One-Time Pod

One-Time Pod

One-Time Pod explores the history of cryptography through episodes produced by students in Derek Bruff's first-year writing seminar at Vanderbilt University.

Episodes

August 12, 2021 9 mins
Should people have the right to have their personal data deleted from databases and websites?
Mark as Played
After Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA's surveillance programs, how can Americans trust their government again?
Mark as Played
August 10, 2021 10 mins
Did the US government create a surveillance state in its response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks?
Mark as Played
August 9, 2021 10 mins
Can the US Constitution keep up with changing surveillance technology?
Mark as Played
August 8, 2021 9 mins
What might happen if all modern encryption techniques are rendered useless?
Mark as Played
August 7, 2021 19 mins
Who is behind one of the internet's most intricate and mysterious scavenger hunts?
Mark as Played
August 6, 2021 10 mins
Why are privacy rules for people entering the US so different from the rules that apply within the US?
Mark as Played
August 5, 2021 11 mins
What happens if facial recognition technology is used to exert government power?
Mark as Played
August 4, 2021 8 mins
How might our lives change when we can be identified just by the way that we walk?
Mark as Played
August 3, 2021 11 mins
How much privacy does the American public deserve?
Mark as Played
August 2, 2021 10 mins
Is it legal for police to track suspected criminals using location data from their cellphone providers?
Mark as Played
August 1, 2021 9 mins
Should users of apps like TikTok fear that their data may fall into the wrong hands?
Mark as Played
July 29, 2021 3 mins
Welcome to Season 4 of One-Time Pod. Each student-produced episode tells a story from the recent history of cryptography, one that explores the role of encryption in the world today.
Mark as Played
December 19, 2019 11 mins
How can you hide a message in a piece of music? Today on One-Time Pod, Audrey explores musical steganography, with examples from classical to trance.
Mark as Played
December 18, 2019 9 mins
Sure, breaking the Enigma was hard. But breaking the Lorenz cipher? Without having even seen a Lorenz machine? That’s impressive. Spencer takes us to Bletchley Park in today’s One-Time Pod.
Mark as Played
December 17, 2019 10 mins
His death was mysterious enough. But when encrypted messages were found on his body, things got weird. Chandu explores the McCormick cipher on today’s One-Time Pod.
Mark as Played
December 16, 2019 11 mins
Thomas Jefferson… diplomat, politician, and cryptographer? On today’s One-Time Pod, Stella hops in her time machine to talk with a founding father about his little known cipher machine.
Mark as Played
December 13, 2019 10 mins
It took 150 years, but a cipher challenge posed by none other than Edgar Allen Poe was finally solved. Who was W. B. Tyler and why were his cryptograms so hard to crack? Wayne explores the mystery of Tyler’s cryptograms on today’s One-Time Pod.
Mark as Played
December 12, 2019 9 mins
Twenty years after the Unabomber’s arrest, the FBI published his encrypted journals. Kellia steps into the mind of a killer on today’s One-Time Pod.
Mark as Played
December 11, 2019 9 mins
In today’s One-Time Pod, Daniel explores the parallels between breaking codes and uncovering a lost language.
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.

    iHeartOlympics: The Latest

    Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

    Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

    The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.