Best Philipp Epping Podcasts (2024)

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Ep. 148: Imperial Swansong – the End of Henry VII’s Campaign in Italy 37:14

25m ago37:14

37:14

The year is 1312 and Henry VII is finally embarking on his journey to Rome that will bring about the first imperial coronation in almost a century and hence the formal end to the Interregnum, the time without emperors. Becoming emperor is hard enough, but being emperor is even harder, as the first Luxemburger to ascend the throne of Charlemagne wil…

1
Ep. 4 (73) - One Pope, Three Emperors - Emperor Henry VI is dead and his son just 3 years old 30:43

3h ago30:43

30:43

This week we will see the reverse of 1046 when there was one emperor choosing between three popes. Today, we have one Pope, given the choice between three emperors. How could that happen? Last time we looked we had Henry VI. at the peak of his reign, being king of Sicily, having pushed through the inheritability of the imperial title and de-facto e…

1
Ep. 147 – Brescia or Bust – Henry VII’s Big Mistake(s) 34:43

7d ago34:43

34:43

Henry VII had gained control of most of Northern Italy in less than three months. It will take him 9 months to lose it all again. How did he go from bringer of peace and justice and all out saviour of Italy to brutal conqueror and godless tyrant? Let’s find out. The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel …

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Ep. 3 (72) - Clouds on the Horizon - Pope and emperor Henry VI clash over Sicily 29:50

10d ago29:50

29:50

This week we will watch Henry VI’s attempts to make the papacy comfortable with the fact that their neighbour to the south is now the same as their neighbour to the North. Pope Celestin may see it as encirclement by a family whose track record as sons of mother church had been to say it politely, a bit patchy. But Henry VI thinks there is a way to …

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#96: Anti-Science Views with Aviva Philipp-Muller 58:17

3h ago58:17

58:17

Aviva Philipp-Muller studies why people might pass on science. She’s an Assistant Professor of marketing at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University. We talked about her research on people’s openness to science in consumer products and how they’re marketed. She also shared her perspective on how anti-science views are an issue of pe…

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Ep. 146 – The Return of the King – Henry VII’s Journey to Rome 33:49

4d ago33:49

33:49

In the winter of 1310 the emperor elect Henry VII not yet 40 years of age and every inch a king appears in Italy. An Italy torn apart by incessant violence, between and within the cities. Allegedly it is a struggle between the pro-imperial Ghibellines and the pro-papal Guelphs, but 60 years after the last emperor had set foot on Italian soil and se…

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Ep. 2 (71) - To Catch a King - What to do with Richard the Lionheart and his ransom? 27:50

5d ago27:50

27:50

There is one story from the Middle Ages that most people know, the imprisonment and ransom of King Richard the Lionheart of England. The chivalric knight and hero of the Third Crusade is cowardly set upon by a gallery of villains, his brother, John Lackland, the King of France, Phillippe Auguste and the money grabbing emperor Henry VI, ably assiste…

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Ep. 1 (70) - From Father to Son - Emperor Henry VI takes over 32:20

9d ago32:20

32:20

When Barbarossa drowns in the river Saleph in 1190 the crown transfers to his eldest surviving son, Henry, known to History as Henry VI. This is the first time since the accession to personal rule of Emperor Henry III in 1039 that the imperial crown moves from father to grown up son without a glitch. In the previous 150 years, the passing of an emp…

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#95: Marketing Across Cultures with Aaron Barnes 1:01:58

27d ago1:01:58

1:01:58

Aaron Barnes is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Louisville College of Business. He studies how persuasion, branding, and consumer–brand relationships differ between cultures. In our conversation, we talk about Aaron's story and some of his research on how the influence of calling a product "top-rated" versus "best-selling" …

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Ep. 145 How to make Friends and Influence People – The Luxemburgs become Kings of Bohemia 29:46

18d ago29:46

29:46

Henry, the new king of the Romans, just 30 years of age, tall and blond, every inch his forebearer the great Charlemagne had a one track mind. There was one thing he wanted and that was the imperial crown. It is now 60 years since there last had been a crowned emperor. We had such an interregnum before, in the 10th century between the death of empe…

