Best Forrest Cobb Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 160: A new George Washington Movie is coming your way with Dr. Craig Bruce Smith 38:01

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2d ago38:01

38:01

Dr. Craig Bruce Smith and I break down the trailer for the upcoming film, Young George Washington About our guest: Craig Bruce Smith is Professor of History at National Defense University in the Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS) in Norfolk, VA. He authored American Honor: The Creation of the Nation’s Ideals during the Revolutionary Era and c…

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Episode 159: Jelani Cobb talks about Spielberg's Lincoln and the Promise of Black Freedom 42:12

5d ago42:12

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This week Jelani Cobb drops in to talk about Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, what we don't see onscreen, the promise of Barack Obama, and the rise of Donald Trump. Plus, we preview his new book, Three or More is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here, 2012-Present. This is a powerhouse episode. About our guest: Jelani Cobb joined the Columbia Journalism Scho…

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Episode 158: The Transformation of Hunting in the Modern South with Dr. Julia Brock 1:02:48

7d ago1:02:48

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Today Dr. Julia Brock joins in to talk about how hunting transformed and was transformed by the Modern South. We talk about dimensions of race, class, and sex and how they informed land stewarship and environmental conservation in the early twentieth century and how those changes affect us today. About our guest: Dr. Julia Brock is Associate Profes…

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Episode 157: WWII Movies through Time with Dr. John McManus 1:27:29

12d ago1:27:29

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This week Dr. John McManus joins in to talk about how WWII films have evolved over time, including our picks for best and worst movies ever made about the war. About our guest: John C. McManus is Curators’ Distinguished Professor of U.S. military history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). This professorship is best…

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Episode 156: Dr. Kevin Gannon 1:24:08

15d ago1:24:08

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This week my friend Kevin Gannon drops in to talk about his career in history education, how education has changed, what to do about A.I., and the role of social media as a scholar. This is a cool conversation with one of the coolest dudes I know. About our guest: Dr. Kevin Gannon is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excelle…

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Episode 155: 13 Days, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Fate of the Americas with Renata Keller 1:06:36

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For 13 days beginning on October 16, 1962 the world teetered on total nuclear destruction. Today, Dr. Renata Keller joins in to talk about the Cuban Missile Crisis, how it is depicted in the film 13 Days, and how the events played out in Latin America. This is a deep dive into arguably the most consequential two weeks in world history. About our gu…

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Episode 154: Comanche Nation Chairman Forrest Tahdooahnippah 1:10:02

22d ago1:10:02

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Comanche Chairman Forrest Tahdooahnippah joins in to talk about Comanche history, culture, and so much more. We had a chance to talk about the legal relationships between Tribal nations and the United States, the importance of language preservation, what it’s like to lead a Tribe, thoughts on how Comanche people have been portrayed on film, and how…

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Episode 153: Notting Hill with Kate Sheppard and Colin Colbourn 1:46:12

27d ago1:46:12

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This week Kate Sheppard and Colin Colbourn return to ask if Notting Hill is the greatest romcom of its generation. About our guests: Dr. Kathleen Sheppard earned her PhD in History of Science from the University of Oklahoma in 2010. After a post-doctoral teaching fellowship at the American University in Cairo, she arrived at Missouri S&T in the fal…

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Episode 152: “That’s not a knife. Now that’s a knife.”Crocodile Dundee with Chelsea Barnett 1:42:40

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This week Historians At The Movies goes Down Under to talk about 1986's Crocodile Dundee and we are doing it with the founders of Historians At The Movies: Australia: Chelsea Barnett and Joel Barnes. This movie is everything HATM was designed for: taking something fun and then pointing out everything we can take from it. This was a blast to record.…

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Episode 151: Gangs of New York with Tyler Anbinder 1:51:44

3M ago1:51:44

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This week Tyler Anbinder joins in to talk about his experiences advising on Gangs of New York as well as his work tracing the Irish diaspora. About our guest: Tyler Anbinder is a specialist in nineteenth-century America and the history of immigration and ethnicity in American life. His latest book, published in March 2024 by Little, Brown, is entit…

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Episode 150: The Secret Weapon to Finish Your Ph.D. 11:18

3M ago11:18

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Today my friend, Dr. Eric Becklin, defended his dissertation. And around here, we celebrate the wins. I talk about the process of graduate school and how important friends are to getting you to the finish line.

