Best Ronald Hunt Podcasts (2024)

1
Witch-Hunting in European and World History - Ronald Hutton 48:48

1h ago48:48

48:48

This lecture confronts the worldwide phenomenon of the persecution of suspected witches, now a serious, contemporary problem condemned by the UN in 2021. It will show what has been unusual about Europe in this global pattern, and why the notorious early modern witch hunts there commenced and ended. This lecture was recorded by Ronald Hutton on 5th …

1
Are Financial Markets Efficient? - Raghavendra Rau 53:24

1h ago53:24

53:24

One of the crucial ideas in finance is that markets are efficient – that they fully reflect all available information. If so, what about market bubbles? Over the last year, people have been willing to pay exorbitant amounts for extremely odd assets such as Non-Fungible Tokens, meme stocks etc. Why do they do this? This lecture will explore some inv…

1
157. How to Rebuild a Life: Burned by Spanish Intelligence in Syria with Luis Munar Duran 59:35

13h ago59:35

59:35

Today Justin sits down with Luis Munar Duran. Luis received his law degree from the University of Valencia in Spain and was a practicing attorney for nearly 20 years beginning in 1998. He's also a certified pilot and served as a reserve officer in the Spanish Air Force. Luis also has extensive training and experience in security and human rights is…

1
156. From Incarceration to Exoneration: The Kevin Barry Artt Story with Dan Lawton 1:00:48

44m ago1:00:48

1:00:48

This week Justin talks with Dan Lawton. Dan received his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and graduated with his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986 and has been practicing and a practicing attorney in San Diego, California for many years. He's also taught at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law since 2001…

1
A Mathematician's View of Proof - Sarah Hart 51:09

10d ago51:09

51:09

The idea of proof is fundamental to mathematics. We could argue that science consists of testable theories, and therefore that it is about what can be disproved, not what can be proved. In law, the test is “beyond reasonable doubt”. Famous conjectures in mathematics have been tested by computers for trillions of numbers – but we still call them con…

1
Experts in politics: Lessons from Socrates and Aristotle - Melissa Lane 57:20

4d ago57:20

57:20

Socrates sought to test the expertise of everyone around him: the bombastic know-it-alls, the bashful youths, the confident generals, those (including the enslaved) with unsuspected mathematical competence, the workaday artisans. Aristotle later explored the ways in which expert claims can be made credible to popular judgement. This lecture conside…

1
155. The Hunt for the Assassin Who Killed Sweden's Prime Minister with Jan Stocklassa 53:16

7d ago53:16

53:16

Today just talks to Jan Stocklassa. Jan is an author and journalist focusing on large scale affairs in international politics. He served as a diplomat for Sweden in the Czech Republic from 1997 until 2003, and later helped found a newspaper paper in Prague. Jan spent more than a decade researching the 1986 murder of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palm…

1
First light: Revealing the Early Universe - Chris Lintott 59:40

11d ago59:40

59:40

The final lecture in the series returns to the theme of how insight is derived from observations, considering the cosmic microwave background. This oldest light in the Universe, emitted just 400,000 years after the Big Bang, contains the seeds of the structures we see around us, and tells us about conditions at the Universe's beginning. It will als…

1
Episode 18: Oh! You are sick! 1:44:36

12d ago1:44:36

1:44:36

The first part of the C&W sub-series on David Lynch. Our Eraserhead stories. "It wouldn't be Mad Max, it would be Eraserhead." Hosted by Ronald Dzerigian and Mark Begley.By Mark Begley & Ronald Dzerigian

1
154. The Truth Behind Operation Eagle Claw with James Stejskal 50:03

13d ago50:03

50:03

Today, Justin talks with returning guest James Stejskal. James enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1973 and served for more than 20 years, including with the now famous Special Forces Detachment A in Berlin in the 1970s and 80s, among many other assignments. He was severely wounded in Somalia in 1992 and medically retired from the Army in 1996, after whi…

