The vice-presidential candidates took center stage at a debate this week. Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball about the important takeaways, and Rachel Humphreys speaks to a listener about why she’s thinking about climate change this election.
Did you know the iconic yellow smiley face was first designed in 1963? However, its creator, Harvey Ball, soon worried that the symbol had become over-commercialised. To counter this, he introduced World Smile Day in 1999, celebrated on the first Friday of October, as a way to encourage acts of kindness and spread smiles.
In the spirit of making you smile, the Unexpected Elements team has gathered science stories that bring them joy—each with a twist, of course.
Children across cultures have invented secret languages to confuse their parents—and there's science behind it. The human face can produce 19 different types of smiles. And let’s not forget the Brazilian scientist who not only pioneered species classification but also became a key figure in the country's suffragette movement.
Meanwhile, Marnie Chesterton introduces us to the ever-cheerful Professor Andrea Sella from University College London, whose humour never fails to brighten her day. Together, they explore the role of humour in science and its importance in engaging both audiences and students.
Plus, we’ll dive into the science of vocal fingerprints, meet a man who physically couldn’t smile, and hear about a global update to cyber security regulations that just might make you grin.
Happy Friday!
Presenters: Marnie Chesterton with Andrada Fiscutean and Camilla Mota
Producers: Harrison Lewis with Jonathan Blackwell, Elizabeth Barsotti, and Anna Charalambou.
In this special fall-themed episode of Getting Hammered, we dive headfirst into the world of pumpkin spice—alcohol style! From spiced wines to pumpkin-flavored whiskey, we’re sampling a range of autumn-inspired drinks to see which ones really live up to the seasonal hype.
OA1074: We begin with a quick look at JD Vance’s cringiest moment during this week’s VP debate. Does the junior senator from Ohio know anything about immigration law--let alone vice presidenting?
In our main story: Two of last term’s worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions surrounding “official acts” have been playing out in real time this week in two of the most important criminal prosecutions in the US. First, special counsel Jack Smith has just filed a monster of a brief in the DC case against Donald Trump for his responsibility for the events of January 6th, 2001. Why is this filing so unique, and what can we learn about the evidence against Trump and DOJ’s strategy going forward? Meanwhile, New York Mayor Eric Adams has filed a motion to dismiss his pending bribery charge on the grounds that bribery is pretty much legal now. Could the SCOTUS decision in Snyder v. US actually make a difference here?
Finally, Matt drops a rare animal law footnote to explain how the fate of one adorable little beaver became the single most important issue facing the Massachusetts government this week.
When the USSR collapsed in 1991, the world was certain that Communism was dead. Today, three decades later, it is clear that it was not. While Russia may no longer be Communist, Communism and sympathy for Communist ideas have proliferated across the globe.
In To Overthrow the World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism(Basic Books, 2024), Sean McMeekin investigates the evolution of Communism from a seductive ideal of a classless society into the ruling doctrine of tyrannical regimes. Tracing Communism's ascent from theory to practice, McMeekin ranges from Karl Marx's writings to the rise and fall of the USSR under Stalin to Mao's rise to power in China to the acceleration of Communist or Communist-inspired policies around the world in the twenty-first century. McMeekin argues, however, that despite the endurance of Communism, it remains deeply unpopular as a political form. Where it has arisen, it has always arisen by force.
Blending historical narrative with cutting-edge scholarship, To Overthrow the World revolutionizes our understanding of the evolution of Communism--an idea that seemingly cannot die.
For over 600 years, the empire that dominated the region of Southeast Asia was the Khmer Empire.
Built out of a collection of kingdoms, the Khmer Empire dominated its corner of Asia. It was an advanced civilization known for its massive building projects and its system of waterworks.
Even though the empire eventually fell, as all empires do, its legacy can still be seen in the religious and cultural institutions in the region today.
Learn more about the Khmer Empire, its rise, and its fall on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order!
We'll tell you about the tentative deal that ended the dockworkers strike after just three days, but when the issue could come back up again.
Also, we've got the latest from the campaign trail, from a high-profile Republican endorsement for Harris to Trump’s plan to return to the spot where he was shot in the ear.
Plus, which country music star has been accused of sexual assault, why Texas is suing TikTok, and how businesses, big and small, are helping hurricane victims.
Those stories and even more news to know in about 10 minutes!
Join us every Mon-Fri for more daily news roundups!
While Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are vying for the White House, neither will be able to make good on their campaign promises if they don’t also get some help from their respective parties in Congress. Control of both the Senate and the House are up for grabs this election cycle. And right now, Democrats’ quickest path to victory in the House runs through two unlikely states: California and New York. California Democratic Rep. Mike Levin talks about his experience flipping a longtime Republican district.
And in headlines: Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney campaigned with Harris in the birthplace of the GOP, former First Lady Melania Trump says she supports access to abortion in an upcoming memoir, and the union representing tens of thousands of longshoremen agreed to call off its walkouts at East and Gulf Coast ports.
