The BrainFood Show

In the episode today, we are looking at whether professional wine connoisseurs can tell really not tell the difference between expensive and cheap wines. How Alcohol “Proof” is Determined. Do Drunk People Really Survive Car Crashes More? Why Would You Add Antifreeze to Wine? Do Wine Makers Really Walk Over Grapes With Their Feet? Does Canadian Beer Really Contain More Alcohol Than Beer Made in the United States? How Did Oktoberfest Start? Why Isn’t Beer Sold in Plastic Bottles? Who Invented Tequila and What about the Worm? A Brief History of Beer. The interesting story behind Welch’s Grape Juice, and what Eggnog is Made Of 0:00 Can Professional Wine Connoisseurs Really Not Tell the Difference Between Expensive and Cheap Wines? 17:26 How Alcohol “Proof” is Determined 21:00 Do Drunk People Really Survive Car Crashes More? 32:10 Why Would You Add Antifreeze to Wine? 46:15 Do Wine Makers Really Walk Over Grapes With Their Feet? 51:10 Does Canadian Beer Really Contain More Alcohol Than Beer Made in the United States? 55:12 How Did Oktoberfest Start? 1:03:55 Why Isn’t Beer Sold in Plastic Bottles? 1:08:30 Who Invented Tequila and What about the Worm? 1:13:30 What is Eggnog Made Of? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Thermonuclear weapons are messy. Capable of wiping out millions of humans in one go if detonated in a large city, but unfortunately they also destroy the city the people dwell in, making it a poor choice for a weapon for the up and coming conqueror who wishes the humans gone, but infrastructure still intact. This all brings us to the topic of today, so called enhanced radiation weapons, a special type of atomic bomb which releases a large portion of its energy in the form of neutron radiation. If pop culture is to be believed, this is one of the most insidious weapons ever developed by mankind, capable of killing all the people in a city while leaving all the buildings and other infrastructure untouched. Indeed, the weapon’s purported preference for property over human lives has led commentators in communist countries to pithily describe it as the “capitalist bomb.” But are neutron bombs actually a real thing as often depicted in entertainment - and, if so, are they really as “clean” and “surgical” as everyone seems to believe? Well, grab your welding goggles, lead underwear, don your cowboy hat and prepare to yee-haw, as we dive into the curious science and history of one of the world's most controversial weapons. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why did Al Gore lose despite winning more votes? Discover the complex and controversial role of the U.S. Electoral College and how it determines the nation's president in this deep dive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at what literal battleships had to do with the creation of the Slinky. Next up, we jump into the main part of the show looking at what is largely considered the greatest of the so-called Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and then look at the guy who burned it down just so history would remember him, as well as what steps the ancients took to try to stop him from achieving that goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the episode today, we're looking at Does Hand and Foot Size Really Correlate with Penile Length? Why Can’t You Mix Blood Types? Is It True Women Retain the DNA of Every Man They’ve Ever Slept With in Their Bodies? Do Beards Really Grow Faster in the Winter? The Mad Aussie Who Stung Himself and His 9 Year Old Son With a Deadly Creature FOR SCIENCE!!! Can You Really Make Yourself Immune to Poison by Taking Tiny Doses Over Time? Why Do Steroids Make Balls Smaller and Does the Same Thing Happen to Women’s Ovaries? Do People Really Have Repressed Memories or Is It Just Things They’ve Forgotten Are Viruses Actually Alive? and Is It Actually Possible to Be Allergic to Exercise? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Department of Defense apparently has a plan in place in case of a zombie apocalypse. So what is it and why did they make it? “Although it sounds ridiculous, this is actually the only proven class of zombie that actually exists.” - This is a quote from an official government document about zombie chickens, which are totally a thing. More on this later. But to begin with, while zombie fiction is certainly not as popular as it once was in the early 2000s, for a number of reasons up to and presumably including that we all now can’t be bothered to break out of our zombie like trance scrolling social media, the idea of the dead springing back to life and continuing to roam the Earth is still an admittedly very intriguing idea to explore. Which is why our staff here have developed a very well defined plan for what we’d do in the event of a theoretical zombie apocalypse, ensuring we come out the other side not only alive and un-zombified, but using our now decades of time doing nothing but learning all manner of things to help us rule the earth with an iron fist. For anybody out there who doesn’t happen to have a plan in place for when the dead rise from their graves and spread across the land like a plague of meat-hungry locusts the U.S. Government has got you covered. Author: Karl Smallwood Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila 0:00 Intro 3:18 The Official U.S. Counter Zombie Dominance Plan 6:00 So What Did They Come Up With? 9:00 Zombie Types and Approach 14:15 Dealing with Zombie Tropes in Real Life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the dark history of unethical dental experiments on vulnerable patients at Vipeholm Mental Hospital. Uncover the shocking secrets behind Sweden’s quest to solve the mystery of dental cavities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at a rather interesting fact about Pulp Fiction and Samuel L Jackson’s character’s most famous lines in the film. Next up, we jump into the main part of the show looking at the surprisingly old first computer and the truth about who really was the first computer programmer. (Note: Not Ada Lovelace, contrary to popular belief.) Next we jump into a variety of bonus facts including looking at why C is the default hard drive letter on most computers, touch on what this had to do with some rather interesting stuff regarding Microsoft’s early days,  the correct way