For centuries, sailors told tales of gigantic waves that they encountered at sea, and for centuries, scientists didn’t believe them. However, over time, evidence began to pile up, which suggested that the legends of these freak waves were, in fact, true. These waves are rare, still not well understood, and terrifying to ships and sailors because there is almost no way to detect or predict where or when they will occur. Learn more about rogue waves, how they were discovered, and how they occur on...
Oct 11, 2024•16 min•Ep 1558•Transcript available on Metacast Humans have probably had the desire to fly ever since they saw the first bird fly in the air. Flying, as it turned out, was a very challenging problem for creatures without wings. Throughout the 19th century, many people tackled the problem without success. It wasn’t until the first years of the 20th century that the problem was finally solved. Learn more about the invention of the airplane and the solution to heavier-than-air travel on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan ...
Oct 10, 2024•16 min•Ep 1557•Transcript available on Metacast In the 1860s, one of the bloodiest wars in the Western Hemisphere took place….and it wasn’t the US Civil War. It was a war between Paraguay and an alliance of Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil, and it was one of the bloodiest ever fought in Latin America. It was a conventional war that resulted in a guerilla war, which spawned famine and disease. Learn more about the Paraguayan War or the War of the Triple Alliance on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip to Spai...
Oct 09, 2024•17 min•Ep 1556•Transcript available on Metacast At the end of the Second World War, Europe was a mess. The economies of most countries were in shambles and the threat of communism loomed over the continent. In a speech at Harvard University on June 5, 1947, U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall proposed a plan which could help get Europe back on its feet. The plan is widely considered one of the most successful foreign aid programs in history. Learn more about the Marshall Plan, how it came about, and how it worked on this episode of Eve...
Oct 08, 2024•17 min•Ep 1555•Transcript available on Metacast Every year, hundreds of millions of birds around the world migrate. Some migrate short distances, some migrate incredibly long distances, and others don’t bother to migrate at all. For centuries, people didn’t know why birds migrated, how they managed to travel such long distances every year, or where they would go. Thanks to modern science and technology we now have a much better idea of how it works and where they go. Learn more about bird migrations on this episode of Everything Everywhere Da...
Oct 07, 2024•15 min•Ep 1554•Transcript available on Metacast Sitting in most homes is a deck of playing cards. Cards and card games have become almost ubiquitous They are played by children and in retirement homes. They are played at family picnics, and there are also televised games played with millions of dollars on the line. You can play games with friends, or you can even play them by yourself. Despite how common they are, most people don’t realize that they have a very ancient heritage. Learn more about the origin of playing cards on this episode of ...
Oct 06, 2024•14 min•Ep 1553•Transcript available on Metacast One of the defining events of the Middle Ages took place in Constantinople on April 12, 1204. Soldiers of the Fourth Crusade, under orders of the Doge of the Republic of Venice, breached the walls and sacked one of the greatest cities of the era. The sack wasn’t just an orgy of violence and destruction, which it was. It also set into motion events that caused irreparable divisions between the Eastern and Western Christian worlds and, ultimately, the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Learn more about...
Oct 05, 2024•16 min•Ep 1552•Transcript available on Metacast For over 600 years, the empire that dominated the region of Southeast Asia was the Khmer Empire. Built out of a collection of kingdoms, the Khmer Empire dominated its corner of Asia. It was an advanced civilization known for its massive building projects and its system of waterworks. Even though the empire eventually fell, as all empires do, its legacy can still be seen in the religious and cultural institutions in the region today. Learn more about the Khmer Empire, its rise, and its fall on th...
Oct 04, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast All around you, in the air and the ground, is the most common element on Earth: Oxygen. As you are certainly well aware, Oxygen is required for life on Earth as we know it. But you might realize that the Earth didn’t always have oxygen in its atmosphere. Oxygen has been responsible for everything from the rise of multicellular life to the space program. Learn more about the element oxygen, what it is, and how it came to be in our atmosphere on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsor...
Oct 03, 2024•15 min•Ep 1550•Transcript available on Metacast In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several major Americans were the battleground for a conflict between two great powers. These powers were not armies or nations; rather, they were newspaper conglomerates headed by two of the most powerful figures in the history of American media. The competition between them was furious, and it was fought not just on the pages of their newspapers but sometimes on the streets. Learn more about Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and the newspaper w...
