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PODCAST

Smartest Year Ever

The Smartest Year Ever began as a 365-day experiment in curiosity. In 2025, I dropped a new fact every single day. History, science, language, word origins, and strange true stories, all the stuff that somehow makes you sound smarter in conversation. The goal hasn’t changed: help you become the world’s greatest conversationalist.

education

All Episodes

00:05:41

What Did We Find Inside the World’s Deepest Hole?...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/06/07

What’s the deepest hole humans have ever dug? And what did we find when we got there?In this episode, Gordy explores the mind-bending story of the Kola Superdeep Borehole, a Cold War-era Soviet project that went deeper into the Earth than any drill had ever gone before — and hasn’t been surpassed since.While space exploration was captivating the world’s imagination, the Soviet Union decided to turn its attention downward — attempting to punch through the Earth’s crust and see what secrets might be

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00:05:25

Can You Legally Build a House in Antarctica? |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/06/06

Gordy tackles one of the strangest legal questions on Earth: Could you actually build a house in Antarctica? It sounds absurd—but in a place with no cities, no government, and no cops, who’s stopping you?In this icy episode, Gordy explores:The Antarctic Treaty System and why sovereignty is frozen in placeHow Argentina tried to claim land by sending pregnant womenWhy even scientists struggle to get construction permitsAnd what might happen if you went rogue and built your own cabin at the bottom of

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00:08:03

The Hero’s Journey: Why Every Epic Story Follows the...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/06/05

Why do so many epic stories—from Star Wars to Harry Potter to The Lion King—follow the same exact plot points? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy unpacks The Hero’s Journey, the storytelling blueprint behind Hollywood blockbusters, ancient myths, and nearly every piece of popular fiction you’ve ever loved.Based on the work of mythologist Joseph Campbell, and later adapted by screenwriters like Christopher Vogler, this 12-step narrative structure is the foundation for countless films,

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00:04:50

The Minnesota Starvation Experiment: How Far Would...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/06/04

In 1944, while war raged across Europe, 36 American men volunteered to be starved in Minnesota. But this wasn’t punishment. It was science.In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy unpacks one of the most extreme human experiments ever approved: The Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Conducted by Dr. Ancel Keys, this study wasn’t about cruelty — it was designed to solve one of the biggest post-war crises facing the world: how to refeed millions of starving civilians safely.What happened to these

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00:03:36

Shrinkwrapping Dinosaurs: Have We Been Imagining Them...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/06/03

Have we been picturing dinosaurs all wrong?This episode of Smartest Year Ever dives into the controversial world of paleontological reconstructions, where some scientists believe our classic T. rex and Velociraptor imagery might be misleading. Were they really lean, scaly lizards—or have we been “shrinkwrapping” their bones and forgetting the feathers, fat, and flesh?Gordy explores how modern research is transforming our understanding of dinosaur anatomy, behavior, and their evolutionary connection

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00:04:25

What Are CAPTCHAs? How They Stop Bots and Train AI |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/06/02

Why do websites keep asking if you're a robot? And what if checking that box is about more than just security?In this episode, Gordy dives deep into the mysterious world of CAPTCHAs—those pesky puzzles we all click through daily. From their origins as spam blockers to their unexpected role in training artificial intelligence, you'll never look at a blurry street sign the same way again.You'll learn how CAPTCHAs:Use behavioral cues to detect bots 🤖Help digitize historical books and

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00:05:22

Oldest Message in a Bottle Found After 132 Years...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/06/01

Oldest Message in a Bottle Found After 132 Years (Lost at Sea and Found) | Smartest Year Ever (June 1, 2025) What’s the oldest confirmed message in a bottle ever found? And what story did it carry across time, tides, and oceans?In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the real-life discovery that stunned maritime historians, scientists, and Guinness record-keepers alike. From the windswept shores of Western Australia to the decks of a 19th-century German barque, this story spans

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00:04:33

Point Nemo: Earth’s Most Remote Location (And Why We...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/31

What’s the most isolated place on Earth? Somewhere so far from land, the closest humans… are in space?In today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into Point Nemo — a remote patch of the Pacific Ocean with no islands, no people, and almost no marine life. But here’s the twist: this watery void has become the final resting place for over a hundred decommissioned spacecraft. There’s a reason it’s earned the nickname "spacecraft graveyard."Why is this particular spot used? What else

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00:06:04

The Arecibo Message: What We Told the Universe in...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/30

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy unpacks one of humanity’s boldest space broadcasts — the Arecibo Message. In 1974, a powerful radio telescope in Puerto Rico fired off a burst of binary data aimed at the stars. But what was in that message? Who was it meant for? And why do some scientists now think we might've made a cosmic mistake?Explore how Frank Drake, Carl Sagan, and others condensed humanity into 1,679 bits. Dive into the incredible story of the Arecibo Observatory, the science

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00:05:20

Dark Forest Theory: What If Intelligent Life Is...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/29

Why haven’t we heard from aliens? Maybe the real question is: why would they want to be heard?In this episode, Gordy explores the Dark Forest Theory—a chilling thought experiment that flips the Fermi Paradox on its head. What if space isn’t quiet because we’re alone, but because everyone’s hiding? Drawing from Liu Cixin’s sci-fi masterpiece The Three-Body Problem, this concept offers a gripping alternative to our optimistic search for extraterrestrial life.Plus, we explore why some scientists,