to pronounce “wiki” as in “wikipedia”, what Cunningham’s Law has to do with that, the interesting origin of Tetris, how spam came to mean junk message, and much, much more! And if you’re interested, here’s the video on ⁠Yankee Doodle Dandy we mentioned⁠. On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the episode today, we're looking at what being shot actually feels like, the NRS-2- The Gun Knife, How Silencers Work, and How Silent Do They Actually Make Guns? The CIA’s Undetectable Poison Dart Gun Can Shooting Plastic Explosive Really Set Them Off? That Time an English Dude Invented a Gun that Fired Square Bullets, and the Waterfowl’s Nightmare. The Ridiculously Oversized Punt Gun. The Pivotal WWII Gun That Nobody Wanted to Put Down- The “Plumber’s Nightmare”. That Time the U.S. Made a Nuclear Gun, and That Time the Nazis Nearly Completed a Super-Cannon Capable of Hitting London from France Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the life behind *The English Patient*: meet László Almásy—a Hungarian aristocrat, desert explorer, and WWII spy. From daring expeditions to espionage, uncover the real story that inspired the novel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was the winter of 1957, and Charles Tanny was in agony. A bad dental filling had triggered a severe case of trigeminal neuralgia (tri-gem-in-al), leaving the 42-year-old snowblower salesman and father of three with crippling facial pain which no doctor seemed able to relieve. Suspecting the problem might be psychological, doctors eventually referred Tanny to the Allen Memorial Institute, a stately former mansion and psychiatric research centre on the slopes of Montreal’s Mount Royal. His family hoped the institute would finally be able to ease his pain, allowing him to resume his life. But when Charles Tanny emerged three months later, they hardly recognized him. Once a warm, loving father and husband who doted on his wife and children, Tanny was now cold, distant, irritable, and often violent. Stranger still, he seemed to have forgotten nearly every aspect of his life, having no memory of his business and barely remembering his family members. As his daughter Julie - then only four years old - later recalled: “He was like a shell of what he was before. He was just a completely different person.” Unknown to his loved ones, Charles Tanny had been subjected to a series of bizarre medical procedures aimed at erasing, reprogramming, and ultimately controlling the human mind. Born of Cold War paranoia, these experiments, devised and conducted by an ambitious, but misguided, Canadian psychiatrist and secretly funded by the CIA, shattered the minds and lives of hundreds of unwitting patients and their family, leaving a legacy of pain and outrage that resonates to this day. This is the horrifying forgotten story of Dr. Ewen Cameron and the Montreal Experiments. Author: Gilles Messier Producer: Samuel Avila Editor/Host: Daven Hiskey 0:00 Intro 3:03 The Man Behind the Awful 6:38 Ideas from Nuremberg 9:58 Disturbing Psychic Driving 13:14 The CIA Seeks Mind Control 16:53 Even More Disturbing Depatterning 21:20 Combining the Awful 25:20 The Aftermath- Were There Any Consequences? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neil Armstrong will likely be remembered by humans as long as there are humans to remember. The first man to set foot on the moon. His first words will likewise reverberate throughout history... But what was the second thing he said on the moon. And how did Neil Armstrong die? This is the story of one of the greatest astronauts in history. Authors: Melissa Blevins, Daven Hiskey, Matt Blitz. Host: Simon Whistler Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at a the absolutely bizarre way bedbugs mate. Next up, we jump into the main part of the show on who invented the Internet and how it works. We also look at who invented email and the web, and what Al Gore had to do with all this. On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's compilation, we're looking at a series of "What Happens When" topics including What Happens If Parents Don’t Give Their Baby a Name? What Happens to the Bodies if a Cryogenic Company Goes Bankrupt? What Happened to Dead Bodies After Big Battles Throughout History? What Happens to Your Stuff When You Get Sent to Prison for Life? What Happens when You Ask a Surgeon For Your Amputated Limb Back? What Happens When You Donate Your Body to Science and How Do You Do This? What Happens if you Renounce Your Citizenship But Don’t Belong to Another Country When You Do It? What Happens if You Leave Your House to a Pet in Your Will? What Happens When You Freeze Water in a Container So Strong the Water Can’t Expand Into Ice? What Happens to Your Stuff When You're Declared Dead, Then Turn Up Alive like a Certain Shire Hobbit? And finally What Happens if You Commit a Crime in Space? 0:00 What Happens If Parents Don’t Give Their Baby a Name? 15:29 What Happens to the Bodies if a Cryogenic Company Goes Bankrupt? 28:25 What Happened to Dead Bodies After Big Battles Throughout History? 38:38 What Happens to Your Stuff When You Get Sent to Prison for Life? 49:30 What Happens when You Ask a Surgeon For Your Amputated Limb Back? 1:00:16 What Happens When You Donate Your Body to Science and How Do You Do This? 1:17:29 What Happens if you Renounce Your Citizenship But Don’t Belong to Another Country When You Do It? 1:30:45 What Happens if You Leave Your House to a Pet in Your Will? 1:40:54 What Happens When You Freeze Water in a Container So Strong the Water Can’t Expand Into Ice? 1:45:44 What Happens to Your Stuff When You're Declared Dead, Then Turn Up Alive like a Certain Shire Hobbit? 2:01:13 What Happens if You Commit a Crime in Space? