Topic: 1916

Historical flooding in Asheville is reviewed, comparing current devastation to the record flood of 1916. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) previously proposed a dam project on the French Broad River in 1971 that might have mitigated current flooding, but it was defeated by local opposition. The segment also touches on historical government experiments with silver iodide for hurricane steering and the moisture impact of the 2022 underwater volcano eruption.

A historical review of the 1916 Preparedness Day bombing in San Francisco highlighted a different societal response to terrorism. Despite a suitcase bomb killing 10 people and injuring 40 on Market Street, the parade continued over the "broken bloody ground." The hosts contrasted this "onward" attitude with modern "shelter in place" protocols.

The history and purpose of changing clocks are debated. While often attributed to farmers, the hosts argue it was a wartime measure introduced in 1916 to confuse the public. Citing Lewis Mumford, they trace the origins of strict timekeeping to monasteries and the military as a system for regimenting "slaves" in the industrial era.