Episodes

  • Pink Floyd

    Pink Floyd
    21 Oct 2026
    Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965 by Syd Barrett (guitar, vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). David Gilmour (guitar, vocals) joined in 1967. Gaining an early underground following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, Pink Floyd were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments, philosophical lyrics, and elaborate live performances, becoming a leading progressive rock band. With Barrett as their main songwriter, Pink Floyd released two hit singles, "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", and the successful debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (all 1967). Barrett left in 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. After a period of experimentation with albums including A Saucerful of Secrets (1968) and Meddle (1971), Waters became the primary lyricist, devising the concepts behind Pink Floyd's most successful albums, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You… Read by Brian Newberry. Recorded August 14, 2015; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=676126708 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:En-Pink_Floyd_Intro02-article.ogg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. Chapter images come from the recorded article via Wikimedia Commons; each chapter links its file page for credits. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
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    18 min
  • Louis Slotin

    Louis Slotin
    21 Oct 2026
    Louis Alexander Slotin ( SLOHT-in; 1 December 1910 – 30 May 1946) was a Canadian physicist and chemist who took part in the Manhattan Project. Born and raised in the North End of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Slotin earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Manitoba, and his doctorate in physical chemistry at King's College London in 1936. Afterwards, he joined the University of Chicago as a research associate to help design a cyclotron. In 1942, Slotin was invited to participate in the Manhattan Project, and subsequently performed experiments with uranium and plutonium cores to determine their critical mass values. After World War II, he continued his research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. On 21 May 1946, he accidentally triggered a supercritical nuclear chain reaction, which released a burst of hard radiation. He was rushed to the hospital and died nine days later on 30 May. Slotin had become the second fatal victim of a… Read by leotohill. Recorded January 20, 2008; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=185771993 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Slotin.ogg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
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    15 min
  • Lego

    Lego
    21 Oct 2026
    Lego ( , LEG-oh; Danish: [ˈle̝ːko]) is a brand of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) that accompany an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts. Its pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways to construct objects, including vehicles, buildings, and working robots. Assembled Lego models can be taken apart, and their pieces can be reused to create new constructions. Inspired by the self-locking bricks invented by English toymaker Hilary Page in 1939 which were produced by his company Kiddicraft, the Lego Group began manufacturing the interlocking toy bricks in 1949. Moulding is done in Denmark, Hungary, Mexico, China, Vietnam and the United States. Brick decorations and packaging are done at plants in the former three countries and in the Czech Republic. Annual… Read by Finnish Reader. Recorded February 12, 2006; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=39389388 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lego.ogg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
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    15 min
  • Matthew Brettingham

    Matthew Brettingham
    15 Oct 2026
    Matthew Brettingham (1699 – 19 August 1769), sometimes called Matthew Brettingham the Elder, was an English architect who supervised the construction of Holkham Hall, and became one of the best-known architects of his generation, despite coming from modest origins. Much of his principal work has since been demolished, particularly his work in London, where he revolutionised the design of the grand townhouse. As a result, he is often overlooked today, remembered principally for his Palladian remodelling of numerous country houses, many of them situated in the East Anglia area of Britain. As Brettingham neared the pinnacle of his career, Palladianism began to fall out of fashion and neoclassicism was introduced, championed by the young Robert Adam. Born in Norwich, into a family of craftsmen, Brettingham worked initially as a surveyor, gaining experience through jobs for the city's civic authorities. Work included restorations at Norwich Cathedral, at the castle, at the local prison and… Read by Peppage. Recorded December 30, 2020; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=991559342 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Brettingham Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:En-Matthew-Brettingham-article.ogg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
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    18 min
  • Civil Air Transport

    Civil Air Transport
    14 Oct 2026
    Civil Air Transport (CAT) was a Nationalist Chinese airline, later owned by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), that supported the United States' covert operations throughout East and Southeast Asia. During the Cold War, missions consisted in assistance to "Free World" allies according to the Mutual Defense Assistance Act of 1949. The CIA-owned airline Air America, which primarily operated in Southeast Asia (particularly in Laos and Vietnam), was a spin-off of CAT, as was the CIA's Taiwan-based aviation maintenance facility, Air Asia. Read by Ftxs. Recorded November 28, 2017; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=799627212 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Air_Transport Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:En-CivilAirTransport-article.ogg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
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    15 min
  • Billboard

    Billboard
    14 Oct 2026
    A billboard (bill-bord) (also called a hoarding in the UK) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers. Typically brands use billboards to build their brands or to push for their new products. The largest ordinary-sized billboards are located primarily on major highways, expressways, or principal arterials, and command high-density consumer exposure (mostly to vehicular traffic). These afford the greatest visibility due not only to their size, but because they allow creative "customizing" through extensions and embellishments. Posters are another common form of billboard advertising, located mostly along primary and secondary arterial roads. Posters are in a smaller format and are viewed primarily by residents and commuter traffic, with some pedestrian exposure. Read by Scott Burley. Recorded May 26, 2006; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=55068619 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Billboard(advertising)-060526.ogg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. Chapter images come from the recorded article via Wikimedia Commons; each chapter links its file page for credits. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
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    18 min
  • Clement of Rome

    Clement of Rome
    13 Oct 2026
    Clement of Rome (Latin: Clemens Romanus; Ancient Greek: Κλήμης Ῥώμης, romanized: Klēmēs Rōmēs; died c. 100), also known as Pope Clement I, was the Bishop of Rome in the late first century. He is considered to be the first of the Apostolic Fathers of the Church. Little is known about Clement's life. Tertullian claimed that Clement was ordained by Saint Peter. Early church lists place him as the second or third bishop of Rome. Eusebius, in his book Church History mentioned Clement as the third bishop of Rome and as the "co-laborer" of Paul. In Against Heresies, Irenaeus described Clement as the successor to Anacletus, who was the third bishop of Rome, and as a personal acquaintance of the Apostles. According to the Annuario Pontificio, Clement was the fourth bishop of Rome, holding office at the very end of the 1st century. It is likely that Clement died in exile, and was possibly martyred. According to apocryphal stories dating back to the 4th century by authors such as Rufinus… Read by Matthew David González. Recorded July 1, 2014; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=612177340 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_of_Rome Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:En-Pope_Clement_I-article.ogg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
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    18 min
  • Dynamo

    Dynamo
    13 Oct 2026
    A dynamo is an electrical generator that creates direct current using a commutator, and uses self-powering electromagnets for the stator field rather than permanent magnets. Dynamos are self-starting by using residual magnetic field left in the iron cores of the electromagnets (i.e. field coils). If a dynamo were never run before, it was usual to use a separate battery to excite or flash the field of the electromagnets to enable self-starting. Dynamos were the first practical electrical generators capable of delivering power for industry, and the foundation upon which many other later electric-power conversion devices were based, including the electric motor, the alternating-current alternator, and the rotary converter. Today, the simpler and more reliable alternator dominates large scale power generation, for efficiency, reliability and cost reasons. A dynamo has the disadvantages of a mechanical commutator. Also, converting alternating to direct current using rectifiers (such as… Read by JohnAnkerBow. Recorded January 7, 2020; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=934641900 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamo Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dynamo.ogg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
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    15 min