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Engines of Our Ingenuity

by Houston Public Media

Science

The story of technological progress is one of drama and intrigue, sudden insight and plain hard work. Let’s explore technology’s spectacular failures and many magnificent success stories. This content is in service of Houston Public Media’s education mission and is sponsored by the University of Houston. It is not a product of our news team.

From the show's RSS feed, refreshed Nov 7, 2026. Source feed.

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Episodes

  1. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1654: Tidal Power, 1921

    Episode: 1654 The forgotten renewable energy source, tidal (or lunar) power. Today, solar power and lunar power.

  2. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3432: Pulp Magazines

    Episode: 3432 The once popular, grossly underrated, and now nearly forgotten pulp magazine. Today, Pulp Magazines.

  3. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3431 Catching Carbon From Thin Air

    Episode: 3431 Using direct air capture to pull CO2 out of Earth’s atmosphere. Today, an old engineering problem with a very large sky.

  4. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3430: Social Register

    Episode: 3430 In which the Social Register summons up memories of a bygone upper class. Today, the Social Register.

  5. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3429: Titanic’s Sisters

    Episode: 3429 A tale of three ships: Titanic, Olympic, and Britannic. Today, Titanic’s sisters.

  6. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3428: The End of the Password

    Episode: 3428 The End of the Password. Today, a secret we may no longer need to remember.

  7. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1653: Aeolian Vibration

    Episode: 1653 Aeolian harps, transmission wires, and vortex wakes. Today, the Aeolian harp.

  8. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1652: Justus von Liebig

    Episode: 1652 Justus von Liebig and the first R&D laboratory. Today, we create the first research laboratory.

  9. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2647: The Give and Take of Internet Shopping

    Episode: 2647 The Give and Take of Internet Shopping. Today, getting to know you.

  10. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3428: The End of the Password

    Episode: 3428 The end of the password. Today, a secret we may no longer need to remember.

  11. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2763: Steve Jobs, Simplifier

    Episode: 2763 The legacy of Steve Jobs, who simplified computers and computing devices. Today, the man who made it simple.

  12. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1651: Specificity and September 11th

    Episode: 1651 Specificity and understanding: Coming to grips with September 11th. Today, six weeks later, we think about specificity.

  13. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1650: Inherent Stability in 1916

    Episode: 1650 Learning about the stability of aeroplanes in 1916. Today, we worry about airplane stability in 1916.

  14. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1649: Fessenden and Radio Sound

    Episode: 1649 Reginald Fessenden endows radio with sound. Today, we add sound to radio.

  15. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1648: An American Dirigible

    Episode: 1648 Building a dirigible to get to the California gold rush. Today, some thoughts on success, failure, and flying to California.

  16. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2646: On Being the Right Size

    Episode: 2646 J. B. S. Haldane's "On Being the Right Size." Today, on being the right size.

  17. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3427: The Battery That Rusts

    Episode: 3427 Batteries which can use iron oxidation to store and discharge electricity. Today, we examine how a process of nature can be harnessed to store energy in the modern world.

  18. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3426: Roller Skates

    Episode: 3426 Roller skates come of age. Today, roller skates.

  19. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3425: Civilisation

    Episode: 3425 The rather abrupt coming-of-age of history told on television. Today, Civilisation.

  20. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1647: Houston Traffic, 1924

    Episode: 1647 In which we study traffic problems in Houston, TX, in 1924. Today, Houston's traffic in 1924.

  21. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1646: Who Did What By When?

    Episode: 1646 Thinking about who had done what by what age. Today, who did what by when?

  22. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1645: Pi

    Episode: 1645 Figuring out the value of Pi. Today, let's talk about π -- and not the kind you eat.

  23. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3424: Anne Nott Brigman

    Episode: 3424 Anne Brigman brings a wild new dimension to the early years of photography. Today, Anne Brigman’s photographs.

  24. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3423: Protocols Throughout History

    Episode: 3423 Protocols: From diplomatic procedures to computer communications standards. Today, we examine how protocols have shaped communication throughout the evolution of humans as well as that of the machines they create.

  25. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3422: Women Soldiers

    Episode: 3422 Women soldiers in the Civil War. How did that work? Today, woman soldiers in the Civil War.

  26. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3421: Wigwam Burners

    Episode: 3421 Wigwam burners and the dying breath of the mighty Douglas Fir tree. Today, wigwam burners.

  27. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1644: Hufeland on Infants

    Episode: 1644 An 18th-century doctor helps great-grandmother raise grandpa. Today, we raise a nineteenth-century child.

