The story of technological progress is one of drama and intrigue, sudden insight and plain hard work. Let’s explore technology’s spectacular failures and many magnificent success stories.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity is an incredible podcast that has captivated me for the past three years. I cannot get enough of it and find myself listening to it in the car with my young children, exposing them to the wonders of engineering and the creative minds behind innovative ideas. This show holds a special place in my heart as I remember listening to it every day on my way to elementary school. It brings back great memories and instills a sense of curiosity and wonder in both children and adults.
One of the best aspects of The Engines of Our Ingenuity is its tremendous breadth in selection of topics. Each episode covers a wide range of subjects related to science, engineering, history, philosophy, and human mechanics. It is highly recommended to anyone with a curious mind, regardless of their background in engineering or science. The concise format makes it approachable and engaging for non-engineers/non-scientists like myself.
The worst aspect of this podcast is that it is no longer available for download as a podcast. The decision to block out podcast listeners by only providing M3U files is puzzling and inconvenient for those who enjoyed streaming episodes while traveling or catching up on missed episodes. It would be much more user-friendly if the podcast was available for download again.
In conclusion, The Engines of Our Ingenuity is a well-written, insightful, and captivating podcast that delves into the intersection of science and our everyday lives through the lens of engineering. Dr. John Lienhard has created a legacy through this series, leaving a lasting impact on his listeners by sparking their curiosity and appreciation for innovation. Despite the inconvenience of not being available as a traditional podcast anymore, this show remains highly recommended for anyone seeking knowledge and inspiration from the world of engineering.

Episode: 1500 1500th episode and 2000 AD: A poor time to summarize. Today, we reach a landmark.

Episode: 1499 Domestic animals: A tricky marriage between human and beast. Today, we try to domesticate a wild animal.

Episode: 1563 Looking back at the impact of toys. Sorting through a box the other day, I found old toys -- a lead soldier, a stuffed dog, a set of blocks.

Episode: 1760 The Christmas Lectures: Michael Faraday's Gift to children. Today, the Christmas Lectures.

Episode: 3348 The unspoken binding tissue of Christmas – and of Hanukkah. Today, a Merry Christmas to all.

Episode: 3037 Carol of the Bells. Today, a Christmas carol.

Episode: 3347 My metaphor for the academic life: The Circus. Today, we welcome new faculty.

Episode: 1498 How the In which we try to jump as high as a flea. Today, can you jump as high as a flea?

Episode: 1497 The rise of Paul Bunyan's radical double-bitted axe. Today, we learn to use a new axe.

Episode: 1496 Mrs. Greenhow, the first great Confederate spy. Today, we meet a Confederate spy.

Episode: 2548 INFORMS and the mathematics of problem solving. Today, strange bedfellows.

Episode: 2817 Where do creative ideas come from? Today, let's talk about creativity.

Episode: 2834 Wombs and Witchcraft: Edward Jorden's Suffocation of the Mother (1603). Today, wombs and witchcraft.

Episode: 1495 The new technological elite: chauffeurs then, computer experts today. Today, we learn to drive our own cars -- and manage our own computers.

Episode: 1494 The strange persistence of X-ray hair removal. Today, we kill ourselves to remove hair.

Episode: 1492 Necessity and invention during the 1870 siege of Paris. Today, necessity, invention, and the Siege of Paris.

Episode: 1491 In which business schools study a leaderless orchestra. Today, we have no leader.

Episode: 2547 Changing views on charging interest throughout history. Today, interest.

Episode: 2831 Reading the Long History of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Today, a great American magazine.

Episode: 2674 The Royal Navy Surgeon; Taking Medicine to Sea in the Age of Sail. Today, the Royal Navy Surgeon.

Episode: 1490 Germs, John Snow, and the Broad Street Well. Today, we talk about germs.

Episode: 1489 Inventing the helicopter: harder than it looked. Today, we invent the helicopter.

Episode: 1488 John, Washington, & Emily Roebling, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Today, a family gives us the Brooklyn Bridge.

Episode: 1492 Necessity and invention during the 1870 siege of Paris. Today, necessity, invention, and the Siege of Paris.

Episode: 1487 Teaching the American public to use the telephone. Today, would you buy the first telephone?

Episode: 2545 Game Maker Milton Bradley. Today, a game maker.

Episode: 2617 Facebook, social networking website, or new medium? Today, Facebooking.

Episode: 2829 Cesare Lombroso and his Museum. Today, a head in a jar.

Episode: 1485 Ship of gold in the Deep Blue Sea: an impossible treasure recovery. Today, we hunt treasure.

Episode: 1484 Georg Cantor, the man who counted beyond infinity. Today, we wonder about counting to infinity.

Episode: 1483 In which J. Willard Gibbs pictures gear teeth. Today, a glimpse into the mind of J. Willard Gibbs.

Episode: 1481 A revealing view of photography's early days. Today, where was photography headed in 1854?

Episode: 2542 Hippodamus of Miletus and Urban Design. Today, a grid for the ages.

Episode: 3346 In which Mary Proctor uses myth to help children understand reality. Today, astronomy for children.

Episode: 3345 In which I learn that an old book is not about tachometry but tacheometry instead. Today, a set of misunderstandings.

Episode: 3342 Bernardo Zamagna designs a lighter-than-air ship that physics could not quite support. Today, let us fly with Bernardo Zamagna.

Episode: 1480 Streamlining and the American public. Today, we talk about streamlining.

Episode: 1479 The riddle of more grandparents than people. Today, you and I are kin.

Episode: 1478 A sneak preview of the Statue of Liberty. Today, a sneak preview of the Statue of Liberty.

Episode: 2538 Engineering Cheese Through the Millenia. Today, say "cheese."

Episode: 3343 Frank Rosenblatt's perceptron and the quest to design machines that can learn. Today, the origin of learning in artificial neural networks.

Episode: 3344 That Rare Find, Rachel Ruysch. Today, we talk diversity in art and nature.