The Apache were more than fierce warriors; they were farmers, traders, and innovators who created a vibrant culture rooted in ceremony, kinship, and respect. Dr. Roy traces their migration into the American Southwest, their clashes with Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. armies, and the devastating genocides they endured. From their matrilineal traditions to their legendary leaders like Geronimo and Cochise, the Apache story is one of survival, adaptation, and resistance.

Takeaways:

• The Apache as part of the Athabascan migration from northwestern Canada to the American Southwest.
• Distinctions between raiding and war in Apache society, and why raids were designed to avoid violence.
• The matrilineal and matrilocal structure of Apache families and its impact on property, marriage, and ceremonies.
• Encounters with Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. forces, including scalp bounties and massacres.
• Legendary leaders such as Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, Victorio, Nana, and Geronimo.
• The devastating loss of life and culture from 19th-century wars and forced relocations.
• The resilience of the Chiricahua Apache, from imprisonment as “prisoners of war” to surviving into the 20th century.

Resources & References:

• Accounts of Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, and Geronimo.
• The Gadsden Purchase (1854) and its role in U.S.-Mexico relations.
• The Bascom Affair (1861) and the outbreak of war with Cochise.
• Standing Bear v. Crook (1879) and Native American legal rights.
• Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the eventual resettlement of the Chiricahua Apache.

Beyond the podcast:

• Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video.
• Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!

This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked the end of the Roman Empire after more than 2,000 years and the rise of the Ottomans as a dominant global power. Dr. Roy explores the centuries of turmoil that led to this moment: Mongol invasions, the Black Death, fractured kingdoms, and shifting alliances. With vivid detail, he traces Mehmed II's relentless campaign, the innovations of siege warfare, and the last desperate defense of the Byzantine world.

Takeaways:

• How the Mongol invasions set the stage for centuries of upheaval in the Middle East and Europe.
• The fragmentation of the Roman Empire and the weakening of Byzantium after the Crusades.
• The rise of Mehmed II as a young sultan obsessed with taking Constantinople.
• The building of massive cannons, including the legendary “Basilica,” to batter the city’s famed walls.
• The ingenious naval maneuver of dragging ships over greased logs into the Golden Horn.
• The desperate final stand of Constantine XI and the multinational defenders of the city.
• Why the fall of Constantinople was not just an ending, but the beginning of a new imperial age.

Resources & References:

• Genghis Khan and Timur Lang.
• The Black Death (1347-1351) and its long-term impact on population and immunity.
• Orban’s great cannon, “Basilica”, and other Ottoman siege innovations.
• Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Byzantine emperor.
• The fall of Constantinople (1453).
• Vlad the Impaler, aka "Dracula".

Beyond the podcast:

• Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video.
• Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!

This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).

Language isn’t just communication; it’s power. Drawing on insights from Malcolm X, George Orwell, and political history, Roy unpacks how misused words blur meaning and control our thinking. He then decodes the difference between countries, states, provinces, and nations, and why these distinctions matter for understanding politics, legitimacy, and sovereignty.

Takeaways:

• Why Malcolm X studied the dictionary in prison, and what it reveals about language and empowerment.
• George Orwell’s 1984 and the dangers of shrinking vocabulary.
• The difference between accuracy vs. precision, theory vs. hypothesis, and why the misuse of words weakens critical thinking.
• Clear definitions of country, state, province, nation, and nation-state with real-world historical examples.
• How legitimacy, revenue, and violence form the foundations of sovereignty.
• The role of identity in creating nations, from the Navajo to the Rohingya.
• Why states fail, how legitimacy erodes, and what history teaches about repeating cycles.

Resources & References:

• Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• George Orwell, 1984
• Harvard Implicit Bias Test (IAT)
• Case studies: Punt, Burgundy, Navajo Nation, Brexit and the EU, the Rohingya people, failed states like Somalia
• U.S. Constitution and Articles of Confederation

Beyond the podcast:

• Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video.
• Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!