This 2022 episode covers the development of penicillin, which started – but definitely did not end – with the chance discovery of some mold in a petri dish.

 

This 2022 episode covers the development of penicillin, which started &ndash; but definitely did not end &ndash; with the chance discovery of some mold in a petri dish.
&nbsp;

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

SYMHC Classics: Penicillin

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/356a333a-70f6-45ac-bb41-b4830156b3c6/transcript

Tracy shares the topics she considered for the recording in the Bahamas but decided against. Holly talks about her admiration for Thomas Huxley.

Tracy shares the topics she considered for the recording in the Bahamas but decided against. Holly talks about her admiration for Thomas Huxley.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Pirate Evolution

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/754e85b9-5eee-4456-bdd4-b498004e38e5/transcript

Huxley is an example of having a good attitude about publicly acknowledging errors and learning from them. He earned the nickname “Darwin’s bulldog” for his very vocal support of Darwin’s work, and he wanted to promote science and education, particularly to people that didn’t normally have access to those things. 

Research:
Bernoulli, D., Jenkyns, H.C. “Thomas Henry Huxley, a stone tablet, coccoliths, and deep-sea sediments in the high Alps.” Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 112, 1661–1669 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-023-02330-5
Bowen, Keith. “Thomas Henry Huxley.” Ebsco. 2024. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/thomas-henry-huxley
Burkhardt, Richard W.. "Jean-Baptiste Lamarck". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Dec. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Baptiste-Lamarck
Darwin, Charles. “On the Origin of Species.” JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. London. 1859. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1228/1228-h/1228-h.htm
Desmond, Adrian J. "Thomas Henry Huxley". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Jun. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Henry-Huxley
Dolan, John R. “The famous and lesser-known illustrations of Thomas Huxley’s Bathybius.” History of Oceanography.  International Commission of the History of Oceanography. https://oceansciencehistory.com/2020/07/13/the-famous-and-lesser-known-illustrations-of-thomas-huxleys-bathybius/
“Freshwater Bathybius.” Nature 4, 49–50 (1871). https://doi.org/10.1038/004049b0
“The Great Debate.” University of Oxford Museum of Natural History. https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/great-debate
“The History of Evolutionary Thought.” Understanding Evolution. Berkeley University. https://evolution.berkeley.edu/the-history-of-evolutionary-thought/1800s/early-concepts-of-evolution-jean-baptiste-lamarck/
Huxley, T.H. “Agnosticism.” K. Paul, Trench. London. 1889. https://archive.org/details/a622650700huxluoft/page/169/mode/1up
Huxley, T.H. “Aphorisms and Reflections. From the Works of T. H. HUXLEY, Selected by
Henrietta A. Huxley. Macmillan and Co. London. 1907. Accessed online: http://aleph0.clarku.edu/huxley/Book/Aphor.html
Huxley, T.H. “Autobiography and Selected Essays.” Riverside College Classics. 1909. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1315/1315-h/1315-h.htm#link2H_4_0007
Huxley, T.H. “Collected Essays, Volume V: Science and Christian Tradition.” https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15905/15905-h/15905-h.htm
Huxley, T.H. “Evidence as to man's place in nature.” D. Appelton and Co. New York. 1863. https://archive.org/details/evidenceastomans00huxl/page/n1/mode/2up
Huxley, T.H. “On Some Organisms Living at Great Depths in the North Atlantic Ocean.” Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science.  viii., new Series, 1868, pp. 203-212. http://aleph0.clarku.edu/huxley/SM3/bathy.html
Huxley, T.H. “On the Relations of Man to the Lower Animals.” Project Gutenberg eBook. 2001. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2932/pg2932-images.html
Joshi RS. “The Inner Root Sheath and the Men Associated with it Eponymically.” Int J Trichology. 2011 Jan;3(1):57-62. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3129131/
Lamarck, Jean-Baptiste. “Zoological Philosophy.” Macmillan. London. 1914. https://archive.org/details/ZoologicalPhilosophy
Lyons, Sherrie L. “Thomas Henry Huxley : the evolution of a scientist.” Prometheus Books. New York. 1999.
McGraw, Donald J. “Bye-Bye Bathybius: The Rise and Fall of a Marine Myth.” Bios, vol. 45, no. 4, 1974, pp. 164–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4607257
“Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1963.” The Nobel Prize. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1963/summary/
Pearce, JMS. “Thomas Henry Huxley.” Hektoen International. Sept. 18, 2020. https://hekint.org/2020/09/18/thomas-henry-huxley/
Schwartz, Joel S. “Darwin, Wallace, and Huxley, and ‘Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation.’” Journal of the History of Biology, vol. 23, no. 1, 1990, pp. 127–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4331120
“Thomas Henry Huxley.” Darwin Correspondence Project. University of Cambridge. https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/thomas-henry-huxley
“Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895).” Humanist Heritage. https://heritage.humanists.uk/thomas-henry-huxley/
Tunstad, Erik. “Darwin's Bulldog: Thomas Huxley 200 Years.” Prosa. July 10, 2025. https://prosa.no/artikler/aktuelt/darwins-bulldog-thomas-huxley-200-ar
Wyhe, John van. “It ain't necessarily so ...” The Guardian. Feb 9, 2008. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/feb/09/darwin.myths