  28. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1643: Athanasius Kircher

    Episode: 1643 In which Athanasius Kircher softens the 17th-C scientific revolution. Today, -- after Galileo.

  29. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1642: Halley’s Comet

    Episode: 1642 Reflections upon Halley's, and other, Comets. Today, a comet approaches.

  30. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3420: Dams

    Episode: 3420 A look at power-producing dams and their safe use. Today, hydroelectric power.

  31. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3419: A Better Spacesuit

    Episode: 3419 NASA’s 21st Century Space Suit. Today, building a better spacesuit.

  32. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3418: King and Mboya

    Episode: 3418 Martin Luther King Jr., Tom Mboya, and their joint legacy. Today, two talks.

  33. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1641: Aaron Montgomery Ward

    Episode: 1641 Aaron Montgomery Ward and the catalog that didn't belong in a store. Today, meet Montgomery Ward.

  34. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1640: Learning Electricity

    Episode: 1640 Learning electricity and learning about technological revolutions. Today, we become electrified.

  35. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1639: Flying to the Edge of Air

    Episode: 1639 Helios, NASA's high-flying almost-satellite. Today, let us ride Helios' golden chariot.

  36. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2644: Camping and Creature Comforts

    Episode: 2644 Camping and Creature Comforts. Today, taking it with you.

  37. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3416: Flying on Mars

    Episode: 3416 Viewing Mars from the Air. Today, flying on Mars.

  38. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3415: Dorothea Erxleben

    Episode: 3415 Germany’s first woman doctor has some hard advice for her fellow doctors. Today, a new look at Dorothea Erxleben.

  39. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3414: Bone Music

    Episode: 3414 In which bootleg music rides on X-rays. Today, Bone Music.

  40. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1638: Floating Airports

    Episode: 1638 Floating airports: How to fly the ocean in 1930. Today, let us hop across the ocean.

  41. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1637: Natural Magic

    Episode: 1637 In which science and magic struggle to become separate pursuits. Today, let's practice Natural Magic.

  42. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1636: Of Books and Learning

    Episode: 1636 Of books and learning in nineteenth-century America. Today, thoughts on books and learning.

  43. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3413: Finishing a Pilot’s Story

    Episode: 3413 Finishing a pilot’s story. Today, finishing a pilot's story.

  44. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3412: Bipedalism’s Message

    Episode: 3412 In which we humans (and birds) depend upon being unstable – and thinking unstably. Today, we walk on two legs.

  45. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3411: Roland Garros

    Episode: 3411 Roland Garros: Airplane pioneer, inventor, and almost combat air ace. Today, meet Roland Garros.

  46. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1635: The Sign of the Barber’s Pole

    Episode: 1635 At the Sign of the Barber Pole: of barbers and barber-surgeons. Today, reflections in a barbershop.

  47. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1635: The Sign of the Barber Pole

    Episode: 1635 At the Sign of the Barber Pole: of barbers and barber-surgeons. Today, reflections in a barbershop.

  48. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1634: Daedalus

    Episode: 1634 Flying the Aegean Sea in Daedalus' slipstream. Today, we mix a magic drink for Daedalus and Icarus.

  49. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1633: Studying Calculus

    Episode: 1633 In which a Cambridge don doubts his own calculus teaching. Today, a mathematician misses the point.

  50. The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2642: Structured Data

    Episode: 2642 The Importance of Structuring Data. Today, putting it all together.

View all 100 episodes →

About this show

The story of technological progress is one of drama and intrigue, sudden insight and plain hard work. Let’s explore technology’s spectacular failures and many magnificent success stories.

This content is in service of Houston Public Media’s education mission and is sponsored by the University of Houston. It is not a product of our news team.

Hosted by

Houston Public Media

Frequently asked questions

How many episodes does Engines of Our Ingenuity have?

Engines of Our Ingenuity has 100 episodes on PodParley. The most recent episode was published on November 13, 2026.

What is Engines of Our Ingenuity about?

The story of technological progress is one of drama and intrigue, sudden insight and plain hard work. Let’s explore technology’s spectacular failures and many magnificent success stories. This content is in service of Houston Public Media’s education mission and is sponsored by the University of...

How often does Engines of Our Ingenuity release new episodes?

Engines of Our Ingenuity publishes daily, based on its 100 episodes since July 2026.

Who hosts Engines of Our Ingenuity?

Engines of Our Ingenuity is created and hosted by Houston Public Media.
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