Engines of Our Ingenuity

Houston Public Media · houstonpublicmedia.org

The story of technological progress is one of drama and intrigue, sudden insight and plain hard work. Let’s explore technology’s spectacular failures and many magnificent success stories. This content is in service of Houston Public Media’s education mission and is sponsored by the University of Houston. It is not a product of our news team.

100 episodes

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English language

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Episodes 100

The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1623: Joel Dorman and Ester Steele
15h ago · 3:49
Episode: 1623 The textbooks of J. Dorman and Esther Steele. Today, we meet two very special teachers.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1622: Fingerprints
yesterday · 3:43
Episode: 1622 Fingerprints, crime detection, and identification. Today, I ask, "Who are you?"
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1621: Motherland
2d ago · 3:45
Episode: 1621 Motherland: The Stalingrad Memorial. Today, we visit a really big statue
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2753: Henry Gantt
3d ago · 3:49
Episode: 2753 Henry Laurence Gantt. Today, we chart new territory.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2641: Ghosts of Niagara
4d ago · 3:49
Episode: 2641 Niagara Falls and the development of hydroelectric power. Today, ghosts of Niagara.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2977: Thomas Jefferson and the Maison Carrée
5d ago · 3:52
Episode: 2977 Thomas Jefferson, the Maison Carrée, and the Virginia State Capitol. Today, Thomas Jefferson in love.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3403: Telephone in 1904
6d ago · 3:45
Episode: 3403 An old book about telephones reminds of a time before our technologies were not “black boxed.” Today, we look under the hood.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1620: The Indian Canoe
7d ago · 3:45
Episode: 1620 The Indian canoe -- another perfected technology. Today, birch-bark canoes.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1619: A Theatre of Machines
8d ago · 3:49
Episode: 1619 Theatre of Machines -- forerunners of engineering handbooks. Today, the first handbooks.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1618: Existence and Uniqueness
9d ago · 3:44
Episode: 1618 Today we wonder whether something other than one solution exists. Today, the forgotten lecture in your math course.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2631: The Double Slit Experiment
10d ago · 3:50
Episode: 2631 The Double Slit Experiment. Today, a mysterious experiment.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3402: Absolute Zero
11d ago · 3:52
Episode: 3402 Absolute Zero: The hunt for the lowest possible temperature. Today, absolute zero.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3401: Two Views of a Polymath
12d ago · 3:51
Episode: 3401 Samuel Smiles and James Nasmyth: Strange bedfellows. Today, two views of a polymath.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3400: Hell-Broth
13d ago · 3:45
Episode: 3400 In which we cause water to, like a Hell-broth boil and bubble within a nuclear reactor. Today, For a charm of powerful trouble ...
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1617: Connections
14d ago · 3:49
Episode: 1617 Reflections on the dicey question of cause and effect in history. Today, the connections problem.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1616: Ivan Polzunov
15d ago · 3:46
Episode: 1616 Ivan Polzunov and early Russian steam engines. Today, the steam engine comes to Russia.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1615: Learning to Use Coal
16d ago · 3:47
Episode: 1615 On learning to use coal. Today, we learn why we shouldn't bring coals to Newcastle.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2630: Determinism and the Many Worlds Interpretation
17d ago · 3:49
Episode: 2630 Determinism and the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3399: Fancy Fogs
18d ago · 3:53
Episode: 3399 In which we see fog dressed in fancy clothes. Today, we sing the merits of fancy fogs.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3398: Jerome Hunsaker
19d ago · 3:48
Episode: 3398 In which a remarkable engineer, Jerome Hunsaker, begins a career that will help to define American air power. Today, an engineer and an airplane.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3397: Magazine
20d ago · 3:54
Episode: 3397 In which old magazines returns us to a time when our reading was not limited by what we chose to read. Today, what is a magazine?
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1614: Advice for Living, 1836
21d ago · 3:47
Episode: 1614 Advice on how live our lives from 1836. Today, we learn how to live our lives -- in 1836.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1613: Faraday and Magnetism
22d ago · 3:46
Episode: 1613 In which Michael Faraday helps us to parse the word, Genius. Today, we watch genius at work.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1612: Enemy at the Gates
23d ago · 3:47
Episode: 1612 Trying to tell the story of the worst battle. Today, we wonder how to tell of history.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2627: The Bohr-Einstein Debates
24d ago · 3:50
Episode: 2627 Clash of the Titans: The Bohr-Einstein Debates. Today, a clash of titans.