1649: "Ernst Stuhlinger"

1649: "Ernst Stuhlinger"

Author: JC May 11, 2026 Duration: 6:41
Interesting Things with JC #1649: "Ernst Stuhlinger" – A NASA engineer answers a nun asking why Mars missions matter while people are starving on Earth, and the answer comes from a former V-2 rocket scientist whose later work moves spaceflight away from explosive force and toward ion propulsion that pushes for years.

Curiosity often leads us down the most rewarding paths, and that's the spirit behind Interesting Things with JC. Each episode is a compact dive into a story that makes you pause and think, hosted by JC. You'll find a mix here: forgotten chapters from our past that explain the present, nuanced looks at cultural shifts happening now, and those remarkable tales that simply never got the spotlight they deserved. This isn't a dry lecture but a conversation about the threads connecting history, society, and our everyday lives. The focus is on depth over breadth, making each installment of this podcast a self-contained exploration. Whether it's an obscure historical event with surprising modern echoes or a fresh perspective on a current topic, the aim is to feed that curiosity with something substantive. Tune in for a thoughtfully researched and engagingly presented look at the world's fascinating corners.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Interesting Things with JC
Podcast Episodes
1606: "Louise Fitzpatrick: The Only Student of Albert Pinkham Ryder" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:06
Interesting Things with JC #1606: "Louise Fitzpatrick: The Only Student of Albert Pinkham Ryder" – Albert Pinkham Ryder never taught anyone else. But for Louise Fitzpatrick, he made one quiet exception, passing along not…
1605: "The Complexity of Midair Refueling" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:44
Interesting Things with JC #1605: "The Complexity of Midair Refueling" – Two aircraft meet in unstable air at high speed, separated by feet and failure. Midair refueling is not just engineering. It is precision, pressure…
1604: "What Is Time Dilation?" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:44
Interesting Things with JC #1604: "What Is Time Dilation?" – Two perfect clocks start together, then reality pulls them apart. Motion changes time. Gravity changes time. And once you see how, the universe feels far less…
1603: "Remembering Ted Nichols" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:42
Interesting Things with JC #1603: "Remembering Ted Nichols" – He lived with discipline, service, and conviction. From military bands to ministry, Ted Nichols carried a lifelong commitment to doing things the right way, l…
1602: "Redstone Arsenal" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:00
Interesting Things with JC #1602: "Redstone Arsenal" – Before rockets carried Americans into space, they were built to fail on purpose in Huntsville, Alabama. At Redstone Arsenal, every rupture, misfire, and crash became…
1601: "Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:16
Interesting Things with JC #1601: "Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner" – The greatest fighter alive hit the canvas, and for a moment, everything changed. A man built to bleed refused to fall, stretching time itself to the bri…
1600: "Wernher von Braun" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:36
Interesting Things with JC #1600: "Wernher von Braun" – He helped build the road to the Moon, but that road began in war and human suffering. This episode follows the brilliance, ambition, and cost behind one of the most…
1599: "Remembering Chuck Norris" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:20
Interesting Things with JC #1599: "Remembering Chuck Norris" – A young man from Oklahoma served his country, became a world champion, and built a career in film and television. He carried those lessons into teaching and…
1598: "Lewis Latimer and the Globe-Supporter for Electric Lamps" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:38
Interesting Things with JC #1598: "Lewis Latimer and the Globe-Supporter for Electric Lamps" - Everybody talks about the bulb. Almost nobody talks about the small fix that helped keep electric light alive out in the real…
1597: "Albert Pinkham Ryder" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:30
Interesting Things with JC #1597: "Albert Pinkham Ryder" – He spent more than twenty years on a single painting, building it up until it started to crack under its own weight. While others aimed for clean and finished, R…