Afleveringen
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Ever wondered why light is the fastest thing in the universe? Or how scientists first figured out its speed? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the fascinating journey from Galileo’s lanterns to Einstein’s relativity.
From Ole Rømer’s groundbreaking discovery of light’s finite speed to Hippolyte Fizeau’s ingenious wheel experiment, we’ll explore how light sets the universal speed limit. Plus, why light speed remains constant, no matter how fast you’re moving, and how special relativity flips our understanding of time and space.
Along the way, we’ll tackle why light can’t be outrun, why it’s always the same speed in a vacuum, and why it’s the ultimate constant of the universe. Join us as we break down one of physics’ most mind-bending concepts—no physics degree required.
Hit follow for more daily insights!
Sources:
Cohen, I. B. (1940). Roemer and the first determination of the velocity of light (1676). Isis, 31(2), 327–379. https://doi.org/10.1086/346499
American Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). Ole Roemer Profile: First to Measure the Speed of Light. Retrieved from AMNH.org
American Physical Society. (2010, July). July 1849: Fizeau publishes results of speed of light experiment. APS News. Retrieved from APS.org
Michelson, A. A. (1881). The relative motion of the Earth and the luminiferous ether. American Journal of Science, 22(128), 120–129. https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.s3-22.128.120
Space.com. (2017, May 30). Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity. Retrieved from Space.com
Department of Energy. (n.d.). DOE Explains...Relativity. Retrieved from Energy.gov
Ellis, G. F. R., & Uzan, J.-P. (2005). 'c' is the speed of light, isn't it?. American Journal of Physics, 73(3), 240–247. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1819929
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#SmartestYearEver #PhysicsFacts #SpeedOfLight #SpecialRelativity #DailyFacts #FunScience #DidYouKnow #ScienceExplained #AlbertEinstein
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In 1994, a white cat named Snowball helped solve one of the most unusual investigations in Canadian history.
When a missing person was found days later under suspicious circumstances, authorities recovered a leather jacket near the scene. It had traces of blood—and several strands of white pet hair.
There was no human DNA linking the jacket to a suspect. But the person of interest? He had a white cat. Investigators turned to a geneticist who pioneered a new way to test animal DNA—and for the first time in Canada, non-human genetic evidence was presented in court.
It worked. The case set a global precedent, and ever since, pet fur has shown up in forensic labs everywhere—from trace evidence on clothing to smuggling cases involving endangered birds.
Today, Gordy breaks down how cat and dog hair can actually help solve complex cases, how long fur can stick around, and why the FBI even has a unit dedicated to tracking it.
So next time you find fur on your hoodie—just know it might be the most talkative witness in the room.
Sources
CBC. (2012). Cat DNA used in case. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/cat-dna-used-in-murder-case-1.1169130
National Institutes of Health. (2009). The forensic use of animal DNA. PLoS Genetics, 5(4). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2752138/
FBI Laboratory Services. (n.d.). Trace Evidence Overview. https://le.fbi.gov/science-and-lab-resources/csi-trace-evidence-overview
Forensic Science International. (2012). Animal DNA in investigations. https://www.fsijournal.org/article/S0379-0738(11)00460-6/fulltext
Music thanks to Zapsplat. #PetForensics #AnimalDNA #ForensicScience #CatFacts #ScienceExplained #TraceEvidence #SmartestYearEver #ScienceStorytelling #DNAEvidence #Furensics
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Jet lag is so normal today that we forget—it’s a modern glitch. For most of human history, people simply couldn’t move fast enough to get it. Boats were too slow. Horses, too steady. But the industrial age changed everything.
In this episode, Gordy explores the invention of jet lag, from the rise of railroads in the 1800s to the first use of the term in a 1966 L.A. Times article. Along the way, we get into the circadian science, the speed threshold for messing with your internal clock, and the weird fact that your biology adjusts slower than your passport does.
This is a story about time, speed, and what happens when technology outruns the human body. Welcome to the future—it’s exhausting.
Sources:
National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). Circadian rhythms and jet lag. National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539845/
Lang, H. (2013). Jet lag is a relatively new phenomenon. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/brief-history-jet-lag-180951262/
Greenfieldboyce, N. (2023). What time is it on the Moon? The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/02/moon-time-nasa-time-zone/673053/
Devlin, H. (2017). How fast is too fast? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/21/sleep-circadian-rhythm-jet-lag-modern-life
Los Angeles Times Archives. (1966). Jet Lag Plagues Sleepy Travelers. https://latimes.newspapers.com
#JetLag #CircadianRhythm #TimeZones #HumanBiology #ScienceHistory #TrainsPlanes #ModernLife #SmartestYearEver Music thanks to Zapsplat.
