エピソード

  • The History of the American Railroad with Albert Churella

    The History of the American Railroad with Albert Churella
    2025/09/17
    Railroads have shaped America’s growth, technology, and daily life for nearly two centuries. In this episode of AMSEcast, Alan talks with Dr. Albert Churella of Kennesaw State University about how innovations such as the automatic knuckle coupler, Westinghouse’s air brake, and the move from steam to diesel transformed safety and efficiency. Dr. Churella explains how signaling, centralized traffic control, and GPS-based Positive Train Control modernized operations. While U.S. passenger service lags Europe, its freight rail system leads the world in ton-miles, fuel efficiency, and low emissions. Albert also previews his forthcoming book on Conrail, reflecting on the railroad industry’s resilience, its economic impact, and its enduring relevance today. About Dr. Albert Churella Dr. Albert Churella is a leading scholar of transportation history and policy with a particular focus on railroads. He earned both his MA and PhD from The Ohio State University and now serves as a professor at Kennesaw State University. Albert’s research explores how railroads shaped American economic growth, technology, and public policy, linking the past to today’s transportation challenges. His work combines rigorous scholarship with a clear, engaging style that reaches beyond academic audiences. In addition to his extensive publications, Albert is widely regarded as an expert who makes the complex history of railroads accessible and relevant to modern readers. Show Highlights
    • (1:40) When the first train operated in the United States
    • (14:13) America’s addition of the air brake and the automatic coupler
    • (28:12) When track signals came into use
    • (40:05) Are trains high-tech now?
    • (45:04) The transition from steam to diesel and where the advancement was developed
    • (58:29) Why railways are still important in the US
    • (1:02:52) What Dr. Albert Churella is working on now
    Links Referenced
    • The Pennsylvania Railroad three-volume series:
      • https://www.amazon.com/Pennsylvania-Railroad-Building-1846-1917-American/dp/081224348X
      • https://www.amazon.com/Pennsylvania-Railroad-1917-1933-Railroads-Present/dp/0253066352
      • https://www.amazon.com/Pennsylvania-Railroad-Decline-1933-1968-Railroads/dp/0253069475
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 9 分
  • AMSE Science Report with Marc Wortman

    AMSE Science Report with Marc Wortman
    2025/08/09
    4 分
  • AMSE Science Report with Richard Ellis

    AMSE Science Report with Richard Ellis
    2025/08/08

    Author Richard Ellis speaks about his latest book The Quest for the Cosmic Dawn. A breakdown of the earliest moments of our celestial cosmic soup.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    4 分
  • When the River Ran Backward with Jay Feldman

    When the River Ran Backward with Jay Feldman
    2025/08/06
    Author and historian Jay Feldman joins host Alan Lowe to discuss When the Mississippi Ran Backwards, his gripping account of the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes. Alan and Feldman explore the quakes’ massive impact, including over 2,000 tremors felt across 1.5 million square miles, and the deep historical context behind them. He explains the ancient origins of the Reelfoot Rift, Tecumseh’s eerie quake prophecy, and how early steamboat travel intersected with disaster. Feldman also recounts a horrific crime against an enslaved teenager, exposed by the quakes, and touches on ongoing seismic risk today. He also discusses reflections from his new memoir. Guest Bio Jay Feldman is an author, historian, and storyteller with a uniquely diverse background. Before turning to writing full-time, he worked as a musician and ran a music store specializing in vintage stringed instruments. He also founded Baseball for Peace, an organization promoting international understanding through sports, and has written for both television and the stage. Feldman is the author of Manufacturing Hysteria: A History of Scapegoating, Surveillance, and Secrecy in Modern America and When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes, which explores one of the most powerful and overlooked natural disasters in U.S. history. Show Highlights
    • (4:32) When the earthquakes occurred and how many there were
    • (9:23) The creation of the Reelfoot Rift and how it became the source of the quakes
    • (12:38) What makes intraplate earthquakes different from other kinds
    • (13:57) Why the Mississippi River ran backwards at the height of the quake
    • (16:11) The creation of Reelfoot Lake
    • (17:54) The legend of Tecumseh’s prophecy about the earthquakes
    • (21:55) How the Roosevelt family was involved with the event
    • (27:55) The crime that was revealed in the wreckage of the earthquakes
    • (32:44) Seismic activity in the area today
    Links Referenced
    • Manufacturing Hysteria: A History of Scapegoating, Surveillance, and Secrecy in Modern America: https://www.amazon.com/Manufacturing-Hysteria-History-Scapegoating-Surveillance/dp/0307388239
    • When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes: https://www.amazon.com/When-Mississippi-Ran-Backwards-Earthquakes/dp/0743242793
    続きを読む 一部表示
    36 分
  • AMSEcast with guest Norm Augustine

