Thomas Edison
Why history's most famous scientists are usually a bit weird
Obsessed with work, insensitive, socially detached, and neglectful of family and friends — these may not be the most endearing qualities in a person, but they are just a few of the common characteristics a researcher found when studying some of the world’s most famous and prolific inventors.
Nikola Tesla changed the world — so why did we forget him?
The battle between gas and electric cars isn't new
If you have ever failed, this show is for you
Tesla vs. Edison
Tesla's biggest innovation was introducing alternating current as the standard for modern electric power, breaking Thomas Edison's monopoly on DC power. Author and monologist Mike Daisey performs.
Phonautogram
Did you know there are audio recordings that predate Thomas Edison's phonograph by almost 20 years? The phonautogram was invented by a Frenchman named Ã?duoard Léon-Scott and patented in 1857.
America's earliest recordings preserved and remastered
A Chicago-based duo has saved hundreds of old recordings to preserve an important slice of American history.
Preserving America's earliest recordings
Richard Martin and Meagan Hennessey are the husband-and-wife team behind Archeophone Records in Chicago. Archeophone has rescued and preserved some of America's richest recording history.
American Icons: Lincoln Memorial
How the Lincoln Memorial became America's soapbox and how it speaks to the better angels of our nature.