If you happen to be feeling blue because you feel like a loose cannon, fear not, because I happen to like the cut of your jib. Perhaps if you have a square meal, you’ll be riding high, and by and large, you might avoid being three sheets to the wind.  If you know the ropes and don’t cut and run, you might be above board without being taken aback.  Learn more about the origin of words and phrases that come from the nautical world on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.  Sponsors Sign...

One of the most famous battles in the history of the American West took place in June 1876.  An alliance of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes faced off against the United States cavalry.  The battle was a route and one of the most devastating losses for the American military, as well as one of the greatest victories for Plains Indians.  The victory, however, was only temporary as the victory led to an even bigger response, and the loss was actually glorified in the...

The election of 1860 was unquestionably the most important election in American history.  The presidential election after that was still important, but it has the distinction of being perhaps the oddest presidential election in history, if for no other reason than it was conducted in the middle of a civil war.  Learn more about the election of 1864 and all the ways we’ve never seen anything like it before or since, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip...

During the Second World War, the Allies were desperate to develop ideas to help them win the war.  Some of these ideas, such as the atomic bomb and the Norden bombsight, were so promising that they warranted investments of staggering amounts, reaching into the millions and billions of dollars.  Other ideas, such as training bats to drop bombs or pigeon-guided missiles, were so outlandish that they were never seriously considered.  However, there was one idea that seemed crazy, but it...

One of the most popular board games in the world is Monopoly.  Millions of copies of the game have been sold and thousands of different versions have been published.  However, the origins of the game are not what most people think. In fact, the game was originally designed not as a way for people to win by amassing properties but rather to demonstrate why that was a bad idea. Learn more about the surprising origins of Monopoly, one of the most popular board games in history, on this episode...

Ancient mathematics was very different than the mathematics you are used to today.  Two primary tools ancient mathematicians used were the compass and the straightedge. With these two very simple objects, they were able to make an astounding number of proofs and mathematical discoveries.  However, there were some problems that were always beyond their grasp.  Learn more about squaring the circle and the problem that eluded mathematicians for over 2000 years on this episode of Everything...

Right now in the Northern Hemisphere, the days are getting shorter, and things are getting colder.  In the southern hemisphere, the opposite is happening.  Regardless of whether you are in the North or the South, there is one thing for certain…in November, there shall be questions, and there shall be answers.  Stay tuned for Questions and Answers volume 25 on this episode of Everything Everywher Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip to Spain at Spain.info! Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and...

Today, there is a giant rift that is tearing the continent of Africa apart. ..and I mean this quite literally because the rift isn’t cultural, economic, or political, it’s geologic. In several million years, Africa will be split into two continents, and while the process will take a long time, you see ample evidence for it right now. Learn more about the East African Rift and how it has shaped the modern continent of Africa on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your...

The myth of the werewolf, a human who transforms into a wolf, is one of the most enduring and pervasive tales in folklore.  Tales of werewolves could be found in many countries for over 2000 years.  In the Middle Ages, people suspected of being werewolves were hunted alongside witches and vampires. By the 20th century, the werewolf myth had evolved into a common narrative and appeared in a multitude of media properties.  Learn more about werewolves, their origin in legends, and how the modern...

Some of the most frightening and iconic monsters in the history of the horror genre are vampires.  Vampires have a history that is both ancient and modern. For thousands of years, various cultures around the world have had stories of vampire-esque beings who would prey on humans.  However, in the last two centuries, these stories have coalesced into a very specific type of creature with a unique backstory and set of powers and weaknesses. Learn more about vampires, how they were created and...

In 1816, a group of friends who were writers were stuck indoors in Geneva, Switzerland, and were bored. So, they created a challenge for themselves. They were to each come up with a unique ghost story.  After several days of being unable to come up with a story, one of the women in the group was struck with an idea for her ghost tale.  Her story became the basis of one of the most important novels in English literature, one of the greatest characters of all time, and arguably spawned an...

One of the primary religious practices of the Ancient Egyptians was preparing physical bodies for the journey to the afterlife. This highly developed process, perfected over centuries, preserved bodies for thousands of years.  Many of these bodies, discovered by archeologists and thieves, were taken out of Egypt and put in museums all over the world.  They have caught the attention of the public and have been the source of many horror stories.  Learn more about mummies, why they were made,...

