Showing results by narrator "Dan Schoeneberg" in All Categories

How did forgetting to wash a jar make cars safer? A scientist named Édouard Bénédictus accidentally dropped a plastic-coated flask that did not break. This invention was tested and engineered to help today's windshields protect drivers better.

Summer has returned to the beautiful beach but Jake is mourning his grandfather. Gram gives him Grandpa's knife and a wooden seagull to finish carving, but Jake doesn’t think he'll be able to finish what Grandpa started. Walking along the beach for inspiration, Jake sees a special gull he's named Spirit.

Can you imagine visiting a doctor's office for an illness or injury, but getting treated by a robot instead? According to some researchers, this could be the reality in the not too distant future. Ongoing research into artificial intelligence and its use in medicine might someday produce robots that will work alongside human doctors and nurses to deliver the best health care possible.

Learn about how the body processes food by following Joe's pizza lunch—from the plate to his mouth to his stomach and beyond. The nutrients from food are absorbed in the small intestine, which are delivered to rest of the body.

Did you know that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July? In this short play, learn more about the Declaration as Thomas Jefferson himself tells his grandchildren the story of its creation.

Aluminum was once more valuable than gold. A breakthrough in refining aluminum from rock transformed it from rare matter to sandwich wrapper. In this science story, you'll learn how two chemists, Charles Hall and Paul Héroult, solved the problem.

Union Colonel Thomas E. Rose was captured in a Civil War battle and thrown in the brutal and secure Libby Prison. He quickly realizes that tunneling out is the only way to escape and joins forces with Major A. G. Hamilton to begin digging to freedom.

Do you know the Confederacy had a navy during the Civil War? The CSS Shenandoah plundered Union ships in order to disrupt their commerce. Because they were out at sea, though, they never heard that the Confederates had surrendered, and they continued to fight! Learn about how these sailors were the last Confederate force to surrender.

Injured by a cannonball, James Edward Hanger was the first amputee of the Civil War. Determined to find a better solution than a peg leg, he worked to develop his own artificial limb company. He even continued working past retirement, providing Hanger Limbs for victims of World War I.

In a planned conspiracy to burn down major buildings in New York City during the Civil War, eight men of the Confederacy committed acts of terrorism. They attempted to destroy the city and claim it for the South by building a "Greek fire," which is stronger than regular fire because it is caused by chemical reactions.

Many immigrants of various cultures have passed through the port city of Philadelphia before they adapted to the New World. William Penn guaranteed religious freedom to newcomers, which brought many persecuted peoples, such as Quakers, Mennonites, and refugees to the area, and that's only a smart part of the story of Philadelphia.

Native Americans like Squanto provided good fortune for the Pilgrims of colonial America. During this period, tensions were high between Europeans and the Native Americans in present-day Massachusetts. Squanto, Samoset, and Hobbamock served as interpreters and ambassadors, establishing peaceful alliances between these two groups.

America's path to revolution was paved by the great discussions of the Continental Congress, which gathered to address grievances against Great Britain. Adamant that the Colonies remain under British rule, King George III fueled the flames of American independence.

During the Civil War, the lines between Union and Confederate forces were impassable for everyone, even pacifist Mennonites—unless you were sly like a fox. In this adventurous story of historical fiction, discover how a courageous boy finds a way to help his community while respecting his beliefs.

In the late 1700s, young Louis Braille overcame his disability by inventing "night writing," a system of raised dots to help blind people read. This alphabet of raised dots allowed sightless people to live more independent lives.

Charlie Noble is a retired sea captain who lives by the ocean. Though he's not working anymore, sailing is still in his blood. Even his dog understands the language of ships and sailors.

Confederate Major Absalom Grimes carried letters between Civil War soldiers and their families, and became an expert prison escape artist in the process. Hear about Grimes' amazing life of adventure in this historical nonfiction story.

In this adventurous tale of historical fiction, Edward Whymper's struggle to scale the Matterhorn results in triumph and loss, and inspires courage in a young blind friend. As an old man, Emile Favre tells how this famous mountain climber's quest led him to dream beyond his small village in Italy.

This sweet, simple story captures the rhythms of a little boy's week as he yearns for winter to start, and for his favorite treat: hot chocolate. Children will enjoy seeing James help his family prepare for what the adults see as "bad weather" before enjoying what he thinks of as "hot chocolate weather."

Wendell turns every which way but the right way in this funny story about friendship, travel, and the perils of a poor sense of direction. Listeners will love this wacky adventure through Tasmania and its strange animals like the platypus, Tasmanian devil, and wombat.