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He is one of the most famous serial killers of all time, but who actually was Jack the Ripper and what actually happened during his reign of terror. Just before 4 am on August 31, 1888, on London’s seedy Buck’s Row, a cart driver named Charles Cross saw the body of a woman lying on the ground. In the early morning gloom, it was initially impossible to tell if she was drunk or dead. Cross was soon joined by another carter, Robert Paul. The two men saw the woman’s skirts were pulled above her waist. They smoothed them back over her knees and went searching for a policeman. What the two carters didn’t notice in the shifting shadows was the woman’s throat had been cut so brutally that her head had almost been decapitated. Beat officer John Neil discovered that gruesome fact on closer inspection of the body. (He later testified at the inquest that when he had passed that way just 30 minutes earlier, “there was not a soul about.”) P.C. Neil sent another colleague to fetch a local medic and soon Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn arrived on the scene. He quickly examined the body and found that the arms and legs were still warm. Llewellyn believed the woman had been dead for less than 30 minutes. Her killer may have still been lurking nearby when Cross and Paul came upon the body.... Host: Simon Whistler Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everlong. Learn to Fly. Best of You. All My Life. The Pretender. These are but a few of the top-charting songs by American rock band The Foo Fighters, founded in 1994 by legendary former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. But what actually is a Foo Fighter? Well, it turns out the band’s name is not just merely a random string of nonsense words, but rather refers to strange phenomenon observed by pilots over Europe and the Pacific during the Second World War, one of a string of such weird occurrences throughout history through today that have caused some to point to the classic explanation when anything weird appears in the sky- aliens. But what’s actually going on here? Well, today we’ll be looking at everything from tales of ancient aliens, to what actually were the Foo Fighters of WWII and where the name came from, to that time the U.S. Military finally buckled down to take a deep look into it all to see if the Earth was in any danger from extraterrestrials, and what they determined, as well as why we are all pronouncing UFO wrong, and how the coiner of the term explicitly stated it should be said. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Daven Hiskey 0:00 Intro 2:37 Ancient Aliens? 10:44 The 19th Century UFO Craze 15:20 WWI UFO Encounters 16:57 WWII's Mysterious Foo Fighters 27:10 Why are They Called Foo Fighters? 30:30 What Were Foo Fighters? 40:14 The U.S. Military Gets Serious About the Search for Aliens 43:26 What the Military Discovered About UFOs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Glenn Miller was on the top of his game in 1944. He led the most popular recording group in the world. His only rival for king of Big Band music was the great Benny Goodman. During World War II, 40-year-old Miller was serving as a major in the United States Army Air Force while performing for the troops. On December 15, 1944, he boarded a small plane for the short flight across the English Channel to do a show in Paris for American troops that had just helped liberate France. Miller and the two other men on the aircraft never made it to their destination. No trace of the wreckage or any of the passengers was ever found, and Glenn Miller is still listed as missing in action. Of course, as with any accidental celebrity death, speculation about the circumstances began almost immediately... Host: Simon Whistler Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at a quick fact surrounding what Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Genesis had to do with Monty Python and the Holy Grail. After the sponsor spot, we then jump into the main part of the show on how the QWERTY keyboard came to be. We also dig into whether the Dvorak keyboard layout is actually superior to QWERTY or if that’s just something people say. Next up we look at who really invented the mouse and how it languished in obscurity for quite some time before Steve Jobs came along. A few links for this episode: ⁠The Mother of All Demos (1968)⁠ ⁠Remington #2⁠ ⁠Canadian First Mouse⁠ ⁠First Handheld Mouse⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's compilation episode, we're covering a myriad of Whys, from Why the United States doesn't use the metric system, why fingernails on chalkboards make us cringe, why we have moles on our bodies, why doesn't the heart get tired like other muscles, and much, much more. 0:00 Why Doesn’t the United States Use the Metric System? 20:55 Why Does the Sound of Fingernails on a Chalkboard or Scraping a Plate Make Us Cringe? 35:09 Why Do We Have Moles All Over Our Bodies and What Do They Do? 42:55 Why Doesn’t the Heart Get Tired and Need to Rest Like Other Muscles? 54:25 Why Do Some People Think the Human Soul Weighs 21 Grams? 1:06:14 Why Do the Eyes in Some Paintings Follow You Around the Room? 1:11:17 Why Does Soda Taste Significantly Better When Carbonated vs. Flat? 1:14:01 Why Do We Get Allergies? 1:27:33 Why You Sometimes Get a Lump in the Back of Your Throat When Sad and Why We Cry 1:32:44 Why Coffee Makes You Poop 1:40:14 Why Can’t People Smell Themselves? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we think of the most influential books in history, we often think of books that have a wide readership. Something that if not most literate people read, surely, many of the elite did. But it turns out, some of the most influential books in ancient history were only read by, quite literally, a handful of people. You see, Rome had a set of holy books, divinely revealed to a mysterious prophetess, that were kept under lock and key by a college of Roman priests never numbering more than 15 at a time. These books were only read by this select few, and were used by the Roman Senate to help decide all manner of things important to the management of Rome. This is the story of the mysterious Sibylline Books, the books not even the Roman senate were allowed to read. The Sibylline Books were three volumes of Greek hexameter poems, the same meter used in the Greek epics of Homer. We don’t actually know where the Sibylline Books came from other than the Romans' own mythology about them. The story goes that the last of Rome’s seven kings, Tarquinius Superbus who died in 495 BCE, was approached by an old woman with nine books written in Greek that told Rome’s future. She offered these books at an exorbitant price, so Tarquinius refused. The old woman then burned three of the books and offered the remaining books at the same price. Tarquinius, who is portrayed as arrogant in Roman literature, refused her a