Smartest Year Ever

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, ancient fears of sneezing out your soul, and the idea that sneezing was a harbinger of death. But that’s just one part of the story. Around the world, the sneeze response varies wildly—from “Gesundheit” in Germany to “Guð hjálpi þér” in Iceland.

You’ll also learn about the photic sneeze reflex (a.k.a. ACHOO syndrome), and why some people sneeze when they see bright light. Plus: does your heart really stop when you sneeze? (Spoiler: no. But something interesting does happen.)

Whether you’re interested in weird body facts, global language customs, cultural etiquette, or just want to know why people bless your sinuses, this episode delivers the sneeze-size truth in under 10 minutes.

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Sources:

• NBC New York. (n.d.). Why do we say 'bless you' when we hear someone sneeze? Retrieved from https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/why-do-we-say-bless-you-when-we-hear-someone-sneeze/4974655/
  

• Library of Congress. (n.d.). Does your heart stop when you sneeze? Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/biology-and-human-anatomy/item/does-your-heart-stop-when-you-sneeze/
  

• Babbel Magazine. (2022, November 17). How To Respond To A Sneeze In 6 Different Languages. Retrieved from https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/how-to-respond-to-sneeze-in-6-different-languages
  

• Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Response to sneezing. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Response_to_sneezing
  

• Lingopie. (n.d.). How To Say 'Bless You' In 75 Different Languages. Retrieved from https://lingopie.com/blog/how-to-say-bless-you-in-different-languages/
  

• HowStuffWorks. (n.d.). Why do we say 'bless you' or 'gesundheit' when people sneeze? Retrieved from https://people.howstuffworks.com/sneezing.htm
  

• Southern Living. (2018, May 18). Why We Say "Bless You" When Someone Sneezes. Retrieved from https://www.southernliving.com/news/why-we-say-bless-you-after-a-sneeze
  

#BlessYou #WhyWeSayBlessYou #SneezingTraditions #CulturalCustoms #ACHOOSyndrome #PhoticSneezeReflex #WeirdBodyFacts #LinguisticHistory #FunFactsPodcast #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #DidYouKnow #EtymologyExplained #MedicalMyths #PlagueHistory #HumanBehaviorExplained #sneezing

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 near-death experiences.

Whether it’s Ernest Shackleton’s harrowing trek across South Georgia Island, Frank Smythe’s solo Everest climb, or Beck Weathers’ resurrection in the 1996 Everest disaster, the question remains:

Can your mind create a guardian when survival is on the line?

🔍 Topics include:

• Illusory companions and felt presence
  

• Temporoparietal junction and brain misfiring under duress
  

• Real survivor stories from Antarctica, Mount Everest, and 9/11
  

• T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and the origin of the term
  

• The boundary between psychology, neurology, and the unknown
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat. Follow @SmartestYearEver for daily episodes that make you the most interesting person in the room.

Sources:

• Geiger, J. (2009). The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible. Weinstein Books.
  

• Eliot, T. S. (1922). The Waste Land. New York: Boni and Liveright.
  

• Smythe, F. S. (1937). Camp Six: An Account of the 1933 Mount Everest Expedition. Hodder & Stoughton.
  

• Blanke, O., & Arzy, S. (2005). The out-of-body experience: Disturbed self-processing at the temporo-parietal junction. The Neuroscientist, 11(1), 16–24.
  

• Saxe, R., & Kanwisher, N. (2003). People thinking about thinking people: The role of the temporo-parietal junction in “theory of mind”. NeuroImage, 19(4), 1835–1842.
  

• Young, L., Cushman, F., Hauser, M., & Saxe, R. (2007). The neural basis of the interaction between theory of mind and moral judgment. PNAS, 104(20), 8235–8240.
  

• Abu-Akel, A., & Shamay-Tsoory, S. (2011). Neuroanatomical and neurochemical bases of theory of mind. Neuropsychologia, 49(11), 2971–2984.
  

• Geiger, J. (2009, September 13). Guardian angels or the ‘Third Man Factor’? NPR.
  

• Fraga, K. (2024, December 10). Third Man Syndrome: 9 Shocking Stories of Survival. All That's Interesting.
  

• The Strange World of Felt Presences. (2015, March 5). The Guardian.
  

#ThirdManFactor #SurvivalStories #Shackleton #EverestDisaster #FeltPresence #HumanBrain #NeuroscienceFacts #PhantomCompanion #ExtremeSurvival #SmartestYearEver #MindAndBody #PsychologyFacts #StayCurious

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 named Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year, and which weird, dusty icons no one uses anymore—including one you’ve probably never even seen.

This is the story of how a tiny picture character evolved into a global language.

Follow Smartest Year Ever for a daily dose of facts you'll actually want to bring up at dinner.

