Best William Wu Podcasts (2024)

1
Charles Ponzi and His Scheme (Encore) 14:10

1d ago14:10

14:10

In January 1920, an Italian American businessman in Boston started a new company. In order to raise money, he took $100 investments from 18 people and offered them a fabulous return on their money in only 45 days, and he delivered on his promise. Soon people were lining up to give him their money and everything worked great…. …until it didn’t. Lear…

1
A Conversation with Author, Community Historian, and Archaeologist Dr. Kelly Fong 33:27

1h ago33:27

33:27

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 25! Sometimes making space for diverse voices isn’t about the realms of music, theater, TV, movies, or fictional literature… it’s about hearing diverse voices in research and academia. We definitely encourage that… so it’s with excitement that we could bring on Dr. Kelly Fong to our show. She’s an author, community hist…

1
The Danube River 14:09

1d ago14:09

14:09

Located in Central and Eastern Europe is one of the continent's longest and most rivers: the Danube. For thousands of years, the Danube has been a vital river for commerce and agriculture, and it has served as a natural boundary for empires and kingdoms. Today, it is still vitally important to ten countries and has become one of the top tourist att…

1
The History of the Toilet 13:55

1d ago13:55

13:55

It is one of the most important inventions in history. Almost everyone listening to this has one. You use one almost every day, and if we didn’t have them, the world would be a very different place. I am talking about toilets. It isn’t something we like to talk about in public, but the sanitary removal of waste has been one of the critical componen…

1
Wu Zetian: China’s Only Female Emperor (Encore) 13:36

22h ago13:36

13:36

In the very long history of China, it has had exactly one female ruler. She was a woman who managed, against all odds, to inch her way closer to power over a period of years until she reached a point where she could claim power for herself. By all accounts, she was beautiful, brilliant, cunning, and absolutely ruthless. Learn more about Wu Zetian, …

1
The US Occupation of the Philippines 15:04

1d ago15:04

15:04

The Philippines is one of the largest countries in the world. With a population of 115 million people, it is the 14th largest country in the world in terms of population. However, for a period of 48 years, it was a colony of the United States. That half-century was one of the most important in the history of the Philippines. It saw two major wars, …

1
The Origins of Wine (Encore) 14:38

22h ago14:38

14:38

For thousands of years, wine has been one of the most important beverages in the world. It has been consumed by common folk and by emperors, and it can be made in a surprisingly wide variety of geographies. It can be made by backyard vintners as well as by megacorporations. It is so important that it plays a central role in some religions, yet it i…

1
The War of 1812 16:19

1d ago16:19

16:19

After the American War of Independence, Britain recognized the United States, but it didn’t necessarily make them close allies. Each country had its own agendas, and a generation later, they were butting heads again over a host of issues. The result was another war, but unlike the Revolutionary War, everyone claimed victory, and no one really won a…

1
The History of Books 15:08

1d ago15:08

15:08

Books are one of the foundational tools of civilization. They allow us to pass knowledge and information between people who don’t know each other, and their compact form allows knowledge to be transported across vast distances. Their permanence allows information to be sent across time such that centuries might separate a writer from a reader. But …

1
A Conversation with Comic Book Artist and Author Sarah Myer 57:45

2h ago57:45

57:45

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 24! In this episode, we share a conversation with Sarah Myer, the Eisner Award nominated author and illustrator of the graphic memoir Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story, published by First Second Books. Other than the Eisner Awards, their work with Monstrous has gained attention with an L.A. Times Book Prize nomina…

1
The Enlightenment of the Body, with Naomi Worth 54:12

3h ago54:12

54:12

In this episode, Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Naomi Worth, a scholar and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism’s postural yoga tradition. We dive into Naomi's experiences in yogic retreats, highlight the vigorous movement and intense visual elements of the practice, and explore yoga’s role in the Nyingma contemplative path. Naomi also shares how sh…

1
College Sports 15:21

1d ago15:21

15:21

In the 19th century, several American universities began to compete with each other in several sporting events in friendly intercollegiate competitions. Fast forward over a hundred years, and college sports in the United States is a multibillion-dollar business. How did institutes of higher education become some of the biggest sports organizations …