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00:05:47

Drake Passage: Why It’s Earth’s Deadliest Waters...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/28

The Drake Passage is one of the most notorious stretches of ocean on Earth — a 600-mile-wide maritime gauntlet between Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula, where rogue waves, cyclonic winds, and the full force of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current converge.Gordy explores why sailors, scientists, and adventurers have feared and respected this extreme environment for centuries. From its critical role in global ocean circulation to the legendary 1916 crossing by Ernest Shackleton, this episode dives

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00:06:19

5 Common Phrases You Didn’t Know Came from Sailors |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/27

Did everyday slang come from ship decks and cannon fire? Turns out, phrases like “under the weather”, “turn a blind eye”, and “scuttlebutt” aren’t just colorful language—they’re the echo of real nautical life.In this episode, Gordy uncovers the surprising maritime origins behind 5 popular English idioms. From the British Royal Navy to sailing ships in the Age of Exploration, these expressions tell stories of survival, rebellion, and rigging. If you love etymology, language trivia, or hidden history,

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00:06:56

Typhoid Mary: The Woman Who Infected Dozens and Never...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/26

Mary Mallon was just a cook. But history remembers her as Typhoid Mary — the woman who unknowingly spread a deadly disease to dozens without ever showing symptoms.In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy uncovers the true story behind one of public health’s most infamous cases. It’s a tale of germs, denial, quarantine, and one very stubborn scoop of peach ice cream. But beneath the headlines lies a deeper story — one that questions how we treat disease carriers, what rights we give up in the

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00:05:17

Why Do We Say “Bless You”? (The Weird History of...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/25

Why do people say “bless you” when someone sneezes—but not when they cough, hiccup, or burp? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy explores the origins of this curious cultural reflex, which blends superstition, religion, health, and linguistic tradition. From medieval plague outbreaks to modern etiquette, the sneeze has had a strange journey through human history.Gordy breaks down some of the most widely believed theories, including a 6th-century papal blessing during a deadly illness,

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00:07:07

Why Do Survivors See Phantom Companions? The Third...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/24

In life-or-death situations, some people report the same eerie sensation: someone else is with them. But when they look around... no one’s there.From Antarctic explorers to 9/11 survivors, these stories defy explanation — and reveal something astonishing about the human brain under extreme stress.Join Gordy in this gripping episode of Smartest Year Ever as he dives into the science and mystery behind the Third Man Factor — the phenomenon where a phantom companion appears to guide people through

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00:08:16

How Emojis Took Over the World (and the One Everyone...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/23

Where did emojis come from—and which one did the entire world forget?Today on Smartest Year Ever, Gordy breaks down the unexpected origin story of emojis, starting with a pixelated red heart in 1999 Tokyo. It’s the story of how Shigetaka Kurita and NTT Docomo created the world’s first emoji set, why they were only 12x12 pixels, and how Apple secretly introduced an emoji keyboard to the world years later.Plus: how the Unicode Consortium helped emojis go global, why the most popular emoji ever was

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00:09:08

Could Ancient Greeks Really Not See the Color Blue? |...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/22

What if one of the most iconic civilizations in history… didn’t see the sky the same way we do?In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into a mind-bending debate that blends linguistics, psychology, and perception: Did the Ancient Greeks actually lack a word for blue—and if so, what does that mean for how they saw the world?From Homer’s “wine-dark sea” to the blurred line between language and thought, this episode unpacks a misunderstood internet claim and reveals what the science

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00:04:51

Is Cloning Your Pet Worth $50,000? (Barbra Streisand...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/21

Would you pay $50,000 to see your pet again? Barbra Streisand did—twice. After her beloved dog Sammie passed away, she cloned her, resulting in two new dogs with the same DNA but different personalities.Cloning pets isn’t just sci-fi—it’s high-end biotech. Companies like ViaGen Pets will take tissue samples, extract DNA, and implant it into a surrogate, creating an identical twin born years later. But does cloning really give you the same pet, or just a similar-looking animal with a totally

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00:06:30

What Are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? (And...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/20

Ever wondered what the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World really were—and how many still exist today? 🤔 In today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy takes you on a fascinating journey through the original "Top 7 List" of history, revealing stories behind these legendary monuments. From the towering Great Pyramid of Giza to the mysterious Hanging Gardens of Babylon, we explore the jaw-dropping wonders that made ancient travelers’ hearts race.Plus, find out which of these wonders has

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00:05:05

How Was the Camera Actually Invented? (The First...

Smartest Year Ever ·

2025/05/19

Before we had smartphones in our pockets or digital cameras around our necks, the concept of a camera was something entirely different—and it wasn’t even a device. It all started with a dark room, a tiny hole, and a mind-bending discovery. How did this simple setup eventually lead to photography as we know it?In this episode, Gordy uncovers the bizarre journey from the camera obscura—a room-sized “camera” used by ancient philosophers—to the very first photograph ever taken. You’ll also hear about

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