Rephonic
Artwork for Engines of Our Ingenuity

Engines of Our Ingenuity

Houston Public Media
University Of Houston
Houston
World War II
World War I
Houston, United States
Galileo Galilei
Music
Second Law Of Thermodynamics
Artificial Gravity
Typewriter
Tin Cans
Steam Engine
Christopher Wren
Golf
LST 325
Chaos Theory
Thomas Edison
Gravity Control
Rotational Structures
Human Physiology

The story of technological progress is one of drama and intrigue, sudden insight and plain hard work. Let’s explore technology’s spectacular failures and many magnificent success stories.

This content is in service of Houston Public Media’s education mission and is sponsored by the University of Houston. It is not a product of our news team.

PublishesDailyEpisodes167Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Engines of Our Ingenuity

Latest Episodes

Episode: 2955 The Friendship Paradox: Why Your Friends Are More Popular Than You Are. Today, let's talk about your friends.

Episode: 3408 When Molecules Bump. Today, a historical injustice.

Episode: 3407 In which we forget that John Jacob Niles gave us some of our best-loved music. Today, who wrote the song?

YouTube

Episode: 1629 An old book tells about textile engineering and conservatism. Today, we resist change.

Key Facts

Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Admiral Michael Mullen
Admiral, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
United States Navy / Joint Chiefs of Staff
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2636: Admiral Michael Mullin and Mathematics
Geraldine Watson
Conservation advocate and founder board member of the Big Thicket Association
Big Thicket Association
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3390: Big Thicket Preserve
Megan Cole
Seattle actor
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1660: Simple Gifts
William Bryant Logan
Author of Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth
Author/Essayist
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1601: Dirt
Jakub Bektas
Historian who discusses the Ottoman telegraph project
Historian
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1597: Ottoman Telegraph
John Kiker
NASA engineer who developed the piggyback shuttle carrier concept
NASA
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3381: Shuttle-Carrier N905NA
Michael Barrett
NASA astronaut, associated with the University of Houston
NASA / University of Houston
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2670: Expanding the Human Environment
Whithold Ribchinski
Writer on technologies of the home, author of One Good Turn
Author/Researcher
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1581: One Good Turn
Kresa Josic
University of Houston researcher
University of Houston
Episode: The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3374: Board Game Design

Hosts

John Leinhardt
Host of Engines of Our Ingenuity; long-time presenter with a University of Houston affiliation.
John Lienhardt
Host of the program; presents historical narratives linking science, engineering, and human stories.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 215 ratings
  • A daily listen for me.

    I have been listening to this program for many years, probably since it first came on some local public radio stations, jazz 88 in St. Paul MN. It happened to be played at drivetime in the evening so every day I learned something from John Leinhardt. I love the fact that he is from Minnesota. And also that he is an aviation enthusiast. These episodes do not age. I hope they continue with new episodes for a long time.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Doc's Mom
    United States8 months ago
  • This cannot end

    I have been listening to this for 3 years and I cannot get enough. I listen to it in the car with my kids, although they are very young they are hearing about the wonders of engineeringand how inventive minds work

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fatnessmonster8
    United States5 years ago
  • My First Exposure to Science

    I remember listening to this show everyday on my way to elementary school. Thank you, John Lienhart for the great memories.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Evanpf
    United States6 years ago
  • Each episode is packed with knowledge, like an espresso bean.

    Great starting point for exploring new subjects.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jbjrcatches
    United States6 years ago
  • Broad range of subjects

    The podcasters cover an amazing array of subjects, but each presented in an engaging short format.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dr. Eitz
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Long-time fans highlight consistency and educational depth across topics.
The show blends science, history, and human stories into concise episodes.
Listeners praise its breadth and accessibility for non-scientists and experts alike.

Top Science Podcasts

Something You Should Know
Something You Should KnowMike Carruthers | OmniCast Media
Hidden Brain
Hidden BrainHidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
Science of Perception Box
Science of Perception BoxUnlikely Collaborators | Pod People
Radiolab
RadiolabWNYC Studios
Big Ideas Lab
Big Ideas LabMission.org
StarTalk Radio
StarTalk RadioNeil deGrasse Tyson
Health Optimization Medicine Podcast
Health Optimization Medicine PodcastHealth Optimization Medicine and Practice
Science Friday
Science FridayScience Friday and WNYC Studios

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per EpisodeGender SkewLocation
InterestsProfessionsAge Range
Household IncomeSocial Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Engines of Our Ingenuity

What is Engines of Our Ingenuity about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Engages with the history and social context of technology, blending archival storytelling with accessible explanations of engineering and scientific progress. Short, tightly written episodes cover inventors, discoveries, and the cultural footprints of science, often tying technical ideas to human narratives and broader societal implications. A notable strength is its broad topic range—from early propulsion and energy to quantum ideas and the philosophy of science—delivered by a consistent host voice affiliated with a major university. Listeners likely appreciate clear, concise case studies that connect tech history to everyday life and ongoing innovation.

Where can I find podcast stats for Engines of Our Ingenuity?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Engines of Our Ingenuity. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Engines of Our Ingenuity and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Engines of Our Ingenuity get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Engines of Our Ingenuity, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Engines of Our Ingenuity?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Engines of Our Ingenuity, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Engines of Our Ingenuity have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Engines of Our Ingenuity has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Engines of Our Ingenuity?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Engines of Our Ingenuity:

1. Throughline
2. the memory palace
3. Big Picture Science
4. Planet Money
5. The History of Egypt Podcast

How many episodes of Engines of Our Ingenuity are there?

Engines of Our Ingenuity launched 21 years ago and published 167 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Engines of Our Ingenuity?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Engines of Our Ingenuity?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Engines of Our Ingenuity from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Engines of Our Ingenuity?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Engines of Our Ingenuity. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Engines of Our Ingenuity?

Recent guests on Engines of Our Ingenuity include:

1. Admiral Michael Mullen
2. Geraldine Watson
3. Megan Cole
4. William Bryant Logan
5. Jakub Bektas
6. John Kiker
7. Michael Barrett
8. Whithold Ribchinski

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days