History Repeating Itself

In this episode, I talk about what football meant to me, and how I feel about it today. 

This week Ben and Michelle discuss the changing shape of the work week over the past ten thousand years, and they find some interesting statistics about ancient rest periods that put our current models to shame. 

In this episode, I interview Dr. Will Oliver, who recently wrote a book on lawman August Vollmer. Vollmer held contrary views on most issues of his time, but his ability to apply logic to every situation made him a legendary figure in the world of law enforcement and criminal justice. 

Internet trolls did not invent the act of anonymous harassment. So who did? In this episode we track the progress of troublemakers hiding in the shadows. 

In this episode we explore some strange words and explain why maybe all children should have the right to vote. 

In this episode we explore the roots of our scavenging past, and we talk about our current role in the food chain. 

Certain gestures, like saying "Happy Birthday," used to relate much more to our ability to remember. But now as we rely more on technology to remember for us, how are the effects of these gestures changing? 

How can images replace text in our writing? We look to the past, and to China, for the answer to this question. Also, many schools in the U.S. and around the world are no longer teaching cursive, or even print writing. What does this mean for our brains? 

Learning how to read and write rewired our brains in fascinating ways. But where did writing come from, and for that matter, where did language originate? 

Airplanes in department stores? There was a time in U.S. History when people experienced this reality. But are we any closer today to realizing the dream of the personal airplane? 

In this episode we break down the factors that will influence the fate of football in the United States. Is it doomed or is it immune to the newly-exposed horrors of the game?

Weddings today do not mean what they used to, and for this very reason, people do their best to ressurect that lost meaning. In this episode we trace the evolution of the modern wedding and discuss how and why the focus has shifted from quality to quantity, from inward to outward. 

Sex with machines is here, and it's only going to become more common. In this episode we discuss the benefits and consequences of relationships with synthetic beings. 

Steam-powered vibrators the size of kitchen tables, the importance of dildos in Ancient Greece, and the future of sex machines in this second installment of our series on synthetic relationships. 

A man discusses the pros and cons of being married to a doll. And what does this mean for human relationships?

Concepts like extreme choice and mobility are two modern realities leading us toward depression and suicide. In this episode, we look at four ways our hunter gatherer ancestors may have been better off. 

What if hunter-gatherers employ most or all of the strategies for leading a depression-free life? In this episode we compare modern life to pre-civilized life and examine four hunter-gatherer behaviors we might want to copy. 

From bridges to guns to coal gas ovens, we explore the link between accessibility and suicide.

With a simple blood test, scientists can now determine our likelihood of suicidal behavior. But what are the implications of this discovery? 

Will suicide be more or less acceptable in the future? We try to answer this question by speaking with expert thinkers about the logic or lack of logic behind our perceptions of suicide.

A new study connects football in younger players to possible behavioral changes. And one high school cancels the rest of the football season becuase of the threat of injury. 

More little-known parellels between football and gladiatorial combat. 

Most people don't question the act of having a child, but what seems like the natural thing to do might be more of a trend than a law of nature. In this episode, we speak to various scholars and scientists to get to the bottom of our true motivations for wanting or not wanting children.

Solitary Confinement used to be a good thing. And what does the size of a community have to do with crime prevention? How was Charles Dickens one hundred years ahead of his time in understanding the power of solitary confinement?

We have proven programs to decrease crime rates, yet we don't follow them. We spend so much on the criminal justice system, yet we're only making things worse. And a man named August Vollmer, who lived a hundred years ago, knew how to fix most of our current crime-related problems. 

The U.S. is one of only 6 countries that embraces embalming. Why? And why do we spend thousands on funerals when we can achieve the same goals for almost zero dollars? What does the Civil War have to do with buying a casket at Costco, and how can talking about death save us a lot of money in the long run? 

Since the advent of photography, high heels have been integrally linked with pornography. In this episode we'll trace the ebb and flow of heels over the last 150 years. We'll look at why people wear heels and why high heels might be on the way out in America. By following the trends of shoes in pornography, we may be able to predict the future of high heels. 

High Heels came to the west via the Persian Army in the 17th century. Also, women originally adopted high heels from men becuase women wanted to appear more masculine. This and more in Part 3 of our series on the past, present, and future culture of high heels. 

Does foot binding lead to increased sexual stimulation? And how did the thousand-year tradition of foot binding disappear in a generation, a country with expansive borders and a population of over 400,000 people? We'll talk to experts and tackle these questions to provide a new perspective on high heels.

In this four-part series, we'll explain why high heel trends are important to everyone, and we'll look at the connections between high heels, foot binding, Cinderella, and possible increased sexual stimulation.     

Why isn't Rob Ford unique in the world of politics? In our first installment of "In The News," we look at other leaders in history that share some of Mr. Ford's qualities, good and bad, and we'll try to figure out what makes a politician worth voting for. 

How does football relate to being in 1000 car crashes in six months, and what are the ethical and moral arguments against watching football considering the newly documented health risks? This and more in part 3 of our series on the decline of football in America. 

Why did boxing, which once rivaled baseball for the number one spot in American sports, disappear from high schools and colleges, and what can the fall of boxing tell us about the future of football in America?

Roman gladiators can tell us a lot about what might happen with football in America. For example, the gladiatorial industry had salary caps and minor leagues.