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Some sentences make perfect sense… until they don’t. Today, Gordy explores garden path sentences—a linguistic trap where your brain confidently goes one way, only to slam into a wall of confusion.
From “The old man the boats” to “The horse raced past the barn fell,” these seemingly broken lines are actually grammatically correct. They’re just crafted to mislead your brain’s natural processing system, exposing how we build meaning on the fly, and how quickly things go off the rails.
It’s a peek into psycholinguistics, sentence parsing, and why even native speakers get completely derailed by the language they speak every day. If you’ve ever reread a sentence five times wondering if you were having a stroke—this one’s for you.
Sources:
University of Michigan Linguistics. (n.d.). What is a garden path sentence? https://lsa.umich.edu/linguistics/news-events/all-news/search-news/what-is-a-garden-path-sentence-.html
BBC Future. (2017, July 25). Why some sentences just don’t make sense. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170725-the-sentences-that-just-dont-make-sense
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2007). Introduction to Psycholinguistics [Course material]. MIT OpenCourseWare. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/brain-and-cognitive-sciences/9-59j-language-processing-fall-2007/
#GardenPathSentences #Psycholinguistics #WeirdGrammar #BrainTricks #LinguisticsFacts #SmartestYearEver #SentenceStructure #LanguageProcessing #Zapsplat Music thanks to Zapsplat.
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Some words just sound like nonsense—but they’re not. Today, Gordy breaks down five real words that sound fake but are 100% legit: from a woodworking term that sounds like an alien sidekick, to the name of that eye chart you never knew had a name.
These aren't made-up internet jokes or slang. They’re real, dictionary-approved words with wildly unexpected meanings—and once you learn them, you’ll start noticing them everywhere.
Want to sound clever at your next dinner party? This is the episode.
Words featured:
Kerf – the gap left by a saw blade
Glabella – the skin between your eyebrows
Snellen Chart – that classic vision test with the big E
Zarf – the sleeve around a coffee cup
Grawlix – the comic strip symbols used instead of swear words
Like words that sound fake but aren't? This one's for you.
Sources:
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Kerf. https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Smithsonian Magazine. (2021). What is a Grawlix?. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/grawlix-history-symbolic-swearing-180977754/
American Optometric Association. (n.d.). The Snellen Eye Chart. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/snellen-eye-chart
Oxford University Press. (2014). From zarfs to sleeves: The evolution of coffee cup holders. Journal of Design History, https://academic.oup.com/jdh/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/jdh/epu002
#WordNerd #LanguageLovers #EtymologyFun #TriviaFacts #SmartestYearEver #StayCurious #Glabella #Zarf #Grawlix #DailyWordFacts Music thanks to Zapsplat.
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Why are manhole covers round? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy breaks down one of the most deceptively clever questions in interview history. From physics and engineering to human behavior and tech hiring practices, the shape of a manhole turns out to be a masterclass in practical design.
Made famous by Microsoft interviews in the 1990s, this question still pops up today—not because it’s about manholes, but because it reveals how you think.
Can a square fall in? Yes. Can a circle? Never.
Join Gordy as he unpacks the real reasons round manholes make the cut—safety, strength, simplicity—and why this shape has become a symbol of smart design both above and below ground.
Sources:
Popular Mechanics. (2016). The real reason why manhole covers are round. Hearst Digital Media. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a25300/why-are-manhole-covers-round/
Smithsonian Magazine. (2016). Why are manhole covers round? Smithsonian Institution. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-manhole-covers-round-180961328/
Thompson, C. (2012). The interview question that stuck around. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/07/the-interview-question-that-stuck-around/260104/
Music thanks to Zapsplat. #Engineering #FunFacts #SmartDesign #InterviewTips #UrbanPlanning #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts
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Most people recognize the "prayer hands" gesture instantly—palms pressed, fingers pointed skyward. But where did it come from?
In this episode, Gordy dives into the surprising origin of the 🙏 gesture. From ancient India’s respectful Anjali Mudra, to the feudal power plays of medieval Europe, and finally to the sacred ritual we now associate with prayer—this hand pose has had quite a journey.
You'll learn:
Why Namaste and 🙏 share DNA
How kneeling before a lord shaped Christian worship
When religion took a feudal gesture and made it divine
Why the emoji you use for “thanks” used to mean submission
What feels spiritual today was once a contract between unequals. And now? It’s just another emoji on your phone.
