Stumbled Upon

Happy Friday! This week we're taking a deep into what slang is and where it comes from. Sources: “Don’t Get Mixed Up By These Differences In US, UK, And Australian English.” Dictionary.com, 28 Jan. 2019, https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/differences-us-uk-aussie-english/#australia-confrontation. Accessed 16 July 2025.Green, Rylin. “IYKYK: Unraveling the Secrets of Slang.” BYU, 25 Oct. 2023, https://hum.byu.edu/iykyk-unraveling-the-secrets-of-slang. Accessed 16 July 2025.Perlman, Merrill. “Biting off more ‘informal language’ than you can chew.” Columbia Journalism Review, 11 Oct. 2016, https://www.cjr.org/language_corner/colloquial_slang_idiom_oh_my.php. Accessed 16 July 2025.“Slang Goes Legit.” Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/slang-amelioration. Accessed 16 July 2025.“The Power of Slang.” PBS, https://www.pbs.org/speak/words/sezwho/slang/. Accessed 16 July 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we're taking a deep dive into where aspects of American fire safety originated inspired by the Netflix documentary about the Grenfell Tower fire in London.Sources: CertaSite Editor. “Fire History 101: History of Fire Safety Regulation.” CertaSite, 25 April 2024, https://www.certasitepro.com/news/fire-safety-history#:~:text=Fire%20Safety%20from%201600%2D1899,costliest%20fires%20in%20American%20history. Accessed 6 July 2025.Engel, Rachel. “Sound the alarm: The history and evolution of fire drills.” Fire Rescue 1, 30 Oct. 2024, https://www.firerescue1.com/firefighting-history/sound-the-alarm-the-history-and-evolution-of-fire-drills. Accessed 6 July 2025.Hoey, Iain. “Housing report exposes the reality of sprinkler retrofitting in UK high-rises.” International Fire & Safety Journal, 3 July 2023, https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/sprinkler-retrofitting-in-uk-high-rises-falls-short/. Accessed 6 July 2025.“Not Your Mother’s Stop Drop and Roll: Evolution of a Key Fire Safety Message.” National Fire Protection Association, 31 Mar. 2022, https://www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-and-articles/blogs/2022/03/31/not-your-mothers-stop-drop-and-roll-evolution-of-a-key-fire-safety-message. Accessed 6 July 2025.“Protecting People Who Live or Work in High-Rises.” U.S. Fire Administration, 12 Jan. 2022, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/blog/protecting-people-who-live-or-work-in-high-rises/#header. Accessed 6 July 2025.“Reality Check: Why don’t all high-rises have sprinklers?” BBC, 15 June 2017, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40293035. Accessed 6 July 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we're taking a deep dive into the flu pandemic of 1918. Some of you may know it as the Spanish Flu, but scientists believe it actually originated in America and it ultimately killed roughly 20% of the world's population.Sources:History.com Editors. “Spanish Flu.” History, updated 28 May 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/1918-flu-pandemic. Accessed 2 July 2025.Humphreys, Margaret. “The influenza of 1918: Evolutionary perspectives in a historical context.” Evolution, medicine, and public health vol. 2018,1 219-229. 31 Aug. 2018, doi:10.1093/emph/eoy024, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6218637/#abstract1. Accessed 30 June 2025.World Health Organization 2023 data.who.int, WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) dashboard > Deaths [Dashboard]. https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths. Accessed 30 June 2025.“1918 Influenza Pandemic (Spanish Flu).” The Cleveland Clinic, 24 Oct. 2024, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21777-spanish-flu. Accessed 30 June 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! Today we're doing a deep dive into the first day of summer also known as the summer solstice and how it's celebrated throughout the world.Sources:“Celebrate Noche de San Juan in Puerto Rico.” Discover Puerto Rico, https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/info/noche-de-san-juan#!grid~~~date~1~~. Accessed 21 June 2025.Dobrijevic, Daisy. “The summer solstice: What is it and when does it occur?” Space, 10 June 2025, https://www.space.com/summer-solstice-when-what. Accessed 21 June 2025.Pope, Kristen. “Nine Ways People Celebrate the Summer Solstice Around the World.” Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 2023, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/nine-ways-people-celebrate-the-summer-solstice-around-the-world-180982398/. Accessed 21 June 2025.“Understanding Stonehenge.” English Heritage, https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/history-and-stories/understanding-stonehenge/. Accessed 23 June 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! Today we're taking a deep dive into the placebo effect as well as what it means to try to positively impact your health with how you think.Sources:“All The World’s A Stage—Including The Doctor’s Office.” Hidden Brain from NPR, 11 May 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/05/11/853753307/all-the-worlds-a-stage-including-the-doctor-s-office. Accessed 15 June 2025.Patterson, Elissa H. and Hans Schroder, Ph.D. “In studies and in real life, placebos have a powerful healing effect on the body and mind.” Michigan Medicine, 14 Mar. 2022, https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/studies-and-real-life-placebos-have-powerful-healing-effect-body-and-mind. Accessed 15 June 2025.“The power of the placebo effect.” Harvard Health Publishing, 22 July 2024, https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect. Accessed 15 June 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! Today we're taking a deep dive into how lightning is formed, where it strikes, and common myths surrounding it.Sources:Biswas, Joyeeta. “Experts debunk 5 common myths about getting struck by lightning.” ABC News, 5 Sept. 2018, https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/experts-debunk-common-myths-struck-lightning/story?id=57475177. Accessed 10 June 2025.CDC. “Lightning Strike Victim Data.” CDC, 15 Apr. 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/lightning/data-research/index.html#:~:text=At%20a%20glance,of%20being%20struck%20by%20lightning. Accessed 10 June 2025.Moster, Oliver. “What happens when lightning strikes a plane?” ABC57, 21 May 2025, https://www.abc57.com/news/what-happens-when-lightning-strikes-a-plane-052125. Accessed 10 June 2025.NOAA. “Lightning and Planes.” NOAA, https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-planes. Accessed 10 June 2025.NOAA. “Severe Weather 101.” NOAA, https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/. Accessed 10 June 2025.NOAA. “Understanding Lightning Science.” NOAA, https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-overview. Accessed 10 June 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday and Happy Pride Month! This week we are taking a deep dive into the uprising that sparked the rise of the mainstream Pride movement and the creation of Pride Month.Sources:Cabrera-Lomeli, Carlos. “San Francisco Pride Parade loses several corporate sponsors, organizers say.” NPR Morning Edition, 24 Mar. 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5334685/san-francisco-pride-parade-loses-several-corporate-sponsors-organizers-say. Accessed 31 May 2025.Kim, Juliana. “Word of the Week: How ‘pride’ shifted from vice to a symbol of LGBTQ empowerment.” NPR, 28 May 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/05/28/g-s1-68722/pride-month-lgbtq-history-etymology. Accessed 31 May 2025.“Pride Month: A History of Resistance.” National LGBTQ Task Force, 14 June 2024, https://www.thetaskforce.org/news/pride-month-a-history-of-resistance/. Accessed 31 May 2025.Walsh, Colleen. “Stonewall then and now.” The Harvard Gazette, 27 June 2019, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/06/harvard-scholars-reflect-on-the-history-and-legacy-of-the-stonewall-riots/. Accessed 31 May 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we're taking a deep dive into some of the scarier bridges, both in America and abroad.Sources:Adams, Lee. “People Are So Terrified Of This US Bridge That There Are Services To Drive Your Car Across It.” Explore, 1 May 2024, https://www.explore.com/1571835/chesapeake-bay-bridge-maryland-dangerous-services-offered-drive-car-across/. Accessed 25 May 2025.History.com Editors. “Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses.” History, 13 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-7/tacoma-narrows-bridge-collapses. Accessed 25 May 2025.“Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge.” American Society of Civil Engineers, https://www.asce.org/about-civil-engineering/history-and-heritage/historic-landmarks/lake-pontchartrain-causeway-bridge. Accessed 25 May 2025.Mahmood, Yasir. “8 Facts about Japan’s Eshima Ohashi Bridge.” Interesting Engineering, 2 Feb. 2024, https://interestingengineering.com/lists/8-facts-japans-eshima-ohashi-bridge. Accessed 25 May 2025.Volle, Adam. “Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.” Britannica, 3 May 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lake-Pontchartrain-Causeway. Accessed 25 May 2025.“10 Amazing Facts about the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park.” Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, 9 March 2022, https://royalgorgebridge.com/10-amazing-facts-about-the-royal-gorge-bridge-and-park/. Accessed 25 May 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we're taking a deep dive into the origins of western astrology. From Babylonian priests in Mesopotamia all the way to modern personal astrology readings. Sources:“Astrology Summary.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/summary/astrology. Accessed 17 May 2025.Caruso, Catherine. “What are the ancient origins of your zodiac sign?” National Geographic, 3 July 2024, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/history-of-horoscopes. Accessed 17 May 2025.Karasavvas, Theodoros. “The 4,000 Year History of Horoscopes: How Astrology Has Been Shaped Throughout the Millenia.” Ancient Origins, 9 April 2017, https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/4000-year-history-horoscopes-how-astrology-has-been-shaped-throughout-021321. Accessed 17 May 2025.Roberts, Sarah. “Babylonian Astrology: How Mesopotamian Priests Influenced Your Horoscope.” Ancient Origins, 7 Oct. 2018, https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/babylonian-astrology-0010806. Accessed 17 May 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! I know that we're a few days late, but here is the surprising history of May 1st and all of the holidays that fall on it today. This holiday weaves together ancient agricultural festivals, spring customs, and labor rights protests...there's a lot to unpack here.Sources:Bowman, Emma. “What is May Day? For the most part, the opposite of capitalism.” NPR, 1 May 2024, https://www.npr.org/2022/04/30/1095729592/what-is-may-day-history. Accessed 2 May 2025.Elding, Ash. “Beltane: The Festival of Fire and Fertility.” The Pagan Grimoire, 8 April 2025, https://www.pagangrimoire.com/what-is-beltane-celebrate/. Accessed 2 May 2025.History.com Editors. “May Day.” History, 1 May 2017, https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-may-day. Accessed 2 May 2025.Music:https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we chat about random topics that have caught my attention recently, from space and aliens to time loops and the ocean. Let me know if there are topics that you'd like me to deep dive by emailing me at [email protected]!Sources:StarTalk podcast with Neil DeGrasse TysonPagan Coffee Talk with Life Temple and SeminaryMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we're diving into where hamburgers came from and why fast food creates such strong cravings.Sources:Barksdale, Nate. “Where Hamburgers Began—and How They Became and Iconic American Food.” History, 29 Aug. 2014, https://www.history.com/articles/hamburger-helpers-the-history-of-americas-favorite-sandwich. Accessed 20 April 2025.“Fast Food Consumption in the United States.” Gerd Help, https://www.gerdhelp.com/blog/fast-food-consumption-in-the-united-states/. Accessed 20 April 2025.Mineo, Liz. “Soda is bad for you yet your body wants it. Why?” The Harvard Gazette, 10 Sept. 2024, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/09/why-do-we-crave-junk-food-diet-psychology/. Accessed 20 April 2025.“Why Are Certain Foods so Addictive?” Cleveland Clinic, 4 March 2021, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-are-certain-foods-so-addictive. Accessed 20 April 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we're taking a deep dive (no pun intended) into Lake Michigan and some of it's spookiest stories.Sources:“About Great Lakes Waves and Currents” National Weather Service, https://www.weather.gov/iwx/beachhazards_waves_currents. Accessed 12 April 2025.“Dangerous Currents.” Sea Grant Michigan, https://www.michiganseagrant.org/topics/coastal-hazards-and-safety/dangerous-currents/. Accessed 12 April 2025.“Great Lakes ecoregion.” NOAA, 25 Feb. 2025, https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/freshwater/great-lakes-ecoregion. Accessed 12 April 2025.Guzman, Alyssa. “Mystery of the Lake Michigan triangle with strange disappearances, sinkings and weather that defies nature.” Daily Mail, 5 April 2025, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14564615/lake-michigan-triangle-disappearances-sinkings-weather.html. Accessed 12 April 2025.