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PODCAST

Smartest Year Ever

Welcome to the Smartest Year Ever! This is your daily podcast for quick, funny, fascinating insights that you can use or share all year long. From history and science to quirky word origins and beyond, no topic is off-limits. Each episode is casual, short—most under 5 minutes—making it the perfect way to start your day or grab a quick dose of knowledge anytime. Tune in for bite-sized brilliance, and let’s make 2025 the Smartest Year Ever!

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All Episodes

00:07:55

Left or Right? Why Do Countries Drive on Different...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/19

Why do some countries drive on the left side of the road… while others drive on the right?It’s one of those strange things we never think about—but it’s not based on engineering, safety, or modern logic. It goes back to knights, horses, class warfare, revolutions, and colonialism—and a few extremely dramatic moments in history that permanently altered the way people move through the world.From ancient Roman chariots to the French Revolution, from Napoleon's conquests to a massive overnight

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00:08:02

The First Speed Limits (and the First Guy Busted) |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/18

Who was the first person ever busted for speeding? And how fast was he going? Gordy takes you back to the bizarre, steam-powered birth of traffic laws—when the speed limit was 2 miles per hour, and men waving red flags had to walk in front of cars.In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, we explore the world’s first speed limits, the wild origin of automotive laws, and the truly unhinged way authorities handled “dangerous” new tech. From steam tractors to bicycle chases, you’ll get a wild ride

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00:06:42

Why Are Pencils Yellow? | Smartest Year Ever (July...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/17

Most people never question it—but why are pencils always yellow? Were they always that way? And who decided yellow was the right color?In this episode, Gordy digs deep into the surprising history behind one of the most familiar objects on your desk. From imperial China to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, you’ll learn how a color associated with royalty, luxury, and exoticism became the default shade of classroom supplies. This is a story of branding, graphite, and international mystique—not utility.So

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00:05:59

Why Do We Call Pirates “Buccaneers”? | Smartest Year...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/16

Why does “buccaneer” mean pirate? It wasn’t always about swords and sea raids. The word buccaneer has a much stranger backstory—one that starts with wild pigs, Indigenous cooking methods, and a crew of angry Frenchmen smoking meat in the Caribbean.In this episode, Gordy traces how a word that once meant “guy who slow-cooks feral pork on a wooden rack” drifted into naval warfare, state-sanctioned raiding, and eventually into the Golden Age of Piracy. Along the way, you’ll meet real historical

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00:05:57

These Eternal Flames Are Powered by Earth Itself |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/15

Some flames never die—and they don’t need a match to start.In today’s episode, Gordy investigates the wild phenomenon of natural eternal flames—fires that have been burning for decades or centuries, powered by nothing but Earth’s leaking gases. From a burning mountain in Azerbaijan to a flickering flame behind a New York waterfall, these natural wonders reveal the geological secrets right beneath our feet.Why do these flames keep going? What fuels them? And what can they tell us about our planet’s

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00:06:22

Paraceratherium: The Largest Land Mammal Ever...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/14

What was the largest land mammal to ever walk the Earth? Gordy digs into the prehistoric past to uncover one of the most jaw-dropping megabeasts you've never heard of. Think rhino meets giraffe meets double-decker bus—but real. With fossil evidence stretching across Asia and competing contenders for the crown, this episode explores the true giants of the mammalian world, how they lived, and why they vanished.If you're into prehistoric animals, megafauna, paleontology, or just want a wild

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00:05:14

Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People? |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/13

Some people say cilantro tastes fresh and citrusy. Others say it tastes like dish soap. Why?In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy explores one of the most divisive herbs on earth—and what your DNA has to do with it. From the genetic receptor that triggers the soap effect to famous chefs who hate it, this story blends biology, culture, and evolution into a fresh take on a controversial leaf.Whether you’re team cilantro or team soap, you’ll never look at tacos—or your genome—the same way

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00:06:51

The Real Story of Chef Boyardee | Smartest Year Ever...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/12

Was Chef Boyardee just a cartoon mascot on a can of ravioli? Think again. In this episode, Gordy dives into the incredible true story of the man behind the red label: a teenage immigrant prodigy who would go on to cater a presidential wedding, found a national food empire, and even aid the U.S. military during World War II.From Cleveland restaurant kitchens to wartime food factories, this episode of Smartest Year Ever uncovers how a real chef became one of the most iconic names in American grocery

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00:06:08

Why Are Salt and Pepper on Every Table? | Smartest...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/11

Why are salt and pepper the table default around the world? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the culinary history, chemical power, and colonial legacy behind the spice duo we never question. From Roman soldiers being paid in salt to French chefs turning black pepper into a fine dining staple, the answer to why these two spices became the global standard is more fascinating—and more political—than you think.This is Food Facts Week, where each day we unpack the strange,

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00:05:21

Did the Earl Really Invent the Sandwich? | Smartest...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/10

There’s no food more iconic—or more deceptively simple—than the sandwich. But where did the name come from? And did one British aristocrat really invent it?On today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy breaks down the surprising, global, and very old history of sandwiches—from gambling lords in 18th-century England to ancient religious traditions, medieval trenchers, and international street food.We trace the rise of the sandwich from John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich—a man too busy (or too