Sources:
Britannica. (n.d.). Añjali-mudrā. Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/anjali-mudra
Earth & Altar. (2023, June 15). What Are the Origins of Christian Prayer Gestures? Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://earthandaltarmag.com/posts/what-are-the-origins-of-christian-prayer-gestures
Aleteia. (2017, October 12). Why Do Christians Put Their Hands Together When They Pray? Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://aleteia.org/2017/10/12/why-do-we-fold-our-hands-during-prayer
Journal of Religion and Society. (2007). Gesture and Power in Medieval Religious Rituals. Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://dspace2.creighton.edu/xmlui/handle/10504/64445
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#History #ReligiousSymbols #PrayerGesture #SmartestYearEver #DailyKnowledge #WorldCulture #EmojiHistory #DidYouKnow #LearnEveryDay #NoSmallTalk
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In today’s episode, Gordy explores a mind-bending innovation in modern physics: filming light itself in motion—at a trillion frames per second. Sound impossible? Welcome to femto-photography, where researchers at MIT figured out how to capture a single pulse of light as it travels through a Coke bottle, scatters off an apple, and even starts forming shadows in real time.
This isn’t slow motion. It’s slow-light—and it has game-changing implications: from seeing around corners, to autonomous navigation, to non-line-of-sight medical imaging.
Gordy walks through the tech behind the scenes—streak imaging, femtosecond pulses, and how hundreds of repeated experiments get stitched into one real-time light show. Whether you’re into photography, physics, or just want to know what light looks like as it moves, this one’s for you.
So what does light actually look like in motion? This episode has the answer. And yes—it’s as wild as it sounds.
Sources:
MIT Media Lab. (n.d.). Femto-Photography Project Overview. https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/femto-photography/overview/
Nature. (2011). Picosecond photography. https://www.nature.com/articles/480044a
Raskar, R. (2012). Imaging at a trillion frames per second [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/ramesh_raskar_imaging_at_a_trillion_frames_per_second
Smithsonian Magazine. (2013). What Does Light Look Like in Ultraslow Motion? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-does-light-look-like-in-ultraslow-motion-180947577/
MIT News. (2011). Trillion-frame-per-second camera. https://news.mit.edu/2011/trillion-fps-camera-1213
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#LightSpeed #FemtoPhotography #MIT #DailyFacts #ScienceIsAwesome #DidYouKnow #PhysicsFacts #HighSpeedCamera #TrillionFPS #SmartestYearEver
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During WWII, one cat allegedly survived the sinking of three different warships—switching sides from Nazi Germany to Britain in the process. His name? Unsinkable Sam.
In this episode, Gordy uncovers the unbelievable story of a black-and-white ship cat who may have had more than nine lives. From the doomed Bismarck, to the HMS Cossack, to the Ark Royal, Sam survived it all—often rescued from floating wreckage by stunned sailors.
But was it just legend? We dig into the eyewitness accounts, museum records, and the mystery surrounding naval mascots. Because even if parts of the tale were embellished... it’s still a hell of a story.
Plus: a shoutout to Mrs. Chippy, Shackleton’s own ill-fated ship cat. (RIP, legend.)
Sources:
Imperial War Museums. (n.d.). The Cat That Survived the Bismarck. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-cat-that-survived-the-bismarck
Historic UK. (n.d.). Unsinkable Sam. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Unsinkable-Sam/
Royal Museums Greenwich. (n.d.). Animal mascots in naval folklore. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/animal-mascots-naval-folklore
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#WWIIHistory #ShipCats #UnsinkableSam #FunFacts #HistoryNerd #AnimalHistory #SmartestYearEver #LearnSomethingNew #CatFacts #MaritimeHistory #WeirdHistory #DailyFacts
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Ever wondered what the rarest birthday is — and why some dates barely get any love? 🎂 In today's episode, Gordy breaks down real U.S. birth data to reveal why holidays like Christmas and New Year’s have far fewer births — and why September is a birthday traffic jam. Turns out, culture, scheduling, and simple timing all shape the calendar more than you’d think.