1
Race, Disability & Education: Law's Uphill Battle - Leslie Thomas KC 1:10:54

19d ago1:10:54

1:10:54

This lecture traces the history of race and disability law in the English education system. It examines the impact of discriminatory policies on Black children, children of colour, and disabled children, and how narratives around race and disability have changed. The lecture questions why inequality persists and explores possible solutions. This le…

1
153. The Year of Four Emperors with Rose Mary Sheldon 43:40

20d ago43:40

43:40

Today Justin chats with Rose Mary Sheldon. This is her third time on the podcast. Rose Mary taught history as a professor at Virginia Military Institute for more than 25 years, and is a world renowned expert on intelligence activities in the ancient world. She earned her PhD from the University of Michigan in 1987 and has published several books an…

1
Logarithms: Mobile Phones, Modelling & Statistics? 52:24

23d ago52:24

52:24

Logarithms were perhaps once thought of as just an old-fashioned way to do sums on slide rules. But they underpin much of modern life, from modelling the COVID pandemic to Claude Shannon’s mathematical theory of information (which makes mobile phones a reality) and making sense of Cristiano Ronaldo’s crazy Instagram follower numbers. This lecture w…

1
A Just and Inclusive Net Zero: Who should get there first? - Myles Allen 59:16

26d ago59:16

59:16

Eventually, net zero needs to include everyone: for emissions to continue in half the world while the other half mops them up is both unsustainable and unfair. But this does not mean every country should reach net zero at the same time. Historical emitters like the UK should aim for net zero before the world as a whole, but a “staggered net zero” a…

1
152. The Spy Erased from History with Raymond Batvinis 56:36

27d ago56:36

56:36

Justin talks with retired FBI special agent Raymond J. Batvinis. Ray served in the FBI from 1972 until 1997, working in counterterrorism and counterintelligence, including on the investigations into Ronald Pelton and the Walker spy ring. Shortly after 9/11, he returned to teach the basic counterintelligence course at the FBI Academy at Quantico. Si…

1
Asymmetric Information in Finance Explained - Raghavendra Rau 1:01:22

29d ago1:01:22

1:01:22

In every financial transaction, one side has more information than the other. For example, when someone buys a used car, the seller will know better than the buyer whether the car is a plum or a lemon. Does more information leave you better off? One of the fascinating ideas behind the concept of asymmetric information is that more information can l…

1
Is Music Infinite? - Milton Mermikides 1:07:28

1M ago1:07:28

1:07:28

This lecture explores the very limits of music: investigating historical efforts to catalogue musical materials including the melacarta of Carnatic music, the wazn of Arabic maqam, Slonimsky’s Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns, Schillinger’s Encyclopedia of Rhythms, Forte numbers, and contemporary attempts to ‘pre-copyright’ every possible m…

1
151. How The Allies Cracked Germany's Codes with Charles Lachman 58:21

1M ago58:21

58:21

Today Justin chats with Charles Lachman. Since 1998, Charles has been the executive producer of the nationally syndicated news magazine Inside Edition. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, History Channel, Lifetime, C SPAN, and other local and national media. He's also the author of four non fiction books and one crime novel. Today he discusses the story…

1
Twentieth-Century Divas: Julie Andrews - Dominic Broomfield-McHugh 58:58

1M ago58:58

58:58

Starring in My Fair Lady (1956), The Sound of Music (1965) and Cinderella (1957) gave Dame Julie Andrews unparalleled profile. These were among the most successful Broadway, Hollywood and TV musicals of their time. Yet following this golden decade, she made few films and appeared in no Broadway shows during her forties and fifties, typically an art…

1
Episode 17: The Dark Side of Collecting 1:29:25

2M ago1:29:25

1:29:25

aka "Plastic in Our Balls." Continuing our discussion from last episode, Ronnie and Mark talk about the darker aspects of collecting. Hosted by Ronald Dzerigian and Mark Begley. Shop Super 7 with Ronnie's affliliate link: https://super7.com/?dt_id=1498486By Mark Begley & Ronald Dzerigian