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Episode 149: Confederate Monuments with Dr. Karen Cox 1:05:35

3M ago1:05:35

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Dr. Karen Cox drops in to talk about the Trump Administration's plans to reinstall two former Confederate monuments, along with the Lost Cause mythology, and how we think about the Civil War. About our guest: Karen L. Cox is an award-winning historian and a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians. She is the author of fou…

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Episode 148: Is Jeremiah Johnson just 70s Mountain Man Porn with Jacob Lee 1:33:59

3M ago1:33:59

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This week Dr. Jacob Lee joins in to talk about the real Jeremiah Johnson—and why Redford’s version may be a fantasy. About our guest: Jacob Lee is a historian of early America and the American West, focusing on colonialism and borderlands. His first book, Masters of the Middle Waters: Indian Nations and Colonial Ambitions Along the Mississippi (Har…

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Episode 147: Jason and Thomas are dead men 1:07:30

3M ago1:07:30

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Jason and Thomas recap their voyages to destinations unknown: San Diego and Minnesota's Boundary Waters, plus Thomas and Jason discuss the excitement of fall semesters on campus.

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Episode 146: Thelma and Louise with Jacki Antonovich and Lauren MacIvor Thompson 1:17:49

3M ago1:17:49

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This week we return to the vault to bring you Ridley Scott's unexpected western masterpiece: Thelma and Louise.By Jason Herbert

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Episode 145: The Running Man with Craig Bruce Smith and Robert Greene II 1:16:03

3M ago1:16:03

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This week Craig Bruce Smith and Robert Greene II join in to talk about our favorite dystopian films, why this film slips under the radar, and what it was like when Craign recently met Arnold himself.By Jason Herbert

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Episode 144: Superman (2025) with John Wyatt Greenlee, Colin Colbourn, and Alan Malfavon 1:18:41

4M ago1:18:41

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This week John Wyatt Greenlee, Colin Colbourn, and Alan Malfavon flyover to talk about James Gunn’s Superman, the need for heroes in everyday lives, and casting the rest of the DCU. About our guests: Alan Malfavon is Assistant Professor of History at California State University San Marcos. His first book, Men of the Leeward Port: Veracruz’s Afro-De…

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Episode 143: A Human History of the Sahara Desert with Dr. Judith Scheele 54:47

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This week social anthropologist Dr. Judith Scheele joins in from France to talk about her decades of research into the diverse and fascinating peoples and places of the Sahara Desert. About our guest: Judith Scheele is professor of social anthropology at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sci…

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Episode 142: Seven Years of Historians At The Movies 22:27

4M ago22:27

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Looking back at the last seven years of HATM, along with my plans for the future.

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Episode 141: F1 with Dr. Sarah Myers and Dr. Colin Colbourn 1:13:19

4M ago1:13:19

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This week, two of my favorite people in the world join in to talk about Brad Pitt’s new film, F1 while they try to convert me into a Formula One racing fan. Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s start our engines.

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Episode 140: American Mythmaking on Film: The Patriot with Craig Bruce Smith and Robert Greene II 1:30:30

4M ago1:30:30

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We're enjoying the holiday this week so we thought we'd bring one back from the vault. This week Dr. Craig Bruce Smith and Dr. Robert Greene II and I talk about Mel Gibson's The Patriot, the role of constructed memory in national identity, and the ethics of making historical dramas.

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Episode 139: Black Hawk Down with Dr. Jonathan Carroll 1:52:26

4M ago1:52:26

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This week military historian Dr. Jonathan Carroll drops in to talk about Black Hawk Down and his new book Beyond Black Hawk Down: Intervention, Nation-Building, and Insurgency in Somalia, 1992-1995. About our guest: Jonathan Carroll is a former officer in the Irish Defence Forces who earned a PhD from Texas A&M University. He is an associate profes…

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Episode 138: The Comanches Are Coming! 29:49

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Talking about my weekend trip with Comanche youths, along with some of my experiences with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Kiowa Tribe, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.

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The Princess Bride with John Wyatt Greenlee, Elizabeth Andersen, and Jillian Forsberg 1:41:23

5M ago1:41:23

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This week John Wyatt Greenlee returns as guest host and he’s looking for a six fingered man.By Jason Herbert

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Episode 136: Diggstown and How Boxing became a Battleground for Black Manhood with Dr. Lou Moore 1:07:10

5M ago1:07:10

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This week, our friend Dr Lou Moore drops in to talk about Diggstown and his work tracing black boxing from the end of the Civil War into the 20th century.By Jason Herbert

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Episode 135: Saving Private Ryan with Dr. Paul Thomas Chamberlin 1:07:23

5M ago1:07:23

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This week Dr. Paul Thomas Chamberlin drops in to talk about the history behind Operation Overlord and Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. About our guest: Paul Chamberlin specializes in twentieth century international history with a focus on U.S. foreign relations and the Middle East. His first book, The Global Offensive: The United States, the…

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Episode 134: The Spiritual Journey of Albert Einstein with Dr. Kieran Fox 55:02

