Engines of Our Ingenuity
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.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 3 minutes
- Episodes
- 170
- Years Active
- 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2450: A Musical Tradition
Episode: 2450 A Musical Transition: The Beatles 1965-1967. Today, a great music group changes.
00:03:52 |
Thu 17 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2419: Perfecting Coffee
Episode: 2419 Peter Schlumbohm and the invention of modern coffee-making techniques. Today, a chemist and his coffee.
00:03:51 |
Wed 16 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3310: Romantic Nature
Episode: 3310 Nature, Romanticism, and the Poetry of John Clare. Today, we look closely at Romantic nature.
00:03:50 |
Tue 15 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3311: Aerial Warfare in 1918
Episode: 3311 A 1918 National Geographic Magazine makes propaganda as it reports WW-I aerial warfare. Today, Aerial warfare in another century.
00:03:52 |
Mon 14 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1353: Small Towns
Episode: 1353 In which we visit a small town. Today, let's visit a small town.
00:03:45 |
Sun 13 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1351: M & Mme Blanchard
Episode: 1351 Balloonists Jean-Pierre and Marie Blanchard, the first barnstormers. Today, we join George Washington at a balloon ascent.
00:03:39 |
Sat 12 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1350: Amerigo Vespucci
Episode: 1350 Vespucci and the naming of America. Today, we name America.
00:03:43 |
Fri 11 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2447: Simple But Brilliant
Episode: 2447 The Special Theory of Relativity in Einstein's Own Words. Today, simple but brilliant.
00:03:50 |
Thu 10 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2010: George McJunkin and Ales Hrdlicka
Episode: 2010 George McJunkin and Ales Hrdlicka: Who discovered the Clovis culture? Today, guest historian Cathy Patterson looks at an unlikely anthropologist.
00:03:50 |
Wed 09 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2780: Mail Plane to History Maker
Episode: 2780 Mail Plane to History Maker. Today, a very odd design feature.
00:03:40 |
Tue 08 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1349: Short-Lived Technologies
Episode: 1349 Short-lived, but dramatic technologies. Today, technologies that last only a little while.
00:03:41 |
Mon 07 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1348: Castel Del Monte
Episode: 1348 Castel del Monte: in which Frederick II plays with geometry. Today, we wonder why a castle was built.
00:03:45 |
Sun 06 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1347: Inventing Money
Episode: 1347 The invention of money: an abstraction of goods and services. Today, a history of money.
00:03:44 |
Sat 05 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1346: 1900
Episode: 1346 The World's Work magazine shows what we were thinking a century ago. Today, a magazine looks at the century past, and the one to come.
00:03:43 |
Fri 04 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2444: Of Wombats and Armadillos
Episode: 2444 Of Wombats and Armadillos: Using Animals to Teach Probability. Today, why did the wombat cross the road?
00:03:50 |
Thu 03 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2944: Max Planck’s Triumphs and Tragedies
Episode: 2944 The Father of Quantum Theory, The Perseverance of a Scientist Facing Multiple Tragedies. Today, a scientist's triumphs and tragedies.
00:03:50 |
Wed 02 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2497: From Texas to Central Park
Episode: 2497 Frederick Law Olmsted on the Texas Frontier. Today, we go from the Texas frontier to Central Park.
00:03:48 |
Tue 01 Apr 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1345: The Pantheon
Episode: 1345 Hadrian's Pantheon: The world's largest domed structure for 1800 years. Today we build a big room.
00:03:45 |
Mon 31 Mar 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1344: The Monitor’s Flush Toilet
Episode: 1344 The Monitor's flush toilet: lessons from emerging technologies. Today, lessons from emerging technologies, under the worst conditions.
00:03:41 |
Sun 30 Mar 2025
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1343: Forgotten Lore
Episode: 1343 Forgotten lore: How much should we trouble to remember. Today, the past fades away.
00:03:44 |
Sat 29 Mar 2025
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of Houston Public Media. This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.