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Ep. 144 - The Rise of the House of Luxembourg - The election of Emperor Henry VII 23:35

25d ago23:35

23:35

On November 27th, 1308 the prince electors chose Henry VII, count of Luxemburg to be their new king of the Romans and future emperor. Little did they know that this decision will give rise to a dynasty that will rule the empire for as many decades as the Ottonian, the Salian and the Hohenstaufen had. A dynasty that featured such emblems of chivalri…

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#94: Bringing Behavioral Science to Government with David Halpern 50:29

29d ago50:29

50:29

David Halpern is the President & Founding Director of the Behavioral Insights Team. It started as a "nudge unit" in the British government but has gone on to become its own company with offices around the world. We talked to David in 2021 when we were gathering interviews for our podcast series, They Thought We Were Ridiculous: The Unlikely Story o…

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Ep. 143 – The Murder of a King - Albrecht I von Habsburg. 34:45

1M ago34:45

34:45

The late 13th century was the sniper’s alley for many a powerful family. The disappearance of great dynasties, the Arpads of Hungary, the Premyslids of Bohemia, the Zaehringer, Babenbergs, the counts of Holland to name just a few wasn’t down to lack of fertility but down to violence. Murder became so common, even those who did not have swords stick…

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#93: A Life in Behavioral Science with Daniel Kahneman 1:05:10

1M ago1:05:10

1:05:10

Daniel Kahneman was a titan in social science. He transformed our understanding of decision-making, he taught a generation about social psychology, he won a Nobel prize. It's hard to overstate his influence. He passed away last week, and the field is mourning the loss. Along with the hosts of the podcast Behavioral Grooves, I interviewed Kahneman b…

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Ep. 142 Adolf von Nassau - A Shadow of a King 30:05

2M ago30:05

30:05

After the death of Rudolf von Habsburg the Prince Electors chose another, now truly impecunious count, Adolf von Nassau to be king. They chose him over Rudolf’s son Albrecht and over the overwhelmingly most powerful prince in the empire, King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. This cultured and competent man became known to German history as a Schattenkönig…

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#92: Can We Fix Social Media? with Andy Guess 59:40

1M ago59:40

59:40

Andy Guess studies how social media platforms shape people’s political views. He’s an assistant professor of politics and public affairs at Princeton University. Last summer, he was part of a big team that released four papers on their analyses and experiments in social media all at the same time. The research was in collaboration with Meta, the co…

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Ep. 141 Rudolf von Habsburg Semper Augustus - Allezeit Mehrer des Reiches 32:59

2M ago32:59

32:59

Martin Rady in his highly amusing and exceptionally well written book on the Habsburg said: “The remainder of Rudolf’s reign up to his death in 1291 was a failure. He did not manage to have himself crowned emperor by the pope and had to make do with the title of king…it was a false dawn, both for the Holy Roman empire and for the Habsburgs” I most …

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Ep. 140 – Rudolf von Habsburg and the Golden King Ottokar II of Bohemia 34:48

2M ago34:48

34:48

This week we will look at what the poor count Rudolf of Habsburg does once he had been elected King of the Romans. This is not the first time the electors have chosen a man of much more modest means than themselves. William of Holland and Hermann von Salm had failed to leverage their elevated status into tangible gains. But Rudolf is different. Thr…

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#91: Being a Social Science Maverick with Sendhil Mullainathan 1:12:09

2M ago1:12:09

1:12:09

Sendhil Mullainathan does a lot of things, and he does them well. He’s a professor of Computation and Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. I originally talked to Sendhil for our podcast series, They Thought We Were Ridiculous. He was well-positioned to give his perspective on a contentious, interdisciplinary f…

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Ep. 139 – The End of the Interregnum - The Election of Rudolf von Habsburg in 1273 37:01

