Category: Retired

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Land of the Giants - This Changes Everything

In 2007 Steve Jobs took the stage and introduced something that would change our lives forever -- a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communicator...aka, the iPhone.  

Now we live in a world that Apple has completely reshaped. The iPhone created entirely new industries, wiped out giant competitors, and changed the way all of us live. Here’s how Apple did it.

  • Hosted by Peter Kafka (@pkafka)
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30 Animals That Made Us Smarter - Cicada and safe surfaces

Bye-bye bacteria! How an insect’s wings inspired materials that could keep surfaces free from bacterial infections. The wings of cicadas are covered with tiny spikes which burst the walls of bacteria and kill them. Replicating this remarkable design could lead to the development of antibacterial materials with potential for industrial and medical use. Thanks for listening. Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals
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Byzantium And The Crusades - The Fall of Constantinople Episode 2 “Seljuks and Ottomans”

In the thirteenth century, the Mongols destroyed the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum in Anatolia. But after the Mongols left, a new Turkish dynasty began to rise to power in western Anatolia. This dynasty was that of the Ottomans. 

Please take a look at my website nickholmesauthor.com where you can download a free copy of The Byzantine World War, my book that describes the origins of the First Crusade.

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30 Animals That Made Us Smarter - Cats and road safety

We love cats (well, many people do)! Thanks to one feline friend, they help keep us safe. An inventor narrowly avoided a road accident thanks to the eyes of a cat. He developed reflective road studs and named them, fittingly, ‘cat’s eyes’, which help us drive safely at night. Thanks for listening. #30Animals Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals
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Byzantium And The Crusades - The Fall of Constantinople Episode 1 “Byzantium – The Dying Empire”

In this new mini-series, we will hear about the fall of Byzantine Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman Turks. Many people see it as a turning point in history, marking the end of the Middle Ages. But what really happened? Find out here. 

Please take a look at my website nickholmesauthor.com where you can download a free copy of The Byzantine World War, my book that describes the origins of the First Crusade.

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30 Animals That Made Us Smarter - Octopus and transplants

S2 Ep11. Can the remarkable dexterity of octopus suckers help improve delicate surgery? The octopus uses its powerful arms to grip onto rocks, capture prey and walk around the sea floor. Suckers are found along the arms which are crucial for manipulating objects. The action of these suckers has inspired a device to transfer fragile sheets of thin tissue in surgical procedures. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30Animals Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals
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Byzantium And The Crusades - The Last Crusades Episode 4 “The Triumph of the Ottoman Turks”

The year is 1396. The Ottoman Turks are threatening to conquer Eastern Europe and take Constantinople from the Byzantines. A new Crusade against them is proclaimed, and a great international army from Hungary and Western Europe is raised to meet them in battle.

Please take a look at my website nickholmesauthor.com where you can download a free copy of The Byzantine World War, my book that describes the origins of the First Crusade.

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Back Bar - An Old Fashioned Type of Drink

The story of the very first cocktail - where it came from, the strong opinions it breeds and what the way we drink it says about us.

The word “cocktail” was first defined in print in 1806 with a simple recipe - strong spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters. Since then the specs have morphed to include brandy, rum, whiskey (and whisky), rum, vermouth, absinthe, amaro, campari, lime juice, even pickled mushrooms. The list goes on and on. And as the years have gone by the way we make and stir and argue over this drink has shaped the cocktail world forever - but perhaps it’s shaped us even more.

We’re joined on this episode by David Wondrich, author of “Punch!” and “Imbibe” and by Dale DeGroff, former head bartender of the Rainbow Room and author of “The Craft of the Cocktail.” Our actors today are Chris Stinson and Mary Myers. Music by Ryan Laney, research assistance by Zoe Denckla, logo by Alicia Qian.

Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. Join us as we talk about history's favorite drinks and how what we drink shapes history. To see what's coming next follow Greg on instagram @100ProofGreg. #drinkinghistory

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Back Bar by becoming a member!

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39 Ways to Save the Planet - New Nuclear

Nuclear power should be a powerful ally in the fight against climate change but cost and safety issues hold it back. Could a new generation be safer and cheaper? Tom Heap meets the team behind the molten salt reactor that can use nuclear waste as fuel and is claimed to be significantly cheaper and safer than current reactors.

Ian Scott was a senior scientist at Unilever, pioneering research into skin-ageing, but when he retired from the field of biological sciences he became fascinated by the costs of nuclear power. Why had nuclear electricity- which we'd once been promised would be 'too cheap to meter'- become one of the most expensive forms of energy generation. The answer lay with the safety mechanisms that have to be built-in to reduce the risk of another Chernobyl or Fukushima. If he could develop a system that would be much safer then it would, almost certainly, be much cheaper.

Scott's central idea- to use molten salt as a coolant rather than water- caught the eye of energy authorities in Canada and Ian's company, Moltex, has plans to build its first reactor in New Brunswick. Significant safety concerns remain, with some in Canada concerned about Moltex plans to use spent fuel from conventional reactors and others raising fundamental issues about the corrosive qualities of molten salt and the generation of radioactive tritium

Tom visits the Moltex laboratories and climate scientist, Tamsin Edwards, gauges the potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Producer: Alasdair Cross Researcher: Sarah Goodman

Produced in association with the Royal Geographical Society. Special thanks for this episode to Professor Ian Farnan and Dr Eugene Shwageraus from the University of Cambridge.