The Plastic That Changed The World

Departing from Puerto Rico with grand plans to establish a new colony, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León set out on his ill-fated second expedition to Florida on February 20th, 1521. Ponce de León's reputation as a conquistador preceded him, with tales of his brutal conquests i ...  Show more

When the Second Continental Congress calmly reshuffled the revolutionary army’s high command on 19th February 1777, they couldn’t have known they were detonating a grievance in one of their most daring and battle-tested commanders: Benedict Arnold. Arnold was certain that he had ...  Show more

We had to talk about Barbie! This episode is all about Barbie dolls and way they took over the toy industry in the 90s. We've since recorded an episode about the movie which will be available on our Patreon in the coming weeks.

For now, please enjoy this episode that ...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the devastating 1931 Central China Floods with history professor Dr. Zhigou Ye. In her work, Dr. Ye touches on the transformation of China from an agricultural empire into a modernized society and the hazards that came ...  Show more

"Modern economies will always be tied to massive material flows, whether those of ammonia-based fertilizers to feed the still-growing global population; plastics, steel, and cement needed for new tools, machines, structures, and infrastructures; or new inputs required to produce ...  Show more

Director Luke Korem is back on the pod! Matt & Oren chat with him and editor Patrick Berry about their new Paramount+ documentary, Milli Vanilli!

Matt's Endorsement: Cuisinart Digital Gooseneck Kettle

Oren's Endorsement: Polycam's Room Mode

Luke's En ...