Brain Junk

Necco Wafers and Jelly Beans were candies that citizens were urged to “send to the troops” during the Civil War. Easy to transport and not likely to melt or spoil, they were a sweet treat that reminded the Union soldiers of home.

Check out Claire Saffitiz from Bon Appetite as she attempts gourmet jelly beans from scratch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPYhem4GRGY

Necco Wafers and Jelly Beans were candies that citizens were urged to “send to the troops” during the Civil War. Easy to transport and not likely to melt or spoil, they were a sweet treat that reminded the Union soldiers of home.

Check out Claire Saffitiz from Bon Appetite as she attempts gourmet jelly beans from scratch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPYhem4GRGY

From 1920 to 1933, the United States had a ban against the sale and import of alcohol. Almost immediately the whole nation began to find innovative ways to smuggle booze past the law.

Image Courtest Wikimedia Commons: Creative Commons

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65110/footwear-helped-moonshiners-evade-police

A 1922 article from a Florida newspaper called The Evening Independent ran a piece on the development:

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/04/13/bootleggers/

From 1920 to 1933, the United States had a ban against the sale and import of alcohol. Almost immediately the whole nation began to find innovative ways to smuggle booze past the law.

Image Courtest Wikimedia Commons: Creative Commons

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65110/footwear-helped-moonshiners-evade-police

A 1922 article from a Florida newspaper called The Evening Independent ran a piece on the development:

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/04/13/bootleggers/

Amy’s dug to the bottom of her pockets to find us a linty handful of random coin fact gems. Did you know there was a white cent or that coins are pickled before they get printed?

Let’s see if I have any change in my wallet. Wait! Is that an orange Tic-Tac in the bottom of my bag? I call dibs!

SHOW NOTES:

https://grammarist.com/idiom/dollars-to-doughnuts/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71300/15-delicious-facts-about-doughnuts

https://www.beano.com/posts/the-10-weirdest-doughnut-flavours

https://www.factretriever.com/doughnut-facts

Amy’s dug to the bottom of her pockets to find us a linty handful of random coin fact gems. Did you know there was a white cent or that coins are pickled before they get printed?

Let’s see if I have any change in my wallet. Wait! Is that an orange Tic-Tac in the bottom of my bag? I call dibs!

SHOW NOTES:

https://grammarist.com/idiom/dollars-to-doughnuts/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71300/15-delicious-facts-about-doughnuts

https://www.beano.com/posts/the-10-weirdest-doughnut-flavours

https://www.factretriever.com/doughnut-facts

If you grew up in the 80s and early 90s, you were certain that someday you’d fall into a pit of quicksand. It was everywhere. In cartoons, in tv shows, in our favorite movies. Turns out, quicksand isn’t quite as ubiquitous as we thought.

Show Notes:

Nature.com-Quicksand

BBC-Dry Quicksand

Creative Commons License

If you grew up in the 80s and early 90s, you were certain that someday you'd fall into a pit of quicksand. It was everywhere. In cartoons, in tv shows, in our favorite movies. Turns out, quicksand isn't quite as ubiquitous as we thought.

Show Notes:

Nature.com-Quicksand

BBC-Dry Quicksand

Creative Commons License

It’s freezing but that flock of ducks is standing barefoot on an icy pond. Why don’t they have frostbite? Turns out, ducks (any many other birds) have something in their legs humans don’t, rete mirabile.

It’s freezing but that flock of ducks is standing barefoot on an icy pond. Why don’t they have frostbite? Turns out, ducks (any many other birds) have something in their legs humans don’t, rete mirabile.