1
Ninjas (Encore) 12:42

6d ago12:42

12:42

Ninjas are awesome. They’re silent, they can turn invisible, and they can totally flip out and kill people, especially their mortal enemies…pirates. …or at least that is what popular culture would like you to believe. Were ninjas really as powerful as they are made out to be? Were they the ultimate silent assassins? Learn more about ninjas, real ni…

1
The Five Good Emperors 14:50

24h ago14:50

14:50

Depending on how you define it, there were approximately 70 Roman Emperors. They were a mixed bag ranging from philosophers to the insane, from generals to children. Some were truly horrible, but some were actually pretty good at their job. In particular, there were five consecutive emperors who reigned during the peak of Pax Romana. Learn more abo…

1
D-Day 15:01

5d ago15:01

15:01

On June 6, 1944, the largest amphibious landing in world history took place on the shore of Normandy, France. The allied forces called it D-Day. The landing marked the commencement of Operation Overlord, a strategic move that heralded the long-awaited opening of the second front in the European war. D-Day was the start of the most meticulously plan…

1
The Apollo Lunar Module 15:14

8d ago15:14

15:14

When President John F. Kennedy set the objective of landing on the moon before the end of the 1960s, no one really knew what it entailed. The Apollo program involved many incredible feats of engineering, but perhaps the most impressive was the development of the Apollo Lunar Module. The Lunar Module was unlike any spacecraft before or since. It was…

1
A Brief History of Central America 16:16

3d ago16:16

16:16

Located between Mexico and Columbia, in a strategic area connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific, is the region we call Central America. The countries that makeup Central America were mostly former Spanish colonies, but unlike other Spanish colonies to the north and south, Central America wound up as a series of small countries rather than one big …

1
The History of Money (Encore) 14:00

4d ago14:00

14:00

Money is a very strange thing. All of us use it. We spend it, earn it, and save it. We know it when we see it. Yet, even some of the world’s best economists have a very hard time defining it. It has been around for thousands of years, yet innovation is still being made with it today. Learn more about the history of money, how it came about, and how…

1
A Conversation with Steven Wu of Woori Juntos 35:03

4d ago35:03

35:03

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 23! Today we’re talking to Steven Wu, the Organizing and Policy Director at Woori Juntos. We’re big believers in intersectionality and allyship, and so are they! The name Woori Juntos, combines two words in Korean and Spanish, that when combined mean “to rise together." On their website, they say the name “reflects the …

1
The St. Scholastica Day Riot 13:57

7d ago13:57

13:57

A common occurrence at many universities is that they have contentious relationships with their local community. This is not a recent development. It is something that has existed ever since universities were developed. The relationship between colleges and local towns was probably at its worst in 1355 when an outbreak of violence occurred at Oxfor…

1
Questions and Answers: Volume 19 15:20

6d ago15:20

15:20

The month of June was originally called Iunius by the Romans. It originally had 29 days and was the fourth month of the year. Today, it has 30 days, and it is the sixth month of the year. It used to be a bad omen to be married in June, and now it is the most popular month to be married in. However, despite all the changes in June, there is one thin…

1
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident 15:16

13d ago15:16

15:16

In August of 1964, an event occurred off the waters of North Vietnam that would have repercussions that would echo in US foreign policy for decades. Two alleged confrontations between US Navy vessels and North Vietnamese ships set off a chain of events that resulted in a dramatic escalation in the United States' involvement in Vietnam and a subsequ…

1
The Real Story of Cowboys 13:52

16d ago13:52

13:52

One of the most iconic images of America is the cowboy. Cowboys have defined entire genres of literature and movies and are the basis for entire styles of fashion. But how did cowboys come about, what exactly did they do, and who exactly became cowboys? Perhaps most importantly, how realistic is our image of cowboys? Spoiler: It's not very realisti…

1
The Destruction and Rediscovery of Pompeii (Encore) 14:09

9d ago14:09

14:09

In the year 79, Mount Vesuvius, a volcano located east of the modern-day city of Naples, erupted. Vesuvius had erupted before, but this eruption was different. It ejected an enormous amount of ash, which completely buried several towns and cities below the mountain. Almost 2,000 years later, the largest of those cities, Pompeii, was rediscovered, a…

