Panorao Podcast

Join Dr. Lupu and special guest Kate Preble as they discuss ancient magic from curse tablets and medical remedies, and how it connects to the world today!

Dr. Lupu welcomes his first guest to the show to discuss the Hellenistic period of the Ancient World, how Alexander made it all the way to and past Afghanistan, and why the moniker of "Graveyard of Empires" for Afghanistan doesn't stand the test of time.

We know about modern propaganda, from political ads to Facebook memes. But what about targeted messaging in the ancient world? This month, Dr. Lupu takes a stab at a listener question from our Russia episode and tries to decipher some propaganda messages from Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Until recently, the Turkic Uyghurs living on the western terminus of modern China have been on the radar of a relative few. Who are the Uyghurs, how long have they lived in Xinjiang, and what has led to their current plight at the hands of the Chinese government? Join Dr. Lupu as he tackles these questions and more.

It's no mystery that aspiring superpowers deal in propaganda to achieve their goals, but have you wondered what lengths these nations will go to in order to influence the people of other nations? Dr. Matt Lupu tackles the increasingly worrying subject of Russian disinformation and how influential the nation has been in shaping politics on an international level.

After one year of the Panorao Podcast with Dr. Lupu, the doctor revisits the plague and how the world has endured one of the toughest trials in recent memory.

Part 2 of Dr. Lupu's discussion on atheism, this time focusing on how atheism became such a prevalent system of thought in the Western world.

Via a request from one of our listeners, Dr. Lupu tackles several questions on atheism in the ancient and modern world. Has the world become more atheistic over time? Is science the new religion? All this, and much much more, in the first part of Dr. Lupu's discussion on atheism.

How real is Valentines Day? Was there ever a St. Valentine? Follow the history of the lovely holiday and how it came to be with our own smooth operator, Dr. Lupu.

The history of Rome, its rise and demise, is well ingrained into the Western historical memory and has long been seen as a watershed in the course of European history. Dr. Lupu provides us with a fresh take on the matter, discussing just to what extent Rome fell and how the evaporation of the greatest empire in its time wasn't as big a deal for the average Lucius as it was for Edward Gibbon.

The story of Saint Nick, the Christian of antique Anatolia who became the jolly figure draped in red, sliding down all of our chimneys.

How is it that in a sea of Slavic and Magyar neighbors, Romanians continue to speak a Romance language despite the scant period of Roman occupation almost two millennia ago? Find out more about this unique country and Dr. Luppu's roots on this episode of the Panorao podcast!

Is Christianity a necessary precursor for democracy? Is there any link at all between the two? Join Matt Lupu as he covers the development of Democracy and its impact on Christianity.

“How do you know Afghanistan exists?”. Dr. Matt Lupu addresses this question, and much more, through the Silk Road and its importance to the development of world history.

What does it mean to be a national symbol? How do we create and assign values to objects that represent some part of our culture? Matt Lupu considers these questions, and more, through the prism of the Elgin Marbles in this episode. We hope you love the show!

The Plague Doctor gives us insights into plagues, including the one we're currently facing and those that have historically, well, plagued us! We hope you'll love this episode.

In the first episode of the Panorao podcast, Dr. Matt Lupu will introduce you to what Panorao is and what it hopes to accomplish. We hope you'll love this episode, it's the first of many to come.