Unlikely Explanations
32 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago -This podcast uncovers the deeper currents of history by examining strange and unlikely true stories.
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Episodes
Richard Owen: Dinosaur Jerk
April 10, 2023 19:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBWho named the dinosaurs? We know! It was Richard Owen, a plagiarizing, grasping, conniving jerk. Let's dive into dinosaurs, evolution, public education and the question of what constitutes scientific fact.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Fate of the Springs: Steamboat Springs part 6 of 6
August 16, 2022 15:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBSteamboat Springs finds an unlikely savior in Karl Hovelsen, or, as he was known in the United States, Carl Howelsen. He kicked off the skiing craze in Colorado that continues to this day. But the natural wonders of the area continue to be damaged by tourism and construction. Hear how local conservationists are working to stop this alarming trend.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Railroad: Why Steamboat Springs Blew Up the Steamboat Spring (5 of 6)
August 01, 2022 13:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBIn this episode I finally answer why Steamboat Springs blew up the Steamboat Spring. For money. It was a capitalist house of cards built on future investment. Spoilers. Just listen to the episode; I explain it all.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Meeker: Steamboat Springs 4 of 6
July 19, 2022 23:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBA single figure served as the turning point for the Ute in Colorado: Nathan Meeker. This episode explores his legacy and motives to better understand how Colorado was transformed.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How Homesteading Transformed America: Steamboat Springs 3 of 6
July 04, 2022 15:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBWith success in the Civil War, the Republican and northern vision for the West won out. Americans were encouraged to individually colonize the West through the Homestead Act. Despite their anti-slavery stance, they were happy to join with southern peers in oppressing the American Indians. This is how Colorado and Steamboat Springs came to be settled by Whites.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Peopling of Colorado: Steamboat Springs 2 of 6
June 20, 2022 15:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBPart 2 of "Why did Steamboat Springs blow up the Steamboat Spring". In this episode we explore this history of humanity in the Americas and Colorado, specifically the development of Ute identity, and early encroachment by White Europeans and Americans.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why did Steamboat Springs Blow Up the Steamboat Spring? 1 of 6
June 06, 2022 17:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MB1 of 6 on Colorado History. To understand why Steamboat Springs blew up the Steamboat Spring we go deep into the past to unravel the geology of the Rockies.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Astroworld and Today: Crushes 8 of 8
February 28, 2022 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.44 MBAlthough this is a history podcast, human crushes are not a thing of the past. In this episode we consider the recent Astroworld disaster and what can be done to improve crowd safety moving forward. Sources and images at UnlikelyExplanation.com: https://www.unlikelyexplanation.com Follow on social media: https://linktr.ee/unlikelyexplanationsSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nightclub Escapes: Crushes 7 of 8
February 21, 2022 16:00 - 24 minutes - 16.5 MBNightclub fires and crushes continue through the 20th century up through today. In this episode, we explore the tragedies at the Rhythm Night Club, the Cocoanut Grove, The Station, and the Thomas Restobar to understand how crush safety remains paramount for indoor events and what we still get wrong about human stampedes. Sources and images at UnlikelyExplanation.com: https://www.unlikelyexplanation.com Follow on social media: https://linktr.ee/unlikelyexplanationsSupport the show Hosted on...
Trapped Inside: Crushes 6 of 8
February 14, 2022 16:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBStampedes cause a large portion of the deaths in building fires. We'll explore the fires at the Theatre Royal, the Brooklyn Theater, and the Iroquois Theater to see how crushes interact with disasters inside of buildings and why it's probably not a good idea to remain calmly seated as a theater catches fire. Sources and images at UnlikelyExplanation.com: https://www.unlikelyexplanation.com Follow on social media: https://linktr.ee/unlikelyexplanationsSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See a...
The Quintessential Crush: Hillsborough. Crushes 5 of 8
February 07, 2022 14:00 - 27 minutes - 19.3 MBA police conspiracy. Unquestioned prejudice. Long-standing misunderstandings. This is an in-depth explanation of the causes, outcomes, and conceptions of the Hillsborough crush. Sources and images at UnlikelyExplanation.com: https://www.unlikelyexplanation.com Follow on social media: https://linktr.ee/unlikelyexplanationsSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Deadliest Pilgrimage: Hajj. Crushes 4 of 8
January 24, 2022 17:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEvery year, millions of Muslims gather to celebrate Hajj. It is the largest gathering in the world and in many years it was the deadliest. Sources and images at UnlikelyExplanation.com(https://www.unlikelyexplanation.com/) Follow on social media: https://linktr.ee/unlikelyexplanationsSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kumbh Mela and Deadly Indian Festivals: Crushes 3 of 8
January 17, 2022 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.34 MBMost crushes in the world happen in India. When did they occur, how did they kill, and what is being done to stop them? Sources and images at UnlikelyExplanation.com(https://www.unlikelyexplanation.com/) Follow on social media: https://linktr.ee/unlikelyexplanationsSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Political Crushes of Moscow: Crushes 2 of 8
January 10, 2022 17:00 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBTwo exceptionally deadly crushes happened in Moscow. What caused them? Sources and images at UnlikelyExplanation.com(https://www.unlikelyexplanation.com/) Follow on social media: https://linktr.ee/unlikelyexplanationsSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Do Humans Stampede? Crushes 1 of 8
January 03, 2022 21:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBWhat causes human crushes and stampedes? What are they like? Are you more likely to be trampled or squeezed to death? These answers and more, as well as a look at an early human stampede at the wedding of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI Sources and images at Unlikely Explanation.com https://www.unlikelyexplanation.com/ Follow UE on social media for more stories: https://linktr.ee/unlikelyexplanationsSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mormons, Adventists and Ghosts, Oh My! The Burned Over District Part 4 of 4
November 01, 2021 20:00 - 2 hours - 83.5 MBPart 4 explores the explosion of Spiritualism. The belief in ghosts and a fundamentally similar life after death gripped nearly every mind in New York and became the default belief system of the non-Christian American: New Age (and its related beliefs). This episode also includes honorable mentions for weird mystic cults and a trip to meet the greatest New York cult leader of them all: the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. Americans in the burned-over district of New York took God into their ...
