PODCAST · education
Let's Learn About...
by Charlotte & Ellie
Let's Learn About… is a fun, educational, general knowledge podcast that teaches you things you probably didn't need to know, but we're going to teach them to you anyway!Each episode, we'll learn about a new topic and then share some resources if you want to learn more. Some of our favourite topics are history, mythology, film & TV, and space. We also have a monthly series all about D&D.
Episodes
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...is this thing on?
We're BACK, BABYYY! Let's Learn About... is returning at the end of May 2025, just with a few changes. I can't wait to crawl inside your ears again and teach you new things! 🧠 --- Send Us a Voice Note! Want to feature at the start of an episode? Please send us a voicenote with a fun fact you've...
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#176 - LGBTQ+ Love in Ancient & Classic Literature: Part 1
We're always on a mission to show that LGBTQ+ love has existed long before any of us. In this episode, Charlotte covers a brief history of gay relationships in ancient literature, particularly in Ancient Greek and Roman mythology, and a little bit of 11th century Japanese literature too. Stay…
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#175 - 13 Weird Things That Have Washed Ashore
Ellie shares 13 weird things that have washed ashore in different parts of the world, including an entire 10-foot tree in La Push, a German U-Boat in 1919 that turned out to be lethal, and hundreds of rubber ducks that are still likely to be floating out in the oceans today. --- References for…
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#174 - Bishop Castle: the Colorado Landmark Built by One Man
Charlotte talks about Bishop Castle, a huge stone building in Colorado built over the course of 60 years by one man, Jim Bishop. The family describe it as "a monumental statue in stone and iron that cries loud testament to the beauty and glory of not only having a dream, but sticking with your...
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#173 - Grace O'Malley: Pirate Queen of Ireland
In this episode, Ellie talks about someone who fits perfectly in our 'awesome women of history' series: Grace O'Malley, the Pirate Queen of Ireland. Best summed up by Irish historian and novelist Anne Chambers, O'Malley was a fearless leader, by land and by sea, a political pragmatist and...
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#172 - Craftivism: How Artists Use Crafts to Change the World
Throughout history, there have been so many different methods people have used to affect change in the world, from peaceful protests to revolutions that are anything but quiet. But one of the methods that has risen to prominence over the last century or so is "craftivism": a word that combines...
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#171 - How to Be a Better Home Cook with Ben Ebbrell (Sorted Food)
We're very excited to be joined by Ben Ebbrell, otherwise known as Ebbers, from YouTube's Sorted Food! We talk all about how to be a better home cook, including essential kitchen equipment and cupboard staples, how to expand your culinary knowledge, how to be excited even about midweek cooking…
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#170 - British Christmas Dinner Through the Ages
On 25th December, lots of families across the UK will tuck into a Christmas dinner. Everyone has their favourite part that they just can't go without, whether it's the roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings or our personal favourite – pigs in blankets! But what did Christmas dinner in Britain look…
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#169 - The Truly Terrifying Tale of Pinocchio
If you've seen the Disney adaptation of Pinocchio, you might think it's one of the darker, scarier films Disney have made. But did you know the original tale written by Carlo Collodi is even more terrifying? We're talking abuse, starvation, death... yeah, it's a fun ride (and written for...
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#168 - How Russell T. Davies Changed TV with Dr. Emily Garside
We're so excited to be joined by Dr. Emily Garside to talk about her book, Gay Aliens and Queer Folk: How Russell T. Davies Changed TV. We nerd out about Russell T. Davies' entire writing career and how he changed the landscape of queer and working class characters on TV, and how Wales and the UK...
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#167 - Accessible Halloween: How to Make the Spooky Season Inclusive
Halloween is widely celebrated around the world in many different ways, but have you ever considered how to make your celebrations inclusive and accessible to all? Accessibility is a huge thing today, and it's really important not to make anyone feel left out of the celebration. In this episode,...
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#166 - A Century of Magic: 100 Years of the Walt Disney Company
In 1923, Walt Disney founded his company with nothing but determination and a dream. In the century since its creation, it has taken over the world with theme parks, media of all kinds, merchandise, and more. In this episode, Ellie takes us through the entire 100-year history of the Walt Disney...
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#165 - The Real History of Barbie
Barbie was created in 1959 by Ruth Handler as an alternative to baby dolls, giving girls the opportunity to imagine their future selves not only as caregivers, but as anything they wanted to be. Over the last 60 years, Barbie has empowered girls to imagine themselves in aspirational roles from a...