1
Health after Extreme Cold, Heat, Storms and Floods - Professor Sir Chris Whitty 54:31

1M ago54:31

54:31

Weather and climate-related events can cause significant mortality and disability. Sudden cold, heat, storms and floods all present risks to health, especially to the most vulnerable. Even in countries with temperate climates like the UK, weather-related deaths can be in the thousands, for example cold snaps causing cardiovascular deaths. In countr…

1
150. The President's Kill List with Dr. Luca Trenta 1:03:49

1M ago1:03:49

1:03:49

Today Justin sits down with Dr. Luca Trenta. Luca is an associate professor in international relations at Swansea University in Wales, and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Higher Education Academy. He's written extensively on the subjects of covert action and assassination as tools of foreign policy. He is the host of the Out …

1
How to Prove 1=0, And Other Maths Illusions - Sarah Hart 1:03:37

2M ago1:03:37

1:03:37

In this lecture I will show you some mathematical illusions: “proofs” that 1=0, that fractions don’t exist, and more. There are curious and important implications behind what’s going on. These “proofs” reveal some very common logical slips that can go unnoticed when we are trying to prove more plausible statements. And the stakes are high. As I’ll …

1
Evolution Tomorrow and Beyond - Robin May 1:00:07

2M ago1:00:07

1:00:07

Evolution has led from amoebae to blue whales and from algae to giant redwoods. So what might it do in the future? What species might evolve in the next ten million years? How will evolutionary processes change as a result of human innovation and what are the risks of us getting it disastrously wrong? What might evolution look like if we ever set u…

1
The Next Fifty Years of Tech - Dr Victoria Baines 1:03:34

2M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

Come take a ride in the Tech Time Machine and explore how IT may change our lives in the next fifty years. By employing techniques used by science fiction writers, we can imagine how Artificial Intelligence, extended reality, mobile connectivity, quantum computing, and others will develop. How will they converge, enable and accelerate each other? W…

1
149. The Triads, the CIA, and the Nugan Hand Bank with Peter Butt 1:00:03

2M ago1:00:03

1:00:03

This weak Justin chats with Peter Butt. Peter is an author and award -winning documentary filmmaker. He is the founder of Blackwattle Films and his work has appeared on BBC, National Geographic, The History Channel and elsewhere. Peter has focused particularly on the Cold War, the nuclear arms race and espionage activities, particularly in Australi…

1
Musical Consonance and Dissonance: The Good, Bad and Beautifully Ugly - Milton Mermikides 57:05

2M ago57:05

57:05

What makes a piece of music challenging, bland, intriguing, beautiful or ugly? This lecture explores the concept of ‘musical flavour’ formed by intervallic, rhythmic and timbral components and how they contribute to a sense of consonance and dissonance. In particular we look at the interval vector, a system by which harmonic objects are analysed as…

1
Is it Aliens? The Most Unusual Star In The Galaxy - Chris Lintott 1:05:22

2M ago1:05:22

1:05:22

Boyajian's star, a faint and unprepossessing presence in the constellation of Cygnus, attracted astronomers' attention when it began to flicker alarmingly. We will discuss explanations for its behaviour, from disintegrating comets to alien megastructures, and consider how modern astronomy hunts for the truly unusual objects in the Universe. For thi…

1
The Western Magical Tradition - Ronald Hutton 1:05:58

2M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

This lecture makes a survey of learned ceremonial magic in Europe throughout history and demonstrates that both of the customary claims made for it by practitioners since the Middle Ages are actually correct: that there is a continuous tradition of it and that it is ultimately derived from ancient Egypt. In doing so, it also shows what is distincti…

1
148. Japan's British Spy on American Soil with Ronald Drabkin 43:36

2M ago43:36

43:36

This week Justin is joined by Ronald Drabkin. Ron earned his Bachelor's Degree from Duke University and his Master's from UC Berkeley. Since then, he's worked in the tech industry, first with Intel Corporation and later as an entrepreneur and investor. He's also written peer reviewed articles on espionage history in Japan. Today he discusses his fi…