Mormons, Adventists and Ghosts, Oh My! The Burned Over District Part 3 of 4
October 04, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBPart 3 covers the flowering of eccentric spiritualist movements in upstate New York: the Mormons, a non-trinitarian polygamist church that was chased out of the United States, Robert Matthews, Sojourner Truth, and the masculist patriarchy of New Zion, and John Humphrey Noyes' Oneida commune that practiced complex marriage and eugenics. Americans in the burned-over district of New York took God into their own hands and radically reimagined what Christianity and spirituality were all about. Le...
Mormons, Adventists and Ghosts, Oh My! The Burned Over District Part 2 of 4
September 06, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBAmericans in the burned-over district of New York took God into their own hands and radically reimagined what Christianity and spirituality were all about. Learn how the spontaneous uprisings and communities of upstate New York affect the religious landscape of America today. Part 2 covers the first crop of eccentric New York spiritualists: The first trans American, the Public Universal Friend; celibate communists known as Shakers; and William Miller's apocalyptic predictions that created A...
Mormons, Adventists and Ghosts, Oh My! The Burned Over District Part 2 of 4
September 06, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBAmericans in the burned-over district of New York took God into their own hands and radically reimagined what Christianity and spirituality were all about. Learn how the spontaneous uprisings and communities of upstate New York affect the religious landscape of America today. Part 2 covers the first crop of eccentric New York spiritualists: The first trans American, the Public Universal Friend; celibate communists known as Shakers; and William Miller's apocalyptic predictions that created Ad...
Mormons, Adventists and Ghosts, Oh My! The Burned Over District Part 1 of 4
August 02, 2021 16:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBThe burned-over district of New York was a time and a place where Americans took God into their own hands and radically reimagined what Christianity and spirituality were all about. Learn how the spontaneous uprisings and communities of upstate New York affect the religious landscape of America today. Part 1 covers initial European settlement in North America; the origin of puritans, Pennsylvania, and quakers; the Longhouse religion of Handsome Lake; and the socio-economic conditions that al...
Why do Musicals Sound Like That? The 20s–40s (Long Version)
November 30, 2020 23:00 - 2 hours - 85.6 MBAfter Gilbert and Sullivan, a wave of American writers made the musical truly their own and created what is now called "The American Songbook." Learn how America's racist past met with new ideas about society and set us on the path to the modern musical.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why do Musicals Sound Like That? The 20s–40s (Short Version)
November 30, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 41.3 MBAfter Gilbert and Sullivan, a wave of American writers made the musical truly their own and created what is now called "The American Songbook." Learn how America's racist past met with new ideas about society and set us on the path to the modern musical.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Do Americans Keep Electing Republicans And Democrats?
October 05, 2020 23:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBAmericans by and large are unhappy with our parties and our government. But with a few structural changes, we could bring our political system back from the brink of collapse. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Survive the South Pole
September 08, 2020 19:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBMost polar explorers survived while nearly all hauling animals died on polar expeditions. Why did Robert F. Scott die in the antarctic and what does it have to do with eating dogs?Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How Do We Cope With Gender?
August 10, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 45.7 MBIn many times and places, there were more than two options when it came to gender. Eunuchs no longer exist as a class but nonbinary people are starting to assert their identity. What can we learn from nonbinary people of the past?Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Can Eunuchs Teach Us About Politics?
July 07, 2020 03:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBPart 1 of 2. For most of history, eunuchs were an integral part of imperial administration. Who were eunuchs and what can we learn about gender in politics from them?Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What's in a Quarantine?—A History of Pandemics
June 01, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 52.7 MBWe have been quarantining since before the invention of germ theory. Why do we quarantine and what can we learn from pandemics of the past?Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Does Trump Mean By "Deep State"?—Conspiracies Part 2
May 04, 2020 16:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBOver the 20th Century, superconspiracy theories have infiltrated the American political discourse, particularly on the right. This process reached its climax in the election of our first openly conspiracist president, Donald Trump. This episode explores the history of conspiracy theories in America from Henry Ford to Pat Robertson to Donald Trump.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How Did Conspiracy Theories Become Mainstream?—Conspiracies Part 1
April 13, 2020 18:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBWhat is a conspiracy theory? Where do they come from? Why does my grandma keep posting them on Facebook? This is the story of how fringe theories conquered the mainstream.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Does Anyone Live in Resolute?—A Canadian Atrocity
March 02, 2020 17:00 - 49 minutes - 33.7 MBIn 1953 the Canadian government relocated Inuit to the inhospitable far north. Why?Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Do Musicals Sound Like That? Gilbert and Sullivan
February 03, 2020 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBWarning: this episode discusses sexual assault and racist depictions. In the 1870s, the comic opera made the jump into English and started the tradition that made Broadway and West End the theater capitols of the world. This episode takes a close look at the first step of that development: the work of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Was The North Pole Discovered Four Different Times?
January 06, 2020 23:00 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBTwo men claimed to be the first to the north pole. One man claimed to be the first to fly over. All three were lying. Hear the bizarre story of who truly reached the north pole first. Read more at unlikelyexplanation.comSupport the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.