Oct 02, 2024•16 min•Ep 1549•Transcript available on Metacast Every October in the Northern Hemisphere, leaves on the trees turn color and fall to the ground. While the leaves turn from green to the bright colors of autumn, listeners' green questions are also transformed into colorful answers. Stay tuned for volume number 23 of questions and answers on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip to Spain at Spain.info! Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every...
Oct 01, 2024•17 min•Ep 1548•Transcript available on Metacast When we look at history, we tend to focus on grand things like great leaders and great battles. In reality, what makes for successful empires is often the mundane: stable laws, an uncorrupt civil service, or, for large sprawling empires, a system of roads. Roads were one of the secrets to the success of Rome, and they proved useful for centuries, even after the empire's fall. Learn more about Roman roads and how they linked together a vast empire on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. S...
Sep 30, 2024•15 min•Ep 1547•Transcript available on Metacast Many places on Earth have extreme climates. However, there is one place on Earth that has a climate so extreme that it is the closest thing to it might be on another planet. Despite having the most inhospitable and unforgiving climate on Earth, researchers have been shocked at what they’ve found there. Their discoveries might help pave the way to finding life outside our world. Learn more about the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, how they came to be, and what makes them so unique on this episode of E...
Sep 29, 2024•14 min•Ep 1546•Transcript available on Metacast Many people have one or more favorite sports teams. Most people support these teams because they happen to be the team close to where they live. What many people don’t realize is that many teams, especially major sports teams in North America, didn’t originate in the city where they are today. In some cases, teams have moved multiple times, changed names, and even returned to the city where they originally came from. Learn more about relocated sports teams and teams that have gone defunct on thi...
Sep 28, 2024•19 min•Ep 1545•Transcript available on Metacast Located in Vatican City, just off St. Peter’s Square lies one of the plainest and most uninteresting buildings you might ever find. It has no adornments and it is just a solid beige color. However, inside that bland structure, you will find one of humanity’s greatest artistic achievements, and to enjoy it you just might get a sore neck. Learn more about the Sistine Chapel, the building, the art, and its history, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip to Spai...
Sep 27, 2024•13 min•Ep 1544•Transcript available on Metacast The United States Constitution identifies three separate branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. Each branch has a set of checks and balances, which, in theory, limits the power of the others. Two of those branches are outlined in detail in the Constitution. The third, the judicial, is given very little mention in comparison to the other two, and much of its workings and its power in relation to the other two, had to be created over time. Learn more about the Un...
Sep 26, 2024•15 min•Ep 1543•Transcript available on Metacast After years of war throughout the continent of Europe, in 1814, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated and was exiled to the small island of Elba off the coast of Italy. The European powers thought that they had seen the last of Napoleon. However, they were wrong. He came back and, in a shockingly short period of time, regained control of France and its army. Learn more about Napoleon’s 100 Days and the last gasp of the Emperor of the French on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors...
Sep 25, 2024•15 min•Ep 1542•Transcript available on Metacast In 1972, one of the greatest movies ever made was released: The Godfather. The Godfather is not only one of the most critically acclaimed movies in history but was also one of the most successful at the box office. Despite its overwhelming success, however, it almost didn’t get made and could have wound up a very, very different film. Learn more about The Godfather and the fascinating story of its production, casting, and filming on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your...
Sep 24, 2024•17 min•Ep 1541•Transcript available on Metacast In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter stumbled upon one of the most pristine tombs of an Egyptian Pharaoh ever found: the tomb of King Tutankhamun. That discovery became a pop culture sensation and revolutionized our understanding of Ancient Egypt. Learn more about King Tutankhamun, aka King Tut, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip to Spain at Spain.info! Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground bee...
Sep 23, 2024•13 min•Ep 1540•Transcript available on Metacast On December 11, 1978, one of the most audacious heists in history took place at JFK Airport in New York City. A small group of thieves executed an almost perfect crime and walked away with 6 million dollars in cash and jewelry. While the actual robbery went off without a hitch, it was after the crime that things fell apart and eventually left a trail of bodies strewn across New York. Learn more about the 1978 Lufthansa Heist, how they pulled it off, and its bloody results on this episode of Ever...
