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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.
This content is in service of Houston Public Media’s education mission and is sponsored by the University of Houston. It is not a product of our news team.
731 Episodes
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Episode: 3357 Backpropagation: The idea that powers modern AI. Today, backpropagation, the trick behind modern AI.
Episode: 3356 A form of decorative calligraphic art emerges from penmanship instruction at 19th century business colleges. Today, when handwriting became art.
Episode: 3355 The rise of the lowly and ubiquitous Tin Can, and its various openers. Today, let us make tin cans.
Episode: 1533 The Triple Nickel: the first Black paratroopers become smoke jumpers. Today, a secret WW-II battle.
Episode: 1532 The invention and selling of the typewriter. Today, the typewriter teaches us its purpose.
Episode: 1531 On restoring the word theory. Today, let's theorize.
Episode: 2562 Paul Samuelson and the textbook Economics. Today, a book that helped educate the world.
Episode: 3354 Wharton Esherick's finely-crafted furniture, objects, and art enliven the studio building he designed and constructed. Today, building an autobiography.
Episode: 3266 Fireworks, Firecrackers, and Lunar New Year. Today, we ring the new year in with a bang.
Episode: 3353 An example showing how music, like other technologies, evolves. Today, a lesson from an old song.
Episode: 1530 Medieval masons and the mischief of success. Today, we meet a medieval mason.
Episode: 1529 Osborne Reynolds: of sand Reynolds Numbers. Today, a great Victorian engineer.
Episode: 1527 How Clean Water triggered the Great Polio Epidemics. Today, we wonder where polio came from.
Episode: 2559 Going, Going, Gone! A look at auctions. Today, going, going, gone!
Episode: 2035 The Gunpowder Plot: Terrorism little-changed in four hundred years. Today, historian Cathy Patterson asks us to "Remember, remember, the fifth of November.
Episode: 2739 Evolution of the Hall from Anglo-Saxon times to the present. Today, a room without a view.
Episode: 1526 Learning speech: the Paleolithic technological explosion. Today, we learn to talk.
Episode: 1525 Liberty ships: an amateur takes over the trade. Today, an amateur builds ships.
Episode: 1524 The other great fire of 1871: Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Today, the other great fire.
Episode: 1523 On saying goodbye to lighthouses and cabooses. Today, we say goodbye to lighthouses and cabooses.
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traction motors on today's locomotives are essentially "hub motors" powered by 5000 hp diesel engines that generate the electricity needed to turn steel wheels.