American Innovations podcast

American Innovations

·

  Wondery  

DNA science. Artificial intelligence. Smartphones and 3D printers. Science and technology have transformed the world we live in. But how did we get here? It wasn’t by accident. Well, sometimes it was. It was also the result of hard work, teamwork, and competition. And incredibly surprising moments. Hosted by bestselling author Steven Johnson (“How We Got To Now”), American Innovations uses immersive scenes to tell the stories of the scientists, engineers, and ordinary people behind the greatest discoveries of the past century. Listen to American Innovations on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting [https://wondery.com/links/american-innovations/] (http://wondery.com/links/the-cat-in-the-hat-cast/) now.

DNA science. Artificial intelligence. Smartphones and 3D printers. Science and technology have transformed the world we live in. But how did we get here? It wasn’t by accident. Well, sometimes it was. It was also the result of hard work, teamwork, and competition. And incredibly surprising moments. Hosted by bestselling author Steven Johnson (“How We Got To Now”), American Innovations uses immersive scenes to tell the stories of the scientists, engineers, and ordinary people behind the greatest discoveries of the past century. Listen to American Innovations on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting [https://wondery.com/links/american-innovations/] (http://wondery.com/links/the-cat-in-the-hat-cast/) now.

 

#51

Listen Now: American Scandal | The West Memphis Three

On May 5, 1993, three 8-year-old boys were brutally murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. Th... more

01 Dec 2025

07 MINS

07:49

01 Dec 2025


#50

Listen Now: Business Wars | The Race to Ozempic

Business is war. Sometimes the prize is your wallet or your attention. Sometimes, it’s jus... more

19 Nov 2025

04 MINS

04:03

19 Nov 2025


#49

Listen Now: American History Tellers | The Mayflower

The Cold War, Prohibition, the Gold Rush, the Space Race. Every part of your life - the wo... more

05 Nov 2025

03 MINS

03:31

05 Nov 2025


#48

The Mystery of Stuxnet | Cracking the Code | S57-E1

In the summer of 2010, a mysterious computer virus called Stuxnet lands on the desk of Sym... more

16 Dec 2021

41 MINS

41:01

16 Dec 2021


#47

Man with No Memory | The Accident | S55-E1

Even as recently as the early 1950s, we didn’t understand that there were different types ... more

11 Nov 2021

41 MINS

41:28

11 Nov 2021


#46

Predator Drone | From Albatross to Amber | S54-E1

What if you could design a spy plane that could be flown remotely and hover in the sky for... more

14 Oct 2021

46 MINS

46:34

14 Oct 2021


#45

Pushing Painkillers | An Untapped Market | S53-E1

Doctors once shied away from using opioids to treat chronic pain, citing the risk of addic... more

07 Oct 2021

42 MINS

42:33

07 Oct 2021


#44

Social Media | Find Your Friends | S51-E1

Today social media is such a dominant part of our daily lives, it's hard to believe that o... more

12 Aug 2021

44 MINS

44:48

12 Aug 2021


#43

Fracking | The Source Rock | S50-E1

In the late 1970s, oil and natural gas fields across the U.S. were drying up, making the c... more

15 Jul 2021

46 MINS

46:06

15 Jul 2021


#42

Cryonics | Immortality On Ice | S48-E1

Not everyone chooses burial or cremation after death.Some believe in cryonics, freezing th... more

17 Jun 2021

38 MINS

38:42

17 Jun 2021


#41

Storm Chasers | Tornado Alley | S47-E1

No extreme weather phenomenon fascinates us more than tornadoes. For most of human history... more

27 May 2021

39 MINS

39:36

27 May 2021