Sep 22, 2024•15 min•Ep 1539•Transcript available on Metacast For decades, the nation of Ethiopia has dreamed of creating a damn on the Blue Nile River. Such a dam would provide an enormous amount of electricity for a country that is one of the lowest electricity consumers in the world. Such a project would be a massive undertaking and it would also bring a great deal of prestige to the country. What was once a dream began to become a reality in the 21st century, and today is producing energy for the country. However, the project has also caused problems w...
Sep 21, 2024•15 min•Ep 1538•Transcript available on Metacast A popular activity that millions of people around the world engage in every week is bowling. Today, all the equipment manufacturers and bowling alleys constitute a multibillion-dollar business. However, this modern pastime has a history that goes back not hundreds of years but thousands. Learn more about bowling, where it came from and how it has developed on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ...
Sep 20, 2024•17 min•Ep 1537•Transcript available on Metacast As early as 2400 years ago, Greek philosophers were coming up with paradoxes that seemingly had no solution. Early mathematicians came up with problems that seemed impossible to solve. It wasn’t until the 17th century that the techniques were finally developed to solve these problems and unlock new fields of science and mathematics. Learn more about calculus, what it is, and what it attempts to do on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip to Spain at Spain.info...
Sep 19, 2024•15 min•Ep 1536•Transcript available on Metacast On October 28, 1929, a day known as Black Monday, the New York Stock Exchange suffered its greatest one-day loss in history. The next day, known as Black Tuesday, the market dropped even further, registering the second biggest one-day loss in history. This was the start of an extended bear market that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average drop 89% in just under three years and ushered in the period we know as the Great Depression. Learn more about the 1929 Stock Market crash, its causes, and its ...
Sep 18, 2024•17 min•Ep 1535•Transcript available on Metacast The English language is….different. Unlike other languages, English has borrowed and used words from a wide variety of other languages. However, no other language has had quite the influence that French has had. In fact, French was the language spoken by the kings and queens of England for centuries, and the rules of England couldn’t speak any English. Learn more about the French influence on the English language and what English would look like without it on this episode of Everything Everywher...
Sep 17, 2024•17 min•Ep 1534•Transcript available on Metacast After the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, the French were forced to sign a lopsided armistice that gave control over most of the country to Germany. However, about 40% of Frace was not occupied by the Germans. It was controlled by a French government that came to power after the invasion and collaborated with and sided with Germany. The government ruled much of France for four years until the Allied invasion of France, and after liberation, the collaborators paid the price. Learn more about Vic...
Sep 16, 2024•16 min•Ep 1533•Transcript available on Metacast In 1961, Michael Rockefeller, an heir to one of the greatest fortunes in the world, disappeared on an art-collecting trip off the coast of the island of New Guinea. For decades, the family simply assumed that he accidentally drowned off the coast in an attempt to rescue his anthropologist colleague. However, in the decades since he disappeared, more information may have come forward about exactly what happened, and it may not have been a simple drowning. Learn more about Michael Rockefeller and ...
Sep 15, 2024•15 min•Ep 1532•Transcript available on Metacast People in the entertainment industry often say that show business is “show business.” As much as motion pictures are an art form, it is also a business. In many cases, a very big business. Motion picture studios will often invest hundreds of millions of dollars into a film expecting to see a return on their investment. Most of the time, a film will break even. However, in a few spectacular cases, a disastrous film has ruined a studio. Learn more about box office bombs and some of the worst-perfo...
Sep 14, 2024•17 min•Ep 1531•Transcript available on Metacast Located between Canada and the United States is one of the largest bodies of freshwater in the world, Lake Superior. Lake Superior is the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes, and it is the first of the lakes in terms of water flow. Despite being the largest of the Great Lakes, it has the fewest number of people living on its shores, yet it is one of the most important economically. Learn more about Lake Superior, the big lake they call Gitche Gumee, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Da...
Sep 13, 2024•15 min•Ep 1530•Transcript available on Metacast As soon as money was invented, counterfeiting was invented soon after. Counterfeiting has been around for as long as money, and as money has changed, counterfeiters have changed with it. What used to be a relatively simple process has become a highly technical game of cat and mouse. Today, it is considered a crime in every country on Earth, but of course that depends on what currency you are trying to counterfeit. Learn more about counterfeiting and the perpetual game of trying to stop counterfe...
Sep 12, 2024•16 min•Ep 1529•Transcript available on Metacast 