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#164 - Welsh Mythology: The Ancient Bond Between Corgis and Fairies
We're back after our hiatus, and it's time for another episode about animals and mythology! Did you know that Corgis, the most adorable butt-wiggling dogs in the world, are noble steeds for fairies in Welsh myths? In this episode, Ellie tells us a few different stories involving these…
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We'll Be Back Soon!
We're just dropping in to say we're taking a short break and we'll be back very soon! In the meantime, head over to our Patreon where we'll be keeping you updated, and you'll be first to know about our plans to return! --- Where to Find Us: Head to our website, learnaboutpod.com, to read full...
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#163 - 7 Historical People Who Prove Trans Identities Have Always Existed (Pride Month #12)
Right now, trans rights are a minefield, and people just want to be able to live in a body they feel comfortable in without being persecuted. Some believe trans and gender non-conforming identities are a new fad, but history proves otherwise! In this episode, Charlotte talks about 7 people...
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#162 - The Herstory of Divine: Drag Queen of the 20th Century (Pride Month #11)
In our third special Pride episode, Ellie talks about the life of Harris Glenn Milstead - otherwise known as Divine, the iconic drag queen of the 20th century. Learn about Divine's film career with director John Waters, and their incredible influence that can be seen in both drag and film culture...
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#161 - Michael Dillon: British Trans Pioneer (Pride Month #10)
In the 1950s, the concept of medical gender transitioning became possible in the UK, and 2023 marks just over 70 years since the first known transition surgery was carried out in Britain. One of the people whose story really should be heard more is Michael Dillon, a British trans pioneer. His…
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#160 - Activism & Allyship: How to Change the World (Pride Month #9)
It's June, which means it's Pride Month - and once again, we're here with a special series of Pride episodes! To kick us off, Charlotte talks about activism and allyship: how to be an activist (whether you're LGBTQ+ or not), why allies are so important, safeguarding and protecting LGBTQ+ students...
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#159 - Pluto: the (Former) 9th Planet in Our Solar System
We love learning about the planets in our solar system, and this is one of our favourites - except it's no longer classed as a planet, and we're not having that. Of course, we're talking about Pluto. In this episode, Ellie talks about this little former planet that is so full of wonderful…
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#158 - The History of Chocolate & Ethical Chocolate Production
Most people love chocolate in some form, but do you know where chocolate came from or its rich history that spans centuries? In this episode, Charlotte covers the history of chocolate, going right back to ancient times and up to the world-famous chocolatiers of the last couple of centuries. We…
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#157 - Selkies in Scottish Folklore
If we were to say that today's episode is about a beautiful woman/sea creature who was tricked to live a life ashore and be potentially cursed for the rest of their life, we'd forgive you for thinking we're talking about mermaids. But not quite! Ellie is turning to Scottish folklore to tell us a...
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#156 - Our Ancient Ancestors: the Lineage of the Human Race
Think you know much about your ancestors? How about way back before the human race existed as we know it? In this episode, Charlotte goes back a few million years to pre-human times and covers a brief history of our human lineage, from our most ancient ancestors, and discoveries of new related...
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#155 - The Futuristic Predictions of H. G. Wells
English writer H. G. Wells was prolific in many genres, writing more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories, and has been called the 'father of modern science fiction'. He was also considered to be a futurist, with his works imagining time travel, alien invasion, invisibility, and…
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#154 - Textiles 101: Fabrics, Fibres, and Sustainable Fashion with Lyndall Cave
We're joined by Lyndall Cave for a super long and informative guest episode! Have you ever wondered what actually goes into the clothes you wear or the things you use in everyday life, whether that's the materials themselves or the process it took to make them? This is what Lyndall covers in this...
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#153 - St David's Day & The Origins of Popular Welsh Symbols
Happy St David's Day! In this episode, Welsh native Charlotte talks about how people all around Wales celebrate on 1st March every year, a bit about who St David was (way back in the year 520), and the origins of some common Welsh symbols or emblems: leeks, daffodils, and love spoons. --- Where…
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#152 - 3 Cats With High-Ranking Human Jobs
We love a feel-good episode, and this is another one about amazing animals! Ellie tells the stories of 3 incredible cats who held high-ranking human jobs: Mayor Stubbs, the mayor of a small Alaskan town; Catmando, a political party leader; and Tama the Stationmaster, who gained notoriety as more...
