It’s been called “gold for nerds,” and “heaven for speculators.” The media love it, criminals have been buying illegal goods with it, and investors are lining up to buy it. But is Bitcoin the next great thing? Today on Word of Mouth: the prospects and pitfalls of bitcoins. Plus, we look at a new exhibit on the paradoxical power of poison in myth, murder, medicine, and history. And while we’re on the subject of snakes, Producer Taylor Quimby visited the New England Pet Reptile show in Manchester this past weekend and found some warm blooded mammals cuddling their cold blooded pets. Listen to the whole show below or click Read More to listen to individual segments.
The Power of Poison
- Mark Siddallthe curator of "The Power of Poison," an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in New York, talks about snakes and other creepy crawlies that will make your skin crawl. We've got more images and videos to creep you out, right here.
Cleopatra it turns out was well versed in the art of poisoning and envenomation. She is reputed to have taken prisoners and had various snakes bite them to see the outcome.
The New England Pet Reptile Expo
- Producer Taylor Quimby brings us a report filled with cold-blooded reptiles and the warm blooded mammals that love them. Pictures and more from his trip can be found here.
Rethink 2014: How We Talk About Tech
- Amelia Greenhall and Shanley Kane are co-founders of Model View Culture, an online magazine that gives women and minorities a platform to talk about tech.
The Bitcoin Rollercoaster
- Rob Fleischman Chief technology officer at Xero-Cole and our Chief explainer of all things tech, explains what Bitcoin is and why it might not be worth all the hype.
Bitcoin explicitly has nobody backing it. If tomorrow, if Bitcoin disappears, everyone who has bitcoins goes to zero.
