Geopolitics & World
International affairs, defense, and regional topics
382 episodes · Page 2 of 16
#3683: What Historians Actually Do All Day
Only 1 in 8 history PhDs lands a tenure-track job. Here's where the rest go.
#3680: How 50 People Became 35 Million Descendants
How the Mayflower’s 50 survivors became 35 million Americans — and why Ellis Island tells a different story.
#3679: The Hockey Enforcer Named Rosehill
The surprising story of a rare Jewish surname born in a Habsburg office and immortalized on NHL ice.
#3670: CBRN Masks vs. Chemical Treaties: The Reality
The difference between a CBRN mask and a chemical mask, and why the global ban on chemical weapons has enforcement gaps.
#3669: The Dewey Decimal System for Things That Go Boom
Standardized codes that let investigators, diplomats, and deminers speak the same language about munitions.
#3668: White Phosphorus: The Weapon That Won't Stop Burning
How white phosphorus evades legal bans, which militaries use it, and why its effects devastate civilians.
#3666: Sorry, Not Sorry: The Hidden Rules of Apology Across Cultures
Why the Irish say "sorry" constantly, Israelis rarely do, and both are being perfectly reasonable.
#3665: Where Is It OK to Argue with Strangers?
Why do some cultures see direct disagreement as a sign of respect while others see it as rude?
#3660: From Tweak to Revolution: Fixing Capitalism
A spectrum of proposals from better disclosure to degrowth — mapping every idea for fixing or replacing capitalism.
#3659: Late-Stage Capitalism vs Post-Capitalism: What Do These Terms Actually Mean?
Late-stage capitalism" is a mood, not a prediction. We break down where these terms come from and what they actually mean.
#3653: Israel's Expired Gas Mask Problem
Millions of expired gas masks sit in Israeli homes. Why won't the government replace them?
#3645: Syria’s Minorities After Assad: Alawites, Druze, and the New Map
What happens to the Alawites and Druze after the regime falls? A look at Syria’s shifting sectarian landscape.
#3621: How Israel Rebuilds the EW Nervous System on American Jets
Why Israel rips out American EW suites and installs its own on nearly every fighter it flies.
#3620: How Israel Destroyed Syria's Secret Reactor
The inside story of the 2007 Israeli airstrike on Syria's covert nuclear reactor and what it reveals about Iran today.
#3619: How Israel Built Its Own Fighter Jets
From smuggled Messerschmitts to modified F-35s — the extraordinary story of the Israel Air Force's fleet evolution.
#3618: How Israel Achieves Air Superiority Over Iran
Air superiority isn't a switch you flip. Here's what Israel actually did to own the sky over Iran.
#3615: Israel vs Iran: Reading the Tea Leaves Before a Strike
What signals to watch for if Israel goes it alone against Iran’s nuclear program after being locked out of the US deal.
#3611: Who Are Trump’s Iran Negotiators?
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are Trump’s top Iran negotiators. What does their real estate background mean for diplomacy?
#3609: The PDF Diplomacy Era: US-Iran's Secret MoU
What does a secret, electronically-signed MoU between the US and Iran actually mean — and why is opacity the point?
#3608: The Lost Scent of the Temple: Incense in Jewish Tradition
How a core Temple ritual vanished from Jewish practice and became associated with other religions instead.
#3594: When Europe Tilts and America Cracks: Israel's Compound Scenario
What happens when Europe's politics shift and US support fractures simultaneously? A scenario analysis on Israel's future.
#3593: Is the Far-Right a Movement or a Media Effect?
How a Belfast attack reveals the machinery stitching isolated crimes into a narrative of imported violence.
#3580: The Fish That Changed Israel's Coastline
From psychedelic bream to invading rabbitfish — a tour of Israel's underwater world and the dinner plate.
#3572: The Rainbow Island in the World's Most Dangerous Strait
Hormuz Island has rainbow soil, edible dirt, a Portuguese castle—and sits at the center of the Iran-Israel conflict.