Professor Buzzkill History Podcast

Why are New York’s roads, bridges, buildings, and institutions named after certain people? Who were those people and why did they matter so much? Professor Rebecca Bratspies explains all in this fascinating romp through not only New York history, but also the history of the practice of naming things after individuals, and the complex specifics of how that usually happened. Episode 527

“How might the British have handled Hitler differently?” remains one of history’s greatest "what ifs." Dr. Charles Spicer tells us the astounding story of how a handful of amateur British intelligence agents wined, dined, and befriended the leading Nazis between the wars. With support from royalty, aristocracy, politicians, and businessmen, they hoped to use the recently founded Anglo-German Fellowship as a vehicle to civilize and enlighten the Nazis. Episode 526

Anarcha was a young enslaved woman who was operated on by J. Marion Sims, the now-discredited 19th-century “father of modern gynecology.” Author J.C. Hallman has made many important discoveries about the life of Anarcha and the malpractice of Sims. His “Say Anarcha” excavates history, deconstructs the biographical smoke screen of a surgeon who has falsely been enshrined as a medical pioneer, and brings forth a heroic Black woman to her rightful place at the center of the creation story of modern women’s health care. Episode 525.

Dr. Thomas Gabor shatters the many myths that help keep American gun culture alive. His strong evidence-based research shows that the many slogans and claims repeated incessantly by the gun lobby and its surrogates are completely false. The real evidence about guns is almost completely ignored in American society and politics today. Please listen, and help spread the truth! Episode 524.

Kate Messner, the author of the wonderful "History Smashers" series, enlightens us about the innumerable myths surrounding the famous ship, The Titanic, and its sinking in 1912. Everything from the myth of it being proclaimed "unsinkable" to the myth of the last song played by the ship's band as it slipped under! You'll learn whether men dressed as women to get into lifeboats, whether your ticket class determined whether you survived, and how the whole story has been mythologized by films such as "A Night to Remember" and "Titanic." Episode 523.

For almost every delivered speech, there exists an undelivered opposite. These "second speeches" provide alternative histories of what could have been if not for schedule changes, changes of heart, or momentous turns of events. Listen as speechwriter and political analyst Jeff Nussbaum explains why studying these speeches is so vital in helping understand what actually did happen. One of our greatest shows! Episode 522.

The blockbuster film, Oppenheimer, is sweeping the cinema world, and has become an historical event in itself. Professor Philip Nash discusses the life and work of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and we analyze his significance. We also review the film. Most importantly, we show how all of this is _extremely_ relevant to today’s fraught political and scientific atmosphere. The dangers shown in the Oppenheimer story can teach us a lot about the dangers we face now. Episode 521.

The recent Oppenheimer film has prompted interest in the events surrounding the building and dropping of the atomic bombs. This Flashback Friday episode addresses whether there was an actual decision to use atomic bombs in World War II. If not, what were the questions and issues about using the bomb? Why did the US choose Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets? Did Truman do it to scare the Soviets? Did dropping the bomb actually save lives compared with how many would have died during an invasion of Japan? Professor Philip Nash enlightens us.

In the mid-twentieth century, certain private religious choices became lightning rods for public outrage and debate. In talking about “public confessions,” Dr. Rebecca Davis reveals some of the controversial religious conversions that shaped modern America. She explains why the new faiths of notable figures, including Clare Boothe Luce and Muhammad Ali, riveted American public opinion. Unconventional religious choices charted new ways of declaring an "authentic" identity amid escalating Cold War fears of brainwashing and coercion. Episode 520.

The US government placed white lawyers at Japanese-American concentration camps during World War II. These lawyers were given contradictory instructions: provide legal counsel to the prisoners, and keep the place running. Within that job description are a vast array of tasks, and an enormous amount of discretion they can use for good or for ill. Professor Eric Muller explains this complicated and compelling aspect of the home front during the war. Episode 519.