 

Huxley is an example of having a good attitude about publicly acknowledging errors and learning from them. He earned the nickname &ldquo;Darwin&rsquo;s bulldog&rdquo; for his very vocal support of Darwin&rsquo;s work, and he wanted to promote science and education, particularly to people that didn&rsquo;t normally have access to those things.&nbsp;
Research:
<ul>
<li>Bernoulli, D., Jenkyns, H.C. &ldquo;Thomas Henry Huxley, a stone tablet, coccoliths, and deep-sea sediments in the high Alps.&rdquo;&nbsp;Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)&nbsp;112, 1661&ndash;1669 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-023-02330-5</li>
<li>Bowen, Keith. &ldquo;Thomas Henry Huxley.&rdquo; Ebsco. 2024. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/thomas-henry-huxley</li>
<li>Burkhardt, Richard W.. "Jean-Baptiste Lamarck".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Dec. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Baptiste-Lamarck</li>
<li>Darwin, Charles. &ldquo;On the Origin of Species.&rdquo; JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. London. 1859. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1228/1228-h/1228-h.htm</li>
<li>Desmond, Adrian J. "Thomas Henry Huxley".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Jun. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Henry-Huxley</li>
<li>Dolan, John R. &ldquo;The famous and lesser-known illustrations of Thomas Huxley&rsquo;s&nbsp;Bathybius.&rdquo; History of Oceanography. &nbsp;International Commission of the History of Oceanography. https://oceansciencehistory.com/2020/07/13/the-famous-and-lesser-known-illustrations-of-thomas-huxleys-bathybius/</li>
<li>&ldquo;Freshwater Bathybius.&rdquo;&nbsp;Nature&nbsp;4, 49&ndash;50 (1871). https://doi.org/10.1038/004049b0</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Great Debate.&rdquo; University of Oxford Museum of Natural History. https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/great-debate</li>
<li>&ldquo;The History of Evolutionary Thought.&rdquo; Understanding Evolution. Berkeley University. https://evolution.berkeley.edu/the-history-of-evolutionary-thought/1800s/early-concepts-of-evolution-jean-baptiste-lamarck/</li>
<li>Huxley, T.H. &ldquo;Agnosticism.&rdquo; K. Paul, Trench. London. 1889. https://archive.org/details/a622650700huxluoft/page/169/mode/1up</li>
<li>Huxley, T.H. &ldquo;Aphorisms and Reflections. From the Works of T. H. HUXLEY, Selected by Henrietta A. Huxley. Macmillan and Co. London. 1907. Accessed online: http://aleph0.clarku.edu/huxley/Book/Aphor.html</li>
<li>Huxley, T.H. &ldquo;Autobiography and Selected Essays.&rdquo; Riverside College Classics. 1909. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1315/1315-h/1315-h.htm#link2H_4_0007</li>
<li>Huxley, T.H. &ldquo;Collected Essays, Volume V: Science and Christian Tradition.&rdquo; https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15905/15905-h/15905-h.htm</li>
<li>Huxley, T.H. &ldquo;Evidence as to man's place in nature.&rdquo; D. Appelton and Co. New York. 1863. https://archive.org/details/evidenceastomans00huxl/page/n1/mode/2up</li>
