amundsen to reach the pole, the expedition was took part in a great deal of other exploration and scientific discovery.  This week we learn about the start of the expedition and the discoveries made in 1910-1911, before the push for the pole.

This week we discuss the Greek Myth of King Midas and his wish for a golden touch.  Learn more about the myth, the truth behind the historic King Midas, and variations on the tale that appear around the world in various forms.

Most people have heard the story of Lady Godiva's ride au natural through the town of Coventry and possibly Peeping Tom who was disrespectful enough to watch her and ended up going blind.  However, did you know that the whole story is about taxes?  Take a listen and find out how much, if any, of the story is based on fact and if there ever was indeed a Lady Godiva in 11th century England.

Over the years, almost half a dozen movies have been made about Bufford Pusser, .Tennessee Sheriff, that fought organized crime and attempted to avenge the death of his wife.  We discuss the real story of Buford Pusser and a little bit about the history of Moonshine. 

John Wesley Hardin was the son of a Methodist minister, but it didn't seem to rub off on him.  Born in 1853, he became a notorious outlaw of the wild west (or maybe more correctly a serial killer in folk hero disguise).  Killing a man when he was 14, he was finally sentenced to jail in 1877 having claimed to have killed 42 men, though only 27 were verified.  Somehow he was released from prison and pardoned in 1894, promptly passing the bar exam and gaining the right to practice law before killing a man for a $5 bet and then being killed himself in a saloon dispute.

We continue last weeks topic of the crusades.  Europe's drunken weekend continues with wave after wave armies sent off to "fight the infidels", be they in the holy land or sometimes the south of France.  Richard the Lionheart and Frederic Barbarossa make an appearance, and a pope attempts to lead an army into battle.  Nothing goes well.

 

Today we delve into history a bit and discuss the crusades and most specifically the First Crusade.  We often hear the crusades referenced in western language all the time with various causes and quests being termed a "crusade", but most people don't know much about the actual crusades themselves.  Violent, homicidal, ill planned hoards of knights and peasants trying to free the the holy land in search of the salvation promised them for their violent acts... the crusades are not for the faint of heart.  Take a listen!

To kick of 2024 we discuss the Great Library of Alexandria.  Supposedly created around 300BCE in the Ptolemaic Kindom of Egypt shortly after the breakup of the empire of Alexander the Great, the Great Library is famed for having collected all the written knowledge that the rulers of Alexandria could get their hands on.  Any ship passing through the trading port was required to submit any books for copy and installation in the library.  However, was this library really as vast and wonderous as was recounted?  Why is there no direct archeological evidence of its existence?  Take a listen and learn all about The Great Library!