1
Locating Queer History - Matt Cook 56:45

2M ago56:45

56:45

Queer urban life has changed dramatically in England over the last seventy years. Shifts in the economy, culture, attitudes, and technology have all played their part in this. London has often been used as the barometer for these shifts, suggesting they were experienced in similar ways across the nation. In an exploration of the queer contours of L…

1
Refugees: English Law's Protection or Persecution? - Leslie Thomas KC 1:09:39

2M ago1:09:39

1:09:39

How are refugees protected in English law? This lecture traces the history of refugee protection, the limits of the Refugee Convention, and changes to the law in recent decades that have made refugees’ lives increasingly difficult. The Government’s latest tranche of policies: the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the Rwanda offshoring scheme, ar…

1
The Geopolitical Risks of Climate Change - Myles Allen 1:03:54

2M ago1:03:54

1:03:54

Climate Change is predicted to spark increasing threats to food security and demands for climate reparations, fuelling geopolitical instability. Probably the greatest risk of all, is tension over solar geo-engineering: the idea of reflecting away sunlight deliberately to modify global climate. Recognizing solar geo-engineering as an inherently dest…

1
147. A Mother at War: Shannon Kent's Duty, Sacrifice, and Humanity with Joe Kent 37:55

2M ago37:55

37:55

Today, Justin talks with Joe Kent. Joe spent 20 years in the United States Army, serving in the Ranger Regiment, Army Special Forces, and later other elite units within Joint Special Operations Command, before retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer III. His time in the service included 11 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. It was during one of those…

1
Sustainable Energy in Refugee Camps - Dr Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen 56:32

2M ago56:32

56:32

Most of the world’s 102 million forcibly displaced people – refugees – lack access to reliable, affordable, sustainable energy. Attempts to provide such energy in refugee camps have been marred by governance challenges, and a lack of technical expertise within humanitarian organisations. But new research discussed in this lecture on the lived exper…

1
What went wrong in Latin America? - Martin Daunton 1:10:10

2M ago1:10:10

1:10:10

In the Great Depression, producers of food and raw materials complained that they received low prices and paid high prices for industrial imports. Latin America adopted ‘import substituting industrialisation’ to encourage production behind tariff barriers. This approach continued after the war as more countries gained independence. Did this policy …

1
Episode 16: Anomalous Aesthetics 1:24:42

3M ago1:24:42

1:24:42

aka "Nostalgia's a bitch." Ronnie and Mark talk about collecting in general and the power of nostalgia. Hosted by Ronald Dzerigian and Mark Begley.By Mark Begley & Ronald Dzerigian

1
146. Civil War Special Operations Units with Patrick K. O'Donnell 52:30

2M ago52:30

52:30

This week Justin talks with Patrick K. O'Donnell. Patrick is a combat historian who has covered the war in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004, where he was armed and participated in the battle alongside U. S. Marines. He is an expert on special operations units and irregular warfare. He's published 13 books so far on combat history, covering stories from the A…

1
Lead: A Toxic Legacy - Dr Ian Mudway 1:05:33

3M ago1:05:33

1:05:33

Evidence that childhood lead exposure caused stunted intelligence and behavioural problems motivated efforts to ban lead in petrol, with the world finally eradicating leaded fuel in 2021. This is a public health success story, but it took a long time to force industry to take action. The lead released from historic emissions persists within the env…

1
145. Capturing Lothar Witzke: German Spy, Saboteur, and Assassin with Bill Mills 54:05

3M ago54:05

54:05

This week, Justin speaks with Bill Mills. Bill holds a B.A. in History from Framingham State University and has written four nonfiction books about espionage during the First World War. Along the way, he has amassed a significant private collection of original documents, photos, and artifacts related to espionage during that war. Today he shares st…