<li>Huxley, T.H. &ldquo;On Some Organisms Living at Great Depths in the North Atlantic Ocean.&rdquo; Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science. viii., new Series, 1868, pp. 203-212. http://aleph0.clarku.edu/huxley/SM3/bathy.html</li>
<li>Huxley, T.H. &ldquo;On the Relations of Man to the Lower Animals.&rdquo; Project Gutenberg eBook. 2001. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2932/pg2932-images.html</li>
<li>Joshi RS. &ldquo;The Inner Root Sheath and the Men Associated with it Eponymically.&rdquo; Int J Trichology. 2011 Jan;3(1):57-62. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3129131/</li>
<li>Lamarck, Jean-Baptiste. &ldquo;Zoological Philosophy.&rdquo; Macmillan. London. 1914. https://archive.org/details/ZoologicalPhilosophy</li>
<li>Lyons, Sherrie L. &ldquo;Thomas Henry Huxley : the evolution of a scientist.&rdquo; Prometheus Books. New York. 1999.</li>
<li>McGraw, Donald J. &ldquo;Bye-Bye Bathybius: The Rise and Fall of a Marine Myth.&rdquo;&nbsp;Bios, vol. 45, no. 4, 1974, pp. 164&ndash;71.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4607257</li>
<li>&ldquo;Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1963.&rdquo; The Nobel Prize. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1963/summary/</li>
<li>Pearce, JMS. &ldquo;Thomas Henry Huxley.&rdquo; Hektoen International. Sept. 18, 2020. https://hekint.org/2020/09/18/thomas-henry-huxley/</li>
<li>Schwartz, Joel S. &ldquo;Darwin, Wallace, and Huxley, and &lsquo;Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation.&rsquo;&rdquo;&nbsp;Journal of the History of Biology, vol. 23, no. 1, 1990, pp. 127&ndash;53.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4331120</li>
<li>&ldquo;Thomas Henry Huxley.&rdquo; Darwin Correspondence Project. University of Cambridge. https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/thomas-henry-huxley</li>
<li>&ldquo;Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895).&rdquo; Humanist Heritage. https://heritage.humanists.uk/thomas-henry-huxley/</li>
<li>Tunstad, Erik. &ldquo;Darwin's Bulldog: Thomas Huxley 200 Years.&rdquo; Prosa. July 10, 2025. https://prosa.no/artikler/aktuelt/darwins-bulldog-thomas-huxley-200-ar</li>
<li>Wyhe, John van. &ldquo;It ain't necessarily so ...&rdquo; The Guardian. Feb 9, 2008. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/feb/09/darwin.myths</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Huxley is an example of having a good attitude about publicly acknowledging errors and learning from them. He earned the nickname “Darwin’s bulldog” for his very vocal support of Darwin’s work, and he wanted to promote science and education, particularly to people that didn’t normally have access to those things. 

Thomas Henry Huxley

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/260a3473-d806-4229-901f-b495016b50f8/transcript

For part of its history, Nassau was a notorious hotbed of pirate activity. And it was home to a maritime criminal network known as the Flying Gang.

