In history, sometimes someone’s ideas are not fully appreciated until long after their death. Ada Lovelace was such a person. Born in 1815 and raised in a life of privilege, Ada had connections to many famous people, including mathematician Charles Babbage, who pioneered the idea of a computer. As a teen, Lovelace was mentored by Babbage. Gifted in math, she wound up expanding on Babbage’s early ideas, developing what some consider the world’s first computer program. Listen to learn about the story of Ada Lovelace’s life and how, a century after her death, she contributed to modern computer programming.
Story Length: 5:15
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The Lewis and Clark expedition into the Louisiana Purchase and beyond changed America. The team of explorers identified new plant and animal species, opened trade routes, and brought back stories of the West that fired the country’s imagination. They also made contact with Native American tribes, eventually leading to devastating outbreaks of disease and loss of native land. This audio story follows the team of adventurers as they discovered the West and pursued their plan to bring back an unusual pet for the president – a prairie dog.
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Early humans traded goods to get what they needed, but bartering was not practical when one person did not want or need what the other had to offer. Eventually money was invented to make economic exchanges easier and more practical. Listen to hear how our money system evolved, what early currencies looked like, and why people must agree on the worth of currency for it to have value.
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Chocolate is not just a delicious treat, but a relic of the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations where it was first developed. Early indigenous groups ground dried cacao beans into powder to mix with water. Some believed chocolate was a gift from the gods and incorporated it into religious ceremonies. Spanish explorers brought the delicacy to Europe, where food enthusiasts created the first chocolate bars. Listen to learn more about the history of chocolate and why one ancient leader is said to have drunk a gallon of chocolate each day.
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