1
The Wonderful World of Bees 14:56

21d ago14:56

14:56

There are millions of different insect species in the world. All of them fill some niche in the ecosystem in which they live. However, some species are more important than others. In particular, insect species that are members of the family Apidae, or what you probably know as bees. Bees are some of the most important pollinators in the world. They…

1
The Law of the Sea 13:54

11d ago13:54

13:54

The world as we know it is made up of 193 countries, Antarctica, and a host of territories. However, between all of those places are the high seas or international waters, which are not controlled by anyone. But where do international waters begin? What can you do in international waters? And how close can you actually sail to another country? Lear…

1
A Conversation with Award-Winning Author and Editor Karen Yin 42:04

11d ago42:04

42:04

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 22! We love learning. One area that is ever changing, that we want to learn more about is the world of language… specifically the context which impacts the language choices we make for communication. That’s why we were so excited to invite award-winning author and editor Karen Yin to our show. Karen’s latest book is The…

1
The Bataan Death March 14:56

12d ago14:56

14:56

On December 8, 1941, as the Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor, they were simultaneously attacking other Allied positions around Asia. One of the biggest attacks was on Manila in the Philippines and the Filipino and American forces that were entrenched on the Bataan Peninsula. Filipino and American forces ended up surrendering, which began one of t…

1
How Barbed Wire Shaped the West and the World (Encore) 12:08

24d ago12:08

12:08

When Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act of 1862, there was a rush of people who moved west to claim the free land that was offered. However, there was a problem. Creating physical divisions for plots of land on the prairie was difficult when there was no stone or wood. Eventually, there was a solution to the problem, which offered a cheap way…

1
Joan of Arc 14:59

14d ago14:59

14:59

In 1428, a young girl from the village of Domrémy, France, audaciously set out to meet the heir apparent to the French throne, the Dauphin, and told him what he had to do to defeat the English occupying her country. She claimed that she was told what to do by God. Against all odds, the Dauphin took her advice, and it worked. After a series of milit…

1
Benjamin Brose, "Embodying Xuanzang: The Postmortem Travels of a Buddhist Pilgrim" (U Hawaii Press, 2023) 1:05:06

16d ago1:05:06

1:05:06

Xuanzang (600/602–664) was one of the most accomplished and consequential monks in the history of East Asian Buddhism. Celebrated for his sixteen-year pilgrimage from China to India, his transmission and translation of hundreds of Buddhist texts, and his training of a generation of masters in China, Korea, and Japan, Xuanzang’s life and legacy are …

1
Nazis in South America 14:12

15d ago14:12

14:12

On May 11, 1960, an auto worker who went by Ricardo Klement stepped off the bus after his shift at a Mercedes-Benz automotive plant in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As he was walking home, he was abducted by several men and thrown into a vehicle. This was no ordinary kidnapping, however. There was no demand for ransom. That was because this was no ordin…

1
The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia 14:56

21d ago14:56

14:56

From 1929 to 1992, several governments ruled over the Balkans, all of whom used the name “Yugoslavia.” Yugoslavia was a country that began with a dream but was born out of war and ultimately ended in war. While the nation of Yugoslavia no longer exists, Its legacy can still be felt in the countries that formerly compromised it. Learn more about Yug…

1
Why Does a Week Have Seven Days? (Encore) 13:00

17d ago13:00

13:00

Most of our major divisions of time are based on some sort of natural event. A year is one orbit of the Earth around the sun. A month is one orbit of the Moon around the Earth. A day is one rotation of the Earth about its axis. However, one of the most commonly used units of time has no natural analog whatsoever. Learn more about why there are seve…

1
All About Viruses 15:21

18d ago15:21

15:21

Inside you right now are most probably millions of, possibly even trillions of viruses. Some viruses are extremely deadly, but the vast majority are completely benign. They can be found in almost every type of life, including plants, animals, and bacteria. Yet viruses are completely different from any other type of life form. In fact, it is debatab…