“How They Were Made.” Sea Grant Wisconsin, https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/resources/the-formation-of-the-great-lakes/how-they-were-made/. Accessed 12 April 2025.“The UnBelievable: Lake Michigan Triangle’s Mysterious Phenomena (Season 1).” YouTube, uploaded by History, 4 Dec. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP4nZapWEU4.Twardy, Amber. “Lake Michigan is considered the deadliest Great Lake – here’s why.” ABC57, 24 Aug. 2022, www.abc57.com/news/lake-michigan-is-considered-the-deadliest-great-lake-heres-why. Accessed 12 April 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we're taking a deep dive into the notorious bank robber AND prison escape artist, Willie Sutton...his story is wild! Sources:Canavan, Kathryn. “75 years later: A look back at Willie Sutton’s infamous prison escape.” Metro Philadelphia, 9 Feb. 2022, metrophiladelphia.com/75-years-later-a-look-back-at-willie-suttons-infamous-prison-escape/. Accessed 6 April 2025.Kiernan, Joseph and Desmond, James. “Willie Sutton Captured; He Never Left Brooklyn.” New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 1952, www.nydailynews.com/2016/02/18/the-day-willie-the-actor-sutton-prolific-bank-robber-was-arrested-in-brooklyn-in-1952/. Accessed 6 April 2025.Mongelli, Lorena. “Former cop recalls NYPD arrest of Willie Sutton 60 yrs. Later.” New York Post, 18 Feb. 2012, nypost.com/2012/02/18/former-cop-recalls-nypd-arrest-of-willie-sutton-60-yrs-later/. Accessed 6 April 2025.The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Willie Sutton.” Britannica, www.britannica.com/biography/Willie-Sutton. Accessed 6 April 2025.“Willie Sutton.” FBI History, www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/willie-sutton. Accessed 6 April 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we're taking a deep dive into the controversial Milgram Shock Experiments from the early 1960s. Would you obey? How far do YOU think is too far in the pursuit of knowledge?Sources:Cherry, Kendra. “Understanding the Milgram Experiment in Psychology.” Very Well Mind, 13 Aug 2024, www.verywellmind.com/the-milgram-obedience-experiment-2795243. Accessed 30 Mar 2025.McLeod, Saul. “Stanley Milgram Shock Experiment.” Simply Psychology, 14 Mar 2025, www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html. Accessed 30 Mar 2025.Russell, Nestar. “Stanley Milgram’s Obedience Studies: An Ethical and Methodological Assessment.” Philosophia Scientia, vol. 28, no. 2, 2024, pp. 107-129, journals.openedition.org/philosophiascientiae/4370?lang=en#tocto2n1. Accessed 30 Mar 2025.Seltzer, Leon F. “Why We Laugh When We’re Nervous.” Psychology Today, 4 Aug 2021, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/202108/why-we-laugh-when-were-nervous. Accessed 30 Mar 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! Ever wonder where language comes from? Well, this week we're diving into where scientists believe human language began as well as how babies learn to speak.Sources:“Birth of a Language.” PBS, www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/07/2/l_072_04.html. Accessed 25 Mar 2025.Futrell, Richard. “When was talking invented? A language scientist explains how this unique feature of human beings may have evolved.” UC Irvine, 8 Aug 2022, www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2022/2022-08-08-futrell-when-was-talking-invented.php. Accessed 25 Mar 2025.“How do infants translate sounds to language?” Zero to Three, 5 Sept 2024, www.zerotothree.org/resource/how-do-infants-translate-sounds-to-language. Accessed 25 Mar 2025.Kenneally, Christine. “The Cultural Origins of Language.” Scientific American, 1 Sept 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-cultural-origins-of-language. Accessed 25 Mar 2025.Kuhl, Patricia K. “How Babies Learn Language.” Scientific American, 1 Nov 2015, www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-babies-learn-language. Accessed 25 Mar 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