Research:
"Bahamas, the." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia™, The Columbia UP, 2025. Gale OneFile: High School Edition, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A69385873/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=7f7affa4. Accessed 8 July 2026.
Ahrens, Wolfgang P. “Naming the Bahamas Islands: History and Folk Etymology.” Names and Their Environment. Proceedings of the 25th International Congress of Onomastic Sciences, Glasgow, 25-29. August 2014. Vol. 1. Keynote Lectures. Toponomastics I. Carole Hough and Daria Izdebska (eds).  First published 2016 by University of Glasgow under Creative Commons license. https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_576595_smxx.pdf
Butler, Lindley S. “North Carolina 1718: The Year of the Pirates.” The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 2 (APRIL 2018). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45184933
Cartwright, Mark. "Benjamin Hornigold." World History Encyclopedia, 09 Sep 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/Benjamin_Hornigold/.
Craton, Michael. “A History of the Bahamas.” London. Collins. 1962.
Enthoven, Victor. “‘That Abominable Nest of Pirates’: St. Eustatius and the North Americans, 1680—1780. Early American Studies , Spring 2012, Vol. 10, No. 2. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23547669
Fox, E.T. “Jacobitism and the ‘Golden Age’ of Piracy, 1715-1725.” International Journal of Maritime History, XXII, No. 2 (December 2010), 277-303.
Hahn, Steven C. “The Atlantic Odyssey of Richard Tookerman.” Early American Studies, Summer 2017, Vol. 15, No. 3 (Summer 2017). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/90011103
Keegan, William F. “The Native Peoples of Turks and Caicos.” Florida Museum. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/caribarch/education/tc-peoples/
Kinsella, Pat. “The real pirates of the Caribbean: your guide to Nassau's pirate republic.” History Extra. 1/20/2022. https://www.historyextra.com/period/stuart/nassau-pirate-republic-flying-gang-real-pirates-caribbean/
Lane, Kris. “Pirate Networks in the Caribbean.” From Empires of the Sea: Maritime Power Networks in World History. Brill. 2020. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctv2gjx041.18
Leeson, Peter T. “An‐arrgh‐chy: The Law and Economics of Pirate Organization.” Journal of Political Economy , Vol. 115, No. 6 (December 2007). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/526403
Moore, David D. “Captain Edward Thatch: A Brief Analysis of the Primary Source Documents Concerning the Notorious Blackbeard.” The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 2 (APRIL 2018). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45184934
Queen Anne’s Revenge Project. “Did You Know Blackbeard’s Mentor Was a Pirate Hunter?” 3/8/2018. https://www.qaronline.org/blog/2018-03-08/did-you-know-blackbeards-mentor-was-pirate-hunter
Rediker, Marcus. “‘Under the Banner of King Death’: The Social World of Anglo-American Pirates, 1716.” The William and Mary Quarterly , Apr., 1981. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1918775
Saunders, Gail. "Rogers, Woodes (c. 1679–1732), privateer and colonial governor." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 9 Jul. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-24006
Sheposh, Richard. “Republic of Pirates.” EBSCO. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/republic-pirates
Wilson, David. “The 1715 Plate Fleet and the Rise of the Pirates.” History Today. 6/30/2015. https://www.historytoday.com/1715-plate-fleet-and-rise-pirates
Woodard, Colin. “The republic of pirates : being the true and surprising story of the Caribbean pirates and the man who brought them down.” New York, NY : Mariner Books. 2007.

 

 

