The Engineering History Podcast | Inventions, Builders, Hackers, Projects, and Stories from Our Past

Anna Close and Paul

Where engineering and history collide! Join us for rousing, thought-provoking discussions about how what we make reflects who we are. read less

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May 26 2024

Ep 63 - Secret CIA Spy Satellites! (Pt. 2/2)

Anna and Paul discuss the Hexagon and Gambit series of satellites, on-orbit reliability, the struggle of keeping work secrets from family, big gold orbs, classification, declassification, and the mystery of modern-day earth observation. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :) Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CORONA_(satellite)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(rocket_family)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RM-81_Agenahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor-Agenahttps://www.thespacereview.com/article/1063/1https://www.cia.gov/legacy/museum/exhibit/corona-americas-first-imaging-satellite-program/https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/kh-1.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belka_and_Strelkahttps://www.space.com/12996-secret-spy-satellites-declassified-nro.htmlhttps://www.ctinsider.com/connecticutmagazine/news-people/article/The-story-of-the-Hexagon-a-Danbury-built-spy-17046062.php

Episodes

May 26 2024

Ep 63 - Secret CIA Spy Satellites! (Pt. 2/2)

May 12 2024

Ep 62 - Secret CIA Spy Satellites! (Pt. 1/2)

Anna and Paul discuss CORONA, Thor, Agena, space doggos, SAMOS, weird clips from The Ingraham Angle, the film bucket, the Dune popcorn bucket, and the Harry Potter Triwizard Tournament egg. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Apr 28 2024

Ep 61 - The Legend of the Pulaski

Anna and Paul discuss firefighting, firebreaks, fire lines, gender reveal parties, ageism, chads vs virgins, and innovating on a classic. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Apr 14 2024

Ep 60 - Forging the Katana

Anna and Paul discuss swords, Miyamoto Mushashi, phase diagrams, Samurai Jack, studying the blade, Ghost Dog, Guinness World Records, steel, and dueling. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Mar 31 2024

Ep 59 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Anna and Paul discuss leaning architecture, Italian project management timelines, bells, Anna’s angry 13-year-old-self, history of Italian city-states, the “Holy” “Roman” “Empire,” Napoleon, Galileo’s cannonballs, Brother Cadfael, and thuribles. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Mar 17 2024

Ep 58 - What Made Apollo a Success?

Anna and Paul discuss the lessons of the Apollo program, Little Joe, how to think about change and the lessons from previous projects, cruel summers, 8 Mile, and how to write the future while learning from the past. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Mar 3 2024

Ep 57 - Three MORE Wacky and Zany Engineering Stories!

Anna and Paul discuss long eggs, being God, gaslighting, “who goes there” style lanterns, Winston Churchill, wackiness, and the true definition of zany! Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Feb 18 2024

Ep 56 - Weaving the Dark Web

Anna and Paul discuss the dark web, the deep web, the surface web, Madame Web, TCP/IP, hypertext transfer protocol, wackos, sickos, weirdos, and the nuanced use of dangerous technology. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Jan 21 2024

Ep 55 - PFAS: The Forever Chemical

Anna and Paul discuss microplastics, the EPA, dumping into water supplies, VSauce, when you can say someone did something (legally), The Devil We Know, safe exposure levels, child labor, and how to get rid of contaminants. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Jan 7 2024

Ep 54 - Project Habakkuk: The Iceberg Aircraft Carrier

Anna and Paul discuss icebergs, air superiority, eccentric geniuses, Winston Churchill, the Brits, golf, espionage, ice sleds, escaping prison, and the films of Taika Waititi. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Dec 24 2023

Ep 53 - The Statue of Liberty

Anna and Paul discuss the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, Assassin’s Creed, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Banshees of Inisherin, omelet du fromage, repoussé, trusses, and the intersection of art and engineering. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Dec 10 2023

Ep 52 - Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Man

Anna and Paul discuss the polymathic, perplexing, and preternaturally prolific painter whose engineering accomplishments were innovative, frightening, and technically sound. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Nov 26 2023

Ep 51 - Thomas Crapper and the History of the Toilet

Anna and Paul discuss the history of the toilet, the movie Napoleon, the term "crap," the Cloaca Maxima, mansplaining, clogged plumbing, the next Silicon Valley Unicorn, and much more! Grab your plunger and drain snake and get ready to be flushed away on this fun adventure! Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Nov 12 2023

Ep 50 - Henry Ford's Crazy Amazon Adventure

Anna and Paul discuss groundbreaking industrial achievements, intractable environmental challenges, mind-boggling arrogance, disease, riches, pests, soyboys, control, Winston Churchill, freedom, and Hank the Deuce in an episode that will have you swimming through the Amazon’s labyrinthine waters with us. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Oct 29 2023

Ep 49 - Chernobyl

Anna and Paul discuss tragedy, sacrifice, chemistry, nuclear physics, innovative solutions, and bureaucracy. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Oct 15 2023

Ep 48 - The Gregorian Calendar

Anna and Paul discuss the Gregorian calendar, the Roman Empire, time being an illusion, the Pareto Principle, conspiracy theories, date drifting, Romulus, Remus, and Easter. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Oct 1 2023

Ep 47 - Three Spooky and Zany Engineering Stories

Anna and Paul discuss sandstone construction, geotechnical engineering, ghosts, demons, communicating with the spirit world, the first form of waterproof building construction, and some unorthodox building materials. Come on in for a zany mix of concrete and ethereal! Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Sep 17 2023

Ep 46 - The Barcode: A Chat With Its Creator

Anna and Paul welcome Paul McEnroe to the show to discuss his new book, The Barcode: How a Team Created One of the World's Most Ubiquitous Technologies. We discuss how he led a team at IBM to create the barcode technology that cemented the barcode’s ubiquitous use worldwide, advice for young engineers, Anna’s history as a grocery store cashier in the first store to ever get barcodes, Paul M’s contribution to the Bay Area Rapid Transit System, and how to have a meaningful career- and life. The Barcode is now available for preorder and releases September 19. You can get it wherever you get your books. Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Sep 3 2023

Ep 45 - The Great Wall of China (feat. Kelli from APHOUT)

Anna, Paul, and special guest co-host Kelli Beard discuss the Great Wall of China, the Mongols(!!!), the movie 300, agrarian vs nomadic societies, the boy who cried wolf, fun alternate histories, and whether or not the wall really did anything at all. Kelli's podcast, A Popular History of Unpopular Things (APHOUT), is one of our favorites! It's a podcast that makes history more fun and accessible- featuring all things gory, gross, mysterious, and bloody disgusting! Check it out here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-popular-history-of-unpopular-things/id1645774647 Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)

Aug 20 2023

Ep 44 - Tales of the Telegraph

Anna and Paul discuss the the telegraph, online love, t-posing on the haters, sauerkraut, chat rooms, ciphers, codes, not understanding new technology, and the Wheatstone bridge. Grab your casserole pans and join us on Telegraph Hill! Follow @engineering_history_podcast on Instagram to keep up with our latest updates :)