Half-Arsed History

The printing press is one of or perhaps the most important invention in human history, inspiring revolutions across science, religion, society, culture, and politics by making information more accessible than ever before.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Cadaver Synod, the time a dead pope was dug up out of the ground and put on trial as a corpse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, hear about five of the most ridiculous stories to emerge from the history of papal conclaves - from foul-mouthed brawling, to papier-mache crowns, to the time there were four popes in a single year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clocks are everywhere - we are more or less always surrounded by timekeeping devices of all different kinds, but it was the mechanical clock, specifically, that ushered in an era of accurate, reliable horology.Marshall Sutcliffe from Wristwatch Revival working on the watches I wear:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJFNcfT-7HQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5ziU2-9yOohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eQp4VAjZ00 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Defenestrations of Prague, an account of the multiple time that angry Bohemian Protestants have hurled Catholics out of windows as acts of political protest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, learn all about the papal conclave: what preceded it, its origins, its centuries of history, and all that we know about how it elects popes today, in the 21st century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eyeglasses, as a very important invention, have evolved from an expensive and somewhat unreliable piece of specialist equipment to something that half the world's population makes daily use of.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the (somewhat unverified) tale of Timothy Dexter, who amassed a vast fortune by making some of the most ludicrous business decisions you'll ever hear.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, learn all about Australian elections - how they originated, how they've changed, how they work today, and how their results lead to parliamentary governments being formed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The compass has been used as a navigational tool for a thousand years, guiding ships and aeroplanes around the world - but for a thousand years before that, it served a different (and slightly less useful) role. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.