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Today neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Kieran Fox joins in to talk about the spiritual journey of Albert Einstein. About our guest: Dr. Kieran Fox is a neuroscientist (PhD 2016) and doctor (MD 2023), currently training to be a psychiatrist in the Research Resident Training Program at the University of California San Francisco. His research over …

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Episode 133: Mission Impossible: The Reckoningest Pod Ever with Justin Rawlins and Craig Bruce Smith 1:27:21

5M ago1:27:21

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This week Justin Rawlins and Craig Bruce Smith drop in to talk about Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and their thoughts on the MI franchise.By Jason Herbert

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Episode 132: Conversations with Women Filmmakers with Kevin Smokler 1:12:08

6M ago1:12:08

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Writer and filmmaker Kevin Smokler returns to the pod to talk about his discussions with 25 different women filmmakers. About our guest: Kevin Smokler is a writer, documentary filmmaker and event host focused on our relationship as human beings with pop culture. His most recent book BREAK THE FRAME: CONVERSATIONS WITH WOMEN FILMMAKERS contains 24 c…

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Episode 131: The history of axe murder with Rachel McCarthy James 1:35:41

6M ago1:35:41

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Today Rachel McCarthy James drops in to talk about the development of the axe and the myriad of ways it has been used to dispatch people and empires over the years. About our guest: Rachel McCarthy James was born and raised in Kansas, the daughter of baseball’s Bill James and artist Susan McCarthy. She graduated from Hollins University in Roanoke, …

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Welcome to Reckoning with Jason Herbert 9:13

6M ago9:13

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It's a new day here at the podcast. Historians At The Movies Podcast is now Reckoning with Jason Herbert. We're opening up our focus and the things we talk about here.

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Emergency Pod: The Majesty of Andor with Dr. Alan Malfavon 1:18:17

6M ago1:18:17

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Andor is the greatest Star Wars we've ever seen on any screen and it's not close. My close friend Alan Malfavon joins in to talk about the brilliance of this show, what it means to us, and what we hope to see next. About our guest: Alan Malfavon resituates Mexico’s socio-political, cultural, and economic networks with the Atlantic World and the Gre…

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Episode 130: Robin Hood in film and history with Dr. Amy S. Kaufman 55:39

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This week Dr. Amy S. Kaufman drops in to talk about our favorite representations of Robin Hood, how he has changed through history, and her new novel, The Traitor of Sherwood Forest. About our guest: Amy S. Kaufman is the author of The Traitor of Sherwood Forest, a Robin Hood retelling based on the medieval ballads (Penguin Books, 2025). Amy holds …

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Episode 129: Defiance and the Holocaust in Belarus and Ukraine with Dr. Waitman Beorn 1:25:38

6M ago1:25:38

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This week Dr. Waitman Beorn drops in to talk about Defiance (2008) and his work researching the Holocaust in Europe during World War II. About our guest: Dr. Waitman Wade Beorn is an associate professor in History at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Dr. Beorn was previously the Director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond…

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Episode 128: Dogma and What People Get Right (and Wrong) about the Bible with Dr. Dan McClellan 1:16:01

6M ago1:16:01

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This week Bible scholar and TikTok superstar Dr. Dan McClellan drops in to talk about Ken Smith's 1999 thought piece on Catholicism and Dan's new book, The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) about Scripture's Most Controversial Issues.By Jason Herbert

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Reckoning: Making Sense of Slavery with Dr. Scott Spillman 1:16:20

6M ago1:16:20

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Today Dr. Scott Spillman joins in to talk about how historians have conceptualized slavery and its role in the development of the United States. Get ready for a history of the history of slavery. About our guest: Scott Spillman is an American historian and the author of the book Making Sense of Slavery: America’s Long Reckoning, from the Founding E…

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Episode 127: Is Sinners the Best Film of the 21st Century with Dr. Zandria Robinson 1:28:38

6M ago1:28:38

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Today Dr. Zandria Robinson drops in to talk about Sinners and why it might be the best movie of the 21st century. We have a spoiler free introduction, a pause, and then a spoiler filled conversation about the Jim Crow South, the Great Migration, WWI, Chicago, Mississippi, the Ku Klux Klan, sex, music, and of course THAT SCENE. This conversation is …

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Reckoning: Pope Francis and the History of the Papacy with Dr. Matthew Gabriele 50:38

7M ago50:38

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News broke yesterday of Pope Francis' death at the age of 88. Matt Gabriele joins in to talk about the man, the history of the papacy, and what comes next. About our guest: Matthew Gabriele is a professor of medieval studies in the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech. His research and teaching generally explore religion, violence, n…

