1662: "Ames Laboratory"

1662: "Ames Laboratory"

Author: JC May 24, 2026 Duration: 3:23
Interesting Things with JC #1662: "Ames Laboratory" – Frank Spedding’s team in Ames, Iowa turned rare uranium metal into wartime production material, using the Ames Process to supply purified uranium for the Manhattan Project while the better-known atomic sites depended on that chemistry.

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: 300

Interesting Things with JC
Podcast Episodes
1475: "Coriolis Effect Explained" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:57
Interesting Things with JC #1475: "Coriolis Effect Explained" – A breeze feels simple enough, but its path hides an influence turning just beneath our feet. A subtle shift in motion reveals how the planet gently redirect…
1474: "Do Hard Things" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:22
Interesting Things with JC #1474: "Do Hard Things" – When you face one tough task, the mind shifts from threat to control. Hard work shrinks imagined problems and restores the world to its real size.
1473: "Can a Thought Move Faster than Light?" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:59
Interesting Things with JC #1473: "Can a Thought Move Faster than Light?" – When nerve signals crawl at human speeds yet decisions feel instant, the mystery isn’t distance but design.
1472: "Rumi and Poetry" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:15
Interesting Things with JC #1472: "Rumi and Poetry" – Rumi’s days ran the same for years until a stranger showed up and challenged everything he thought he understood. Then the man disappeared, and the fallout pushed Rum…
1471: "The Importance of Alpha and Gamma Brainwaves" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:59
Interesting Things with JC #1471: "The Importance of Alpha and Gamma Brainwaves" – There’s a moment when your brain shifts gears, and it changes everything from how you calm down to how you solve a problem. Most people n…
1470: "Forbidden City, Beijing" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:50
Interesting Things with JC #1470: "Forbidden City, Beijing" – A palace built in fourteen years with quake-flexing timber, golden bricks that rang underfoot, and a cosmic axis meant to bind an emperor to the stars. Step i…
1469: "Subjectivity and Judging" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:55
Interesting Things with JC #1469: "Subjectivity and Judging" – From courtroom rulings to puppet shows, we’re not as rational as we think. What shapes our gut reactions, and can we ever judge fairly?
1468: "The Hobbit of Flores" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:12
Interesting Things with JC #1468: "The Hobbit of Flores" – A skull the size of two hands rewrites what endurance looks like. On an island no one could reach without crossing open sea, a small human lineage held on far lo…
1467: "History of the Electricians Wire Stretcher" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:41
Interesting Things with JC #1467: "History of the Electricians Wire Stretcher" – A lost Roman tool. A Da Vinci sketch. A telegraph miracle. Across centuries, one device keeps reappearing... when wires come up short.
1466: "What is a Veteran?" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:45
Interesting Things with JC #1466: "What is a Veteran?" – From ancient Rome to today’s armed forces, the word “veteran” has carried centuries of honor. What does it really mean to serve, to return, and to keep faith long…