1
Talking about the 2024 STAATUS Index 42:54

18d ago42:54

42:54

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 21! It’s time for the 2024 STAATUS Index published by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) with partnership from Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH), AAPI Data, and the Asian American Research Initiative. This annual survey is a social tracking and national assessment of attitudes and stereotypes towar…

1
The Battle of Adrianople 14:14

27d ago14:14

14:14

On August 9, 378, one of the most important battles in history took place. While largely forgotten today, it was a critical battle that contributed to the collapse of the Roman Empire. It wasn’t just a loss for the Roman army; it also resulted in the death of an emperor, and it also contributed to the rise of a group known as the Visigoths, who wou…

1
Smuggling Silk Out of China (Encore) 12:32

20d ago12:32

12:32

There was no product more important to the economy of the ancient world than silk. Silk was transported thousands of miles to be purchased by people so far away from its source that they had no clue where it came from. The source of silk, however, was China, and for centuries, they had a monopoly, which brought them tremendous wealth. That was unti…

1
Wei Wu, "Esoteric Buddhism in China: Engaging Japanese and Tibetan Traditions, 1912–1949" (Columbia UP, 2023) 1:08:02

21d ago1:08:02

1:08:02

During the Republican period (1912–1949) and after, many Chinese Buddhists sought inspiration from non-Chinese Buddhist traditions, showing a particular interest in esoteric teachings. What made these Buddhists dissatisfied with Chinese Buddhism, and what did they think other Buddhist traditions could offer? Which elements did they choose to follow…

1
The Anaconda Plan 13:15

29d ago13:15

13:15

When the United States entered the Civil War, the Union needed a plan for conducting the war. Its senior military commander, General Windfield Scott, devised a strategy that would play to the Union's strengths and exploit the Confederacy's weaknesses. He hoped that it would bring about a swift end to the war and minimize the loss of human life. The…

1
City Syndromes 14:56

22d ago14:56

14:56

Psychologists have identified hundreds of different psychological disorders and conditions. Some of them are rather common conditions that affect large segments of the population at one time or another. Others are quite rare and only come up in certain circumstances or even in certain places. Within that, there is a rare subset of psychological con…

1
The Phoenician Civilization (Encore) 12:44

23d ago12:44

12:44

Sometime around 3,200 years ago, a new civilization became ascendent on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This group wasn’t like the Empires that surrounded them. They weren’t focused so much on land acquisition and conquest so much as they were focused on commerce and trade. For centuries they ruled over trade and commerce in the Mediter…

1
Episode 74 / The Butterfly Story of Art and Water Hosting Maxi Cohen 40:06

24d ago40:06

40:06

This butterfly is excited to be speaking with Maxi Cohen. Maxi is an award-winning artist and filmmaker based in New York City. Her films have played in movie theaters, in film festivals, and on television internationally. Her films, photographs, and multimedia installations have been exhibited internationally and are in the permanent collections o…

1
Edward Teller and the Development of the H-Bomb 14:44

24d ago14:44

14:44

During the Second World War, the United States established the highly secret Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb based on nuclear fission. While the Manhattan Project was ultimately successful, some in the program were thinking bigger. They felt that the explosion from an uncontrolled fission reaction could be used to create an even larger …

1
Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori: 40 Years a Slave (Encore) 11:58

1M ago11:58

11:58

In 1788, the son of the leader of the Confederation of Futa Jallon in West Africa was commanding his 2,000 troops against a neighboring military force and was captured. He was sold into slavery and spent the next 40 years of his life living as a slave in Mississippi. That was until a chance meeting revealed his true identity, which eventually led t…

1
A Conversation with Author and Filmmaker Professor William Gow 57:30

25d ago57:30

57:30

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 20! There are plenty of things we love… and for sure one of them is the world of film and entertainment… especially when it’s Asian American cinema. But what happens when what you see represented in Hollywood becomes blurred with the actual experience in an ethnic enclave… or even drives it? Our conversation today dives…

1
All About Hair 14:52

26d ago14:52

14:52

If you are listening to me speak these words and can understand what I’m saying, then you are a human being. If you are a human being, you are also a mammal, and if you are a mammal, you have hair….or at least the biological capability to produce hair. But why exactly do we have hair? What function does it serve? Why do we have less than other anim…

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