Witches Through the Ages (0:33)

Guest: Charlotte-Rose Millar, Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Queensland, Author of "Witchcraft, the Devil and Emotions in Early Modern England"

Halloween witches are a fun holiday oddity with their pointy hats and bubbling cauldrons. But their history is very dark. Thousands of people were executed for the crime of witchcraft in Renaissance Europe. We had the Salem Witch trials in the US. How did witches become more silly, than scary in pop culture? (Originally aired Oct. 30, 2018).

 

The Discovery, Investigation, and Identification of the Colonial Vampire (16:43)

Guest: Nicholas Bellantoni, Emeritus State Archaeologist, Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, Adjunct Associate Research Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut

In the 1800s, people in New England were so afraid of vampires they would dig up the graves of family members to protect themselves from the undead. University of Connecticut archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni found one of these corpses in 1990, but only succeeded in identifying it last October. (Originally aired Oct. 31, 2019).

 

Parties in the Graveyard: Day of the Dead vs. Halloween (35:13)

Guest: Evan Ward, Associate Professor of History, Brigham Young University

Halloween coincides with another holiday called “Day of the Dead,” or Dia de los Muertos. At first glance, they seem quite similar-skulls, graveyards, death, candy. But don’t let the decorations fool you. (Originally aired Oct. 30, 2018).

 

Corn Maze Economics (52:54)

Guest: Brett Herbst, owner and founder of The MAiZE, founder of Cornbelly’s Corn Maze

Every Halloween, tens of thousands of people across the country drive to a corn field and buy a ticket to get lost in a maze carved through the tall stalks. Corn mazes are relatively new as a cultural phenomenon, and in some cases, an important revenue source for farmers. (Originally aired Oct. 31, 2017).

 

Why are we so Fascinated by Crows? (1:16:37)

Guest: Kaeli Swift, Professor of Philosophy, University of Washington

Imagine a huge flock of crows decide to camp in the large trees on your street. They turn the trees black, and with the cawing all day long, it would be terrifying. No kids would want play outside and even the adults would afraid, because of that Hitchcock movie, “The Birds.” But would there be anything to be afraid of? (Originally aired Jan. 28, 2020).

 

What’s in that Halloween Candy (1:29:37)

Guest: Gene Ahlborn, Professor of Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Science, Brigham Young University

Halloween looks different for a lot of families this year because of the pandemic. But there’s still the candy. Lots and lots of it. (Originally aired Oct. 31, 2019).