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Reckoning: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life with Dr. Mario Livio and Dr. Jack Szostak 1:00:26

7M ago1:00:26

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Today astrophysicist Dr. Mario Livio and Nobel-winning chemist Dr. Jack Szostak drop in to talk about the search for extraterrestrial life. About our guests: Dr. Mario Livio is an internationally known astrophysicist, best-selling author, and popular speaker. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Livio has …

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Reckoning : Gun Violence in America with Sasha Abramsky and Dr. Cari Babitzke 1:05:45

7M ago1:05:45

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We're a couple days removed from yet another on campus shooting. Sasha, Cari, and I ask what the hell is wrong with America and how did we get here. About our guests: Sasha Abramsky is The Nation's Western correspondent. He is the author of several books, including The American Way of Poverty, The House of Twenty Thousand Books, Little Wonder: The …

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Episode 126: Hunger, Bobby Sands, Irish Nationalism, and the Good Friday Agreement with John M. Burney and Andrew J. Auge 1:36:03

7M ago1:36:03

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Talking about Bobby Sands, the Troubles, the Irish Republican Army, and the Good Friday Agreement with John M. Burney and Andrew J. Auge.

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Reckoning: The Far Right's Takeover of Small Town America with Sasha Abramsky 52:21

7M ago52:21

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Today Sasha Abramsky joins in for the first time to talk about why small towns are so susceptible to far right rhetoric and if there is hope for the future. About our guest: Sasha Abramsky is The Nation's Western correspondent. He is the author of several books, including The American Way of Poverty, The House of Twenty Thousand Books, Little Wonde…

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Episode 125: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with Dr. Kate Sheppard, Dr. Julia Troche, and Leah Packard-Grams 1:44:44

7M ago1:44:44

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The gang is back together as we return to Indiana Jones franchise to talk about archaeology, British imperialism, representation of India on film, and why Harrison Ford never looked cooler than he did on the bridge.

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Reckoning: Exploring the Origins of the Universe with Dr. Matt Strassler 1:00:07

7M ago1:00:07

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Physicist Matt Strassler drops in to talk about the origins of the universe and how we how what we know. About our guest: Dr. Matt Strassler is a theoretical physicist and writer. His research over the past thirty years has mainly been related mainly to the Large Hadron Collider, though he has written many papers on a wide variety of topics in stri…

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Episode 124: Don’t You Forget About Me: The Breakfast Club and Brat Pack America with Kevin Smokler 1:29:53

7M ago1:29:53

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This week Kevin Smokler drops in to talk about The Breakfast Club, the Brat Pack, John Hughes, and the legacy of 80s teen movies. About our guest: Kevin Smokler is a writer, documentary filmmaker and event host focused on our relationship as human beings with pop culture. His most recent book BREAK THE FRAME: CONVERSATIONS WITH WOMEN FILMMAKERS con…

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Reckoning: How the Science of Autism Has Failed Women and Girls with Dr. Gina Rippon 1:02:47

7M ago1:02:47

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April 1 marks the beginning of Autism Awareness Month in the U.S. and the U.K. so I invited neuroscientist Dr. Gina Rippon on the pod to talk about what autism is, the history of its diagnosis, and how women and girls have been overlooked in autism research. About our guest: Professor Gina Rippon is Professor Emeritus of Cognitive NeuroImaging at A…

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Reckoning: What Is the Point of All of This? 16:02

7M ago16:02

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Talking today about why we have to keep fighting and why we must move forward. Because it's not about us.

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Reckoning: Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender with Dr. Kit Heyam 53:27

7M ago53:27

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This week Dr. Kit Heyem visits from across the Pond to talk about their new book, Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender. This was an awesome conversation to talk nonbinary histories through time and why that is relevant today. About our guest: Dr Kit Heyam (they/them or he/him) is a Leeds-based freelance writer, heritage practitioner, trans…

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Episode 123: Deep Cover with Dr. Walter Greason and Tim Fielder 1:26:35

7M ago1:26:35

1:26:35

In 1992 Bill Duke teamed up with Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum to create one of the best film noirs ever made and a masterpiece of Black cinema. Walter Greason and Tim Fielder join in to talk about it, the rise of hip hop, and the early 90s. About our guests: A native of Mississippi, Tim Fielder is an illustrator, cartoonist, animator and OG…

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Reckoning: "The Most Dangerous Man in the World" with Dr. Emily Herring 59:09

8M ago59:09

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In the early 20th century, the New York Times dubbed French philosopher Henri Bergson as "the most dangerous man in the world." Bergson scared a lot of people in how he brought philosophy to the masses but he also won critical acclaim, receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature and France's highest honor, the Grand-Croix de la Legion d'honneur. Surpri…