For part of its history, Nassau was a notorious hotbed of pirate activity. And it was home to a maritime criminal network known as the Flying Gang.
Research:
<ul>
<li>"Bahamas, the." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia&trade;, The Columbia UP, 2025. Gale OneFile: High School Edition, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A69385873/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&amp;sid=bookmark-GPS&amp;xid=7f7affa4. Accessed 8 July 2026.</li>
<li>Ahrens, Wolfgang P. &ldquo;Naming the Bahamas Islands: History and Folk Etymology.&rdquo; Names and Their Environment. Proceedings of the 25th International Congress of Onomastic Sciences, Glasgow, 25-29. August 2014. Vol. 1. Keynote Lectures. Toponomastics I. Carole Hough and Daria Izdebska (eds).&nbsp; First published 2016 by University of Glasgow under Creative Commons license. https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_576595_smxx.pdf</li>
<li>Butler, Lindley S. &ldquo;North Carolina 1718: The Year of the Pirates.&rdquo; The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 2 (APRIL 2018). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45184933</li>
<li>Cartwright, Mark. "Benjamin Hornigold." World History Encyclopedia, 09 Sep 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/Benjamin_Hornigold/.</li>
<li>Craton, Michael. &ldquo;A History of the Bahamas.&rdquo; London. Collins. 1962.</li>
<li>Enthoven, Victor. &ldquo;&lsquo;That Abominable Nest of Pirates&rsquo;: St. Eustatius and the North Americans, 1680&mdash;1780. Early American Studies , Spring 2012, Vol. 10, No. 2. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23547669</li>
<li>Fox, E.T. &ldquo;Jacobitism and the &lsquo;Golden Age&rsquo; of Piracy, 1715-1725.&rdquo; International Journal of Maritime History, XXII, No. 2 (December 2010), 277-303.</li>
<li>Hahn, Steven C. &ldquo;The Atlantic Odyssey of Richard Tookerman.&rdquo; Early American Studies, Summer 2017, Vol. 15, No. 3 (Summer 2017). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/90011103</li>
<li>Keegan, William F. &ldquo;The Native Peoples of Turks and Caicos.&rdquo; Florida Museum. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/caribarch/education/tc-peoples/</li>
<li>Kinsella, Pat. &ldquo;The real pirates of the Caribbean: your guide to Nassau's pirate republic.&rdquo; History Extra. 1/20/2022. https://www.historyextra.com/period/stuart/nassau-pirate-republic-flying-gang-real-pirates-caribbean/</li>
<li>Lane, Kris. &ldquo;Pirate Networks in the Caribbean.&rdquo; From Empires of the Sea: Maritime Power Networks in World History. Brill. 2020. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctv2gjx041.18</li>
<li>Leeson, Peter T. &ldquo;An‐arrgh‐chy: The Law and Economics of Pirate Organization.&rdquo; Journal of Political Economy , Vol. 115, No. 6 (December 2007). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/526403</li>
<li>Moore, David D. &ldquo;Captain Edward Thatch: A Brief Analysis of the Primary Source Documents Concerning the Notorious Blackbeard.&rdquo; The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 2 (APRIL 2018). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45184934</li>
<li>Queen Anne&rsquo;s Revenge Project. &ldquo;Did You Know Blackbeard&rsquo;s Mentor Was a Pirate Hunter?&rdquo; 3/8/2018. https://www.qaronline.org/blog/2018-03-08/did-you-know-blackbeards-mentor-was-pirate-hunter</li>
<li>Rediker, Marcus. &ldquo;&lsquo;Under the Banner of King Death&rsquo;: The Social World of Anglo-American Pirates, 1716.&rdquo; The William and Mary Quarterly , Apr., 1981. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1918775</li>
<li>Saunders, Gail. "Rogers, Woodes (c. 1679&ndash;1732), privateer and colonial governor." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.&nbsp; January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 9 Jul. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-24006</li>
<li>Sheposh, Richard. &ldquo;Republic of Pirates.&rdquo; EBSCO. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/republic-pirates</li>
<li>Wilson, David. &ldquo;The 1715 Plate Fleet and the Rise of the Pirates.&rdquo; History Today. 6/30/2015. https://www.historytoday.com/1715-plate-fleet-and-rise-pirates</li>
<li>Woodard, Colin. &ldquo;The republic of pirates : being the true and surprising story of the Caribbean pirates and the man who brought them down.&rdquo; New York, NY : Mariner Books. 2007.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

For part of its history, Nassau was a notorious hotbed of pirate activity. And it was home to a maritime criminal network known as the Flying Gang.

The Flying Gang

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ad62bf75-31b4-43fa-8be0-b4920128c46b/transcript

SYMHC Classics: Penicillin

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