Stay curious, stay clever — and keep sharpening your skills on the quest to become the World’s Greatest Conversationalists.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (n.d.). National Vital Statistics Reports. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/nvsr.htm
Miller, C. (2021, September 17). What Are the Most and Least Common Birthdays in the U.S.? The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/17/upshot/common-birthdays.html
Time and Date. (n.d.). Most Common Birthdays. Retrieved from https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/birthdays.html
Statista Research Department. (2023, October). Most and least common birthdays in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/758564/number-of-births-in-the-us-by-day/
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #BirthdayFacts #HistoryNerd #LearnSomethingNew #QuickFacts #MindBlown #WeirdFacts #CleverFacts
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In 1858, a cable was laid across the Atlantic Ocean—a 2,500-mile-long copper wire connecting Europe and North America for the first time. It was a technological marvel, a symbol of progress, and the "eighth wonder of the world"... for three weeks.
This episode dives into how the first transatlantic telegraph cable changed global communication—before it was fried by a man named Wildman Whitehouse. Gordy explores the wild story of Victorian ambition, why we still rely on undersea cables today, and what became of all that copper.
The first message took 17 hours to transmit. The first cable didn’t last much longer. But it was just enough to change the world forever.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Sources:
Standage, T. (1998). The Victorian Internet. Walker & Company.
Smithsonian Institution. (n.d.). The Transatlantic Cable. National Museum of American History. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_713478
PBS. (n.d.). Transatlantic Cable Timeline. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/cable-timeline/
#HistoryNerd #TelegraphHistory #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #OceanCable #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #QuickFacts #LearnSomethingNew #MindBlown #WeirdHistory #TechHistory #ConversationStarters
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The oldest joke in human history was written over 4,000 years ago, and yes, it’s about a fart. Gordy explores this ancient gag from Sumer, how humor has evolved (or hasn’t), and dives into the roots of comedy from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman times. Turns out, the formula for laughs—taboo, absurdity, and relatability—hasn’t changed much. What’s different? Just the platform.
Join Smartest Year Ever and discover how farts, insults, and dumb-guy jokes are timeless.
Stay curious, stay clever.
Sources:
Wiseman, R. (2007). Quirkology: The curious science of everyday lives. Pan Macmillan.
BBC News. (2010). World's oldest joke traced back to 1900 BC. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10855857
Kington, T. (2008). Fart joke is oldest gag in world. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/31/iraq
Beard, M. (2014). Laughter in Ancient Rome: On joking, tickling, and cracking up. University of California Press.
#SmartestYearEver #AncientHistory #FunFacts #HistoryNerd #AncientJokes #FartJokes #ComedyHistory #WeirdFacts #DidYouKnow #MindBlown
Music thanks to Zapsplat
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Pigeons are everywhere—but why? In this episode, Gordy uncovers how these birds went from ancient messengers and status symbols to the feathered freeloaders of modern cities. Turns out, today's city pigeons are descendants of the rock dove, one of the earliest domesticated animals. Once prized by Mesopotamians, Egyptians, and Persians, they thrived alongside humans for thousands of years—before going feral. Cities became the perfect stand-in for their natural cliffside homes, and they never left.
Why do pigeons love cities? Because we built them a concrete paradise.
From ancient air mail to sidewalk strutters, this is how pigeons became permanent residents.
Stay curious, stay clever.
Sources:
Haag-Wackernagel, D. (1990). Human–pigeon interaction in urban areas. Anthrozoös, 3(3), 163–174.
Johnston, R. F., & Janiga, M. (1995). Feral Pigeons. Oxford University Press.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (n.d.). Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/species/rock-pigeon-columba-livia
Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Pigeon: Bird. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/animal/pigeon-bird
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
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Bluetooth: one of the most common wireless technologies today—but why is it named after a Viking king with a dead tooth? Gordy explores the quirky origin of the name, diving into the story of Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, the 10th-century ruler who united Denmark and Norway... and inspired the name of a 1990s tech revolution.
Find out why engineers at Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia almost went with a bland name like PAN ("Personal Area Networking"), but instead left us with Viking runes in every wireless device we own.
And yes—that Bluetooth logo? It's a bind rune. You're literally pairing your devices with Viking letters.
So next time your headphones sync, thank a medieval warlord with questionable dental hygiene.
Sources
Kardach, J. (2008). The Name Bluetooth. Intel Technology Journal. Retrieved from https://www.kardach.com/bluetooth/naming-bluetooth
BBC News. (2015). Bluetooth: How a Viking king inspired wireless tech. BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30935850
Norse Mythology for Smart People. (n.d.). Bind Runes and Bluetooth Logo. Retrieved from https://norse-mythology.org/
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#HistoryFacts #TechHistory #Bluetooth #Vikings #SmartFacts #DailyFacts #ScienceFacts #FunFacts #LearnSomethingNew #BrainFood #WirelessTech #HaraldBluetooth #RuneSymbols #TechTrivia
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Ever wondered how deep your property really goes? Gordy takes you on a deep dive—literally—into subsurface property rights. From ancient laws like the ad coelum doctrine to modern mineral rights and airspace ownership, this episode explores what you actually own beneath your feet... and what belongs to someone else.
