Seriously researched answers to absolutely ridiculous questions. New episodes every week.
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Trace Elements Media Podcasts
Trace Elements (formerly Seeker+) is your home for deep dives, fun facts, absurd questions, rabbit holes, and explorations of things you never thought you needed to know.
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This podcast series features recordings of academic papers from workshops, conferences and seminars in the University College Dublin Humanities Institute. The UCD Humanities Institute provides a creative architectural and conceptual space for interdisciplinary research in the humanities and allied disciplines. The Institute forms an integral element within UCD's strategic mission to develop as a research intensive university and has set itself the objective of enhancing the critical mass and ...
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The John Batchelor Show is a hard news-analysis radio program on current events, world history, global politics and natural sciences. Based in New York City for two decades, the show has travelled widely to report, from the Middle East to the South Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia.
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Experience the complete True Crime Documentary journey without interruption. All advertisements are strategically placed only at the beginning of each episode, ensuring you can immerse yourself fully in every investigation, every revelation, and every emotional moment without advertising cuts disrupting the flow of our true crime storytelling. We prioritize your uninterrupted listening experience above all else. In the shadows where criminal minds orchestrate their darkest deeds, True Crime ...
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S8 Ep276: FORGERIES, THE MAINE PENNY, AND ALT-RIGHT APPROPRIATION Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock dismisses American rune stones like the Kensington Stone as 19th-century forgeries made to claim land ...
7:17
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FORGERIES, THE MAINE PENNY, AND ALT-RIGHT APPROPRIATION Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock dismisses American rune stones like the Kensington Stone as 19th-century forgeries made to claim land rights, though he accepts the "Maine Penny" as genuine evidence of trade. He concludes by warning against the modern "alt-right" appropriating Viking histor…
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S8 Ep276: L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS AND THE SAGA OF FREYDIS Colleague Martyn Whittock. The guest identifies L'Anse aux Meadows as a temporary base camp for exploration rather than a permanent settlement, scientifically ...
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L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS AND THE SAGA OF FREYDIS Colleague Martyn Whittock. The guest identifies L'Anse aux Meadows as a temporary base camp for exploration rather than a permanent settlement, scientifically dated to 1021 AD. He describes complex, often violent interactions with indigenous peoples, highlighting the saga account of Freydis, Eric the Red's…
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S8 Ep276: LEIF ERIKSON AND THE DISCOVERY OF VINLAND Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock details how Norse explorers like Leif Erikson moved west from Greenland, discovering Helluland, Markland, and Vinland ...
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LEIF ERIKSON AND THE DISCOVERY OF VINLAND Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock details how Norseexplorers like Leif Erikson moved west from Greenland, discovering Helluland, Markland, and Vinland around 1000 AD. Citing sagas, he argues that while physical evidence stops at Newfoundland, descriptions of wild grapes suggest they reached further south,…
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S8 Ep276: VIKING AS ACTIVITY: THE NORSE EXPANSION WESTWARD Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock defines "Viking" as an activity of enterprise and raiding, not just an ethnicity. He explains that disruptions ...
10:38
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VIKING AS ACTIVITY: THE NORSE EXPANSION WESTWARD Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock defines "Viking" as an activity of enterprise and raiding, not just an ethnicity. He explains that disruptions in the Islamic silver trade and population growth drove Norse expansion westward. This movement eventually reached the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenla…
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S8 Ep268: XI ZHONGXUN'S DEATH AND XI JINPING'S PHOBIA OF CHAOS Colleague Joseph Torigian. This final segment covers Xi Zhongxun's death and Xi Jinping's admiration for his father's unwavering faith in ...
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XI ZHONGXUN'S DEATH AND XI JINPING'S PHOBIA OF CHAOS Colleague Joseph Torigian. This final segment covers Xi Zhongxun's death and Xi Jinping's admiration for his father's unwavering faith in the party despite persecution. Torigian analyzes a conversation where Xi told Shinzo Abe he might have joined American political parties if born there, suggest…
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S8 Ep275: DEFOE THE MASTER SPY AND AVERY THE STRATEGIST Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The group discusses the irony of Defoe and Avery attending a play about Avery's life, which ...
5:53
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DEFOE THE MASTER SPY AND AVERY THE STRATEGIST Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The group discusses the irony of Defoe and Avery attending a play about Avery's life, which Defoe secretly wrote under a pseudonym. Kingsley emphasizes Defoe's role as a master spy using multiple aliases. They conclude that Avery was a strategist …
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S8 Ep275: SECRET AGENTS IN FALMOUTH: ESPIONAGE AND UNDECIPHERED CODES Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. By 1700, Defoe and Avery work as secret agents in Falmouth, influencing elections ...