second time. The old woman burned three more books and offered the remaining three at again the same price. It was at this point that Tarquinius approached his priests to figure out if any of this was a sign from the gods. The priests advised him to buy the remaining books at whatever price the old woman named. Upon purchasing the books from the woman, she disappeared, never to be seen again. The name Sibylline refers to the woman in question, as she is thought of as a Sibyl, or a prophetess in the Greek tradition. Author: Yehia Amen Editor: Daven Hiskey Host: Simon Whistler Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1990 sci-fi comedy sequel Back to the Future Part III, intrepid time travelling late 20th century duo Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown find themselves trapped in Hill Valley, California, back in the year 1885. With their DeLorean time machine out of gas and it being, well, 1885, Doc and Marty are forced to take creative measures to accelerate their ride up to the required 88 miles per hour and get back to the future. Doc Brown’s solution for this? An elaborate plan involving hijacking a moving train, pushing its boiler to the absolute limit and beyond of its structural capabilities as it careened towards a ravine, and then if it happened to all go well, the car would get up to 88 mph, thereby sending it back to the future. If not, well… the pair’s futures would officially be something neither would ever need to worry about again after they plummeted to their deaths. But while this certainly makes for an awesome climax to one of the greatest trilogies of all time, 1885 was not that far removed from the age of the automobile; indeed, that very same year German inventor Karl Benz unveiled his Patent Motorwagen, widely considered history’s first practical, mass-produced car. Or, at least the Model 3 version was when 3 years later his wife Bertha Benz snuck out of the house before her husband got up, stole the car, and took the world’s first road trip- all to save her husband’s company, and rid him of his incessant self doubt. Along the way, she even invented the world’s first brake pad, among other tweaks she came up with along the way that were needed to improve the design for long distance travel. Much more on the genuinely incredible story of the world’s first road trip and the extreme gumption and ingenuity of Bertha Benz in the Bonus Facts later. But back to Doc Brown- surely a man of his intellect and resourcefulness, a self proclaimed “student of all sciences” to the extent that when recruited to the Manhattan Project, the General who did so questioned why Doc Brown had a book on needlepoint, to which Doc replied he didn’t like to dismiss anything, as any bit of knowledge could lead to a breakthrough… sure this man of all men could simply have made his own gasoline and gotten back to 1985 the regular way… right? Well, put on your life preserver and crank up the Power of Love as we go Back to the…origins of the petroleum industry, the first usable gas for automobiles, and figure out whether doc brown should have been able to figure all this one out in the few days he had to work with. Author: Gilles Messier Editor: Daven Hiskey Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Daven Hiskey 0:00 Intro 4:10 Origins of the Petroleum Industry 8:38 A World Changing Breakthrough 12:08 The Fuel Doc Brown Had Access to in 1885 Hill Valley 13:17 The Octane Issue 15:19 Could Doc Brown Have Solved the Octane Issue? 20:37 The Easiest Octane Solution of All 22:30 Summing Up Whether Doc Brown Could Have Just Made Usable Gasoline 23:41 The OG Car and the First Road Trip That Saved It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Harini Bhat is a clinical pharmacist and storyteller obsessed with the moments in history that still can't be fully explained. Every week she investigates real events that defy easy explanation. Mass hysterias. Vanished civilizations. Medical oddities. Strange signals. Unexplained phenomena that keep repeating across centuries, as if history is trying to tell us something. Hidden History doesn't dismiss ancient events as myth or superstition. It treats them as open case files, shaped by the limits of knowledge, technology, and record-keeping. Because the unknown isn't a failure of explanation. It's a constant in human experience, one that evolves, repeats, and sometimes deepens the more we learn. Follow Hidden History with Dr. Harini Bhat now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or watch on YouTube @hiddenhistorypod. Listen here:  https://pod.link/1895066656 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

J.R.R. Tolkien created one of the greatest and most influential works of fiction in history. But how did he come up with it, what was his life like, and how did it end? This is the story of the man behind the Lord of the Rings. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in South Africa. His family returned to their native England when he was a small child. Tolkien’s parents had died by the time he was 12, so he and his younger brother Hilary were raised by their family’s priest, Father Francis Morgen. Ronald, as he was called, remained a devout Catholic his entire life. Tolkien was gifted with an exceptional knack for linguistics. While attending King Edward’s School in Birmingham, he was adept at Latin and Greek, and later learned Anglo-Saxon and Finnish. He also developed his own languages, complete with grammar rules and guidelines for usage. During his studies, he became enchanted with the old stories of ancient races with their awesome gods and fated heroes on epic adventures. While he was in school, he also met a young lady named Edith Bratt... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, we start by looking at whether it’s actually safer to use a crosswalk instead of a just jaywalking as well as the actual origin of the word “jaywalk”. Next up, we jump into the main part of the show on the horrific tale of the dashingly handsome Bella Kiss, the Vampire of Cinkota, and the many, many women he murdered. Following that, we move on to a sickly sweet and more than a little morbid love story we’re calling A Rose for Carl. Relevant Pictures: ⁠Dear sweet Alive Helen⁠ ⁠Helen’s Crypt⁠ ⁠Helen’s Spaceship⁠ ⁠Helen really let herself go after she died apparently…⁠ On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the video today, we're looking at why Americans refrigerate eggs and most other countries don't, the Canadian who invented Hawaiian Pizza, why people say twice boiled water is bad for you, why pineapple kills jello, how much caffeine the human body can take, and much, much more. 0:00 Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs and Most Other Countries Don’t 12:38 The Very Canadian Origin of “Hawaiian” Pizza 23:59 Why Are You Not Supposed to Use Twice Boiled Water for Tea? 37:50 Why Can’t You Put Pineapple in Jello? 