    AMSEcast with guest Norm Augustine
    2025/07/30

    In this episode, Mr. Lowe interviews Mr. Augustine. They discuss a variety of fascinating roles that Mr. Augustine has served in over the course of his career. At Princeton he was advised to consider geological engineering but would go on to change his major to aeronautical engineering as he was advised by a peer “that is where the future was.” The range of topics they discuss include American competitiveness, the challenge of putting people on the moon, international travel, the importance of individual talent and the drive to achieve. Undertaking work in the sciences in the context of historical knowledge gives better perspective and provides access to lessons learned in the past.

    続きを読む 一部表示
    55 分
  • AMSE Science Report with guest Jack Kelly

    AMSE Science Report with guest Jack Kelly
    2025/07/30

    In this excerpt from our podcast, AMSEcast, Jack Kelly, author of Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics: The History of the Explosive that Changed the World. Discusses one of the most innovative and compounds ever manufactured.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    4 分
  • STEM of History The Science of Archives

    STEM of History The Science of Archives
    2025/07/29

    We have a great conversation with Lorraine Daston editor of Science in the Archives: Pasts, Presents, Futures.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    35 分
  • Connecting Cultures and Cosmos with Ed Krupp

    Connecting Cultures and Cosmos with Ed Krupp
    2025/07/23
    Dr. E.C. “Ed” Krupp joins Alan on this episode of AMSEcast to discuss the Griffith Observatory and his role as its longtime director. Now in its 90th year, the observatory remains a hub for public astronomy, drawing over 1.6 million visitors annually. Ed shares its educational mission, including a fifth-grade program and immersive exhibits like “Water is Life.” He also discusses archaeoastronomy, the cross-disciplinary study of ancient skywatching, and how visiting historical sites deepens our understanding of past cultures. From the Hopi village of Walpi to upcoming lunar livestreams at Chimney Rock, Ed continues to connect humanity’s cosmic curiosity across centuries through science, culture, and wonder. Guest Bio Dr. E.C. “Ed” Krupp has served as director of the world-renowned Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles since 1974, guiding it through transformative changes and welcoming over 1.6 million visitors annually. Under his leadership, the observatory has become the most visited public observatory on the planet. Ed is also a leading authority in the field of archaeoastronomy—the study of how ancient cultures understood the sky—and has authored several acclaimed books, including Skywatchers, Shamans & Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power. Known for his engaging insights and deep knowledge, Ed continues to inspire public curiosity about the cosmos and our place within it. Show Highlights
    • (1:43) When Griffith Observatory was established and its mission
    • (4:38) Exhibits and programs offered at the observatory
    • (8:51) How they work with students
    • (11:37) When archeoastronomy began to develop
    • (17:02) How astronomical knowledge shapes our place in society and culture today
    • (19:45) Places Ed has visited that have had the most impact on his work and life
    • (25:13) What still perplexes Ed Krupp after all his traveling and learning
    • (26:56) What’s next for Ed and the observatory
    Links Referenced
    • Skywatchers, Shamans & Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power: https://www.amazon.com/Skywatchers-Shamans-Kings-Astronomy-Archaeology/dp/0471329754
    • Website: https://griffithobservatory.org
    続きを読む 一部表示
    32 分