Episode 120: A history of Technology - part II
The Y in History
The Industrial Revolution took off on the foundation of Mechanical Engineering. But by mid-20th century, post WWII, electronics triggered a new revolution, miniaturizing devices and bringing sophisticated tech into the home. In late 2022 though, ChatGPT heralded the era of Artificial Intelligence.
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Episode 119: A history of Technology
The Y in History
Mechanical Engineering was the first branch of engineering to be understood by ancient civilizations. The wheel and the plough are testament to this fact. From the wheel to the steam locomotive, this episode traces the evolution of human societies and commerce, with the evolution of technology.
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Episode 118: 1991 - India's Economic Liberation and rise as an economic superpower
The Y in History
India's second economic phase began with the landmark economic reforms of 1991, triggered by a balance of payments crisis. These reforms ushered in an era of liberalization, privatization and globalization that dismantled many of the past restrictive economic policies. This shift led to significantly higher growth rates, averaging 6-7% annually, propelling India to become one of the world's fastest-growing major economies.
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Episode 117: 2025 - the Nepal Gen Z Protests
The Y in History
Nepal's Gen Z rose in protest against corruption and nepotism in the country following the social media ban imposed by the government in September 2025. Within a week, the protests had resulted in the Prime Minister stepping down and a new interim Prime Minister being sworn in, after winning an online vote conducted by the Gen Z'ers. So have we finally entered the era of social media, on the political front with the new generation using online platforms to determine the political fate their respective countries?
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Episode 116: The Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials
The Y in History
The Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials were based on the London Agreement, signed on August 8, 1945, which was an accord between the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union to establish an International Military Tribunal to prosecute the major war criminals of the European Axis. It provided a legal framework that codified crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, laying the foundation for the Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials. Beginning on November 20, 1945, 22 Nazi officials were brought to trial in the city of Nuremberg in Germany. And on May 3, 1946, 28 Japanese...
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Episiode 115: Capitalism, Socialism and Communism
The Y in History
Though various forms of Capitalism have existed since ancient times, Adam Smith in 1776, was the first to philosophize the concept of free markets. The Industrial Revolution gave Capitalism a massive boost but the exploitation of labor led Karl Marx to publish the Communist Manifesto in 1848 and Das Kapital in 1867.
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Episode 114: the Bermuda Triangle
The Y in History
The mystery of the Bermuda Triangle dates back to 1492 when Christopher Columbus was attempting to reach Asia. During his journey, he passed through this infamous region of water, and according to his notes, something peculiar happened to his compass. He observed that “at the commencement of the night, the needles turned a half point northwest, and in the morning, they turned somewhat more northwest.” He also reported the sea rising and a flickering light in the distance, like a candle. The mysterious disappearances/incidents within the Bermuda Triangle include Flight 19, USS Cyclops and...
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Episode 113: 2025 - Israel's Operation Rising Lion
The Y in History
On June 13, 2025, Israel initiated Operation Rising Lion against Iran, shifting the balance of power in the Middle East. Iran's nuclear sites were bombed, its Air Defense Systems, crippled and top military leadership and nuclear scientists, assassinated. But did Israel achieve the objectives of this operation?
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Episode 112: A history of Cyberattacks
The Y in History
The first computer virus is believed to have been used in 1969 at the University of Washington Computer Center. A person who has never been named installed a program that came to be known as “RABBITS Virus” on one of the computers. The program began replicating itself until it overwhelmed the computer causing it to shut down. Over the years, the scale and sophistication of cyber attacks has increased and with the advent of AI, digital criminals have jumped on the AI bandwagon and become more lethal.
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Episode 111: Global Aviation Disasters
The Y in History
The 1956 Grand Canyon Air crash, the 1977 Tenerife Air Disaster and the 2005 Air France 744 crash were air disasters that had a lasting impact on avaiation safety.
info_outlineAfter the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the CIA began a covert operation known as “Operation Cyclone”, aiming to support Afghan mujahideen through funding, training, and supplying weapons. Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region became the hub for the mujahideen training camps. Gradually, Pakistan expanded its terror training infrastructure and expertise to its north eastern border with India to conduct a proxy war in the Indian states of Punjab and Kashmir. Pakistan now struggles to contain this Frankenstein it created, in the 1980s.