2M ago37:01

37:01

On October 1, 1273 seven princes elected a new king of the Romans. Their choice was a momentous one that set European history further down its path away from a universal empire to separate kingdoms and principalities. The pope had demanded that they come to a unanimous decision so that the empire could again participate in a crusade to stop the rem…

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Catch-up Episode - The Empire from 919 to 1250 50:44

3M ago50:44

50:44

This episode is something I never thought I would do, it is a run through the history of the Holy Roman Empire from 919 AD to 1250, pretty much most of the periods I have covered so far. Why do it? If you’re one of those who have listened religiously to all 137 episodes so far and feel completely up to date with what happened in the past, this will…

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"...Ridiculous" Ep. 5: The Future! 37:53

2M ago37:53

37:53

To look into the future of Behavioral Economics, we talked to three young researchers who are pushing the field further. A new generation of researchers is striving to understand decision-making in the developing world, how brains process economic decisions, and how bigger, more transparent scientific methods can shed light on basic principles of c…

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"...Ridiculous" Ep. 4: Behavioral Economics Goes Mainstream 41:52

2M ago41:52

41:52

Eventually, Behavioral Economics emerged as an influential perspective. It’s become mainstream in Economics, and it’s helped inform programs and policies that affect real people every day. This is the fourth episode of a special series called: "They Thought We Were Ridiculous: The Unlikely Story of Behavioral Economics." For more information, check…

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"...Ridiculous" Ep. 3: Children of Unlikely Parents 31:51

3M ago31:51

31:51

Behavioral Economics was using psychology to understand economics, but what did economists and psychologists think about their unexpected marriage? Slowly, this fledgling field weathered a flurry of criticism from both sides as it doggedly held onto data-driven ideas about economic decision-making. This is the third episode of a special series call…

1
"...Ridiculous" Ep. 2: Importing Psychology 39:37

2M ago39:37

39:37

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky were two psychologists with big ideas about how people made decisions. Their careful research launched a brand new way of understanding people’s choices, and it helped fan the flames of Behavioral Economics. This is the second episode of a special series called: "They Thought We Were Ridiculous: The Unlikely Story o…

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"...Ridiculous" Ep. 1: Beyond Anomalies 38:15

3M ago38:15

38:15

For years, neoclassical economists have made an unusual assumption—that people are rational decision-makers. But a few social scientists have dared to challenge that assumption. They’ve collected observations, analyzed data, and presented their perspective. Their work would usher in a new era of Economics. This is the first episode of a special ser…

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Introducing: "They Thought We Were Ridiculous: The Unlikely Story of Behavioral Economics" 2:37

3M ago2:37

2:37

Coming February 26th! I team up with the guys at Behavioral Groovesto produce a 5-part podcast series on behavioral economics. We tell the story of how some young social scientists took issue with assumptions that economists were making about how people make decisions, and they ended up transforming the field. Their insights went on to shape govern…

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Ep. 137 – The Conversion - Albrecht, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order becomes a protestant duke 29:18

3M ago29:18

29:18

This week we will talk about the end of the rule of the Teutonic Knights in Prussia. Instead of a land ruled by a chivalric order answering to the pope, Prussia became a secular state, ruled by a protestant prince and run by a newly created class of land-owners, the famous Prussian Junkers whose impact on German history stretched well into the 20th…

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Ep. 136 – 13 Years of War - The Prussian League shifts allegiance 28:24

3M ago28:24

28:24

The theocratic state of the Teutonic Knights had survived the devastating defeat at Tannenberg with most of its territory intact. But underneath the foundations of the edifice are crumbling. The economy is in tatters, the theological justification for their existence has disappeared and their power as a military force has failed to keep up with the…

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#90: How Prejudice Works with Jack Dovidio 56:14

3M ago56:14

56:14

Jack Dovidio's work is at the heart of how we currently understand the psychology of prejudice. He's spent his career considering where prejudice comes from, how people express it, how it biases people's judgments and behaviors, and what we could do to address it. He's an emeritus professor at Yale University, and he's also just a really pleasant g…