43:38 How Much Caffeine Would It Take To Kill You? 54:55 Why is Ham Traditionally Eaten on Easter? 58:07 How Were Raisins Made Before Seedless Grapes? 1:02:59 Why Some Cheeses Come in Wheels and Others in Blocks 1:07:14 The Surprisingly Heartwarming Story of the Man Who Invented Sriracha Sauce 1:16:23 That Time Campbell’s Put Marbles in Their Soup 1:28:57 An Ode to Glorious Chips (And Who Invented Nachos) 2:02:12 What Happens to Big Food Made to Break World Records? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tiny transistor revolutionized modern electronics, from radios to supercomputers. Discover its fascinating origins, unexpected twists, and the minds behind this world-changing invention. Watch now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nations can often be petty and spiteful when it comes to post-war relations, but rarely, if ever, in history did one nation get more petty with not an enemy, but their former ally than when the U.S. military created what is known today as "Million Dollar Point" out of sheer spite. 1,750 kilometres or 1,090 miles off the coast of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean lies the island nation of Vanuatu. Just off the southeast coast of the island, on the outskirts of the main settlement of Luganville, lies a truly remarkable sight: a giant underwater junkyard containing thousands upon thousands of pieces of WWII American military equipment, from tanks, artillery pieces, and bulldozers down to rifles, pistols, food tins and Coca-Cola bottles- all slowly rusting away on the ocean floor. Known as “Million Dollar Point”, every year this submerged museum of wartime logistics attracts hundreds of curious snorkelers and scuba divers from around the world. But what is all this abandoned equipment doing here? Are these the remains of an epic naval battle? A tragic shipwreck? Some gigantic whoopsie-doodle? Nope! The origins of Million Dollar Point are far, far sillier - and pettier - than that! This is the story of one the greatest acts of political and economic spite in modern history and how it helped inspire a Naked Cult that in turn helped lead this region to independence. The islands that make up modern Vanuatu, formerly New Hebrides, were first settled around 1300 BCE by peoples from Melanesian islands to the west such as New Guinea and the Solomons, followed by successive waves of migration by Polynesian peoples from the East, with later European overlords arriving and variously controlling the islands. For example, at one point the region had a complex and unwieldy bureaucracy, with separate British and French police forces and a judicial system presided over by a neutral judge appointed by the King of Spain - and by the way, while most commonly used today to describe a building with multiple individually-owned living units, the term condominium can also refer to a geographic area where multiple sovereign powers agree to share administrative duties. But for most of its history, Vanuatu remained a quiet colonial backwater, subsisting mainly on the trade of coconut meat, fish, sandalwood, and other natural resources. However, in the wake of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941 and the subsequent Japanese blitzkrieg across southeast Asia and the Pacific, the archipelago suddenly found itself in danger of invasion. In May 1942, American forces arrived on the islands, setting up a command post on Efate. Engineers from the U.S. Navy’s 1st Construction Batallion - better known as the Seabees - were soon dispatched to Espiritu Santo to construct a crushed-coral airstrip to support the then-ongoing battle on Guadalcanal. In an incredible feat of wartime logistics the Seabees, working round-the-clock, constructed Turtle Bay Airfield in only 20 days. Soon more CB detachments arrived and constructed three more airstrips, one of which is Santo International Airport today. Throughout the war, thousands of bombers, fighters, and other aircraft from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Army Air Corps as well as the Royal New Zealand Air Force operated from these airfields in support of operations throughout the South Pacific. In addition to the airstrips themselves, the Seabees also built extensive supporting infrastructure including barracks, repair shops, hangars, hospitals, fuel and ammunition depots, and water desalination plants. Espiritu Santo also served as a major supply and repair depot for U.S. Navy ships, stocking millions of tons of the fuel, food, ammunition, spare parts, and other materiel needed to fuel the gruelling island-hopping campaign against Imperial Japan. In particular, Espiritu Santo Naval Base was home to USS AFD-1, one of four Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks stationed in the South Pacific to repair and maintain U.S. Navy ships. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A real-life sci-fi experiment! The bizarre wingless aircraft from The Six Million Dollar Man was not a Hollywood invention. This is the incredible story of NASA’s lifting body program. 🚀 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⁠⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we’re looking at the story of an intelligent, sweet little girl who was given up to an orphanage and then grew up to have a rather successful career as a nurse… and just so happens to be one of the most notorious female serial killers in history. On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the video today, we're looking at who invented the assault rifle, why do people drop when shot, can you make a gun that shoots around corners, how dangerous are rubber bullets and stun guns, the Canadian genius who attempted to launch satellites using an absolutely massive gun, a deep dive into the bullet proof vest and how they work, the story of the Tommy Gun, shooting guns in space, how to shoot two guns at once, how pilots shot through propellers in WWI, and the longest sniper shot. 0:00 What Actually Defines an ‘Assault Rifle’ and Who Invented Them? 18:14 Why Do People Suddenly Drop When Shot? 28:21 Can You Really Make a Gun Shoot Around Corners? 