Episodes

July 9, 2025

74: The Great Calendar Reform: Science, Politics, and Dynastic Crisis in China

Send Me A Text Message In 1629, a failed prediction of a solar eclipse by imperial astronomers sparked a crisis that would significantly change the relationship between East and West. This episode examines the forty-year period during which European Jesuit missionaries, led by Adam Schall von Bell,…
June 25, 2025

73: Crisis of Accuracy: Johann Schreck and the 1629 Solar Eclipse

Send Me A Text Message The death of Matteo Ricci in 1610 left the Jesuit mission in China vulnerable, facing waves of persecution and political upheaval that threatened to end European influence in the empire. This episode explores how the missionaries endured by strategically applying scientific k…
June 2, 2025

72: Elements of Translation: The Fusion of Eastern and Western Mathematics

Send Me A Text Message In the early 1600s, a broken mechanical clock in Beijing's Forbidden City became an unlikely catalyst for one of history's most significant cross-cultural intellectual exchanges. This episode explores the extraordinary collaboration between Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit missionary t…
May 20, 2025

71: Between Two Worlds: Matteo Ricci's Bridge Between East and West

Send Me A Text Message In this episode, we delve into the remarkable journey of Matteo Ricci, the Italian Jesuit who accomplished what many deemed impossible: establishing a permanent European presence in the heart of Ming China. After twenty years of patient effort, Ricci's arrival in Beijing in 1…
May 6, 2025

70: The Mandate of Heaven: Astronomy and Divine Legitimacy in Ancient China

Send Me A Text Message In ancient China, astronomy wasn't merely a science but the foundation of political legitimacy. This episode explores how the "Mandate of Heaven" doctrine transformed celestial observation into the cornerstone of imperial authority, creating a system where a ruler's ability t…
April 23, 2025

69: The Scientist and The Church: Politics, Piety, and the Persecution of Galileo

Send Me A Text Message Beyond the simplified myth of a martyr for science lies the true story of Galileo Galilei's fateful collision with the Catholic Church. This episode unravels how astronomical discoveries made through a ...
April 8, 2025

68: Starry Messenger: How Galileo's Telescope Transformed Science

Send Me A Text Message Join us as we explore how a simple optical device in the hands of Galileo Galilei sparked one of history's greatest scientific revolutions. In this episode, we'll journey to Renaissance Italy where Gali...
March 25, 2025

67: The Music of the Spheres: Kepler's Mystical Journey to Scientific Revolution

Send Me A Text Message In this episode, we explore the remarkable story of Johannes Kepler, the 17th-century astronomer whose unique blend of mathematical genius and mystical vision forever changed our understanding of the co...
March 11, 2025

66: Measuring the Heavens: Tycho Brahe and the Birth of Observational Astronomy

Send Me A Text Message In the decades following Copernicus's publication of his heliocentric model in 1543, European astronomy stood at a critical juncture. While mathematically elegant, the sun-centered system failed to pred...
Feb. 26, 2025

65: Before Galileo: The Half-Century When Heliocentrism Infiltrated European Thought

Send Me A Text Message In this episode, we explore the fascinating but often overlooked period between 1543-1600, when Copernicus's revolutionary heliocentric model began reshaping European thought through unexpected channels...
Feb. 11, 2025

64: Unseating Earth: Rheticus, Copernicus, and "On the Revolutions"

Send Me A Text Message In the spring of 1539, a brilliant 25-year-old mathematician named Georg Joachim Rheticus did something that could have cost him his life: he crossed into Catholic territory where his Lutheran faith was...
Jan. 28, 2025

63: The Reluctant Revolutionary: A Mind in Motion, A Life in Balance

Send Me A Text Message This episode explores the remarkable story of Nicolaus Copernicus, a cautious church administrator whose revolutionary ideas about the cosmos emerged through decades of patient observation and calculati...
Jan. 9, 2025

62: The Transformation of Medieval Astronomy: Islamic and Christian Contributions

Send Me A Text Message Medieval astronomy represents a fascinating chapter in scientific history that challenges traditional narratives about the so-called "Dark Ages." During this period, two distinct but complementary intel...
Dec. 27, 2024

61: The Almagest: How Ptolemy Mastered the Planets

Send Me A Text Message Ancient Greek astronomers began with a powerful philosophical conviction that the universe must operate according to rational, mathematical principles. This belief wasn't merely abstract theorizing - it...
Dec. 11, 2024

60: The Two Sphere Model and the Foundations of Scientific Change

Send Me A Text Message The endurance of the two-sphere model of the universe demonstrates how scientific frameworks persist when they successfully explain observations and integrate with broader systems of thought. For nearly...
Nov. 20, 2024

59: How Silver Revolutionized World Trade

Send Me A Text Message The Spanish-American silver trade of the early modern period marks a pivotal moment in global economic history, representing a first step toward true economic globalization. Spanish America emerged as t...
Nov. 8, 2024

58: From New World Silver to Old World Crisis: The Price Revolution Explained

Send Me A Text Message What exactly was the driving force behind the 16th-century price revolution, and how did it transform the economic landscape of Europe? On this episode of "I Take History With My Coffee," we promise to ...
Oct. 25, 2024

57: Money, Markets, and Banks: The Evolution of Modern Finance in the 16th Century

Send Me A Text Message Step into the vibrant world of medieval and early modern Europe, where the foundations of modern finance were forged in the crucible of international trade. Our journey begins in the crowded market squa...
Oct. 9, 2024

56: Gender, Labor, and Economic Change in Early Modern Europe

Send Me A Text Message Have you ever wondered how Early Modern European women thrived in the workforce despite restrictions limiting their roles? Join us on a captivating journey through time as we promise a fresh perspective...
Sept. 26, 2024

55: The Rise of Wage Labor in Early Modern Europe

Send Me A Text Message In this captivating episode, we explore the dramatic transformation of European labor markets during the Early Modern period, a transition that laid the foundation for modern capitalism. Our journey beg...
Sept. 14, 2024

54: From Fairs to Finance: The Evolution of Global Trade

Send Me A Text Message Journey through centuries of economic evolution in this captivating exploration of global trade. We begin with Hans Holbein the Younger's portrait of Georg Giese, a 16th-century Hanseatic merchant, offe...
Aug. 29, 2024

53: To Market, To Market

Send Me A Text Message In this episode of "I Take History with My Coffee," we explore the critical role markets have played in ensuring fair trade and supporting local economies. We get an overview of different markets from a...
Aug. 13, 2024

52: The Fall of Constantinople: A Turning Point in History?

Send Me A Text Message Was the fall of Constantinople a turning point in history? Under Sultan Mehmed II's leadership, the Ottoman forces achieved a historic victory, capturing Constantinople on May 29, 1453. This marked a si...
Aug. 1, 2024

51: The Siege of Constantinople

Send Me A Text Message In our latest podcast episode, we delve deep into one of history's most transformative sieges—the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The Byzantine Empire, once a beacon of strength and culture, faced its u...