Category: DailyShorts

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Curious City - What’s Happening With Chicago’s Toxic Lead Service Lines?

Illinois passed a new law last month that sets a deadline for the state to replace all of its toxic lead service lines -- those pipes that deliver drinking water to our homes and park fountains. Curious City’s Monica Eng fills us in on how long it's going to take to get rid of all the lead lines.
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Everything Everywhere Daily - The Assassination of President William McKinley

On August 31, 1901, in Buffalo, New York, the President of the United States, William McKinley was shot twice in the torso. Seven days later, he passed away due to an infection. For the third time in only 36 years, a US president had been assassinated. Yet, few people remember this event, or even the president himself. Learn more about the assassination of President William McKinley on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Everything Everywhere Daily - A History of Computer Games

Video games have become almost ubiquitous in today’s world. Most of us probably have some sort of computer game on our smartphone, as well as games on our desktop computer, and you might even have one or more dedicated computing devices dedicated solely to playing games. The massive $100 billion dollar computer game industry had very humble beginnings, however. Learn more about the history of computer games on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Everything Everywhere Daily - The Voyages of Admiral Zheng He

In the early 15th century, just before Europe began its Age of Exploration, China was embarking on a series of voyages that put to shame anything anyone in Europe would do for centuries. These voyages were led by a man who was the greatest admiral in history up to that point and the ships in his fleet were the largest wooden ships that the world would ever see. Learn more about the voyages of Admiral Zheng He on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Everything Everywhere Daily - The Tunguska Event (Encore)

In 1908, in the middle of the Siberian wilderness, near the Tunguska River, an explosion took place which was equivalent in size to the detonation of a 5 megaton nuclear bomb. But it wasn’t a nuclear bomb. Such things didn’t even exist then. It was a mystery that scientists are still trying to figure out today. Learn more about the Tunguska Event on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Everything Everywhere Daily - How and What Do Astronauts Eat in Space?

When the space race first began, scientists didn’t even know if it was possible for humans to eat in a zero-gravity environment. Once they figured out it was possible, it didn’t mean that it wasn’t without problems. There was a host of issues with eating in a zero-g environment that had to be overcome. Some foods were able to be made edible in space, and some never were. Learn more about what astronauts eat in space and how they do it, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Everything Everywhere Daily - The World’s Greatest (Worst?) Misers

Have you ever known someone who was really cheap? Like they would wear clothes until disintegrated? Or they would never pick up the tab? Or maybe they are horrible tippers? Well, there is cheap and then there is cheap. Some people are so cheap that they appear to live in destitute poverty, even though they actually be quite wealthy. This is the world of misers. Learn more about some of the world’s most famous misers on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Bay Curious - San Jose Had 5 Chinatowns. Why Did They Vanish?

Most Bay Area residents know about the long established Chinatowns in San Francisco and Oakland, but did you know that San Jose used to have a Chinatown? In fact, it’s had FIVE throughout its history. Why isn’t there a Chinatown in San Jose today?

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Reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isa Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

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Everything Everywhere Daily - The Rise and Dramatic Fall of Sejanus

The second Roman emperor was Tiberius. His right-hand man was the leader of his Praetorian Guard, Lucius Aelius Seianus, known to us as Sejanus. Over the years, Sejanus slowly gained power and influence and a host of enemies throughout Rome. Eventually, however, all of his social-climbing and power acquisition eventually came to an end in one spectacular and disastrous day. Learn more about Sejanus and his spectacular downfall, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Curious City - A Gardener Pushes For Legislation To Help Extend The Growing Season

Last year we met Elmhurst gardener Nicole Virgil, who was fighting for the right to put up a hoop house in her garden. A hoop house is an inexpensive way to help extend the growing season. It protects the crops from the wind and snow and can keep the soil from freezing. Virgil took her fight all the way to the state legislature. Curious City’s Monica Eng tells us what happened next.