You might own your house, your yard, even a nice basement—but the Earth’s core? That’s where the line is drawn. Find out why you can’t just dig your way to the center of the Earth, and how oil companies, air rights, and geothermal laws shape what’s yours—and what’s not.
Stay curious, stay clever.
Sources:
Bender, S. D. (2019). Subsurface Property Rights: Who Owns the Earth Below? Property and Law Journal, 45.
American Bar Association. (n.d.). Mineral Rights: Surface Rights vs. Subsurface Rights. Retrieved from https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/publications/teaching-legal-docs/mineral-rights/
Cornell Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). Ad Coelum Doctrine. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/ad_coelum
NYC Planning. (n.d.). Air Rights and the Zoning Resolution. Retrieved from https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/about/city-planning-history/zoning-resolution.pdf
U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Subsurface Ownership in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/programs/energy-resources-program/science/subsurface-ownership-united-states
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#SmartestYearEver #LearnEveryDay #PropertyRights #WeirdLaws #HistoryFacts #FunFacts #GeologyFacts #DailyLearning #MindBlown #StayCurious #WorldsGreatestConversationalists
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Neanderthals weren’t just strong—they were fast. Built like linebackers, not marathoners. Gordy breaks down how fast a Neanderthal could sprint, using modern biomechanics, anthropology, and evolutionary science.
With shorter limbs but massive muscle attachments, Neanderthals could hit estimated speeds of 20–25 mph in short bursts—almost matching elite modern athletes. So, could they beat you in a 40-yard dash? The answer might surprise you.
Explore the science of speed, the evolutionary split between Neanderthals and modern humans, and what it means to be built for burst, not distance.
Follow Smartest Year Ever for more daily facts that make you a better conversationalist.
Sources:
Payne, R.C., & Crompton, R.H. (2014). Biomechanical consequences of shorter lower limbs in Neanderthals. Journal of Human Evolution, 76, 98–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.03.002
Raichlen, D.A., & Lieberman, D.E. (2009). Running, endurance, and Homo evolution. Journal of Human Evolution, 56, 403–410.
University College London. (2019). Neanderthals sprinted through Ice Age woodlands. UCL News. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/jan/neanderthals-sprinted-ice-age-woodlands
Churchill, S.E. (2014). Thin on the Ground: Neandertal Biology, Archeology and Ecology. Wiley-Blackwell.
#NeanderthalSpeed #HumanEvolution #SprintVsEndurance #Anthropology #Biomechanics #SmartestYearEver #StayCurious #StayClever #DailyKnowledge
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
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Palm trees and Los Angeles feel like they go hand in hand—but they’re not even from here. Most were imported in the early 20th century to help sell a dream, and now that dream is fading. These trees are aging out, not being replaced, and within a few decades, they’ll disappear from LA’s skyline. Gordy breaks down the history of LA’s palm obsession, why they were planted in the first place, and what’s replacing them as the city shifts away from its iconic—but artificial—look.
Follow Gordy on his daily quest to become the world’s greatest conversationalist.
Sources:
Los Angeles Times. (2022). L.A. is iconic for its palm trees. But they're on the way out. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-06-23/l-a-iconic-palm-trees-are-disappearing
KCET. (n.d.). Are palm trees native to L.A.? Where did they come from? https://www.kcet.org/history-society/are-palm-trees-native-to-l-a
Smithsonian Magazine. (2017). Why are there so many palm trees in Los Angeles? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/why-are-there-so-many-palm-trees-los-angeles-180962374/
Los Angeles Department of City Planning. (n.d.). Urban Forestry: Street Trees. https://planning.lacity.org/odocument/42a4e8c2-df5e-42b0-8724-b27557d8db9a/StreetTrees.pdf
Music thanks to Zapsplat. #PalmTrees #LosAngeles #SmartestYearEver #UrbanForestry #CityPlanning #DailyFacts #NatureFacts #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #TreeFacts #Environment #HistoryFacts
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Why don’t we ride zebras? They look like designer horses, but they’ve never joined the lineup of domesticated animals. In this episode, Gordy dives into the wild nature of zebras, why they’ve resisted human control, and how their biology and behavior made them impossible to tame—even in Africa where people lived beside them for thousands of years.