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Ep. 135 - After Tannenberg - The rule of the Teutonic Knights in Prussia weakened 26:51

4M ago26:51

26:51

Last week we ended with the famous battle of Tannenberg or as the Poles would call it Grunwald and the Lithuanians Zalgiris. This battle is not just famous for its outcome but also for the various accounts of what happened. There is a Polish version there is a Lithuanian version and there's obviously a German version, actually 2 German versions. Th…

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Ep. 134 – Tannenberg / Grunwald / Žalgiris - A battle of many names 41:11

4M ago41:11

41:11

This week we look at the reasons the golden age of the Teutonic knights came to an abrupt end at the beginning of the 15th century. It is a sequence of events that involve some remarkable Polish and Lithuanian princes, the Templars, and of course – The brothers of the house of St. Mary of the Germans in Jerusalem. Ah, and a very famous battle. Epis…

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#89: Opinions of our Partners with Jim McNulty 52:10

4M ago52:10

52:10

Jim McNulty is a professor of psychology at Florida State University. He studies close relationships, and in this episode, we talk about his research on "automatic partner attitudes." When someone sees their romantic partner, their feelings about that person spring automatically to mind. And sometimes those feelings conflict with what they openly S…

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Ep. 133 – The Order of the Order - The organisational structure of the Teutonic Knights 31:43

4M ago31:43

31:43

In the century that followed the last of the Prussian and Livonian uprisings the states of the Teutonic Order in the Baltic experienced a period of economic growth and internal and external stability that is almost unique in the chaotic 14th century. Whilst Europe was in the grip of the Hundred-Years War, an incessant merry go round of internecine …

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BONUS: "Best" of Opinion Science (2023) 1:02:14

4M ago1:02:14

1:02:14

Happy New Year! For the first time in the show's history, this episode's a day late. Sorry, dear listeners. So it's 2024, and what better way to kick off the new year than to dive into some nostalgia for 2023 already? As has become tradition around here, I compiled some clips of favorite moments on the podcast from the last year. As I say every yea…

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Ep. 132 – The Battle on the Ice - Alexander Nevsky, Sergei Eisenstein and what really happened 38:17

4M ago38:17

38:17

This week we look at the activities of the Teutonic order in Livonia during the 13th century. The situation in Livonia was profoundly different to Prussia and posed a number of new challenges for the brothers. In Livonia there were the powerful bishops of Riga to contend with who had led the crusade there since its inception in the 1180s. The Hanse…

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Ep. 131 – The Conquest of Prussia (Part II) - The second, third and n-th Prussian uprising 31:59

5M ago31:59

31:59

Last week we left the action after the Teutonic Knights had signed the peace of Christburg in 1249 to put an end to the first Prussian revolt. The local population had risen up with the help of duke Swantopolk of Pomerelia who feared for the commercial success of his main city, the city of Danzig/Gdansk. After 7 years of war and devastation the pop…

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#88: Studying Happiness with Liz Dunn 53:14

5M ago53:14

53:14

Elizabeth Dunn studies the psychology of happiness. One of her major research areas has looked at generosity's effects on well-being. We're happier when we spend money on other people. But studying happiness has its challenges, especially if we want to build strategies that help people feel happier. So, she shared a snapshot of her research on happ…

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Ep. 130 – The Conquest of Prussia (Part I) - from Konrad of Masovia's offer to the first Prussian revolts 35:30

5M ago35:30

35:30

Last week we heard about Konrad of Masovia’s offer of the Kulmer Land to the Teutonic knight. This week we will talk about what they did once they had accepted the offer. The first knights arrived in 1226 but it would take almost 6o years before their new principality of Prussia was fully established. The Prussians, despite initially being lightly …

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Ep. 129 - Hermann von Salza - Diplomat and Grand Master of the Teutonic Order 38:13

5M ago38:13

38:13

“.. the far-sighted planning of Grand Master Brother Hermann von Salza had so strengthened the Teutonic Order that it had many members and such power, riches and honour that word of its fame and good reputation had spread the length and breadth of the empire.” So describes the chronicler Nicolaus von Jeroschin the role of the fourth and arguably mo…