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Announcement: A Change to Our Schedule (to Save Our Sanity)
Just a quick announcement to explain why we're changing our episode schedule to biweekly (every 2 weeks) instead of weekly! --- Where to Find Us: Head to our website, learnaboutpod.com, to read the full episode notes and see a list of links and resources used to research this episode. You can…
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#151 - LGBT+ History Month: What Is It and Why Is It Important?
February is LGBT+ History Month in the UK, and in this episode, you'll learn all about it! Find out how this annual awareness month started, why it's so important, and some of the ways you could celebrate it yourself, whether you're an LGBTQ+ person or a wonderful ally. --- Where to Find Us: Head...
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#150 - Saint Brigid of Kildare, Patroness Saint of Ireland
Saint Brigid of Kildare, or Brigid of Ireland, is the patroness saint of Ireland, and one of its three national or patron saints along with St Patrick and St Columba. There is debate over whether Brigid was a real person or not, or whether she is a Christianisation of the Celtic goddess of the…
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#149 - Betty Robinson: the Olympic Athlete Who Won Gold After Almost Dying
We're starting off the new year with an inspirational story of another awesome woman of history, and this is one of Charlotte's new favourites! She talks about Betty Robinson, an Olympic track athlete who competed in the 1920s and '30s, who had an absolute rollercoaster of a life. From winning…
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#148 - New Year Traditions & Celebrations Around the World
Happy New Year, one and all! In our first episode of 2023, Ellie takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the world and tells us a bit about how different countries might celebrate the new year, from huge feasts and blowout street parties to cleaning, saying hello to ancestors' spirits, and throwing...
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#147 - Christmas in Tudor Britain (1485–1603)
There are certain periods of history that shape traditions for the rest of time, and for Christmas in Britain, the Tudor period was one of these times. Some of our favourite traditions of the Christmas season date back to Tudor times, including singing carols, giving gifts, eating turkey, and...
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#146 - Sinterklaas: The Festive Dutch Legend (with Linde Boon)
Returning guest Linde joins us to tell us about the festive Dutch legend of Sinterklaas: who he is and how he's based on Saint Nicholas (similar to Santa Claus), how Sinterklaas is celebrated, and how this year, it has all been a bit chaotic. --- Where to Find Us: Head to our website,...
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#145 - Scandinavian Christmas Legend: The Yule Goat
It's our first Christmas episode of 2022, and we're going all the way to Sweden (not literally) for this one! Ellie tells us about the Yule Goat, a Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbol whose origins go back to ancient Pagan festivals. Learn about the history and legend of...
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#144 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Disney Movie vs the Victor Hugo Novel
Charlotte was very recently in a local production of The Huncback of Notre Dame (the Off-Broadway musical adaptation), so in honour of that, she shares a comparison between the Disney movie and the original Victor Hugo novel. It's about to get dark! (Content warnings: mentions of rape/assault,...
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#143 - D&D: Rick Perry on Production Design for Dimension 20 & How to Add Creative Elements to Your Campaigns
After chatting to Omar Najam a little while ago, today we have our second Dimension 20 guest – but this time, it's someone from behind the camera rather than in front of it! Rick Perry, D20's Production Designer and Creative Producer, joins us to discuss his career and his role in the creative…
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#142 - Music History: The Famous Composer Inspired by Finnish Folklore & Tackling Elitism in Classical Music with Lydia Dunn
We're joined by Ellie's cousin Lydia, a classically trained musician. She tells us all about how classical music and folklore combine in the Lemminkainen suite by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, widely regarded as Finland's greatest composer, and whose music is often credited with having helped...
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#141 - Adi and Rudi Dassler: The Feud That Created Two Sporting Goods Giants
There have been many famous sibling rivalries throughout history. But have you ever heard of the one that went on to form two of the most recognisable sporting goods brands in the world? A vicious family feud that not only pitted two brothers against one another, but also divided the inhabitants…
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#140 - The Etymology of 14 More Strange English Idioms
Want to know where some of the strange phrases and idioms we have in English originated? We've got another etymology episode today! Charlotte covers the origins of 14 strange English idioms, including bob's your uncle, wild goose chase, caught red handed, walking on eggshells, and more. --- Where...
