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The Troubling, Hidden History of Turpentine
Today turpentine is a substance with any number of industrial uses -- but most people don't know much about it, and even fewer people know its history in the early days of the US. In today's episode,…
Published on 4 years, 7 months ago
A Race Across the World: From New York to Paris in 1908
In February of 1908, racing teams from multiple nations assembled for an unusual and ambitious race -- they planned to drive from Times Square across the planet to France. These were the early days o…
Published on 4 years, 7 months ago
The Age of the Crakow, Part 2: A Fashion Arms Race, But For Your Feet
In the second part of this episode, Ben and special guest Matt Frederick continue exploring the bizarre heyday of the poulaine. Tune in to learn more about the fickle, sometimes ridiculous, cycles of…
Published on 4 years, 7 months ago
The Age of the Crakow, Part 1: Medieval Europe Went Nuts For Pointy Shoes
It appears many eras in history have their own version of sneakerheads. In 15th-century Europe, nobles and commoners alike went absolutely nuts for a type of pointy shoe called the Crakow -- and peop…
Published on 4 years, 7 months ago
How Pie in the Face Became a Comedy Classic, Part 2: The Fall (of the Pie)
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Published on 4 years, 7 months ago
How Pie in the Face Became a Comedy Classic, Part 1: Rise of the Pie
Today the old pie-in-the-face gag is a well-worn comedy trope — but how did it become so famous? In part one of this two-part series, Ben and Noel explore the surprising history of pies, cinema and c…
Published on 4 years, 8 months ago
The Great Panjandrum: A Hilariously Terrible Idea
As the British military brainstormed ways to break the German-built Atlantic Wall during World War II, desperation drove them to unorthodox ideas -- one of those, the Great Panjandrum, was a literal …
Published on 4 years, 8 months ago
Dr. T. W. Stallings: One Man's Corvid-Hating Quest to Make Oklahoma Literally Eat Crow
Times were tough during the Great Depression. Economic unrest, massive migration and falling crops left many people struggling to survive -- even the simple task of finding food from one day to the n…
Published on 4 years, 8 months ago
Pineapples In Europe, Part 2: People Literally Rented Pineapples to Impress their Friends
As the pineapple craze swept through Europe's upper class, aristocrats worked tirelessly to grow their own pineapples. This was no small feat, since pineapples aren't suited to the European climate. …
Published on 4 years, 8 months ago
Pineapples In Europe, Part 1: A Weird, Cartoonishly Expensive Flex
Today, pineapples are a common (and delicious) produce item found in grocery stores and markets across the world -- but not too many centuries ago, a single pineapple could cost the equivalent of ove…
Published on 4 years, 8 months ago