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The Whiteness Myth

February 9, 2023 • In 1923, an Indian American man named Bhagat Singh Thind argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that he was a white man and was therefore eligible to become a naturalized citizen. He based his claim on the fact that he was a member of India's highest caste and identified as an Aryan and therefore white. His claims were supported by the so-called Indo-European language theory, a controversial idea at the time that says nearly half the world's population speak a language that originated in one place. Theories about who lived in that place inspired a racist ideology that contended that the original speakers of the language were a white supreme race that colonized Europe and Asia thousands of years ago. This was used by many to define whiteness and eventually led to one of the most horrific events in history. On this episode of Throughline, we unpack the myths around this powerful idea and explore the politics and promise of the mother tongue.

The Whiteness Myth

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Scientists Have Found Some Truly Ancient Ice, But Now They Want Ice That's Even Older

Inside of the Blue Ice Drill tent, drillers Tanner Kuhl (left) and Elizabeth Morton (right) work with graduate students Austin Carter, Jacob Morgan and postdoctoral fellow Sarah Shackleton in Antarctica in 2019. John Higgins hide caption

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John Higgins

Science

Scientists Have Found Some Truly Ancient Ice, But Now They Want Ice That's Even Older

December 26, 2020 • Ice is usually ephemeral; it doesn't last that long before melting. But some ice on our planet has stayed frozen for millions of years, according to scientists on a quest to find the oldest ice.

Scientists Have Found Some Truly Ancient Ice, But Now They Want Ice That's Even Older

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Beer Archaeologists Are Reviving Ancient Ales — With Some Strange Results

Beer archaeologist Travis Rupp inspects his latest "Ale of Antiquity," George Washington Porter, surrounded by the oak barrels it fermented in at Avery Brewing Co. in Boulder, Colo. Dustin Hall/The Brewtography Project hide caption

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Dustin Hall/The Brewtography Project

The Salt

Beer Archaeologists Are Reviving Ancient Ales — With Some Strange Results

KUNC

May 26, 2019 • From pre-Incan to Viking-inspired to a George Washington porter, these beer scientists devote their resources toward re-creating age-old flavors. And sometimes that leads to some sticky situations.

Ancient Turkey Bones In Mexico Reveal A Strange Relationship With Humans

Ocellated turkeys stand out for their bright blue heads and iridescent feathers. They're still around the Yucatan today. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption

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Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Salt

Ancient Turkey Bones In Mexico Reveal A Strange Relationship With Humans

January 31, 2018 • New tests reveal humans have long raised the birds, and not just for food. Ancient Mesoamericans were buried with turkeys, perhaps as snacks, companions or status symbols. There was even a turkey god.

Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute excavate the East Gallery of Denisova Cave in Siberia in August 2010. With ancient bone fragments so hard to come by, being able to successfully filter dirt for the DNA of extinct human ancestors can open new doors, research-wise. Bence Viola/Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology hide caption

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Bence Viola/Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Shots - Health News

Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt

January 4, 2017 • Anthropologists in Germany say they may not need old bones to recover ancient DNA. They just analyze dust from the floor of caves where Neanderthals and other now-extinct human relatives once resided.

Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt

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