Before radiology, we had Roentgenology. In our show about Walter Dodd, , we ponder how to say âRoentgen,â then imagine what it sounds like to speak German with a Scottish accent.
Warning: NSFW language.
Episode 48: The X-Ray Man
This episode examines the life of Walter Dodd, who started his career as a janitor at Harvard Medical School before becoming a pharmacist, physician, and the Father of American Radiology. Though as you will hear, his journey was not without great personal sacrifice. Â
Episode 47: This Week in Boston History
Your humble hosts are out of town and off the air this week. Never fear, Jake is here, and he has this weekâs historical anniversaries for your enjoyment.
Episode 46: Aeronauts, Ascents, and the Early History of Ballooning in Boston
Early Boston aeronauts used balloons to perform scientific experiments, cross the English channel, take the first aerial photographs, and provide public entertainment. Â Whether by hot air or hydrogen, these pioneers made their way into the air, and into the history books.
Continue reading Episode 46: Aeronauts, Ascents, and the Early History of Ballooning in Boston
Medial S Blooper
If youâve ever looked at texts from the 18th Century, youâve encountered the medial s, that funny way of printing the letter s that looks like a lower case f. In our recent episode about solar eclipses, we decided to see what it would sound like to pronounce them as they appear.
Hereâs the reading:
Episode 45: The Skin Book
The Skin Book was written by highwayman George Walton and dedicated to the only man to best him in combat. While he was a prisoner at Charlestown Penitentiary, Walton wrote a memoir. According to his wishes, after his death, the book was bound in Waltonâs own skin and given to the man who defeated him. Today, this example of anthropodermic bibliopegy is a prized possession of the Boston Athenaeum.
Episode 44: Perambulating the Bounds
Since 1651, Boston has had a legal responsibility to mark and measure its boundaries every few years. Â Despite advances in technology, the practice of âperambulating the boundsâ means that someone has to go out and walk the town lines. Â This law is one of the oldest still on the books, but when was the last time Boston perambulated its bounds? Â Listen now!
Blooper: Oxford Comma
This is why the âOxfordâ or âHarvardâ comma is important in a list of three or more itemsâŚ
Otherwise, you end up with this: Continue reading Blooper: Oxford Comma
Episode 43: The Case of the Somnambulist
When young Albert Tirrell killed his lover Maria Bickford on Beacon Hill, it sparked a scandal that rocked Victorian Boston in the 1840s. Â It was a tale of seduction, murder, and the unlikeliest of defenses. Â In the end, he would be found not guilty, in the first successful use of sleepwalking as a defense against murder.
We apologize for Nikkiâs head cold, some rough cuts that resulted from editing out her sniffles, and the couple of sniffles that made it into the final cut.
Quock Walker blooper
In which co-host Jake just has to say the name âQuock Walker,â and completely loses it.
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