A huge catastrophe. Dozens dead. A city without power or water. It’s like a miniature version of the February blackouts.
Except this happened more than 100 years ago in Texas — and leaders faced some of the same questions then as they do now.
Crimetown - Introducing | Not Past It
From the co-creator of Crimetown and The Ballad of Billy Balls comes Not Past It, a new weekly series from Gimlet. In each episode, host Simone Polanen will pick a moment from that very same week in history — and tell you how it shaped our lives today.
Today we are sharing an episode about the notorious crime boss Ma Barker. On July 26, 1932, Ma Barker's alleged gang of thieves stole over $200,000 from a Kansas bank without firing a single shot. The Barker-Karpis gang stole millions before Ma was killed in a shootout with the FBI. But was she a criminal mastermind or just a scapegoat?
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30 Animals That Made Us Smarter - Snake and rescue robot
S2 Ep7. Imagine being rescued by a snake! A new generation of wriggly robots, inspired by the movement of snakes, could save your life. The way a snake can move over a complex variety of landscapes could be replicated by robots to rescue people after earthquakes. It could even help with extra-terrestrial exploration.
Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30 Animals
Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals
Byzantium And The Crusades - Mongols and Mamluks Episode 12 “The Death of Outremer”
The year is 1291. Outremer, as the Crusader states in the Middle East were called, has one last great battle to fight as a vast Mamluk army advances on Acre, the Crusader capital.
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.
The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout - Bonus: The Black Start
In this mini-episode, we tell what happens next if the Texas power grid were to suffer a catastrophic failure. It almost did in February — and if it had happened, there might have been an even bigger problem.
Find a full transcript of this episode here.
30 Animals That Made Us Smarter - Mantis shrimp and aircraft
S2 Ep6. Bam! The mantis shrimp’s powerful punch could change the way we build cars and planes. The little crustacean has inspired lighter, more impact-resistant materials. These shrimps are ferocious predators which use their forelimbs to hit their prey with one of the strongest weight-for-weight punches on the planet. The design of their punching limb has caught the attention of scientists and could transform the way we create strong materials for the car and aerospace industries.
Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think.
#30Animals
Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals
Byzantium And The Crusades - Mongols and Mamluks Episode 11 “Heading Towards Disaster”
The year is 1287. The final countdown to the destruction of the Crusader states in the Holy Land has begun. But there is a strange air of complacency among the last Crusaders as the final storm begins to build.
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.
The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout - Episode 3: The Blackout
The story of how the worst blackout in Texas history unfolded — and left millions of people cold, hungry and with no faith in their state’s power grid.
A warning: Some of what you’ll hear in this episode may be disturbing, especially if you lived through this disaster.
Find a full transcript of this episode here.
30 Animals That Made Us Smarter - Wasp and keyhole surgery
S2 Ep5. Scared of wasps? They could help keep you alive, perhaps transforming life-saving keyhole surgery. Parasitic wasps possess a long tube which can reach inside the body of their host where they lay their eggs.
Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think.
#30Animals
Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals
Byzantium And The Crusades - Mongols and Mamluks Episode 10 “The Return of the Mongols”
In the 1280s, the age of the Crusaders was nearly over. But the Mongols, still the most powerful empire on the planet, were keen to unite with Christian Europe to defeat the Mamluks. So, what went wrong? Find out in this episode.
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.