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The Railroad Journey and the Industrial Revolution
In which John Green teaches you about railroads and some of the ways they changed the world, and how they were a sort of microcosm for the Industrial Revolution as a whole. Prior to the invention of steam-powered railroads, pretty much all locomotion had been muscle-powered. You either walked where you wanted to go or rode on an animal to get where you were going. The railroad changed human perception of time and space, making long-distance travel much faster and easier. Railroads also changed habits, including increasing reading. People needed some sort of distraction to ensure they didn't have to talk to other people on the train. Like any new technology, railroads also scared people. All kinds of fears surrounded rail travel, but over time, people got over them. And the quality of boiler manufacturing improved, so the trains exploded less often, which also made people feel safer.
Aired: Nov 01, 2014 Genre: DocumentaryCasts: John GreenDuration: 12m Rating: 0 Country: United States of America Production: Complexly, Thought Bubble
Seasons
Episodes
01: Rethinking Civilization02: Money & Debt03: Disease!04: War & Human Nature05: War and Civilization06: Climate Change, Chaos, and The Little Ice Age07: Humans and Energy08: Drought and Famine09: How World War I Started10: Who Started World War I11: The End of Civilization (In the Bronze Age)12: The Rise of the West and Historical Methodology13: Asian Responses to Imperialism14: The Railroad Journey and the Industrial Revolution15: Population, Sustainability, and Malthus16: Islam and Politics17: The Mughal Empire and Historical Reputation18: Luther and the Protestant Reformation19: Charles V and the Holy Roman Empire20: World War II, A War for Resources21: Congo and Africa's World War22: Water and Classical Civilizations23: Conflict in Israel and Palestine24: The Vikings!25: War and Nation Building in Latin America26: Iran's Revolutions27: Japan in the Heian Period and Cultural History28: Nonviolence and Peace Movements29: Capitalism and the Dutch East India Company30: Democracy, Authoritarian Capitalism, and China