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The Science Mysteries
The Silent Scourge
"The Silent Scourge: A History of Chemical Warfare," offers a comprehensive overview of chemical weaponry from its conceptual beginnings in the 19th century to modern-day challenges. It traces the evolution of chemical agents, highlighting their devastating impact in World War I with gases like chlorine and mustard gas, and the development of nerve agents during World War II and the Cold War. It also examines attempts at international control through treaties like the 1925 Geneva Protocol and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, while acknowledging continued illicit use by state and non-state actors. Ultimately, the history underscores the psychological terror associated with these weapons and the political motivations behind their creation despite efforts for global disarmament.
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1. Erastosthenes
13:20||Season 2, Ep. 1The incredible story of Eratosthenes of Cyrene, the ancient Greek polymath who became the first person known to accurately measure the Earth's circumference nearly 2,300 years ago
3. Spores of War
39:05||Season 1, Ep. 3This podcast explores the dark history of biological warfare from the 19th century to the present day. It discusses early, desperate attempts during the American Civil War and World War I to incapacitate enemies with disease, then shifts to the horrific human experimentation conducted by Japan's Unit 731 in World War II. The conversation also highlights the development of biological weapons programs in Western nations and the Soviet Union, leading to the Biological Weapons Convention and subsequent violations. Finally, it touches upon modern threats from state actors and non-state groups, underscoring the dual-use potential of current biotechnology and the lingering danger of invisible warfare.1. Whispers From the Nature
42:21||Season 1, Ep. 1An emerging understanding of interspecies communication and a transformative encounter with an "Emergent World.""Whispers from the Nature," introduces the concept of the "Interspecies Intercomverse," a new field of study exploring diverse forms of communication between humans and other earthly life forms. It details the independent discoveries of three researchers—Aya, Musa, and Lina—who each developed methods to interpret and interact with non-human species.