Deep Dive: Cables, Compromise, and Cosmic Storms: How Communication Shapes Power - August 17, 2025
Monica Kellan and Elizabeth Parker trace how the Atlantic telegraph cable rewired diplomacy and markets, reflect on Nelson Mandela’s strategic empathy and global impact, and unpack the startling physics of thunderstorms that can spawn gamma rays and antimatter.
In this Deep Dive episode, our hosts discuss how breakthroughs and leaders reshape information, power, and our understanding of nature.
• 📜 The laying of the Atlantic telegraph cable and its ripple effects on diplomacy, markets, journalism, and geopolitical control of communication infrastructure—how instant messaging transformed trade, stock pricing, diplomatic tempo, and private investment.
• 🎂 Celebrating the birthdays of Nelson Mandela, Aretha Franklin, and Alfred Hitchcock, with a focused conversation on Mandela’s journey from prisoner to president, his strategic learning of opponents’ culture and language, and how his moral leadership rebranded South Africa internationally—affecting trade, tourism, and investment.
• 💡 Fact of the day: thunderstorms as natural particle accelerators — terrestrial gamma-ray flashes and positron production from lightning, the surprising physics above our heads, and downstream impacts on detector tech, satellites, and practical applications in medicine and industry.
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🎧 Subscribe for more insights.
• 📜 The laying of the Atlantic telegraph cable and its ripple effects on diplomacy, markets, journalism, and geopolitical control of communication infrastructure—how instant messaging transformed trade, stock pricing, diplomatic tempo, and private investment.
• 🎂 Celebrating the birthdays of Nelson Mandela, Aretha Franklin, and Alfred Hitchcock, with a focused conversation on Mandela’s journey from prisoner to president, his strategic learning of opponents’ culture and language, and how his moral leadership rebranded South Africa internationally—affecting trade, tourism, and investment.
• 💡 Fact of the day: thunderstorms as natural particle accelerators — terrestrial gamma-ray flashes and positron production from lightning, the surprising physics above our heads, and downstream impacts on detector tech, satellites, and practical applications in medicine and industry.
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🎧 Subscribe for more insights.
Creators and Guests
Producer
Chad Thompson
Chad Thompson is the producer of Neural Newscast, bringing his expertise in technology, cybersecurity, media production, DJing, music production, and radio broadcasting to deliver high-quality, engaging news content. A futurist and early adopter, Chad has a deep passion for innovation, storytelling, and automation, ensuring that Neural Newscast stays at the forefront of modern news delivery. With a background in security operations and a career leading cyber defense teams, he combines technical acumen with creative vision to produce informative and compelling broadcasts. In addition to producing the podcast, Chad creates its original music, blending his technical expertise with his creative talents to enhance the show's unique sound. Outside of Neural Newscast, Chad is a dedicated father, electronic music enthusiast, and builder of creative projects, always exploring new ways to merge technology with storytelling.
