Myths
Mourning the Presidents
Presidential funerals have become major cultural moments in American history. But were they always this important? Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky explains how different presidential funerals have been over the centuries, starting with George Washington’s death and funeral in 1799. Each funeral she analyzes tells us a great deal about American culture at the time. All together…
Read MoreThe Nuremberg Trials: Justice for Humanity?
Did the Nurenberg Trials provide justice for humanity after the horrors of World War II? In order to address this question, Professor Philip Nash explains what happened during the trials, how well they adhered to international law, how the judgements and sentences were reached, and how well and fairly the trials were conducted. It’s far…
Read MoreThe Nuremberg Trials: Background and Build Up
Professor Philip Nash explains the extremely complicated background of the Nuremberg Trials of 1945-1946. We learn how difficult it was to set up these trials, in terms of international law, the establishment of new charges (such as “crimes against humanity”), and even the logistical difficulties in setting the trial in motion. Important legal, philosophical, and…
Read MoreSaving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America
Dr. Megan Kate Nelson puts us in the middle of the history and context of the founding of Yellowstone National Park, one of America’s natural glories. She tells us how it was an important part of Reconstruction after the Civil War, how explorers and bureaucrats fought over how the land should be used, and how…
Read MoreMother’s Day 2023
Mother’s Day is nearly here. The holiday has a fascinating history of its own. But the ways people have thought about the origins and history of Mother’s Day provide us with a great opportunity here at the Buzzkill Institute to talk about the complications of history and memory. It also gives us the chance to…
Read MoreTransmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic
Simon Winchester takes us on a fascinating journey through the story of how knowledge has been acquired, stored, and passed on, how that dissemination has evolved with time, and how—in an age where a world of information is just a cell phone away—the thoughtfulness and wisdom that derives from knowledge might be under threat. We…
Read MoreHitler, the Nazis, and Gun Control
The intensifying pandemic of gun violence and murder in the U.S. has prompted the usual, tired, and entirely false reaction from gun fanatics — “the first thing Hitler did was take away everyone’s guns.” Well, did Hitler disarm the German citizenry as a way to make it easy to control them? Were Jews and other…
Read MoreAnna Marie Rosenberg – Woman Crush Wednesday!
Who Was “Seven Job” Anna? Anna Marie Rosenberg was one of the most important Americans of the 20th century. Yet she is not nearly as well-known as she should be. Christopher Gorham’s excellent biography of Rosenberg, “The Confidente,” is essential reading for Buzzkillers. He joins us to relate the fabulous story of her multiple careers…
Read MoreThe “After Life” of Covid
What Should Come After Covid? Drs. Keri Leigh Merritt and Yohuru Williams discuss important research and reflection about what happened in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book’s authors document and analyze the effects of the pandemic in ways inspired by the writers who documented American life during the Great Depression. Perhaps most…
Read MoreIke “Every Gun That is Made…Signifies…a Theft from Those Who Hunger and Are Not Fed…” Quote or No Quote?
Eisenhower, the Cold War, and Disarmament Did President Eisenhower actually say, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed”? And what was the larger context? The Professor gets all…
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