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In the Media

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Charles Pappas: How World’s Fairs Changed the World

Rochester writer Charles Pappas knows a lot about World's Fairs and World Expos. You might say that he has been obsessed with the topic ...

Department of State Ralph J. Bunche Library Speaker Series with Charles Pappas, author of "Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, & Robot Overlords: How World’s Fairs and Trade Expos brought you the Future."

In the News: Travel Tips

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In the 1960s, people (and World Expos) were obsessed with going to space, to infinity and beyond, to where no human had gone before ...

In 1876, bananas were still a delicacy in the United States. But that year at the Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition, they went mainstream as a hygienic and sustainable food in a world where food poisoning was all too common.

Any time you eat a burger, plug your phone in, turn on the TV, ride an escalator, or sip a glass of Bordeaux wine, you're doing something that originated or was popularized at a World Expo.

In the News: Travel Tips

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In 1878, Augustine Mouchot, a mathematics łeacher, exhibited solar technology at the World's Fair in Paris. He won a medal, then he was ignored for a almost 150 years.

Over the years, World Expos have become a popular platform to showcase robots and how they have evolved to fit into our human world.

From jet packs to urban legends, Expo historian Charles Pappas goes down his favorite rabbit holes.

In the News: Travel Tips

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