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SECRET AGENTS IN FALMOUTH: ESPIONAGE AND UNDECIPHERED CODES Colleagues Sean Kingsleyand Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. By 1700, Defoe and Avery work as secret agents in Falmouth, influencing elections and intercepting mail for the Crown. Kingsley explains that Defoe later employed Avery as his enforcer while manipulating public opinion in Scotland. Th…
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S8 Ep275: DANIEL DEFOE ENCOUNTERS THE GENTLEMAN PIRATE Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The conversation shifts to Daniel Defoe, a debt-ridden merchant and dissenter seeking financial ...
8:18
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DANIEL DEFOE ENCOUNTERS THE GENTLEMAN PIRATE Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The conversation shifts to Daniel Defoe, a debt-ridden merchant and dissenter seeking financial redemption. Defoe encounters Avery in disguise, who is fleeing a manhunt but evolving into a political operative. Cowan describes Avery as a "gentleman …
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S8 Ep275: HENRY AVERY: THE COMPLICATED GENIUS WHO SPARKED THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. Host John Batchelor introduces the authors of The Pirate King ...
9:26
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HENRY AVERY: THE COMPLICATED GENIUS WHO SPARKED THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACYColleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. Host John Batchelor introduces the authors of The Pirate King to discuss Henry Avery, a "complicated genius" who raided a Mughal treasure ship in 1695. While this heist sparked the Golden Age of Piracy, the authors reveal…
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S8 Ep274: PICKETT'S CHARGE AND THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCausland details Lee's risky decision to attack the Union center, contrasting it with Meade's data-driven defense ...
8:44
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PICKETT'S CHARGE AND THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCauslanddetails Lee's risky decision to attack the Union center, contrasting it with Meade's data-driven defense. Despite the failure of Pickett's Charge, unit cohesion drove the soldiers forward. Finally, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address utilized the victory to expand the…
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S8 Ep274: DAY TWO: LONGSTREET'S ADVICE AND LITTLE ROUND TOP Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. On day two, Lee rejected Longstreet's advice to maneuver, leading to delayed Confederate attacks. Conversely ...
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DAY TWO: LONGSTREET'S ADVICE AND LITTLE ROUND TOP Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. On day two, Lee rejected Longstreet's advice to maneuver, leading to delayed Confederate attacks. Conversely, Union Colonel Strong Vincent displayed initiative by disobeying orders to successfully secure Little Round Top. Unlike Lee, UnionGeneral George Meade utili…
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S8 Ep274: REYNOLDS' DEATH AND LEE'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCausland analyzes General John Reynolds' death while leading forward elements, highlighting frontline leadership ...
9:39
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REYNOLDS' DEATH AND LEE'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCauslandanalyzes General John Reynolds' death while leading forward elements, highlighting frontline leadership risks. He explains Robert E. Lee's strategic goal was winning the war through decisive victory. Additionally, Lee's discretionary orders to new commander Ri…
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S8 Ep274: GENERAL BUFORD'S CRUCIAL DECISIONS ON JULY 1ST Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses Union General John Buford's crucial decisions on July 1st. Buford identified ...
9:10
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GENERAL BUFORD'S CRUCIAL DECISIONS ON JULY 1ST Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses Union General John Buford's crucial decisions on July 1st. Buford identified key ridge terrain and chose to delay superior Confederate infantry using dismounted cavalry. By trading space for time, Buford screened the arriving Union ar…
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S8 Ep273: THE RETREAT FROM WOKE CAPITALISM AND RETURN TO THE BOTTOM LINE Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino describes a current retreat from "woke capitalism" as firms like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs ...
6:25
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THE RETREAT FROM WOKE CAPITALISM AND RETURN TO THE BOTTOM LINE Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino describes a current retreat from "woke capitalism" as firms like BlackRock and Goldman Sachsface financial losses and consumer pushback. Citing Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, he concludes that prioritizing political activism over shareholder …
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S8 Ep273: DISNEY'S POLITICAL MISSTEPS AND ESPN'S IDEOLOGICAL SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Focusing on Disney, Gasparino details how CEOs Bob Iger and Bob Chapek mishandled political conflicts with ...
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DISNEY'S POLITICAL MISSTEPS AND ESPN'S IDEOLOGICAL SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Focusing on Disney, Gasparino details how CEOs Bob Iger and Bob Chapek mishandled political conflicts with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, damaging the company's finances. He also discusses ESPN's political shift, highlighting the departure of Sage Steele, who face…
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S8 Ep273: CORPORATE GROUPTHINK AND THE SEC'S PROGRESSIVE SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino argues that corporate adoption of progressive policies was a defensive reaction to populism like Occupy ...
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CORPORATE GROUPTHINK AND THE SEC'S PROGRESSIVE SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino argues that corporate adoption of progressive policies was a defensive reaction to populism like Occupy Wall Street and fostered by "groupthink" at elite summits like Davos. He further contends that the SEC has shifted from investor protection to enforcing "…
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S8 Ep273: THE ORIGINS OF CORPORATE RADICALIZATION AND STAKEHOLDER CAPITALISM Colleague Charles Gasparino, Fox Business correspondent and author of Go Woke, Go Broke. Gasparino discusses his book Go Woke ...
