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Unlikely Explanations
Unlikely Explanations episodes
- Why do Musicals Sound Like That? The 20s–40s (Short Version)After Gilbert and Sullivan, a wave of American writers made the musical truly their own and created what is now called "The American Songbook." Learn how America's racist past met with new ideas about society and set us on the path to the modern musical.Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 1 min - Why Do Americans Keep Electing Republicans And Democrats?Americans by and large are unhappy with our parties and our government. But with a few structural changes, we could bring our political system back from the brink of collapse. Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
55 min - How to Survive the South PoleMost polar explorers survived while nearly all hauling animals died on polar expeditions. Why did Robert F. Scott die in the antarctic and what does it have to do with eating dogs?Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
48 min - How Do We Cope With Gender?In many times and places, there were more than two options when it came to gender. Eunuchs no longer exist as a class but nonbinary people are starting to assert their identity. What can we learn from nonbinary people of the past?Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 7 min - What Can Eunuchs Teach Us About Politics?Part 1 of 2. For most of history, eunuchs were an integral part of imperial administration. Who were eunuchs and what can we learn about gender in politics from them?Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
49 min - What's in a Quarantine?—A History of PandemicsWe have been quarantining since before the invention of germ theory. Why do we quarantine and what can we learn from pandemics of the past?Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 17 min - What Does Trump Mean By "Deep State"?—Conspiracies Part 2Over the 20th Century, superconspiracy theories have infiltrated the American political discourse, particularly on the right. This process reached its climax in the election of our first openly conspiracist president, Donald Trump. This episode explores the history of conspiracy theories in America from Henry Ford to Pat Robertson to Donald Trump.Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
59 min - How Did Conspiracy Theories Become Mainstream?—Conspiracies Part 1What is a conspiracy theory? Where do they come from? Why does my grandma keep posting them on Facebook? This is the story of how fringe theories conquered the mainstream.Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
50 min - Why Does Anyone Live in Resolute?—A Canadian AtrocityIn 1953 the Canadian government relocated Inuit to the inhospitable far north. Why?Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
50 min - Why Do Musicals Sound Like That? Gilbert and SullivanWarning: this episode discusses sexual assault and racist depictions. In the 1870s, the comic opera made the jump into English and started the tradition that made Broadway and West End the theater capitols of the world. This episode takes a close look at the first step of that development: the work of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.Support the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
55 min
About Unlikely Explanations
From the publisher's feed
This podcast uncovers the deeper currents of history by examining strange and unlikely true stories.
Hosted on Acast. See
noreferrer">acast.com/privacy for more information.