One of the most popular forms of fiction today involves zombies. There are TV shows, movies, and books that all envision life during a zombie apocalypse.  Zombie stories are a relatively new form of fiction. However, zombies didn’t come out of nowhere.  They have a basis in legend, religion, and fact….. well, sort of fact.  Learn more about zombies, their origins, and how they have been portrayed in media on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip to Spain...

If you are listening to me speak these words, regardless of where in the world you live, you are part of a global network we call human civilization. You share in the ideas, technology, and goods created worldwide and by people in your community. Most people on the planet are a part of this system. But not everyone. Some people have remained separated from this system and still live in their traditional ways today. Learn more about uncontacted people, who they are, and where they live on this...

On August 4, 1892, in Fall River, Massachusetts, an incredibly grizzly event took place.  Andrew and his wife, Abby Borden, were brutally murdered by repeated strikes with a hatchet to their heads.  The primary suspect in the case was their daughter, Lizzie. In the subsequent trial, there wasn’t enough evidence to convict, and ever since, people have wondered if Lizzie did, in fact, kill her parents, and if she didn’t, who did? Learn more about Lizzie Borden and Borden's murders on this...

From the end of the Second World War through 1991, the city of Berlin, the former capital of Germany and its largest city, was split in two.  The two Berlins, East and West, were in a geopolitical situation unlike any that the world had seen before or since.  This one city split into two, was ground zero for the Cold War. Here, the conflict between East and West was a daily reality for the people who lived on both sides.  Learn more about East and West Berlin, how they came to be, and how...

Ever since the dawn of the space age, there have been some who have dreamed of establishing a human presence on Mars. However, despite being really far away, Mars is not exactly hospitable to humans.  Some suggest that the answer might be to completely change Mars's environment, to radically change its atmosphere, and, over time, to turn it into a second Earth where humans could live.  Learn more about the idea of terraforming Mars, what would need to be done, and the challenges it would face...

In the late 13th century, the Mongol Empire was at the peak of its power.  It was at this time that the Mongol Emperor of China, Kublai Khan, set his eyes on the islands of Japan.  On two separate occasions, the Mongols assembled the largest amphibious fleet in world history. Both times, they discovered the limits of their military conquests. Learn more about the Mongol invasions of Japan on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your next trip to Spain at...

After the founding of Rome as a city in the 8th century BC, it created a social system based on an elite few and a majority of commoners.  This social arrangement wasn’t unique to Rome, and it has appeared in cultures and civilizations around the world. However, Rome was one of the first cultures to experience a conflict between these classes and for the commoners to win major concessions.  Learn more about the Conflict of the Orders and the battle between Plebeians and Patricians on this...

Approximately every eleven years, our sun experiences a cycle in which its magnetic poles flip. During this cycle, solar flares and sunspot activity increase, and then the sun returns to a state of relative calm.  These solar cycles have been tracked for over two hundred years and are among the best-recorded aspects of solar astronomy. These extremes, known as the solar maximum and solar minimum, affect the sun and can have implications for the Earth.  Learn more about the solar cycle and the...

One of the most powerful forces in economics and finance is compound interest.  Not everyone understands compound interest, even though they may reap its benefits or suffer its consequences.  Compounding has the potential to build fortunes and wreck empires. The effects of compounding are also not limited to interest payments. It can apply to a great many things in and out of the natural world. Learn more about compound interest, how it works and its awesome potential on this episode of...

Every day, billions of people around the world wake up and have breakfast.  Breakfast is very different than the other meals you eat in a day. The types of food that people consume for breakfast are usually much more narrow than what they might be for lunch or dinner.  Moreover, the way we eat breakfast and what we eat is very different to the types of meals people ate in the past.  Learn more about the history of breakfast on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Plan your...

In 1475, Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in Caprese, Italy.  Over the next 88 years, he left a legacy of paintings and sculptures unlike any artist before or since.  His art shaped the city he came from, the era he lived in, and, eventually, the entire world of Western art.  Today, the works he created are some of the most treasured and valuable artworks in the entire world.  Learn more about Michelangelo and how he became the greatest artist of the Renaissance on this episode of Everything...

Two of the United States's most distant territories are located in the Western Pacific Ocean: Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.  Despite being separate political entities today, the two groups of islands have a shared geography, history, and culture. Today, they find themselves on the doorstep of Asia and straddling the world world of the west and the east.  Learn more about Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on this episode of Everything Everywhere...