52:38 How Dangerous are Rubber Bullets and Stun Guns? 1:03:38 The Canadian Genius Who Attempted to Launch Satellites Using an Absolutely Ginormous Gun 1:17:48 A Deep Dive Into The Bullet Proof Vest and How They Work in Reality vs Hollywood Depictions 1:46:44 The Story of the Iconic ‘Tommy Gun’ 2:07:48 Has Anyone Ever Fired a Gun in Space, Space Cannons, and the Guns Designed for Astronauts? 2:26:34 Is There a Proper Way to Fire Two Guns at Once? 2:40:58 How Did WWI Pilots Shoot Through Their Aircraft Propeller? 2:54:26 The Longest Sniper Kill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the incredible story of how the world's greatest archaeological rescue mission saved Egypt’s ancient wonders from destruction—engineering marvels, lost temples, and an unprecedented battle to preserve history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While there are a few dates that could be pointed to for the sun setting on the British Empire, in fact, it's never literally been the case... But all that's set to change- after centuries of the sun always shining on some part of the British realm, this year, that will end. Here now is the story of the origin of the expression "the sun never sets on..." and the twisting, turning way it's been true for Britain and how it's about to end. While now commonly associated with the British Empire, slogans like “the sun never sets on our territory” have been used since antiquity. For example, Mesopotamian texts from the rule of Sargon of Akkad, who reigned from around 2334 to 2279 B.C.E, declare that the king: “…[rules] all the lands from sunrise to sunset.” While in his foundational 430 B.C.E. work The Histories, Ancient Greek historian Herodotus quotes Persian Achamaenid king Xerxes I as declaring: “We shall extend the Persian territory as far as God's heaven reaches. The sun will then shine on no land beyond our borders.” However, the territories controlled by these rulers were very small by modern standards, and it was not until the explosive expansion of overseas exploration, trade, and conquest in the Early Modern Period that the first truly global empires began to emerge. And among the very first was the Spanish Empire, which by 1780 covered 13.7 million square kilometres or 5.3 million square miles and included most of South and Central America and the West Indies; a large swath of what is now the Southwestern United States; various African colonies like Fernando Po, Oran, Ceuta, Guinea, and Rio Muni; and Asian and Asian and Pacific territories like Palau, New Guinea, the Marianas Islands, Guam, and the Philippines. This led contemporary writers like British polymath Francis Bacon to write: “…both the East and the West Indies being met in the crown of Spain, it is come to pass, that, as one saith in a brave kind of expression, the sun never sets in the Spanish dominions, but ever shines upon one part or other of them: which, to say truly, is a beam of glory…” Interestingly, for 60 years the Spanish Empire was even larger. In 1580 King Henry of Portugal died... Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Instant ramen: a global staple born from postwar hardship. Discover how Momofuku Ando revolutionized fast food, from Chikin Ramen to Cup Noodles, shaping history one slurp at a time! 🍜 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we begin by discussing a random quick fact involving the parents of Ferris Bueller on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Next we move into the main content for today’s episode which is discussing how exactly people used to get human heads to shrink and why they did this in the first place. Moving on from that, we look at the fascinating saga of famed philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s head and body. Finally we move into some feedback and then an interesting Star Trek Fact related to skeletons. And for those interested: ⁠Picture of Jeremy Bentham’s Head⁠ Our mentioned video on the history of passwords: ⁠Who Invented Passwords and the Guy That Made Them Suck⁠ A sampling of Marina Sirtis talking at various conventions: ⁠The Riker Maneuver⁠ ⁠Riker and Picard Badass Walk Loop⁠ On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the video today we're looking at what happens in the real world when you find a buried treasure. What happens when someone objects during a wedding and why ministers ask. What happens if you commit a crime aboard an aircraft or in International waters. What happens when you give a homeless person $100,000. What happens if a cemetery goes under. What exactly happens to animals swallowed alive. What happens if you accidentally damage or destroy a priceless work of art in a museum. What happens when a town votes for a dog or a cat to be mayor. What really happens when someone enters the witness protection program. And, finally, what happens when you stick your head into a particle accelerator. 0:00 What Happens in the Real World if You Find a Buried Treasure? 11:09 What Happens When Someone DOES Object During a Wedding and Where Did This Practice Come From? 16:37 What Happens if You Commit a Crime Aboard an Aircraft or in International Waters? 32:25 What Happened When You Give a Homeless Person $100,000 43:08 What Happens If a Cemetery Goes Under? 48:39 What Exactly Happens to Animals Swallowed Alive and Do Any Animals Ever Get Out Alive After? 1:00:25 What Happens if You Accidentally Damage or Destroy a Priceless Work of Art in a Museum? 1:09:49 What Happens When a Town Votes For a Dog or Cat to Be Mayor? 