Humans have always practiced various forms of self-expression, whether it’s through written word, music, art or some other outlet. The art of tattooing is one such form that dates back thousands of years. We speak with a history expert, author and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Craig Koslofsky about some of the earliest tattoo designs and how they were achieved, as well as other skin alteration methods including scarification and branding.
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The Panama Canal was one of the most treacherous builds in modern history. In the late 1800’s, the French took on the project and failed. Then, the U.S. took over its construction with a new plan in 1904. The man-made waterway spanning 51 miles took more than a decade to complete and resulted in the deaths of thousands of workers. Why did so many thousands die? What challenges did engineers and laborers face? We answer these questions and more.
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The first U.S. case of the plague presented in the early 1900’s in San Francisco. We speak with author, David Randall about the outbreak and how it changed sanitation practices and government response.
Fast forward to today where the plague is still present in certain parts of the U.S. We speak with professor, Michael Antolin who studies modern day cases of the disease and its context within climate change.
