We dive into the shocking story behind 'Yan Ruisheng', China's very first full-length feature film. This 1921 silent movie was a true-crime docudrama recreating a sensational real-life murder that had gripped Shanghai. To achieve a terrifying level of authenticity, the production cast the murderer's actual friend in the lead role, used the real car from the crime, and filmed on location at the execution grounds. The film's blockbuster success kickstarted an entire industry, but its grim subject matter also sparked a moral panic that led to the birth of Chinese film censorship. Discover the lost masterpiece that changed cinema forever. This podcast was crafted using artificial intelligence.

This week, we travel to the third century to uncover the incredible life of Zenobia, the Syrian queen who took on the Roman Empire. Seizing a moment of Roman weakness, she forged her own empire from the sands of Palmyra, conquering Egypt and challenging the emperor himself. A brilliant military tactician, she was also a patron of philosophy who claimed descent from Cleopatra. We follow her meteoric rise and her dramatic confrontation with Emperor Aurelian, exploring the conflicting historical accounts of her final days. Tune in to learn about the warrior queen who nearly broke Rome. This podcast was crafted using artificial intelligence.

Dive into the fascinating world of Pi, the infinite, irrational, and transcendental number that's literally everywhere! From ancient polygon approximations by Archimedes to modern supercomputers calculating trillions of digits, explore how humanity has chased this elusive constant for millennia.

Join us on Wiki Featured as we rewind to 1996 and explore Dick Wolf's gritty, one-season wonder, "Swift Justice"! Meet Mac Swift, a tech-genius ex-Navy SEAL turned private investigator, too hardcore for the rules of the NYPD. This UPN cult classic was a controversial urban western, packed with violence and featuring future stars like Giancarlo Esposito and Ice-T, but ultimately succumbed to advertiser backlash. Discover how this short-lived show left an unexpected legacy on the procedural genre.

Step into 19th-century Britain as we explore the 'Young Head' coinage of Queen Victoria! Discover how her youthful portrait graced currency for nearly 50 years—an "ultimate commitment to a profile picture" that outlasted her own youthful appearance. We uncover the fierce rivalry between legendary engravers William Wyon and Benedetto Pistrucci that defined the era's Royal Mint.

Join Hari and Kimi as they trek back to June 5, 1879, to the Anglo-Zulu War's Zungeni Mountain. Discover how the British 17th Lancers, reeling from recent disasters, brought "a polished Ferrari to a mud-wrestling match" against innovative Zulu irregulars. Hear the grimly ironic tale of a British officer killed by his own nation's bullet, and how the Zulus expertly used terrain and captured weapons to outmaneuver a global superpower. This podcast was crafted using artificial intelligence.

Dive into the incredible life of Luisa Capetillo, the early 20th-century anarcha-feminist, labor organizer, and writer who defied expectations at every turn. From leading daring strikes in Puerto Rico to becoming a "lectora" in cigar factories, Capetillo fought tirelessly for workers' rights and women's liberation. You won't believe the story of her arrest in Cuba for wearing trousers—and how she argued her way out of it!

In this episode, Hari and Kimi deep-dive into Ursula K. Le Guin's 2002 novella 'Paradises Lost'. They explore the life of the fifth generation aboard the spaceship Discovery, the tension between the religious cult of Bliss and those seeking a new home, and the complex themes of ecocriticism and human isolation in space.

Join Hari and Kimi as they explore the fascinating history of the McDonnell Douglas Phantom in UK service. Discover how this legendary American jet was significantly redesigned for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, notably featuring powerful, larger Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans to operate from smaller carriers. Learn how British companies like Hawker Siddeley Aviation and BAC built major components. The episode delves into the Phantom's vital roles, from replacing aircraft like the Canberra and Hunter for the RAF and the Sea Vixen for the RN, to its service during the Cold War and its crucial deployment for the air defence of the Falkland Islands. It's a story of unique Anglo-American aerospace collaboration and Cold War readiness.

Join Hari and Kimi on "Wiki Featured - Stories from Wikipedia's Daily Featured Articles" as they dive into the massive logistical challenge of transporting millions during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics! Discover how Paris invested over €500 million in infrastructure, aimed for 100% spectator public transport use, and successfully halved the carbon footprint compared to London 2012 and Rio 2016. Learn about the enhanced public transit, vast new cycling network (including 415 km of cycle paths and 27,000 temporary racks), accessibility provisions and challenges, and the round-the-clock efforts that kept Paris moving for the Games, ultimately judged a resounding success with 87% of spectators using public transport.