Showing results by author "iMinds" in All Categories

Learn the history of the Spanish Inquisition with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Spanish Inquisition was a governing authority started by the crown in the late-15th century. It included a network of spies who worked across the state to ensure Spaniards conformed to the accepted behaviour of traditional Catholic subjects. t was relentless in ensuring Catholic orthodoxy within Spain. But why was Spain so self-conscious in ensuring a singular religious identity?

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is one of the world's most famous conspiracy theories. It is a statement of prejudice and paranoia, a fake historical record and a grand hoax all rolled into one.

Learn the history of the Magna Carta with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Magna Carta: the great document has become synonymous with the power of the people. A medieval English charter of 63 clauses, it has become one of the most famous legal documents in history. Those who wrote the American Declaration of Independence claimed to have been inspired by it.

Learn about inflation with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Inflation is the increase in the general price of goods and services brought about through either an increase in the amount of money in circulation or by an increase in costs. Historically, inflation often occurred due to the acquisition of new gold deposits. For example, inflation occurred in Europe when Europeans brought back gold from their new American colonies in the Early Modern period.

Learn about the crimes of Jack the Ripper with iMinds insightful audio-knowledge series.

In late 1888, a series of brutal murders took place in the impoverished Whitechapel district of London. At least five women were attacked. The killer liked slitting the throats of the victims. The victims' abdomens were then sliced and several organs were removed. This serial killer became known as Jack the Ripper.

Learn about the history of the Tower of London with iMinds Travel's insightful audio knowledge series. The Tower of London offers an impressive skyline for England's capital city. Much of the awe tourists have for the Tower comes from its vastness. For the Tower of London is not just a single tower, but many buildings within the same complex.

The House of Plantagenet was a royal house of 15 monarchs who ruled England from 1154-1485. The Plantagenets originally came from France, where they ruled a county called Anjou. They were a strange and powerful family, complex and prone to insanity. Their founder, Count Fulk III (known as "The Black"), had his wife burned at the stake in her wedding dress when he discovered she was sleeping with a goatherd.

In the 1830s, a young naturalist called Charles Darwin set out as part of a survey expedition on the HMS Beagle. Darwin collected fossils and different species of plants and animals, and made many detailed observations that inspired him to develop what once seemed an absolutely crazy idea - a theory that would change the world.

Learn about the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Bermuda Triangle is a large stretch of ocean in the Caribbean. It is infamous for numerous unexplained disappearances of boats and aircraft. What goes on in the Bermuda Triangle is one of the world's greatest mysteries. Many believe supernatural phenomena or extra-terrestrial activity occurs there.

Learn about the science of Forensics with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Forensics is the use of science to solve crimes. The word "forensics" comes from the Latin term "for ensis", which is closely related to the modern English word "forum". This close connection highlights the strong linkage between forensic evidence and courts - or forums - of law.

Learn about the Rosetta Stone with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. In 196 BCE, priests of all the gods of Upper and Lower Egypt assembled at Memphis to celebrate the accession to the throne of the boy king Ptolemy V. He was already in the ninth year of his reign, but this was the first time that such a momentous gathering as this had taken place.

Learn about the Seven Archangels with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The history of Angels rests predominantly in the Middle East. Other cultures had gods, goddesses or faeries, but in the Middle East they worshiped angels as their gods. Once the idea of a single all powerful God evolved, however, it was necessary to create another space for angels. And so, they became known as mediators between the newly created all powerful God and his servants - humankind- on Earth.

Throughout the world, there are hundreds of lakes in which monsters are said to live. None of these lake monsters is more famous than the Loch Ness Monster, who is said to inhabit Loch Ness in Scotland.

Learn about Gold Trading with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Gold trading is the investment in and trading of gold as a commodity. It is similar to trading in other commodities such as oil or wood, though there are factors that differentiate it. Gold has represented money and wealth for millennia in different forms. In the present day, we are able to freely own and trade gold in various forms, from gold bars to shares in gold mining companies.

According to most economics textbooks, human beings are super-rational creatures who know what is in their own best interests and always act accordingly. When making a decision to purchase, the rational consumer would not buy something on the spur of the moment, or on the recommendation of a friend. Sound realistic?

Learn about the Stockholm Syndrome with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. At first glance, two of the most notorious bank robberies of the 1970s would seem to have nothing in common. They occurred eight months apart, for different motives, on opposite sides of the globe. But these two incidents would prove seminal to the development and understanding of a curious and once controversial psychological condition: the Stockholm Syndrome.

Learn about UFOs with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. On 25 June 1947, Kenneth Arnold, a United States Forest Service employee and private pilot, witnessed nine Unidentified Flying Objects in the sky near Mount Rainier, Washington. This incident was to mark the beginning of a rapid increase in public interest in UFOs. Arnold, who at the time was searching for a downed transport plane, originally thought the objects he saw were jets. However, on closer inspection, he realised the objects had no tails and all but one looked like flat disks.

Learn about the history of the amazing Eiffel Tower in Paris with iMinds Travel's insightful audio-knowledge series. It was once the tallest building in the world. Each year it attracts millions of visitors making it the worlds most visited paid monument. It is both a global icon and the symbol of an entire nation. Yet, it was actually intended to be taken down and sold as scrap metal just a few decades after its erection. We are talking about the Eiffel Tower; the postcard image of France and a modern engineering masterpiece.

Learn about the history of Buckingham Palace in London with iMinds Travel's insightful audio-knowledge series. Walking through Buckingham Gate is like stepping into an entirely different London. This is a London far removed from the hustle and bustle of the long and crowded public streets, such as Piccadilly and Regent. Hemmed in by large parks, the area surrounding this world famous palace seems almost unnaturally hushed....

This collection includes the story of 6 of Paris' most famous and beautiful destinations - The Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, The Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, The Champs Elysees and The Louvre. iMinds will tell you the story behind the place with its innovative travel series, transporting the armchair traveller or getting you in the mood for discover on route to your destination.