Sources:

• Kurita, S. (1999). Emoji. NTT DOCOMO. Museum of Modern Art Collection. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/196070
  

• Unicode Consortium. (2010). Unicode Technical Standard #51: Unicode Emoji. https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr51/
  

• Oxford University Press. (2015). Word of the Year 2015: 😂. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2015/
  

• Doofinder. (2024). What is the most used emoji? https://www.doofinder.com/en/statistics/most-used-emoji
  

• Unicode Consortium. (2019). Emoji Frequency. https://home.unicode.org/emoji/emoji-frequency/
  

• JOE.ie. (2018). The two least used emojis have been revealed. https://www.joe.ie/tech/least-used-emojis-648123
  

• The Verge. (2017). How the iPhone won over Japan and gave the world emoji. https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/29/15892640/iphone-anniversary-japan-success-emoji-history
  

• Emojipedia. (n.d.). The Original iPhone Emoji Keyboard. https://blog.emojipedia.org/the-original-iphone-emoji-keyboard/
  

#EmojiHistory #Emojis #Unicode #EmojiFacts #ForgottenEmoji #EmojiTrivia #InternetCulture #SmartestYearEver #TechHistory #DailyFacts #DidYouKnow #DigitalLanguage #ShigetakaKurita #EmojiOrigins #EducationalContent #aerialtramwayemoji

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

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 actually says about color perception across cultures. Featuring the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, the Himba color study, and the evolution of the word ‘blue’, this one is packed with surprising facts—and a cautionary tale about chasing viral myths.

This isn’t just about seeing color. It’s about how language shapes reality.

Music thanks to Zapsplat. Let us know in the comments: How does your language categorize colors?

Sources:

• Berlin, B., & Kay, P. (1969). Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution. University of California Press.
  

• Deutscher, G. (2010). Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages. Metropolitan Books.
  

• BBC Future. (2014). Do You See What I See?
  

• NPR. (2015). Why The Ancient Greeks Couldn't See Blue.
  

• Kay, P., & Regier, T. (2003). Resolving the question of color naming universals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(15), 9085–9089. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1937303100
  

#AncientGreece #ColorPerception #SmartestYearEver #Linguistics #LanguageAndThought #DidYouKnow #DailyFacts #HistoryNerd #PsychologyFacts #BlueMyMind #Homer #ColorTheory #EducationalShorts #NoDaysOff #WineDarkSea

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 different personality?

One famous case involved a cloned bull named Second Chance, who turned out to be far more aggressive than the original bull, Chance. This story makes one thing clear: genes aren’t everything. Behavior is shaped by life experiences, not just DNA.

So, should you clone your pet? Some say it’s worth it, despite the risks. Others aren’t so sure. Let’s break it down.

Sources:

• Kolata, G. (2018). Barbra Streisand Cloned Her Dog. The New York Times.
  

• ViaGen Pets. (2023). Pet Cloning FAQ.
  

• Ramey, R. R., et al. (2003). Behavioral anomalies in a cloned bull. Nature, 425(6955), 254.
  

• National Human Genome Research Institute. (n.d.). Cloning.
  

• NPR. (2001). Second Chance: The Cloned Bull With an Attitude.
  

#SmartestYearEver #PetCloning #BarbraStreisand #WeirdScience #DailyFacts #Genetics #MindBlown #Pets #AnimalScience #Cloning #ScienceFacts #DidYouKnow #GeneticEngineering #AnimalBehavior #clones

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

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 stood the test of time, surviving thousands of years while the others faded into myth. Think you can guess which one is still around?

Comment below: Which of these ancient wonders would you want to visit? 🏛️ Follow for more fascinating stories every day.

@SmartestYearEver Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Sources:

• Antipater of Sidon. (ca. 2nd century BCE). Wonders of the World.
  

• Philo of Byzantium. (ca. 2nd century BCE). On the Seven Wonders.
  

• Clayton, P., & Price, M. (1993). The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Routledge.
  

• National Geographic. (2025). The Ancient World: Wonders and Legends.

#SevenWonders #AncientHistory #WorldWonders #HistoryFacts #TravelHistory #AncientWorld #LostCities #HistoryBuff #SmartestYearEver #Education #DailyFacts #DidYouKnow #LearnSomethingNew #Curiosity #HistoryNerd #MindBlown #HistoryLessons #AncientArchitecture #EpicHistory #TimelessWonders

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

 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 the surprising contributions of Ibn al-Haytham, the dawn of daguerreotypes, and the game-changing innovation by Nicéphore Niépce. Plus, what was the very first human caught on camera doing? The answer might surprise you.

Stay curious and join us on the quest to become the World’s Greatest Conversationalists.

Sources:

• Wade, N. J., & Finger, S. (2001). The eye as an optical instrument: From camera obscura to Helmholtz's perspective. Perception, 30(10), 1157–1177. https://doi.org/10.1068/p3205
  

• Hirsch, R. (2000). Seizing the Light: A History of Photography. McGraw-Hill.
  