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#139 - D&D: 6 Scary Monsters You Could Encounter in D&D (Spooky Month 2022)
Happy Halloween! We're fusing Halloween and D&D in this episode. If you're planning on running a horror-themed Dungeons & Dragons one-shot or campaign for your adventuring party and you're not sure where to start, then this might help! To round off the Spooky season, Ellie has curated a list of...
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#138 - Most Popular Halloween Costumes Throughout American History (Spooky Month 2022)
Need some last-minute inspiration for a Halloween costume this year? Then this might be the episode for you! Ever since the late 19th century, Americans have been dressing up to celebrate Halloween. The costumes people choose to wear are always changing, influenced by popular culture and current...
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#137 - 3 Undead Creatures in Transylvanian Folklore (Spooky Month 2022)
In pop culture, Transylvania is commonly associated with vampires because of the influence of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. And apparently, a big part of Transylvanian culture is the collection of spooky legends, myths and haunting creatures that haunt the country. So, in this episode,...
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Bonus Episode: Discussing A Court of Fey & Flowers, Halloween, 13 Days 13 Shorts, and the Muppets with Omar Najam
In this gigantic bonus episode, we're joined again by the lovely Omar Najam to talk about the whole season of A Court of Fey and Flowers; a new D&D series called DesiQuest starring an entirely South Asian cast; the ethics of our decisions in both D&D and in real life; 13 Days 13 Shorts…
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#136 - The Bloody History of Witch Trials in England and Scotland (Spooky Month 2022)
In 2020, we did an episode all about the infamous Salem Witch Trials, but did you know that witch trials were just as prolific in the UK, too? In the first episode of this year's Spooky Month series, Ellie talks about the bloody history of witch trials in England and Scotland. --- Where to Find…
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#135 - D&D: How to Roleplay & Get Into the Head of Your Character
This is Let's Learn About D&D, our Dungeons & Dragons spin-off series by beginners, for beginners! In this episode, we share with you some helpful tips and tricks for getting inside the head of your D&D character and getting better at roleplaying. It can feel daunting or scary to start with, but...
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#134 - 3 Record Breakingly Old Animals: Jonathan the Tortoise, Wisdom the Albatross & Ming the Clam
In a random but fun (and kind of wholesome) episode, Charlotte talks about three animals that have broken records for their incredibly old age: Jonathan the tortoise (currently around 190 years old), Wisdom the albatross (currently at least 70 years old), and Ming the clam (who was sadly killed…
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#133 - The Disappearance of Louis Le Prince, the Forgotten Father of Motion Picture
When you try to name the father of motion pictures, you might think of Thomas Edison, or maybe the Lumiere Brothers. But how many of you would name Louis Le Prince? This episode is about him, his inventions, and how the course of film history could have been completely different if he hadn't...
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#132 - Fan Fiction: Origins and Cultural Impact (Since the 18th Century)
In this episode, Charlotte explores when fan fiction actually began, its origins, and how it became such a cultural phenomenon that it is today, with millions of pieces of work published online for every conceivable fandom. Fandom and fan fiction fiction may seem like a relatively new phenomenon,...
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#131 - D&D: Omar Najam on Asexual Representation & Playing D&D with Dimension 20
We're so excited to be joined by Omar Najam: a writer, director, and currently playing Andhera in Dimension 20's A Court of Fey and Flowers. In this episode, Omar talks about his experience playing D&D with Dimension 20, how improv has helped him become a better player, and his favourite moments...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Let's Learn About… is a fun, educational, general knowledge podcast that teaches you things you probably didn't need to know, but we're going to teach them to you anyway!Each episode, we'll learn about a new topic and then share some resources if you want to learn more. Some of our favourite topics are history, mythology, film & TV, and space. We also have a monthly series all about D&D.
HOSTED BY
Charlotte & Ellie
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Let's Learn About... have?
Let's Learn About... currently has 183 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Let's Learn About... about?
Let's Learn About… is a fun, educational, general knowledge podcast that teaches you things you probably didn't need to know, but we're going to teach them to you anyway!Each episode, we'll learn about a new topic and then share some resources if you want to learn more. Some of our favourite topics...
How often does Let's Learn About... release new episodes?
Let's Learn About... publishes regularly with 183 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Let's Learn About...?
You can listen to Let's Learn About... on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Let's Learn About...?
Let's Learn About... is created and hosted by Charlotte & Ellie.
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