Episode 742: Making Bank
On today's show, how a band of medieval warrior monks sworn to poverty got into the banking business and changed the way we think about money forever.
History
The Charleston Story: A Knotted Mix Of Race, Grace And Injustice
The story "The Holy City" tells itself, which sometimes emphasizes faith and forgiveness and underplays racism, now includes the conviction of Dylann Roof.
The Seahorse In Your Brain: Where Body Parts Got Their Names
What are those dog ears doing on my heart? Ancient anatomists named body parts after things they resembled in real life. So you've got a rooster comb in your skull and a flute in your leg.
'Hidden Figures' No More: Meet The Black Women Who Helped Send America To Space
A new film tells the stories of three women who made incalculable contributions to the space program: engineer Mary Jackson, mathematician Katherine Johnson and NASA supervisor Dorothy Vaughan.
When Mr. Coffee Was The Must-Have Christmas Gift For Java Snobs
Few coffee aficionados are putting a Mr. Coffee machine on their wish list. But 40 years ago, it would've been at the top. The appliance revolutionized the quality and speed of home brewing.
What's A Holiday Without Lutefisk And A Little White Lye?
The whitefish is famous for being repulsive — and divisive. But Scandinavian-Americans in the Midwest consider their seasonal smelly-jelly feast to be an important link to their Viking ancestors.
'Politically Correct': The Phrase Has Gone From Wisdom To Weapon
Through the decades, "politically correct" has been regarded as shield and club; as cowardly and courageous. But it's meant one thing above them all: Confusion.
PHOTOS: Dutch Court Decides Crimean Treasures Must Go To Ukraine
When Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, many of the region's most precious artifacts were on loan to a Dutch museum. A court has now ruled that the objects must go to Ukraine, not Crimea.
Discoveries Give New Clues To Possible Neanderthal Religious Practices
Barbara J. King, a professor emerita of anthropology at William and Mary, discusses whether Neanderthals had "religious capacity."
High In Bolivian Mountains, 2 Massachusetts Men Pursue Mystery Of Flight 980
The roommates set out to climb a Bolivian mountain and find the black box from a plane crash more than 31 years ago. They succeeded where others had failed, but questions remain.