1
Twentieth-Century Divas: Shirley Bassey - Dominic Broomfield-McHugh 1:05:10

3M ago1:05:10

1:05:10

The Black Welsh singer started out recording cover versions of American songbook classics but rose to international fame after her performance of the title song of Goldfinger. Movie songs, successful albums and popular television specials followed, but so too did personal tragedy and a highly critical (and gendered) reputation of her professional b…

1
Artificial Selection: How Humans have Shaped Evolution - Robin May 59:49

3M ago59:49

59:49

We often think of evolution as ‘something that happened’ in the past. But of course, evolution is a constant, powerful process and one that is often unleashed by human behaviours. Often this is deliberate, we’ll look at how artificial selection has shaped our crops, livestock and domestic pets, and we’ll find out how modern science is uncovering th…

1
144. How Cuba and The Cold War Made Miami with Vince Houghton and Eric Driggs 1:23:05

3M ago1:23:05

1:23:05

This week Justin interviews Vince Houghton and Eric Driggs. Vince grew up in Miami, Florida, and is a veteran of the U. S. Army, where he served in The Balkans. He went on to receive a master's degree and PhD in Diplomatic and Military History from the University of Maryland. He spent more than six years as the historian and curator for the Interna…

1
Data Protection for Thrillseekers - Dr Victoria Baines 57:16

3M ago57:16

57:16

We increasingly share with online services intimate details of our lives, such as mental health and reproductive data. Far from being a ‘tick box’ legal exercise, data protection is about fair and responsible use of our personal information. It gives us rights which we are entitled to exercise against mega corporations, governments, and anyone who …

1
The Human Cost of Immigration Detention - Dr Greg Constantine 1:00:59

3M ago1:00:59

1:00:59

Governments increasingly use detention as a central component of immigration and asylum policy. The lecture addresses several important questions. What does immigration detention look like? How is it a reflection of those societies that tolerate its use and the policies that support and endorse its expansion? What place does it have in the journeys…

1
143. British Military Intelligence in the Falklands with Nick van der Bijl 1:14:17

3M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

Today just chats with Nick van der Bijl. Nick served for 24 years as a regular in the British Army in military intelligence, security, and later as an infantry officer in the Territorial Army. He saw active service in Northern Ireland, Belize, and with the 3 Commando Brigade during the Falklands Conflict. Since leaving the service, Nick has publish…

1
Democracy: Ancient Models, Modern Challenges - Melissa Lane 58:17

3M ago58:17

58:17

Demokratia is the power (kratos) of the people (demos). But what kind of power, and who constitutes the people? Although ancient democracy is often stylized as “direct democracy” and so positioned as very different from modern “representative democracy,” in fact, issues of accountability are central to both. Ancient Greek models of holding leaders …

1
New Hope in Cancer: A Panel Discussion - Dr Richard Sidebottom, Sanjay Popat and James Larkin 55:08

3M ago55:08

55:08

In partnership with Novartis Treatments and research in cancer are moving very fast, giving new hope to many. This event will bring together speakers in the series to delve further into new treatments and research in cancer, including immunotherapy, genomics and AI imaging. This lecture was recorded by Parker Moss, Dr Richard Sidebottom, Sanjay Pop…

1
Modern Concepts of ADHD - Peter Hill 1:15:57

3M ago1:15:57

1:15:57

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a combination of hyperactivity, impulsiveness and inattention which significantly impacts those living with the condition. The medical approach to the ADHD pattern of behaviour has been very successful in childhood but the results have been somewhat less impressive in adulthood. This has led to a r…

1
142. The Cover Up of the Tragic USS Liberty Incident with Phillip F. Tourney 58:35

4M ago58:35

58:35

This week Justin sits down with Phillip Tourney. Phil enlisted in the U. S. Navy in February 1964. He served two tours on the USS Mauna Kea in the waters off Vietnam, then transferred to the USS Liberty, where he served three more tours. In June 1967, he was aboard the Liberty as a petty officer third class when the ship came under attack by Israel…

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