SYMHC Classics: The End of Rinderpest

Holly shares additional details of Percy Fawcett's life, including theories about his interest in spiritualism leading him to some odd conclusions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

The second part of Percy Fawcett's story delves into his fascination with a document known as Manuscript 512 and how it impacted his life. His obsession led to his disappearance; there has been endless speculation about what exactly happened. Research: Biello, David. “Ancient Ama ...  Show more

The eradication of smallpox is one of humanity's great achievements - but the battle against the virus was fought by the most unlikely of alliances. How did the breakthrough happen - and can we guarantee that the world is still safe from smallpox?This episode owes a debt to Steph ...  Show more

It's New Year's Eve - switch off the Hootenanny and tune in to hear Dominic recount extraordinary tales of coups, cousins and the rise of an emperor in the Central African Republic. Later on in the podcast, Tom questions whether the current pandemic will have a more prominent rol ...  Show more

On the final episode of our Black Death series, we explore the "Kingdom of the Rats" and find out how the rivers of pus and blood and puke finally stopped for Europe's beleaguered people. Also, we detail the ways in which the Bubonic Plague left its indelible mark on human civ ...

You’ve heard about smallpox, and you’ve learned about rinderpest. Now it’s time to meet what may be the third disease to ever be eradicated: dracunculiasis, also known as Guinea worm disease. In this episode, we take you through the absolutely remarkable life cycle of this not ...