Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

DW

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We trace the unexpected backstories of everyday things – things that have traveled the world, by force, by chance, or by choice. How did this item or idea change as it moved through different cultures and eras on its way to you? And what surprising truths does its story reveal about our world today?

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Top 10 Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Lawns: Is yours giving sun king or pink flamingo?

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

09/24/24 • 33 min

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are," said an English poet. What can a well-manicured lawn reveal about social status, our relationship to the Earth and the American Dream? A surprising amount. From fancy French palace gardens to suburban America, come along for the garden party as we mow over the history of the lawn – and ask if its time is up.

2 Listeners

Homeopathy: Can sugar pills fill the holes in modern medicine?

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

12/13/23 • 41 min

Can we cure loneliness with diluted extracts of the Berlin Wall? Or COVID with diluted arsenic? This is the story of how a maverick medic from eastern Germany harnessed the placebo effect and exported it worldwide. A journey across two centuries and three continents, from doctors’ surgeries to supermarket shelves and right into government.

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Travel Bite: Bulgarian boza for your bosom

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

05/21/24 • 12 min

What's the key to success on most trips? Hanging out with a local. Luckily for us, we had one with us for our adventures in Bulgaria last season! We invite Rayna back on the podcast to reminisce about the warm welcome from Bulgarians and a major dairy overload. She shares some useful language tips, as well as stories of out-of-this-world music and a Balkan delicacy with unexpected side effects.

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Passports: Freedom for sale

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

10/24/23 • 38 min

The little booklets we use to cross borders and take a vacation abroad didn't always exist. So where did they come from? Stories of privilege, control and belonging are hidden in the watermarked pages of our passports. Our travels take us to a little country with a complicated past, where we find some unexpected pieces of the puzzle – from citizenship to micronations to cold hard cash.

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Milk: From mutations to mustaches

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

11/07/23 • 42 min

Who put the cheese in your stuffed-crust pizza? Or cows on a Caribbean island? And when more than half the world's population can't actually digest milk, is it really essential for a healthy diet? On a trip through time and taste – to dairy-obsessed Bulgaria, colonial Trinidad and Tobago and the 'Got Milk?' era – we explore humanity's millennia-long relationship with milk.

1 Listener

What's in a name? A game of Broken Telephone

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

10/17/23 • 11 min

A brainstorming session takes an unexpected turn, leading us to the land of Jane Austen, Bridgerton and Victorian parlor games. But what's that got to do with Russian scandals, a 90s classic kids' movie and a bucket of milk? Join us for the first episode of Don't Drink the Milk to find out what's up with our quirky name.

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Invisible Work: Women strike back

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

11/19/24 • 45 min

Women around the world and across generations are connected by this familiar thing that you can't actually see: invisible labor. The mountain of tasks that go unseen and undervalued, and which fall mainly on the shoulders of women. From Icelandic grandmothers to Escape the Corset and 4B activists in South Korea, here's what happens when women push back.

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The Missionary Position: Preaching, power and getting pregnant

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

10/23/24 • 37 min

Weird name for a sex position, right? Well, the story behind it is just as strange - involving the Church, the full moon (or was it campfires?), and some mixed messages. But what can unravelling the mysterious backstory of this most rudimentary of sex positions tell us about sex, shame and evangelizing around the world - even today?

1 Listener

Oracles: Echoes of ancient prophets in the age of AI

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

11/21/23 • 41 min

Humans have always wanted to look into the future – but have we lost control over it? Travel with us to the bellybutton of the world to uncover the secrets of the oracles of old and to find out what they can show us about our algorithm-driven present. It's a tale of fate and free will, from Oedipus to AI, from Greece to the Netherlands and beyond. Take your seats for an episode in three acts.

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Christmas: Piñatas & pavlovas

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

12/19/23 • 24 min

With so many places around the world celebrating the holiday, a lot of countries put their own very unique spin on the season's traditions. Japan, we're looking at you. Test your yuletide knowledge in our festive Christmas quiz! The team also dares to take on a fiery holiday parlor game – but are we as brave as Victorian children? Join us to find out in this especially merry episode.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things have?

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things currently has 27 episodes available.

What topics does Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things cover?

The podcast is about Places & Travel, Society & Culture, History and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things?

The episode title 'Lawns: Is yours giving sun king or pink flamingo?' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things?

The average episode length on Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things is 28 minutes.

How often are episodes of Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things released?

Episodes of Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things are typically released every 14 days, 1 hour.

When was the first episode of Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things?

The first episode of Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things was released on Sep 1, 2023.

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Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

DW

Top 10 Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things Episodes

Featured in these lists

FAQ

How many episodes does Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things have?

What topics does Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things cover?

What is the most popular episode on Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things?

What is the average episode length on Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things?

How often are episodes of Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things released?

When was the first episode of Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things?

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