10:50
10:50
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THE ORIGINS OF CORPORATE RADICALIZATION AND STAKEHOLDER CAPITALISM Colleague Charles Gasparino, Fox Business correspondent and author of Go Woke, Go Broke. Gasparino discusses his book Go Woke, Go Broke, tracing the origins of corporate radicalization to the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of ESG and DEIinitiatives. He explains how asset manager…
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S8 Ep272: THE FATAL 1930 LAUNCH AND INEVITABLE TRAGEDY Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne argues that the fatal 1930 launch was rushed so Thompson could arrive in India as the new Viceroy and return for an ...
6:15
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THE FATAL 1930 LAUNCH AND INEVITABLE TRAGEDY Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne argues that the fatal 1930 launch was rushed so Thompson could arrive in India as the new Viceroy and return for an imperial conference. Despite warnings about the rotting cover and storms, the ship flew too low, leading to a tragedy Gwynne characterizes as inevitable. NUMBE…
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S8 Ep272: THE R101: AN OVER-ENGINEERED SOCIALIST PROJECT Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne describes the R101 as an over-engineered "socialist" government project filled with unproven technology, including ...
13:25
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THE R101: AN OVER-ENGINEERED SOCIALIST PROJECT Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne describes the R101 as an over-engineered "socialist" government project filled with unproven technology, including heavy locomotive engines and fragile gas bags made from cattle intestines. He also highlights the danger posed by the flight program's leader, "Scotty," who w…
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S8 Ep272: KIT THOMPSON AND THE IMPERIAL AIRSHIP SCHEME Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne introduces Christopher "Kit" Thompson, an aristocratic Air Secretary obsessed with Romanian Princess Marta Bibesco ...
8:35
8:35
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KIT THOMPSON AND THE IMPERIAL AIRSHIP SCHEME Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne introduces Christopher "Kit" Thompson, an aristocratic Air Secretary obsessed with Romanian Princess Marta Bibesco. Thompson championed the "Imperial Airship Scheme" to link the British Empire technologically; Gwynne suggests this ambition was driven partly by a desire to im…
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S8 Ep272: THE 1921 DISASTER OF THE R38 AND THE HELIUM PROBLEM Colleague S.C. Gwynne. S.C. Gwynne details the 1921 disaster of the R38, a British rigid airship that broke apart due to inadequate testing ...
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THE 1921 DISASTER OF THE R38 AND THE HELIUM PROBLEM Colleague S.C. Gwynne. S.C. Gwynnedetails the 1921 disaster of the R38, a British rigid airship that broke apart due to inadequate testing and structural weakness. He explains that Britain was forced to use explosive hydrogen because the United States controlled the world's limited supply of non-f…
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S8 Ep271: SHOW 12-2-2026 THE SHOW BEGIJS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT AI -- a useful invetion that can match the excitement of the first decades of Photography. November 1955 NADAR'S BALLOON AND THE BIRTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY ...
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SHOW 12-2-2026 THE SHOW BEGIJS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT AI -- a useful invetion that can match the excitement of the first decades of Photography. November 1955 NADAR'S BALLOON AND THE BIRTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. In 1863, the photographer Nadar undertook a perilous ascent in a giant balloon to fund experiments for …
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S8 Ep270: THE BLIP AND THE FUTURE Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. The viral success of ChatGPT shifted OpenAI's focus from safety to commercialization, despite early internal warnings about the existential ...
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THE BLIP AND THE FUTURE Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. The viral success of ChatGPT shifted OpenAI's focus from safety to commercialization, despite early internal warnings about the existential risks of AGI. Tensions over safety and Altman's management style led to a "blip" where the nonprofit board fired him, only for him to be quickly rein…
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S8 Ep270: SILICON VALLEY KINGMAKER Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. At Stanford, Altman co-founded Loopt, a location-sharing app that won him a meeting with Steve Jobs and a spot in the App Store launch ...
14:36
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SILICON VALLEY KINGMAKER Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. At Stanford, Altman co-founded Loopt, a location-sharing app that won him a meeting with Steve Jobs and a spot in the App Store launch. While Loopt was not a commercial success, the experience taught Altman that his true talent lay in investing and spotting future trends rather than codi…
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S8 Ep270: THE ROOTS OF AMBITION Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. Sam Altman grew up in St. Louis, the son of an idealistic developer and a driven dermatologist mother who instilled ambition and resilience ...
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THE ROOTS OF AMBITION Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. Sam Altman grew up in St. Louis, the son of an idealistic developer and a driven dermatologist mother who instilled ambition and resilience in her children. Altmanattended the progressive John Burroughs School, where his intellect and charisma flourished, allowing him to connect with people…
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