Ian takes us through the work of Sir John Harington; railing against the muck and mire of court of Queen Elizabeth with the invention of the toilet.

We talk about about how gross and unwashed everyone was in the 1500s, the church's tight-gripped control of the people, that one time they banned the study of Greek to stop people reading the Bible in its original language, and how the closest someone feels to God may indeed be while they're on the toilet.

There's a lot of talk of poop. So, if you're not into that I'm sorry. If you're super into that, welcome- you little weirdo.

Also, we're on the socials now @culturecraft_show!

Come learn about the life and times of Gerardus Mercator. The dude who gave us the first world map and also got it so wrong in so many ways that would have massive implications for the rest of time. We get a glimpse into the bungling chaos that was the Holy Roman Emperor. We talk Humanism, cartography, religion, 1500s politics, and that one time he abandoned his son in the Alps.

Elle takes us through the life of Robert Fulton in his transcontinental search for the new nautical norm.

This is a cool cat. Holding his own with engineers and designers at the age of 12, building the most insane 1-man submarine with hand-held torpedoes for Napoleon, diving into a frozen river to save his friend, Robert Fulton ruled.

This is our inaugural foray into what (at Dave's insistence) we are calling Culture Critters! It's a roundup episode where each of us gets to tell a story we've come across that doesn't quite fit the broader format of the show. It's a chance to include tidbits in history we find fascinating that will hopefully provide broader context for the lives the creators we feature are living.

This week, Ellie takes us on a tour of some remarkable women who played a role in the First English Civil War. Ian scares everyone with the story of the Takata Airbag Scandal. And Dave- being Dave- tells us the story of the Infernal Machine and the world's dumbest assassin. It's bananas and we're still laughing about it.

Finally, RE: Takata Airbag Scandal- please use this link to make sure the car you're driving doesn't have a hand grenade aimed at your face: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

Stay safe, y'all.

Dave takes us through the daring and ludicrous life of terrible capitalist, Frederic Tudor. This is a guy who had bankrupted multiple businesses by age 17 and thought it was a great idea to load a boat full of ice in Boston and try to sell it in Cuba, in 1807.

We'll see if he was right or not.

Also we discuss the shared trauma of Vanilla Ice's 1991 masterpiece, Cool as Ice.

It's a fun one.

This week we dive into the incredible story of Union Leader, Walter Reuther and his battle against the titans of the automotive industry: GM, Chrysler, and the Ford Motor Company. We talk nationwide strikes, harrowing clashes with police, old rich bastards, and Ellie joins the manosphere. It's a good time.

Capability Brown was referred to as the “Shakespeare of English Landscape Gardening”, which we find hilarious. Learn about the life and work of the man who literally reshaped the English countryside. Was he a genius? Was it all an incredible ploy to get paid for doing the bare minimum? Does being called the Shakespeare of Landscape Gardening make any sense to anyone? Let’s find out together!