Historical Blindness

While in the past I've discussed newspaper hoaxes as a historical forerunner of today's "fake news," in this episode I go deeper into the history of American journalism, looking at the party press era and yellow journalism to seek historical insight into journalistic bias and search for any example of the kind of propaganda we see in conservative news outlets today.Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!  Support the show at www.patreon.com/historicalblindness. Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Something (bonus track)," "April," "Great Expectations," "Delirium," "Homeroad," "Scenery," "Salue," and "Wake Up" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In place of the full-length second part of my history of astronomical discovery, Hidden Bodies, which has been reserved exclusively for my patrons on Patreon, please enjoy this bonus Blind Spot about media hoaxes related to some of the erroneous astronomical observations discussed in the last episode. Patrons on Patreon had access to this minisode more than a week ago. It's a good example of the content typically exclusive to patrons. Pledge support for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/historicalblindness! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Backward notions of our place in the universe, illusory signs of extraterrestrial life, phantom planets--In this episode, I survey the development of our understanding of the solar system and beyond, learning how erroneous ideas, even those that were popular for a long time, are eventually overturned, revealed to be false by the light of science. Pick up my principal source for this episode, Dispatches from Planet 3 by Marcia Bartusiak.Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.    Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Seeker," "Sentinel," "Tumult," "July," and "Harbor" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I explore the long history of vaccine criticism and anti-vaccination rhetoric in order to dispel myths and misconceptions about this historic medical breakthrough and to encourage vaccination against Covid-19. Find out where you can get vaccinated if you are a U.S. resident. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found! If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services.Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at "@HistoricalBlindness," or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Salue," "Denouement," "Sentinel," "Plague," "Harbor," "Comatose," "Tumult," "Seeker," and "Wake Up" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi Patrons! Ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility, I want to talk about trans persons in history, and how academia handles trans history, with a special focus on the incredible story of Chevalier d'Eon, a story of mystery and intrigue with enough twists that it would make for a compelling film. Pledge support at www.patreon.com/historicalblindness.Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!   If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services.Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Seeker," "Plague," "Maree," "Denouement," "Mercy," "Evermore," "daemones," "Global Warming," and "Homeroad" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following up my series on the Lost Tribes of Israel, we look at the rich American tradition of archaeological frauds claimed as evidence of Pre-Columbian Trans-Oceanic Contact, the "Mound Builder Myth," and Mormon beliefs about American prehistory.Pledge support on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historicalblindness Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services.Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Seeker," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Delirium," "Great Expectations," "Sentinel," "Tumult," "Mercy," and "Harbor" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part 2 of my series on the legend of the Lost Tribes, we see how this historical myth has evolved in different eras as the basis for numerous insidious theories of racial origin. Here again are many of the hallmarks of subjects I cover on the podcast: bad etymology, pseudo-archaeological hoaxes, outrageous interpretations of scriptures, and people holding up false history as justification for hate and exploitation. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found! If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services.Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Comatose," "Smoldering," "Interception," "Laburnum," and "Wake Up" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first part of a 2-part series on the Lost Tribes of Israel. This topic contains a lot of the hallmarks of this podcast's most interesting subjects: myth, legend, apocryphal scripture, texts of uncertain authorship, literary hoaxes, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, faulty scholarship, and dubious religious beliefs. If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services.Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Daylight PON II," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Marée," "daedalus," "Low Horizon," "Salue," and "daemones" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look at Presbyter Johannes, or Prester John, a legendary Christian king of a faraway land filled with wonders. Who authored the hoax that propagated his legend, and how valid are the various theories of his historical identity? If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services.   Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "daemones," "Smoldering," "Global Warming," "Marée," "daedalus," "Plague," "Comatose," and "Behind Your Window" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm running late on the next full-length episode, so here's a patron exclusive I did in January last year when I was running behind for other reasons. After talking about what's going on with me know (and what was going on with me back then), enjoy an episode about the mysteries surrounding Cleopatra and her son, which ties in a bit with the cold open on the last episode, about the destruction of the library at Alexandria. (Disclaimer: I am aware that I get it a bit wrong in this minisode when assigning responsibility for the fire that may have destroyed the library, but my last episode got it right, so it's all good.)If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, contact visit the Podcast Professor www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to talk about our audio editing and consultation services.  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or at venmo.com/HistoricalBlindness. Additionally, you can support the show by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional background song, "laburnum," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices