Episodios

  • Why a sandwich is called a sandwich | Why World Records Fall (or don't)
    Oct 13 2025

    It seems simple—two pieces of bread with something in the middle—but its namesake is anything but.



    Some world records seem to stand forever, while others can fall multiple times yearly. We look at the reasons why not all records are created equal.


    Sources:

    https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251003-the-maths-behind-world-records

    https://www.history.com/articles/sandwich-inventor-john-montagu-earl-of-sandwich

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    17 m
  • The Sinful History of the Fork | The Laugh Track
    Oct 6 2025

    We don’t think twice about using a fork today, but our ancestors didn’t love it - and they were pretty sure God wouldn’t approve, either.


    Since the 1950s, artificial laugh tracks have helped ensure that jokes land on sitcoms from I Love Lucy to Friends to The Big Bang Theory. Let’s meet the man responsible.

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    18 m
  • (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?

    http://www.commutethepodcast.com

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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