We all know of modern fantasy creatures, and also that they owe a lot to J.R.R. Tolkien, other fantasy authors of the last 60 years, Dungeons & Dragons, or different franchises like Warhammer or Warcraft. But how did these different figures actually form: what are the mythologies, the folklores and the more recent elements that gave birth to them? This is what we are going to examine in this episode, an exploration journey that will take us from ancient Germanic, Norse and Celt myths, to medieval folklore, fairy tales, and contemporary influences. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.comfor information about our collection and use of personal data foradvertising.

In this new story, we will explore the cultural history of three colours: yellow, black and white. How were pigments for art and crafts, or dyes, obtained? What were the meanings, symbolisms and status of these colours, across various ancient cultures and to our days? Let's find out. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.comfor information about our collection and use of personal data foradvertising.

This new compilation of episodes will take you to several stories taken from or inspired by Germanic myths and legends. I have equalised the sound and there are no ads during the entire episode. As always, I tell you the stories and also take a bit of time to explain the historical and cultural context. Here are the episodes I put together: - The Ring of the Nibelung - Beowulf - Norse Mythology Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.comfor information about our collection and use of personal data foradvertising.

Nature creates certain patterns that seem to appear spontaneously, on different scales: spirals, hexagons, fractals, symmetries... Why is that? To what forces, needs or underlying order does this correspond? Why do they speak to our sense of aesthetics? These are the questions we are going to examine in simple terms in this episode. This poetic and scientific journey will take us to a multiplicity of fields (mathematics, physics, biology...) and will give us an opportunity to talk about fractals, chaos theory, the Fibonacci sequence, or the golden ratio. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.comfor information about our collection and use of personal data foradvertising.

This long compilation of episodes will accompany you for hours, as you relax, sleep, work, or are just curious about the topics. I have equalised the sound and there are no ads during the entire episode. Here are the themes I put together: History of Timekeeping, History of Astrology, History of Colours, History of Alchemy, History of Rooms in Homes Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Tonight I take you to two wonders of the World. First we will discover the Taj Mahal, maybe the most extraordinary mausoleum ever built. It was commissioned by the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, Shah Jahan, for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, and is a jewel of Mughal architecture, blending Indian, Persian, Central Asian and Islamic influences. After that, we will go to the two temples of Abu Simbel, built in Nubia by Ramesses II. These temples dedicated to him and his wife Nefertari are some of the most wonderful remains of the Egyptian civilization, and I will tell you about Ramesses' reign and how they were relocated when the Aswan Dam was built. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The silurian hypothesis is not a theory, but rather a thought experiment: what if a civilization had existed on Earth millions of years ago? After such a long time, could it have left any trace, taking into account the natural decay of all materials, sedimentation and plate tectonics? This video is not about an actual ancient civilization of which we have zero evidence. It is about how long the remains of a technically advanced civilization such as ours could last, and testify of our existence. This means looking into things such as the durabily of the materials we use and the things we build, the time it takes for our waste to disappear, geology, erosion... And also what kind of physical evidence of their existence different civilizations may leave behind them. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Let's go back to Prehistory tonight! Behavioral modernity is a concept created to describe a series of traits and behaviors that our species, Homo Sapiens, adopted over the past 100,000 years. The list of these traits, their timelines, their maps and the way archaeological records reflects them are still debated among paleontologists and paleoanthropologists. However, there is no doubt the phenomenon is real, and in this episode I tell you about the concept of behavioral modernity itself, its manifestations (burials, figurative art, long distance transportation of resources, better blades and tools...) and what could have triggered it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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In tonight's episode, I invite you to an overview of rooms, since humankind started to build homes. For much of our history, most people lived in single-room dwellings and multiple-room homes were a privilege for the happy few. This started to change after the 16th Century, and rooms multiplied for almost everyone, often influenced by aristocratic and bourgeois homes. From medieval long houses and manors, to aristocratic apartments, parlors or drawing rooms, to living rooms and modern bedrooms, we have a lot to discover! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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What is this subjective experience, this awareness of existence, that we call consciousness? In tonight's episode, we will examine some of the aspects of this philosophical, scientific and spiritual question. Is consciousness a binary thing, or is it a kind of continuum with different "levels"? Do animals experience a degree of consciousness and how can it be infered of measured? Is it reductible to biology, is it the product of the treatment of information, is it something immaterial and detached from the physical world? Could an AI acquire consciousness from a silicon substrate, and if yes, what would be the pre-conditions and consequences? These are some of the questions we will try to answer, or at least understand better. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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