S2E8: Salvation In The Air

The Secret History of the Future by Slate

Aug 21, 201933:36Technology

At the dawn of the 20th century, chemists dreamed of extracting nitrogen from the air and turning it into a limitless supply of fertiliser. Sceptics thought they were crazy -- it was possible in theory, but it was unclea...

Related Episodes

Continue listening to more episodes from The Secret History of the Future.

S2E10: New Media, Old Story

Sep 4, 2019 - 38:15

Radio was originally a social medium, as early radio sets (each of which could transmit as well as receiv...

S2E9: A Brief History Of Timekeeping

Aug 28, 2019 - 33:11

The first mechanical clocks were made to summon monks to prayer. Ever since, timekeeping technology has o...

S2E7: A Bug In The System

Aug 14, 2019 - 32:51

The first ever computer program was written in 1843 by Ada Lovelace, a mathematician who hoped her far-si...

S2E6: Dots, Dashes, and Dating Apps

Aug 7, 2019 - 36:49

In the 19th century, young people wooed each other over the telegraph. But meeting strangers on the wires...

S2E5: Mars on Earth

Jul 31, 2019 - 34:26

Polar exploration was the Victorian equivalent of the space race. Major powers vied to outdo each other,...

S2E4: Meat and Potatoes

Jul 24, 2019 - 36:20

The potato seemed strange and unappetizing when it first arrived in Europe. But it grew into a wonder foo...

S2E3: Unreliable Evidence

Jul 17, 2019 - 27:52

In the early 20th century a new forensic technique—fingerprinting—displaced a cruder form of identificati...

S2E2: Second Wind

Jul 10, 2019 - 30:16

For thousands of years we sailed our cargo across oceans using zero-emission, 100 percent renewable wind....