Why are manhole covers round?

Join Host Kessler McLaughlin on a brief overview of how the post office came to be and to learn what individual objects you can ship without envelopes or packages.

Sources and Further Reading:

History Channel | Post Office

Britannica | Postal System History

Britannica | Cursus Publicus

Smithsonian Postal Museum | Ben Franklin

The Week Magazine | Post Office Innovations

US Postal Service | History

US Postal Service | An American History (ebook)

US Postal Service | Facts

US Postal Service | Decoding the Zip Code

US Postal Service | Mailing Potatoes

We all use microwaves, but how do they work? Where did they come from? We'll explore the origins of these common household appliances and some fun ways to use them that you might not have explored (no explosions required).

Sources and Further Reading

Smithsonian | Microwave Oven

MIT | Percy Spencer

Brittannica | How Microwaves Work

Reader's Digest | Microwave Mistakes

Taste of Home | Microwave Popcorn

FDA | Microwave Ovens

Music by ⁠lvymusic⁠ from ⁠Pixabay⁠.

Where did mile markers come from? How do you read them? In this episode we travel back in time for a brief study on the signs that move us forward.

Sources and Further Reading:

The Lower Merion Historical Society

National Park Service - The Odometer

Britannica - Vitruvius

The History Channel - The Roman Forum

The Historical Marker Database

The United States Department of Transportation: Read Your Road

Ranger Brian Reedy, Historian, U.S. National Park Service

Few things are as ubiquitous in one's desk as a paper clip. But where did the paper clip come from who invented it and why did they do it? Join host Kessler McLaughlin for an explanation of the history of the paper clip.

For further reading, here are some sources from the episode:

University of Houston

Slate

Follow us on Twitter @AroundUsShow

Welcome to The Things Around Us, the podcast that will help you learn at least one thing per day. Hosted by Kessler McLaughlin

Music by lvymusic from Pixabay.