Kell's Wonderful Life

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Musing on history and science from the learned Dr. Kell.

  1. 09/07/2014

    A Fairy Tale

    Once upon a time, there was a kingdom filled with all manner of magical creatures. Dragons, tolls, fairies and more! But there was trouble in the kingdom when…ok, this is a story about marriage equality. Just listen, OK? This episode was recorded a while ago as indicated by the reference to the overturning of Proposition 8. But this thinly veiled story of thinly veiled homophobia is still relevant today.For those wanting more on the history of the legal battle over Prop 8, I highly recommend the Joy 94.9 radio play on the subject for a reading of some of the legal poetry Kell mentions.

  2. 09/07/2014

    A Toast To Toast

    Dr. Kell is fond of many things – but food and history is chief among them. Turning his attention to the humble act of tactical burning of sliced bread, he unravels the history of toasting from its origins to post-war economics and modern and increasingly esoteric methods for toasting toast.

  3. 09/07/2014

    Exoskeletal

    In 1890 Nicholas Yagn, a Russian inventor, received a patent for an assisted device to aid a user walking and running using pneumatically powered gas bags.” As Dr. Kell explains, the history of human augmentation via exoskeleton stretches further back than you might think – and the future of exoskeletons is tantalisingly close.

  4. 09/07/2014

    Legal Technicalities

    Anyone who has tried to fill out the ballot papers below the line knows that legal and political systems can be complicated. Dr. Kell attempts to explain some of the peculiar legislative curiosities in the United States, Australia. “In order for a product to be labelled a pickle, it must be able to bounce.”

  5. 09/07/2014

    Lord Of The Fireflies

    In this final episode, Dr. Kell looks at children’s education and asks why we teach the way we teach. Are we just trying to create passable human beings who can get a job? A chance encounter with a swarm of glowing bugs leads Kell to contemplate the tyrannies of childhood. “What works for Johnny make not work for Jimmy. And nobody has any idea what to do for Jimbo.”

  6. 09/07/2014

    Mad Scientists

    Science is a discipline of testing hypothesis against emprical experiments. Most of what people call ‘mad scientists’ are really just engineers with a grudge. Yet history is replete with nuts, kooks, cranks and shysters. Dr. Kell discusses the mad science and scientists of our age.

  7. 09/07/2014

    Morning Must Be Stopped!

    Humans are an odd bunch for many reasons – not the least of which is our complete disregard for the natural cycles of day and night. The good Doctor Kell is surprised to discover that mornings comprise half the day. How did this come to be? What can be done? Mornings are out of control and they must be stopped!

  8. 09/07/2014

    Robots In Fact And Fiction

    The area of robotics isn’t new. Humans have tried to create humanoid machines for hundreds of years. Dr. Kell traces our crude attempts, outright fakes and flights of fancy. “Undoubtedly, our imagination for sentient artificial people had long outstripped ability to fabricate them.”

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Musing on history and science from the learned Dr. Kell.

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