You’ve heard the story of the astronauts. But you probably haven’t heard the story of the 400,000 people, the hand-woven software, and the management revolution that actually got them there.

In this episode of Distilled, we decode Charles Fishman’s One Giant Leap to reveal how the Apollo program didn't just land on the Moon—it invented the modern digital world. From the "Little Old Ladies" who wove the guidance computer's memory by hand to the bras-turned-spacesuits, we explore the impossible engineering behind the history.

Then, we pivot to the hard science. We look at the raw Assembly code of the Apollo Guidance Computer to debunk the myth of the "1202 Alarm" and analyze a 2025 study on lunar dust toxicology that changes how we think about future bases on the Moon.

🎧 About Distilled: We blend Pop Science with Hard Science. Every week, we take a fascinating non-fiction book, summarize its core message, and cross-reference it with the latest academic literature. No fluff. Just the essence.

Research & Sources: Ep.4 Research Companion

In 1945, President Harry Truman dissolved America's spy agency because he feared creating an "American Gestapo." When he established the CIA two years later, he didn't want James Bond—he asked for a daily newspaper to coordinate government information.

So, how did a bureaucratic newsletter evolve into a global machine for coups and covert action?

In this episode, we distill the chaotic origins of the Central Intelligence Agency (1947–1953). We move beyond the Hollywood myths to examine the "Georgetown Set"—the group of Ivy League socialites and Wall Street lawyers who built the Agency's dark side over cocktails on Sunday afternoons.

In this distillation, we cover:

• The "Newspaper" Myth: Why Truman’s original vision for the CIA failed immediately.

• The Georgetown Set: How Frank Wisner, Richard Bissell, and the "Very Best Men" treated the Cold War like a romantic game.

• The Legal Trapdoor: A breakdown of NSC 10/2 and the invention of "Plausible Deniability."

• Deep Dive: We deconstruct Tim Weiner’s Legacy of Ashes and debunk the famous Eisenhower quote regarding the Agency’s failure.

The Distillate (Actionable Insights):

• • Efficiency vs. Effectiveness: Why Frank Wisner’s "Mighty Wurlitzer" was loud but ineffective, and how to spot "Action Bias" in your own strategy.
  • Secrets vs. Mysteries: The Sherman Kent distinction that every decision-maker needs to know.
  • The Red Team: How to institutionalize dissent to prevent your own Bay of Pigs.

  
  

  📚 Research & Sources: Ep.3 Research Companion

The British Government didn't conquer India. A startup did.

In 1599, a group of merchants gathered in a London office to form a venture. Two hundred years later, that venture controlled half the world’s trade and commanded a private army of 260,000 men—twice the size of the British Royal Army.

In this episode, we distill William Dalrymple’s masterpiece, The Anarchy, to understand how the East India Company became the original "Too Big To Fail" corporation.

Part 1: We track the rise of the EIC from a pirate band to a sovereign power. How did a board of directors in London effectively buy the Indian subcontinent using money borrowed from Indian bankers?

Part 2: We cross-reference Dalrymple’s thesis with economic data from Angus Maddison and the Revisionist School of history.

• Was 18th-century India really in "anarchy," or is that a colonial myth?

• Did the Company "drain" India, or just de-industrialize it? (We look at the GDP numbers).

Part 3: History is useless if you can't use it. We extract three brutal lessons for modern leaders:

1. Supply Chain Resilience: How the "Opium Pivot" teaches us about the "China Plus One" strategy.

2. Governance: The dangers of the "Imperial CEO" operating with zero oversight.

3. Political Risk: Why the state always wins in the end.

Distill the wisdom. Ignore the noise.Hit the bell icon to get notified for next week’s episode.

📚 Research & Sources: Ep.2 Research Companion