Critical Wit #60 Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America (Richard White)[ 20:40 ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Dr. Richard White is the Margaret Byrne Professor of American History at Standford University and author of “Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America.” In this episode we discuss how the grand achievement of building railways in the West was based on corruption, fraud, and poor business acumen. The end of this period consisted of bankrupt railroad corporations, multiple economic downturns, and widespread, political corruption. You can find this book at your local bookstore or online.
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider ‘liking’ the Critical Wit page on Facebook and/or give it a rating in iTunes. You can also follow Critical Wit on Twitter @TheCriticalWit. Thanks!
Erin Blakemore is the author of “The Heroine’s Bookshelf“, a non-fiction story about twelve classic, literary heroines and the authors who created them. In this episode, guest host Julia Jenkins talks with Blakemore about the book which explores how contemporary audiences can relate to the classic writers, and what life lessons can be appreciated even now by the actions of these fantastic women characters. And there’s even an interesting discussion near the end of the conversation about literary fans who debate about which book is superior; “Jane Eyre” vs. “Wuthering Heights.” You can find out more about Erin and her book by visiting theheroinesbookshelf.com.
Julia Jenkins is a librarian and blogger at the website “pagesofjulia”, which reviews books, audiobooks, and other pop culture literary works. You can subscribe to her website at http://pagesofjulia.com/.
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider ‘liking’ the Critical Wit page on Facebook and/or give it a rating in iTunes. You can also follow Critical Wit on Twitter @TheCriticalWit. Thanks!
In this episode, I give you more interview excerpts from off of the cutting room floor, such as Zachary Moore gives his favorite evidence of evolution that’s not relevant to molecular genetics (episode 43), why Rosie Redfield thinks it’s important for scientists to blog (epsd 42), what Sean B Carroll thinks are some of the under-appreciated qualities of Charles Darwin (epsd 46), and what Barbara Oakley thinks is the hardest part of writing about technical science for the general public (episode 40). And of course, we include a few funny clips, both of which occur in episode 44 & 45, when Peggy Nelson seems to ironically preface a drop-out in the conversation…listen carefully.
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider ‘liking’ the Critical Wit page on Facebook and/or give it a rating in iTunes. You can also follow Critical Wit on Twitter @TheCriticalWit. Thanks!
Critical Wit #46 - On Charles Darwin: A Conversation with Sean B Carroll[ 20:06 ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Dr. Sean B Carroll is an award-winning scientist, author, and educator. He is currently Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Wisconsin. With Darwin Day coming up, we talk about Charles Darwin. We discuss some of the interesting aspects to the famous naturalist, in particular those that Darwin fans may otherwise not fully appreciate or understand. Sean also talks about an important resource of which educators can get free materials on evolution: Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Visit http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/ for more information.
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider ‘liking’ the Critical Wit page on Facebook and/or give it a rating in iTunes. You can also follow Critical Wit on Twitter @TheCriticalWit. Thanks!
Critical Wit #44 - Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure...Told On Twitter[ 32:02 ]Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Peggy Nelson is a new media artist who’s currently using Twitter to tell the incredible survival story of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. In the first of this two-episode interview, Sophie Bushwick talks with Nelson, who recounts Ernest Shackleton’s incredible 1914 expedition and why she ultimately decided to tell his tale on Twitter. You can find out more about Peggy Nelson by visiting her website at www.peggynelson.com, and you can follow Ernest Shackleton in the midst of his adventure, describing his experiences at http://twitter.com/EShackleton.
Sophie Bushwick is a freelance science writer who contributes to Scientific American’s Sixty Seconds Podcast, and the io9 blogging network. You can subscribe to her blog called “Life is just a theory” at www.sophiebushwick.com and follow her on Twitter @SophieBushwick.
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider ‘liking’ the Critical Wit page on Facebook and/or give it a rating in iTunes. You can also follow Critical Wit on Twitter @TheCriticalWit. Thanks!
Aaron is the young host of Aaron’s World, a popular podcast about ancient animals from an ancient time. Aaron plays himself as a time-traveling explorer who visits eras in which dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and other extinct animals roamed the world. And he shares with the listeners interesting information about them, all the while getting himself into precarious situations. You can subscribe to the Aaron’s World podcast by visiting http://aaronstotle.blogspot.com or in iTunes. Aaron’s World is also on Facebook and Google Plus.
If you enjoy this podcast, please consider ‘liking’ the Critical Wit page on Facebook and/or give it a rating in iTunes. You can also follow Critical Wit on Twitter @TheCriticalWit. Thanks!
Critical Wit #60 Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America (Richard White) [ 20:40 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Dr. Richard White is the Margaret Byrne Professor of American History at Standford University and author of “Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America.” In this episode we discuss how the grand achievement of building railways in the West was based on corruption, fraud, and poor business acumen. The end of this period consisted of bankrupt railroad corporations, multiple economic downturns, and widespread, political corruption. You can find this book at your local bookstore or online.
Aaron is the young host of 
Roger McCoy is author of 
