Category: Retired

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Byzantium And The Crusades - The Decline of the Crusaders Episode 8 “The Defeat of Byzantium”

In this episode, we'll hear how things got worse for both the Byzantines and the Crusaders when Byzantium suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Myriokephalon in 1176. This battle wasn't the game changer that the Battle of Manzikert had been for Byzantium since it had already lost its great power status. But it reduced Byzantium to a third rate power, making the Crusaders even more isolated in the Middle-East.

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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City of the Future - Factory-based Construction

For about a century, architects and developers have dreamed of the promise of factory-based construction — after all, if Henry Ford revolutionized the auto industry with assembly lines, why shouldn’t we be able to make buildings in factories, too? But, in North America at least, almost every attempt to revolutionize this industry has failed. But now, thanks to innovations in design, materials, and machinery — and a green wave taking over the industry — factory-based construction could be an idea whose time has finally come. 

In this episode:

  • [0:01 - 3:11] We take a fun trip back in time to Expo 67 and explore why the influential prefabricated concrete building Habitat 67 was just too ahead of its time.  
  • [3:35 - 8:26] Northeastern University architecture professor Ivan Rupnik relays the history of factory-based construction, including Operation Breakthrough, the U.S.’s initiative to out-build the Soviet Union during the Cold War
  • [8:46 - 16:28] Sidewalk Labs Director of Product Design for Buildings Karim Khalifa and Associate Director of Building Innovations Lily Huang describe how Sidewalk Labs is developing an architectural kit of parts to allow architects to build with quality, speed, and sustainability
  • [16:43 - 22:30] Architect and author Susan Jones shares her experiences building her own prefabricated mass timber house and working on the committee to change international building code for mass timber

To see images and videos of topics discussed in this episode, read the link-rich transcript on our Sidewalk Talk Medium page.

City of the Future is hosted by Eric Jaffe and Vanessa Quirk, and produced by Benjamen Walker and Andrew Callaway. Mix is by Zach Mcnees. Art is by Tim Kau. Our music is composed by Adaam James Levin-Areddy of Lost Amsterdam. Special thanks to Ivan Rupnik, Karim Khalifa, Lily Huang, and Susan Jones.

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Brought to you by... - 60: The Levi’s That Came In From the Cold

At the start of the Cold War, Levi’s jeans represented everything communist governments were trying to stamp out. But Levi’s kept finding their way behind the Iron Curtain, especially into East Germany. There, people could see what they were missing just over the wall that separated them from the West. East German officials started to worry: Could a pair of pants bring down the government?

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Life Raft - Have I Had My Last Good Oyster?

Is climate change coming for oysters? This week on Life Raft we take a dive into the world of food. We drop by a famous New Orleans oyster bar, and visit with an oyster scientist to get a better feel for the ways a changing climate threatens oysters, and what’s being done to help ‘em out.

Got a question you want us to explore? Send it to us! There’s a super simple form on our website.

For bonus pictures and extra fun vibes, follow us on social media. We’re on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Climate change is scary, but Life Raft is not!

Support for WWNO’s Coastal Desk comes from the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and listeners like you.

If you like what you hear from Life Raft, consider making a donation to WRKF and WWNO to help keep the show going!

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Byzantium And The Crusades - The Decline of the Crusaders Episode 7 “The Rise of Saladin”

In this episode, we'll hear how Saladin saw a golden opportunity to create an Islamic empire that could challenge the Crusaders when his rival Nur ad-Din, the Zengid ruler, and the capable Crusader King of Jerusalem, Amalric, both died unexpectedly. However, the new young King of Jerusalem, Baldwin IV, although himself a leper, would prove to be a brave and courageous leader.

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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Brought to you by... - 59: The Pepski Generation

In 1990, PepsiCo made a deal with the Soviet Union for submarines, a cruiser, a frigate, and a destroyer. It was the largest agreement ever made between an American company and the USSR. But it wasn’t Pepsi’s first deal with the Soviets. For decades, one executive had been flying to the Soviet Union to meet foreign trade ministers, politicians, and regular Russians. At the height of the Cold War, he was determined to make a deal and bring two countries locked in a bitter conflict together.

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The Right to Drink - The Surprising History of Moonshine

There’s a funny thing about alcohol. Every time the government makes it hard to get, the greater the lengths humans go to get it. Throughout human history we’ve found mind-bendingly creative ways to obtain our precious hooch, and the higher the government barriers the larger the black market. But moonshining isn’t just an American Prohibition era story, it’s a modern day--and global--phenomenon. So grab your jug and listen along as we compare moonshine myths and lore with modern day reality.

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Byzantium And The Crusades - The Decline of the Crusaders Episode 6 “Saladin: The Early Years”

In this episode, we hear about the new young ruler of Egypt, Saladin, the man who would become the nemesis of the Crusaders. But his early years were fraught with difficulty and danger as the powerful ruler of the Zengid state in Syria, Nur ad-Din, sought to make him his vassal. Meanwhile, the Crusader King Amalric tried to ensure that Islam remained divided.

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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Brought to you by... - 58: The House That Sears Built

A few months ago, a listener in our Facebook group suggested we look into Sears mail-order homes for a potential episode. We loved the idea, and it turns out there’s already a fantastic story about these houses from the podcast 99% Invisible. Today, we’re sharing that episode with you.

99% Invisible is a show that explores all the thought that goes into the things around us that we never think about. Learn more about this episode and listen to more of their show here: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-house-that-came-in-the-mail/