1:15:25 What Really Happens When Someone Enters the Witness Protection Program 1:19:59 What Happens When You Stick Your Head Into a Particle Accelerator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the untold story of WWII's Lookout Air Raids—Japan’s daring bombing of U.S. soil—and the unexpected journey from fear and devastation to forgiveness and reconciliation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are countless bizarre guns that have been created since humans began gunning, but few are as bad, or as famous and widely produced, as one in WWII produced with the hope of equipping insurgents against their German overlords. This is the story of the worst gun of WWII The Second World War was by far the deadliest and most destructive conflict in modern history in part as it saw the combat debut of dozens of legendary weapons, from the American M1 Garand (or Gare-und if you want to pronounce it like the original designer pronounced his name instead of how most say it today) - the first self-loading combat rifle to be issued as standard in any Army; to the Soviet PPSh-41 and PPS-43 - simple but reliable submachine guns greatly prized and feared for their blistering rate of fire; then there was the German Stg-44 Sturmgewehr, the ancestor of the modern assault rifle. But not all weapons developed during the conflict were so iconic or effective. Some were downright questionable, and none more so than the American FP-45 Liberator, an alarmingly crude single-shot, smoothbore pistol made entirely of cheap metal stampings. Yet despite looking like a cross between a children’s toy and a petty criminal’s homemade zip gun, a whopping one million Liberators were manufactured in only eleven weeks - a herculean feat of wartime production. Here now is the fascinating story of the Liberator, WWII’s strangest gun. Author: Gilles Messier Editor/Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The laugh track: a bizarre, reviled, yet oddly influential piece of television history. How did it rise, why did it fall, and—most importantly—did it ever actually work? Let’s find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we begin by discussing a random quick fact involving the curious old practice of mailing children. Next we move into the main content for today’s episode which is the gruesome tale of William Burke and William Hare and their year long murder spree. Moving on from that, we look at a man who decided to raise his son as a native speaker of Klingon and how that all worked out… Then briefly we touch on whether it’s actually true that kids learn languages faster than adults. *Note: the clip of Alec singing the Klingon Anthem is no longer available online anymore, but you can ⁠hear it sung here if you’re curious⁠. On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, we're looking at how Switzerland managed to remain neutral with WWI and WWII raging around them, how Germany was so successful at the start of WWII against vastly superior numbers, the forgotten harrowing peace flight that nearly torpedoed the Japanese surrender, and much more! 0:00 How Switzerland Managed to Remain Neutral with WWI and WWII Raging Around Them 16:09 How was the German Army so Successful at the Start of WWII Against Vastly Superior Numbers? 51:22 The Forgotten Harrowing, Near Disaster Japanese Surrender Flight That Ended WWII 1:11:55 How on Earth Did Winston Churchill Lose the Election Directly Following Germany’s Defeat? 1:36:07 How WWII Made Everybody Think Carrots Were Good for Eyes and Why It Didn’t Really Have to Do With Tricking the Germans 1:44:37 The Steampunk Flight Simulator That Helped Win WWII 1:58:19 Could the Allies Really Have Crushed Germany Right at the Start of WWII 2:10:19 Gravy Stockings and TNT Hair Dye: The Fascinating Fashions of WW2 2:19:27 That One Time a Parachuting Soldier Took Down a Zero Fighter Plane With Nothing but a Handgun 2:25:47 The Red Devil: The Only Axis Prisoner to Escape from North America And Make It Back to Germany 2:39:32 A Tale of Two Brothers- The Devil and the Absolute Legend 2:48:51 The Forgotten Pearl Harbor Before Pearl Harbor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm excited to share a preview of a new podcast we think you’d enjoy: No Such Thing No Such Thing is a show where three best friends and journalists settle their dumb arguments — and yours — by actually doing the research. Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to experts, and conduct some experiments. Finally, the guys bring their findings back to the group to see if they can change minds, enlighten each other, and move past their emotional truths. Find No Such Thing on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. New episodes out Wednesdays Listen here: No Such Thing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder what the best way to survive a nuclear blast is? Well, wonder no more! There was a turtle by the name of Bert, and Bert the turtle was very alert. When danger threatened him he never got hurt, he knew just what to do: He'd duck and cover! Duck and cover! So goes the title tune of the infamous Cold War instructional film Duck and Cover, released by the United States Federal Civil Defense Administration in January 1952. In the film, the cartoon character Bert the Turtle, along with narrator Robert Middleton, explain how best to survive and avoid injury in the event of a nuclear attack- duck and cover. Happen to be out in the open when the bomb drops? No problem: just dive into a ditch, behind a fence or wall, or lie flat on the ground - making sure, of course, to cover your neck and head as before. It’s that simple! In the present day, Duck and Cover and similar Cold War instructional films have become widely mocked, emblematic of America’s dangerously naive and optimistic attitude during the Atomic Age. Indeed, today the entire premise of the film seems patently absurd; after all, a school desk can’t possibly offer any protection against a nuclear weapon! But is that mocking actually valid? After all, scientists then, as now, are pretty incredibly smart. This now brings us to the question of the hour- how effective was “ducking and covering” and just what is the best way to survive a nuclear blast? Well, grab your survival rations, Geiger counter, and squeeze yourself into your refrigerator, and let’s find out, shall we? Author: Gilles Messier Editor/Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the phenomenon of toast always landing buttered side down actually real, or is it a myth, a product of selective memory and general pessimism? Surprisingly, this supposedly trivial question has attracted a large amount of rigorous scientific research - the results of which may surprise you, including the millions year old reason buttered side down toast was inevitable. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the video today we're looking at World War 2's slightly absurd secret weapons and the Japanese battleship with guns that weighed more than entire American battleships. Moving on from there we cover the Russian KV Tanks that were so tough they literally would take out anti-tank guns by driving over them. Next up we do a dive into the German space shuttle, that time Germany teamed up with IBM for mass murder, the insane way British pilots would take out one of Germany's greatest weapons, the German designed, one man spherical tank, the Russian flying tank, the sad story of the exploding anti-tank dogs, the forgotten metal can that made Blitzkrieg possible and ultimately won WWII for the Allies when they stole it, the tiny submarine that changed the course of WWII, and the bizarre fake army that defeated the Axis. Next up a flying adventure looking at the insanely amazing story of the Night Witches, followed up by another flying adventure looking at if planes actually scream when they dive. Finally, we look at the pivotal WWII gun that you'd never want to put down... Because of its propensity to accidentally fire when you did so. 0:00 WWII’s Most Absurd ‘Secret Weapons’ 16:37 The Japanese Battleship with Guns that Weighed More than Entire American Battleships... 25:43 Driving Over Anti Tank Guns: The Remarkable Russian KV Tanks 31:34 The Nazi Space Shuttle 45:38 How the Nazis Teamed Up with IBM for Mass Murder (And How the First Ethical Hacker Fought Back) 1:01:57 A Wingtip and a Prayer: the Insane Way British Pilots Defeated Germany’s Secret Weapon 1:19:47 The Mysterious Kugelpanzer: The German Designed, One Man Spherical Tank 1:25:26 That Time the Russians Built a Literal Flying Tank 1:29:10 The Exploding Anti-Tank Dogs of World War II 1:34:56 The Forgotten Metal Can That Made Blitzkrieg Possible and Ultimately Won WWII When Allies Stole It 1:42:00 The Midget Submarine That Changed the Course of WWII 2:00:16 The Bizarre Story of the Massive Fake Army That Defeated the Nazis and Helped End WWII 2:23:42 With a Pistol and a Prayer- The Incredible Story of The Night Witches 2:37:21 Do Airplanes Actually “Scream” as They Dive as Commonly Depicted in Hollywood Films? 2:51:11 The Pivotal WWII Gun That Nobody Wanted to Put Down: The Plumber's Nightmare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Popular history gets the War of the Currents wrong pretty fundamentally. This is the real story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A relatively common trope today is that of the noble and honorable Samurai warrior opposed by their shadowy brother from another mother, the mystical and morally corrupt, black garbed assassin warrior known as the ninja. These fabled shadow warriors of Japanese history have been a staple of modern pop culture since around the 1960s when super-spy James Bond encountered them on a trip to Japan in You Only Live Twice. Prior to this, ninjas were something few people outside of their homeland were aware of. This has contributed to the real-world history of the ninja and their origins being rather chock full of admittedly awesome myths and legends, all surrounding them like a thick, shadowy fog. Something we feel the ninjas of history would feel proud of. Afterall, hiding and remaining unseen is sort of their whole deal… And, indeed, even in their time, they seemed to like to play up some of the stories that arose around what they were capable of and how they did what they did. This all brings us to the topic of today- just who were the ninja and what did they actually get up to in reality? To begin with, in a nutshell the ninja were elite, mercenary spies that also doubled as a type of swiss army knife of special forces, skilled in everything from sabotage, espionage, ambush, arson, assasination, to there is even evidence that they were highly trained in first aid and use of various medicines. As historian Yamada Yüji notes, “You need to know the topography of the enemy’s position, the condition of his food supplies, the structure of his castle. It was the job of the shinobi [ninja] to obtain this kind of crucial information. They would infiltrate the enemy domain and ascertain the lay of the land…and create chaos through acts of sabotage and arson.” On that note, debunking our first ninja myth, there’s no historical record of them dressing in the stereotypical ninja outfits we all know and love today. Because the thing was, wearing such garb would be one heck of a way for them to stand out in many types of missions. As such, ninjas mostly seem to have worn the garb of everything from monk to farmer to servant- whatever a particular mission required, rather than any set uniform. We’ll have some examples of them doing just this later on, but for now, ninjas so commonly wearing the clothing of farmers and the like even gave rise to the idea for a time that they were mostly simple farmers who simply took money for spying. While there certainly were individuals who did just that, when talking actual ninjas as we think of them, they were anything but simple, and there are even nobles who were samurai who are known to have been trained up in ninjitsu. More on this later. But for now, let’s look at the origin of the ninja. Authors: Karl Smallwood and Daven Hiskey Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the video today we're looking at a variety of interesting stories from WWII from the man who fought in WWII with a sword and bow, to the kids who led the resistance movement in Germany, to how flatulence decided the outcome of WWII. 0:00 Why Did Japan Join the Nazis? (Given, You Know, the Nazis Explicitly Hated Non-Aryans) 40:09 The Women Who were Used for Breeding by the Nazis 57:25 How Do German Schools Teach About WWII? 1:07:21 The Man Who Fought in WWII With a Sword and Bow: 1:12:32 What were Hitler's Relatives Up to During and After WWII? 1:42:31 The Kids Who Led the Resistance Movements Against the Nazis 2:13:48 Why Did So Many Nazis Choose Argentina to Flee to After WWII? 2:49:22 The Forgotten Armed Nazi Operation Carried Out on North American Soil During WWII 2:58:22 The Forgotten Nazi Holocaust Plan Before They Decided On the Holocaust 3:09:39 How Hitler's Flatulence Defeated Nazi Germany Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices