Dr. Larsen's World Geography

The Middle East, or Southwest Asia, will be our main region of focus.  Dr. Richard Haass (2020) is the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and was the Middle East advisor to President George H.W. Bush.  He mentions three themes that distinguish the Middle East from other world regions:  religion, energy, and violence.  I will expand on each of these themes to give us a better sense of the Middle East.

Russians have a special name, toska, which translates to a refined, elevated kind of boredom.  Enduring the harsh Iowa winters indoors, we might experience toska from time to time.  People often associate empty landscapes with boredom.  My goal is to change that in this podcast.

Erratum: In the podcast, I mention that Big Diomede and Little Diomede belong to the U.S. That is incorrect. Big Diomede (Tomorrow Island) is owned by Russia, which makes Russia around 2.4 miles from the United States.

Using Europe as our backdrop, we are going to talk about superstitions, pathways, and talking to strangers. By the end, it is my hope that you will be able to explain how the environment and superstitions interconnect, using witch hunting in Europe as an example; explore the various pathways Europe has to offer; and articulate why people are terrible at profiling strangers.