• Eastman Museum. (n.d.). History of Photography. https://www.eastman.org/history-photography
  

• UNESCO. (2015). Ibn al-Haytham and the Foundations of Optics. https://en.unesco.org/themes/ibn-al-haytham
  

• Metropolitan Museum of Art. (n.d.). The Invention of Photography. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/phph/hd_phph.htm
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #HistoryOfPhotography #FirstCamera #CameraObscura #PhotographyHistory #Inventions #FirstPhoto #PhotographyGeek #IbnAlHaytham #Daguerreotype #NicéphoreNiépce #DidYouKnow #FunFacts #MindBlown #HistoryNerd

Why do we forget our dreams so fast? One moment, you’re in a vivid, surreal world—and the next, it’s like the memory was wiped clean. In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy breaks down the surprising brain science behind why dreams seem to disappear instantly upon waking.

Explore how your brain might actually be deleting your dreams, why REM sleep is a memory black hole, and the role of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine in preventing dream recall. Plus, find out why some scientists believe that dreams might be designed to be forgotten and how keeping a dream journal can double your recall.

If you’ve ever wondered why those vivid dream sequences fade so quickly, this episode is for you.

Sources:

• Payne, J. D., & Nadel, L. (2004). Sleep, dreams, and memory consolidation: The role of the hippocampus. Learning & Memory, 11(6), 671–678. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.74904
  

• Stickgold, R. (2005). Sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Nature, 437(7063), 1272–1278. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04286
  

• Eichenlaub, J. B., et al. (2014). Resting brain activity predicts dream recall. Neuropsychopharmacology, 39(6), 1594–1602. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2014.6
  

• Harvard Medical School. (n.d.). Why do we forget dreams? Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu
  

• National Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). Understanding Dreams and Sleep. https://www.sleepfoundation.org
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#WhyDoWeForgetDreams #DreamRecall #MemoryScience #BrainFunction #Neuroscience #REMsleep #Dreaming #SleepScience #MemoryConsolidation #Forgetfulness #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #BrainResearch #SleepCycle #Norepinephrine

Ever wondered why we say phrases like "baker's dozen" or "spill the beans"? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy takes you on a quirky journey through the surprising origins of five more food-related idioms. Some are well-documented, while others are shrouded in mystery—can you guess which ones are which?

This episode is a follow-up to the popular Food Idioms Part 1, thanks to all your comments and suggestions! Get ready to dive into the weird and wonderful history behind phrases like "take the cake", "best thing since sliced bread", and more.

Which idiom do you think has the weirdest backstory? Let us know in the comments!

Sources:

• Britannica. (n.d.). Why is a baker’s dozen 13? Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-a-bakers-dozen-13
  

• Reader’s Digest. (n.d.). The origin of “spill the beans.” Reader’s Digest. Retrieved from https://www.rd.com/article/spill-the-beans-meaning/
  

• Phrases.org.uk. (n.d.). Take the cake. Phrases.org.uk. Retrieved from https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/take-the-cake.html
  

• Time. (2015). The history of sliced bread. Time Magazine. Retrieved from https://time.com/3946461/sliced-bread-history/
  

• Grammarist. (n.d.). Piece of cake. Grammarist. Retrieved from https://grammarist.com/idiom/piece-of-cake/
  

#FoodIdioms #LanguageOrigins #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #Trivia #Etymology #History #PhraseOrigins #FunFacts #LearnSomethingNew #LanguageHistory #Curiosity #DidYouKnow #YouTubeEducation

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Ever wondered how far back you could time travel and still speak English? 🕰️ From Shakespeare and the King James Bible to Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and the epic Beowulf, English has been through some wild transformations over the centuries.

In this episode, Gordy breaks down when English stops being recognizable. Discover how Modern English (1500–Present) evolved from Middle English (1100–1500) and Old English (450–1100), a version so unrecognizable it sounds like a Viking war cry.

Why did English change so much? Blame the invasions—Vikings, Normans, and Saxons all left their mark. And if you traveled back to the year 1100, you’d be as lost as a TikTok user in a Shakespearean play.

Follow for more mind-bending facts every day. Stay curious, stay clever.

Sources:

• Crystal, D. (2003). The Stories of English. Penguin Books.
  

• Baugh, A. C., & Cable, T. (2002). A History of the English Language (5th ed.). Routledge.
  

• Harvard University. (n.d.). Beowulf in Old English. Retrieved from https://hwst.edc.org/beowulf
  

• British Library. (n.d.). English Timeline. Retrieved from https://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/index.html
  

• Open University. (2011). A History of English: Early Middle English. Retrieved from https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-english-language
  

#SmartestYearEver #LanguageHistory #Beowulf #Chaucer #TimeTravel #EnglishEvolution #DailyFacts

Music thanks to Zapsplat.