Shows
Futility ClosetThe Astor Place Riot The second-bloodiest riot in the history of New York was touched off by a dispute between two Shakespearean actors. Their supporters started a brawl that killed as many as 30 people and changed the institution of theater in American society. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Astor Place riot, "one of the strangest episodes in dramatic history." We'll also fertilize a forest and puzzle over some left-handed light bulbs. Intro: In 1968, mathematician Dietrich Braess found that installing a traffic shortcut can actually lengthen...2019-08-0535 min
The National Archives Podcast SeriesAn introduction to the sixth tranche of colonial administration records released at The National ArchivesDiplomatic and Colonial Records Specialist Daniel Gilfoyle outlines the files released in this tranche of colonial administration records.2013-07-2900 minThe National Archives Podcast SeriesNaval medical officers' journals and the history of medicineAuthor Daniel Gilfoyle discusses the naval medical officers' journals of ADM 101 provide a coherent view of the beliefs and practices of a body of rank and file medical practitioners during the late 18th and 19th centuries. They provide a valuable source for examining key themes in the history of medicine in the 19th century, such as encounters with tropical diseases and the changing understanding of the causes of disease.2010-12-1700 min