This week we take a deep dive into where hair dye originated and how the beauty standards around hair dye have changed through history. Sit back, relax, and you might learn something new!Sources:Campus Staff. “History of Hair Coloring.” Campus, 31 Dec 2024, campus.edu/blog/cosmetology/history-of-hair-coloring. Accessed 18 Mar 2025.Cerini, Marianna. “From rainbow to gray: The evolution of hair dye.” CNN Style, 25 Mar 2020, www.cnn.com/style/article/hair-dye-evolution/index.html. Accessed 18 Mar 2025.Hopp, Devin. “The Extraordinary History of Hair Color.” Byrdie, 24 Sept 2024, www.byrdie.com/hair-color-history. Accessed 18 Mar 2025.Murtaugh, Taysha. “The Tragic Life and Death of Jean Harlow, Hollywood’s Original Blonde Bombshell.” Country Living, 19 Sept 2017, www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a44839/jean-harlow-death/. Accessed 18 Mar 2025.“When Was Hair Dye Invented? A Fascinating Journey Through the History of Hair Colouring.” Margaux, 4 May 2023, www.margauxsalon.co.uk/post/when-was-hair-dye-invented-a-fascinating-journey-through-the-history-of-hair-colouring. Accessed 18 Mar 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Happy Friday! This week we take a deep dive that starts with the Mandela Effect and ends with a discussion about aphantasia, a condition where people cannot form pictures in their minds. We'll talk about conspiracies and I'll share a thought experiment so you can figure out how you see things (or don't) in your mind.Sources:Aphantasia Network. “The Ball on a Table: How to Tell the Difference Between Visualizers and Conceptualizers.” Aphantasia Network, 8 Oct 2023, aphantasia.com/article/strategies/ball-on-the-table. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.Capital One Brandvoice. “The Mandela Effect—Bad Memories Or An Alternate Universe?” Forbes, 31 Oct 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/capitalone/2017/10/31/the-mandela-effect-bad-memories-or-an-alternate-universe. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.Chan, Katharine. “Eidetic Memory: The Reality Behind the ‘Photographic’ Mind.” Verywell Mind, 8 Jan 2024, www.verywellmind.com/eidetic-memory-7692728. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.Eske, Jamie. “Examples and explanation of the Mandela Effect.” Medical News Today, 20 May 2024, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mandela-effect. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.McDonough, Michael. “Mandela Effect.” Britannica, www.britannica.com/science/Mandela-effect. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.Richardson, Diane Currie. “Memories Without Imagery—Remembering Outside the Lines.” Aphantasia Network, 18 Mar 2024, aphantasia.com/article/stories/memories-without-imagery/?srsltid=AfmBOoqVBQnovi7-s4EkkEpHEXVZvSL57krz9BqwFi_stMNKZ5MHDPf9. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.Squire, Larry. “Is photographic memory real? If so, how does it work?” Brain Facts, 17 Apr 2016, www.brainfacts.org/ask-an-expert/is-photographic-memory-real. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.Vath, Inka. “Aphantasia Impacts Autobiographical Memory Recall.” Neuroscience News, 27 Feb 2024, neurosciencenews.com/aphantasia-memory-25667. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.“What is Aphantasia?” Aphantasia Network, aphantasia.com/what-is-aphantasia. Accessed 9 Mar 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

On today's episode we dive into the topic of butterflies and why they are so important to our current ecosystems. Plus I go over tips to keep their populations strong...with some side track stories along the way.Sources:Helliwell, Leslie, “Top Ten Ways to Help Butterflies.” ENC, 22 Feb 2015, encenter.org/top-ten-ways-to-help-butterflies/. Accessed 28 Nov 2024.Kawahara, A.Y., Storer, C., Carvalho, A.P.S. et al. “A global phylogeny of butterflies reveals their evolutionary history, ancestral hosts and biogeographic origins.” Nat Ecol Evol 7, 903–913 (2023). doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02041-9. Accessed 28 Nov 2024.Marcum, Diana. The Fallen Stones. Little A, 2022.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “K-T Extinction.” Britannica, www.britannica.com/science/K-T-extinction. Accessed 28 Nov 2024.“Why butterflies matter.” Butterfly Conservation, butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/why-butterflies-matter. Accessed 28 Nov 2024.“Why is Pollination Important?” US Forest Service, www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/importance. Accessed 4 Mar 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

