Episodios

  • (Ep. 170 Rebroadcast) An Appreciation of Pigeons. | The Last Civil War Pension Check. | Dress for Success.
    Sep 29 2025

    Referred to as winged rats, pigeons aren’t often at the top of many favorite bird lists. They should be.


    When would you guess the last Civil War pension check went out? You’re probably wrong.


    What we wear has an impact on how people perceive us. How big an impact?

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    20 m
  • QWERTY | The End of Publishers Clearing House
    Sep 22 2025

    Ever wonder why keyboards seem random rather than in alphabetical order? Hint: it wasn’t done to help you type quicker.



    For 70 years, Publishers Clearing House knocked on the door of an unsuspecting winner and presented them with a giant cardboard check, granting them monthly payments for the rest of their lives. Things have changed.


    Sources:

    https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/business/publishers-clearing-house-bankruptcy-winners-lose-prizes

    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-qwerty-keyboard-will-never-die-where-did-the-150-year-old-design-come-from-49863249/

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    21 m
  • Decoding Pig Latin | Why we hate the sound of our own voices
    Sep 15 2025

    Is Pig Latin a language? Is there a real pig involved? Why does Jay dislike it so much?



    Most of us cringe when we hear a recording of ourselves. Why do we dislike it so much? Do other people hear us the way we hear ourselves?


    Sources:

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/12/the-real-reason-the-sound-of-your-own-voice-makes-you-cringe

    https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/what-is-pig-latin

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    19 m
  • When Sliced Bread Was Illegal | The Unsolvable CIA Puzzle
    Sep 8 2025

    The US Government once tried to ban sliced bread. That went as well as you’d expect.



    For thirty years, a statue with an unsolvable puzzle has stood on the lawn of CIA headquarters. The answer is about to go up for auction.


    Sources:

    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nobody-has-been-able-to-solve-the-cias-famous-kryptos-sculpture-soon-the-solution-will-be-sold-to-the-highest-bidder-180987200/

    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ridiculous-reason-why-the-us-enacted-a-wartime-ban-on-sliced-bread-salesand-why-it-didnt-last-long-180985834/


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    19 m
  • Do Cars Run Out of Honk? | Olympic Art Medals
    Sep 1 2025

    Can you use up all the honk that’s in your car’s horn?


    At one time the Olympics gave out medals for… architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature. Yes, we’re not kidding.


    Sources:

    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-the-olympics-gave-out-medals-for-art-6878965/

    https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/cars-trucks/do-cars-run-out-of-honk

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    18 m
  • The Last Meal | The Truth about Left-Handed People
    Aug 25 2025

    What would you want your last meal to be? Most of us will (hopefully) never be on death row, but how would your answer line up with real requests from death row inmates?


    Only about 10% of people are left-handed. That can be good or bad depending on the task. + Why is anyone left-handed at all?


    Sources:

    https://choicemutual.com/blog/favorite-last-meal-by-state/

    https://www.shoutoutuk.org/2024/08/13/its-time-to-address-the-left-handed-elephant-in-the-room/

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    19 m
  • (Ep. 165 Rebroadcast) The Novelty Popcorn Bucket. | Even Gorillas Get Addicted to Screens. | The Man Who Sues Everyone
    Aug 18 2025

    We'll be back next week with an all-new episode - until then, enjoy a popular one from the archives!


    You’ve probably noticed novelty popcorn buckets tied in with select blockbuster movies. If you miss them in the theater, you can always take out a loan to buy one later.


    Screen time and its potentially harmful side effects are a real concern - even at zoos.


    Okay, so he’s not sued EVERYone, but Jonathan Riches has filed more lawsuits than anyone you've ever met.

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    22 m
  • Why Time Moves at Different Speeds | The Return of the Presidential Physical Fitness Test.
    Aug 11 2025

    Why do some things (kids growing up 🥺) feel like they happen quickly, while others (DMV visit) creep along slowly?



    Gone since 2013, President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to bring back the presidential physical fitness test. Cue collective dread.

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    19 m