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#87: How Juries Decide with Mikaela Spruill 56:01

6M ago56:01

56:01

Mikaela Spruill studies juries and the legal system’s role in sustaining social inequalities. She’s a postdoctoral fellow in criminal justice with SPARQ at Stanford University. In our conversation, Mikaela shares the benefits and drawbacks of juries in the courtroom, how scientists study jury decision-making, and how jurors apply very specific lega…

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Ep. 128 - A Chivalric Order - The beginnings of the Teutonic Knights 41:21

5M ago41:21

41:21

Hello and welcome to a new season of the History of the Germans, the Teutonic Knights or to give them their full title, the knights of the hospital of St. Mary of the House of the Germans in Jerusalem. Even though the state they had created in Prussia has been wiped off the map with all its cultural markers, the Teutonic Knights are not forgotten. …

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An Interview with Carsten Jahnke 39:57

6M ago39:57

39:57

Professor Carsten Jahnke, one of the leading historians on the Hanse has kindly granted us an interview where we discuss how the Hanse network functioned and how the perception of the Hanse has changed dramatically over the last 200 years, a story that almost as interesting as the history of the Hanse itself. As listeners of the last season of the …

1
#86: Framing Political Issues with James Druckman 57:37

6M ago57:37

57:37

James Druckman studies how political messages can shape people's opinions. He is maybe best known for his work on framing issues as a strategic communication strategy. He also has a recent paper on "a framework for the study of persuasion," which organizes the many variables that matter for persuasion. For a transcript of this episode, visit this e…

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#85: Having Curious Conversations with Mónica Guzmán 52:19

6M ago52:19

52:19

Mónica Guzmán wants us to have better conversation with the people we disagree with. She's the Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, and in 2022, she released her book, "I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times." This year, she launched a brand new podcast called "A Brav…

1
Ep. 127: The Art and Culture of the Hanse 25:21

6M ago25:21

25:21

Our history of the Hanse has come to an end, not with a bang but with a whimper. Of the things that have remained we have already talked a lot, the ideal of the honourable Hanseatic merchant, the cultural and political links to Scandinavia and the stories. The stories of the famous pirates, Klaus Störtebecker and Hans Benecke, the heroics of the wa…

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Ep. 126 - A Brief History of Bremen 33:01

7M ago33:01

33:01

Bremen was geographically and politically quite different from the other cities, ploughing its own furrow. In response the other Hansards did not trust the citizens of Bremen. There is also the minor issue that Bremen sheltered a lot of pirates. Still as the Hanse declined politically, Bremen took on an ever-larger role until becoming one of the la…

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#84: Moral Lessons in Media with Lindsay Hahn 59:02

7M ago59:02

59:02

Lindsay Hahn studies how entertainment media convey moral messages, especially among children. She's an assistant professor of communication at the University at Buffalo, where she leads the Media Psychology and Morality Lab. We talk about her background, how her team surveys media for the moral lessons they communicate, and how her new work is tur…

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Ep. 125 – The Rise of Hamburg in the 16th century and beyond 34:22

7M ago34:22

34:22

The last two episodes may have left you with a sense of gloom and foreboding about the great Hanseatic cities. But here is the counterintuitive fact, the Hanse may continuously loose political power and economic relevance, but the cities that make up the association are flourishing. Not all of them but some, Hamburg and Danzig in particular. Why it…

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Ep. 124 – Decline and Fall (Part 2) - Jürgen Wullenwever's and Lübeck's last stand 41:49

7M ago41:49

41:49

1531-1535, a period of just 4 years is enough to capsize Lübeck’s position as the diplomatic heart of the Baltic Sea, general secretary of the Hanse, ally of both the king of Denmark and the king of Sweden and early member of the Schmalkaldic League. How can that happen? As Edward Gibbon would say: History, in fact, is no more than a list of crimes…

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