From Lord Walter Rothschild’s zebra carriage to modern genetics, we explore why these striped beasts remain untouchable. Learn how temperament, social structure, and evolution left zebras on the sidelines while horses took center stage in human history.
Stay curious, stay clever.
Follow @SmartestYearEver for more daily facts on the journey to become the world’s greatest conversationalists.
Sources:
Clutton-Brock, J. (1992). Horse Power: A History of the Horse and Donkey in Human Societies. Harvard University Press.
Diamond, J. (1997). Guns, Germs, and Steel. W. W. Norton & Company.
ZME Science. (n.d.). Why Zebras Were Never Domesticated. Retrieved from https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/animals/mammals/why-zebras-were-never-domesticated
Rare Historical Photos. (n.d.). Riding Zebras: Historical Photographs. Retrieved from https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/riding-zebras-photographs
University College London. (2019). Neanderthals sprinted through Ice Age woodlands. Retrieved from https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/jan/neanderthals-sprinted-ice-age-woodlands
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#Zebras #AnimalFacts #WhyZebrasArentRidden #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #FunFacts #HistoryFacts #Domestication #DidYouKnow #Evolution #ScienceFacts #CuriousMinds #AnimalBehavior #StayCurious
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On Earth Day 1970, a college student submitted a simple, elegant design to a contest. That design became the now-iconic recycling symbol—a triangle of arrows chasing each other endlessly. But does it really mean something is recyclable?
In today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the surprising history and modern misuse of the recycling symbol, also known as the Mobius loop. From Gary Anderson’s winning design to the unregulated use of the triangle-on-plastics today, this story is a perfect example of how good intentions can get muddied by marketing.
You’ll learn:
Who actually invented the recycling symbol—and why
What those little numbers inside the triangle really mean
Why most plastics with the symbol still end up in the landfill
And how “circular reasoning” might be the most honest description of all
Whether you care about the environment or just love a good origin story, this one’s for you.
• California Attorney General. (2022). Attorney General Bonta launches investigation into role of fossil fuel and petrochemical industries in causing global plastic pollution. https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-launches-investigation-role-fossil-fuel-and
• American Institute of Graphic Arts. (2020). Recycling symbol turns 50. https://www.aiga.org/aiga/content/tools-and-resources/recycling-symbol-turns-50/
• Stanford Magazine. (2020). Symbolically green: The story behind the recycling symbol. https://stanfordmag.org/contents/symbolically-green
• Federal Trade Commission. (2012). Guides for the use of environmental marketing claims (Green Guides). https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-green-guides
#RecyclingFacts #EarthDay #PlasticWaste #DesignHistory #Greenwashing #MobiusLoop #Sustainability #EnvironmentalEducation #SmartestYearEver
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
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In today’s Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the wildest Olympic race of all time—the 1904 Olympic Marathon in St. Louis, Missouri, a chaotic, dusty disaster full of cars, poison, and unbelievable cheating.
From runners collapsing in 90-degree heat with no water, to a guy literally riding in a car for part of the race… and still almost winning—this event was absolute madness.
Even the official winner, Thomas Hicks, was dosed with strychnine—yes, the poison used to kill rats—mixed with brandy and egg whites to keep him going. He was hallucinating, carried across the finish line, and still declared the gold medalist.
This episode reveals the bizarre early history of performance-enhancing drugs, Olympic rule chaos, and why this race almost killed people—including its winner.
Was this the most ridiculous race in Olympic history? You decide.
Sources:
Lennartz, K., & Teutenberg, W. (2004). The 1904 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. McFarland.
Wallechinsky, D., & Loucky, J. (2012). The Complete Book of the Olympics. Aurum Press.
The Guardian. (2012, July 30). Olympic scandal: the 1904 marathon was pure mayhem. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/jul/30/olympics-2012-1904-marathon
Smithsonian Magazine. (n.d.). The 1904 Olympic Marathon May Have Been the Strangest Ever. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1904-olympic-marathon-may-have-been-strangest-ever-180952747/
International Olympic Committee. (n.d.). History of Doping Control. https://olympics.com/ioc/medical-and-scientific-commission
#Olympics #OlympicHistory #StrangeButTrue #1904Marathon #WeirdHistory #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #MarathonMonday #HistoryNerd #LearnEveryDay #PodcastFacts #RunningHistory #bostonmarathon #olympics #olympichistory #athletic #runners Music thanks to Zapsplat.
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