It's almost Mardi Gras! Explore the history of this tradition with me as we take a deep dive into what the festival is all about!Sources:Barclay, Eliza. “Is That A Plastic Baby Jesus In My Cake?” NPR, 17 Feb 2012, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/02/17/147039138/is-that-a-plastic-baby-jesus-in-my-cake. Accessed 22 Feb 2025.Betit, Jessica. “What is Mardi Gras?” Gardiner Public Library, 1 March 2022, gardinerpubliclibrary.org/what-is-mardi-gras/. Accessed 22 Feb 2025.Greenspan, Jesse. “9 Things You May Not Know About Mardi Gras.” History, 28 Sept 2023, www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-mardi-gras. Accessed 22 Feb 2025.History.com Editors. “Mardi Gras 2025.” History, 18 Feb 2025, www.history.com/topics/holidays/mardi-gras. Accessed 22 Feb 2025.Killgrove, Kristina. “An Archaeologist’s ‘Bead Lust’ For Modern Mardi Gras And Ancient Rituals.” Forbes, 8 Feb 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2016/02/08/an-archaeologists-bead-lust-for-modern-mardi-gras-and-ancient-rituals/?sh=600dc72077cb. Accessed 22 Feb 2025.Pruitt, Sarah. “6 Mardi Gras Traditions and Their Origins.” History, 6 Feb 2024, www.history.com/news/from-king-cake-to-zulu-coconuts-the-history-of-6-mardi-gras-traditions. Accessed 22 Feb 2025.“6 Pagan Celebrations To Welcome Spring.” History, www.history.co.uk/articles/pagan-spring-celebrations. Accessed 22 Feb 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Ever wondered how memories work? Take a deep dive with me into how researchers think we store memories and what you can do to keep your memories alive as you age.Sources:Mayo Clinic Staff. "Memory Loss: 7 tips to improve your memory." Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/memory-loss/art-20046518. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.Miller, Greg. "How Our Brains Make Memories." Smithsonian Magazine, May 2010, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-our-brains-make-memories-14466850. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.Munoz, Lisa M.P. "The Genetics of Why Some People Remember Events Better Than Others as They Age." Cognitive Neuroscience Society, 7 Feb 2013, www.cogneurosociety.org/memorygenetics_papenberg. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Today we're doing a deep dive into the history of Valentine's Day and it is weird...so sit back, relax, and enjoy! xoxo KateSources:History.com Editors. "History of Valentine's Day." History, 22 Dec 2009, www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2. Accessed 10 Feb 2025.Seipel, Arnie. "The dark origins of Valentine's Day." NPR, 14 Feb 2022, www.npr.org/2011/02/14/133693152/the-dark-origins-of-valentines-day. Accessed 10 Feb 2025.Music:https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

Take a deep dive with me into a brief history of the US Airline industry and our modern fear of flying...and we'll troll my friends in the process!Sources:Dobkin, Rachel. "How Common Are Plane Crashes? What Statistics Show." Newsweek, 30 Jan 2025, www.newsweek.com/plane-crash-statistics-american-airlines-2023691. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.Ducharme, Jamie. "Why Some People Have a Crippling Fear of Flying - and How They Can Overcome It." Time, 6 July 2018, time.come/5330978/fear-of-flying-aviophobia/. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.National Air and Space Museum. Passenger Flight, airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/passenger-flight. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.Robson, Michele. "The Most Stressful Job In The World? What It's Really Like To Be An Air Traffic Controller." Forbes, 30 Jun 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/michelerobson/2020/05/29/the-most-stressful-job-in-the-world-what-its-really-like-to-be-an-air-traffic-controller/. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.Waldek, Stefanie. "Why Planes Are Among the Safest Modes of Transportation, According to Aviation Experts." Travel & Leisure. 15 Apr 2023, www.travelandleisure.com/are-planes-safe-7480764. Accessed 2 Feb 2025.Music: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/

In this episode we go down the rabbit hole of the tradition of blowing out birthday candles. There might also be a few side note topics, so sit back, relax, and enjoy!Sources:Gage, Mary, and James Gage. "Birthday Cakes: History and Recipes." New England Recipes (2012).Jou, Jwo-Huei, et al. "Unveiling the Mythical Candles." Building and Environment 169(2020): 106565.Music from: https://pixabay.com/users/lsmusic-46357977/