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00:05:16

Are French Fries Actually French? | Smartest Year...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/09

Why do we call them French fries?In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy digs into the surprising global history of one of the world’s most beloved foods. From Belgian peasants to French revolutionaries, from American soldiers to fast food giants, this story has it all: miscommunication, cultural pride, and deep-fried international drama.It’s Day 3 of Food Facts Week—and today’s episode might make you question everything you thought you knew about your favorite side dish.Come for the fries

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00:04:54

Who Really Invented the Potato Chip? | Smartest Year...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/08

Who really invented the potato chip?Was it an act of culinary genius—or just a frustrated chef slicing out of spite?In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy digs into the salty, crispy, and surprisingly murky origin of the potato chip. From a legendary restaurant in Saratoga Springs to industrial food innovation, it’s a story that combines spite-driven creativity, clever marketing, and one of the most important inventions in snack food history.Discover the myth, the truth, and the billion-dollar

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00:06:11

The Real Reason We Call Them Hot Dogs | Smartest Year...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/07

To kick off Food Facts Week, Gordy digs into one of the strangest names in American cuisine: why do we call them “hot dogs”? The story of this iconic street food is full of immigrant history, language twists, cartoon myths, and a whole lot of meat-based suspicion.From college slang and 19th-century food fears to the murky mystery of a missing cartoon and a real U.S. council dedicated to sausages, this episode serves up the real story behind a name we never question—but probably should. It’s weird,

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00:06:41

The Biggest Earthquake Ever—and How the Richter Scale...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/06

What does the Richter scale actually measure—and what would the most powerful earthquake in recorded history feel like?In this episode, Gordy breaks down the science of seismic waves, the logarithmic scale that changed the way we understand earthquakes, and the terrifying real-world consequences of Earth’s most violent tectonic shifts. From magnitude vs. energy to why a small number jump means massive differences in destruction, you’ll walk away with a new respect for what those Richter numbers

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00:06:03

How Tall Was Napoleon Really? The Truth Behind the...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/05

Was Napoleon actually short… or is that just one of history’s most effective smear campaigns?In this episode, Gordy investigates the real height of Napoleon Bonaparte, uncovers the origins of the “Napoleon Complex”, and explores how British propaganda shaped centuries of perception—all thanks to a little misunderstanding about inches.From unit conversions to military mythmaking, this episode reveals how historical reputation can be shaped by something as small as a ruler. And how even the most

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00:05:28

Why Did Yankee Doodle Call It “Macaroni”? | Smartest...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/04

Why did Yankee Doodle stick a feather in his cap… and call it macaroni? It sounds ridiculous today—but in the 18th century, that line packed a punch. In this July 4th episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy investigates one of America’s most iconic lyrics to uncover a forgotten world of British fashion slang, cultural mockery, and patriotic transformation.From powdered wigs to wartime parodies, from militia mockery to national identity, this bizarre lyric tells the story of how Americans turned insult

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00:04:59

What Happened to Abraham Lincoln’s Lost Speech? |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/03

Abraham Lincoln is known for delivering some of the most powerful speeches in American history. But there’s one that shook the room so hard, no one wrote it down.In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy unravels the mystery behind Lincoln’s so-called “Lost Speech”—a fiery address delivered at the 1856 Illinois Republican Convention that electrified the crowd, helped shape the early Republican Party, and may have been too controversial to publish.So why didn’t anyone record it? Was it really too

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00:05:20

Why Were Human Bones Found in Ben Franklin’s...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/02

In 1998, a renovation crew stumbled on something shocking beneath one of London’s oldest Georgian townhouses—once home to Benjamin Franklin himself. What they found would launch a historical investigation with a dark and surprising twist.Gordy dives into the story of how a pit of human bones ended up beneath the home of America’s most eccentric Founding Father. From the birth of modern medical science to the shadowy world of 18th-century grave robbing, this episode explores what happens when

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00:06:43

The Real Uncle Sam: The Truth Behind America’s Most...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/07/01

Was “Uncle Sam” actually a real person—or just a myth wrapped in red, white, and blue? In this episode, Gordy digs into the surprisingly tangled history behind America’s most iconic face. From barrels of salted meat in the War of 1812 to the finger-pointing recruitment poster of World War I, the truth behind Uncle Sam might not be what you think.Find out how a New York meat packer, a satirical nickname, and a cartoonist who invented Santa Claus all shaped the character we now call Uncle Sam. And

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00:06:22

Has There Ever Been a Day When No Human Died? |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/06/30

Every day, over 150,000 people die—from illness, age, accidents, war, and everything in between. But Gordy asks a deceptively simple question: Has there ever been a day when no human died?To find out, we dive deep into prehistoric population crashes, explore the Toba supervolcano, and run the numbers on what it would take to have a true deathless day in human history.This episode of Smartest Year Ever blends population science, anthropology, mortality data, and genetics to answer one of the eeriest

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320 results

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