We explore ideas and practices once believed to be true but no longer. Each dead idea is explored in all its glorious eccentricity. For example, discover miasma, the theory that plague comes from stinky air; or the medical diagnosis of hysteria, which holds that women's wombs wander around their bodies causing trouble. Join us on a fun romp through the history of ideas that didn’t quite stand the test of time.
https://deadideas.net
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 4 days 18 hours 15 minutes
Titoism I: Slovenia from Prehistory to Tito – Balkan History
Today begins our series on the ideology of the communist dictator of the former Yugoslavia, Tito, and I'm telling it specifically from the perspective of my own family's ethnic background, the Slovenians. I give the history of the formation of the Slovenian identity up till Tito's time, so that we will be ready to see Titoism from the Slovenian perspective next time, when we talk about Tito himself. For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here: http://4d.rtvslo...
Cuneiform IV: The Great Sumerian Bake-off – Sumerian History
Cooks, brewers, and foodies: you're going to love this. We went all out and cooked up a real seven-course meal of Sumerian dishes, and brewed actual Sumerian beer! Sample the world's oldest cuisine with us! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Muisc and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Pics, maps, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Education Makes Women Infertile – PDT3K – Women’s History
Education makes women... what? Infertile?! Yep. This time we delve into a wildly popular book from 1873 that proposed precisely this: Edward H. Clarke's Sex in Education: A Fair Chance for the Girls. This one's gonna be a doozy. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
Cuneiform III: Intrigue in the Court of Mari – RPG – Sumerian History
Our scribes travel to the court of Mari, a city in the far northwest of the Fertile Crescent. There they discover a viper's nest of courtly intrigue in this role-playing game of episode. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Pics, maps, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
Titoism Prologue: A Personal Reflection – Balkan History
This episode is a personal reflection on nationality and my own awkward relationship with my Slovenian heritage. This is an initial baby-step toward a longer series on Titoism, the ideology of Josep Broz Tito, the communist dictator of the former Yugoslavia, who defied Moscow to grow his own brand of communism, which unfortunately did not survive his death. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
Cuneiform II: Scribewarts Academy – RPG – Sumerian History
Grab your tablet and stylus and try to avoid the muggles! In this special role-playing game episode, we explore the life of a cuneiform scribe in the age of Babylon. Support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern.
Boy Scouts of Feudal Japan – PDT3K – Japanese History
Who were the "boy scouts of feudal Japan"? I have no idea! In this episode of Public Domain Theater 3000, we read this 1914 article to discover what in the hell this author could possibly mean. Support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net
Cuneiform I: You’ve Got Mail – The World’s First Writing – Sumerian History
We're going all the way back to ancient Sumer! Our new epic series is about the world's oldest writing system, which revolutionized communication. Get your clay tablet and your stylus, and join us for: cuneiform! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Balance of Power V: Oops, A Great War – European History
The balance of power was designed to prevent a great from ever happening again. And then THE Great War happened. Today we see how it all went to shit. We conclude by exploring whether we are still living in a balance of power system, or if we have gone beyond it and why. Maps, pics, and references at www.deadideas.net. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
Balance of Power IV: Uh-oh, the Balkan Situation – European History
What was going so crazy with the Balkans that it could spark a great war like WWI? And why? Guest co-host Adam McKithern and I go full-throttle to make sense of the Balkan Situation. Hint: It all has to do with the diplomatic game called the balance of power system. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!