Smartest Year Ever

Why are manhole covers round? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy breaks down one of the most deceptively clever questions in interview history. From physics and engineering to human behavior and tech hiring practices, the shape of a manhole turns out to be a masterclass in practical design.

Made famous by Microsoft interviews in the 1990s, this question still pops up today—not because it’s about manholes, but because it reveals how you think.

Can a square fall in? Yes. Can a circle? Never.

Join Gordy as he unpacks the real reasons round manholes make the cut—safety, strength, simplicity—and why this shape has become a symbol of smart design both above and below ground.

Sources:

• Popular Mechanics. (2016). The real reason why manhole covers are round. Hearst Digital Media. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a25300/why-are-manhole-covers-round/
  

• Smithsonian Magazine. (2016). Why are manhole covers round? Smithsonian Institution. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-manhole-covers-round-180961328/
  

• Thompson, C. (2012). The interview question that stuck around. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/07/the-interview-question-that-stuck-around/260104/
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat. #Engineering #FunFacts #SmartDesign #InterviewTips #UrbanPlanning #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts

Most people recognize the "prayer hands" gesture instantly—palms pressed, fingers pointed skyward. But where did it come from?

In this episode, Gordy dives into the surprising origin of the 🙏 gesture. From ancient India’s respectful Anjali Mudra, to the feudal power plays of medieval Europe, and finally to the sacred ritual we now associate with prayer—this hand pose has had quite a journey.

You'll learn:

• Why Namaste and 🙏 share DNA
  

• How kneeling before a lord shaped Christian worship
  

• When religion took a feudal gesture and made it divine
  

• Why the emoji you use for “thanks” used to mean submission
  

What feels spiritual today was once a contract between unequals. And now? It’s just another emoji on your phone.

Sources:

• Britannica. (n.d.). Añjali-mudrā. Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/anjali-mudra
  

• Earth & Altar. (2023, June 15). What Are the Origins of Christian Prayer Gestures? Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://earthandaltarmag.com/posts/what-are-the-origins-of-christian-prayer-gestures
  

• Aleteia. (2017, October 12). Why Do Christians Put Their Hands Together When They Pray? Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://aleteia.org/2017/10/12/why-do-we-fold-our-hands-during-prayer
  

• Journal of Religion and Society. (2007). Gesture and Power in Medieval Religious Rituals. Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://dspace2.creighton.edu/xmlui/handle/10504/64445

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#History #ReligiousSymbols #PrayerGesture #SmartestYearEver #DailyKnowledge #WorldCulture #EmojiHistory #DidYouKnow #LearnEveryDay #NoSmallTalk

In today’s episode, Gordy explores a mind-bending innovation in modern physics: filming light itself in motion—at a trillion frames per second. Sound impossible? Welcome to femto-photography, where researchers at MIT figured out how to capture a single pulse of light as it travels through a Coke bottle, scatters off an apple, and even starts forming shadows in real time.

This isn’t slow motion. It’s slow-light—and it has game-changing implications: from seeing around corners, to autonomous navigation, to non-line-of-sight medical imaging.

Gordy walks through the tech behind the scenes—streak imaging, femtosecond pulses, and how hundreds of repeated experiments get stitched into one real-time light show. Whether you’re into photography, physics, or just want to know what light looks like as it moves, this one’s for you.

So what does light actually look like in motion? This episode has the answer. And yes—it’s as wild as it sounds.

Sources:

• MIT Media Lab. (n.d.). Femto-Photography Project Overview. https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/femto-photography/overview/
  

• Nature. (2011). Picosecond photography. https://www.nature.com/articles/480044a
  

• Raskar, R. (2012). Imaging at a trillion frames per second [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/ramesh_raskar_imaging_at_a_trillion_frames_per_second
  

• Smithsonian Magazine. (2013). What Does Light Look Like in Ultraslow Motion? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-does-light-look-like-in-ultraslow-motion-180947577/
  

• MIT News. (2011). Trillion-frame-per-second camera. https://news.mit.edu/2011/trillion-fps-camera-1213
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#LightSpeed #FemtoPhotography #MIT #DailyFacts #ScienceIsAwesome #DidYouKnow #PhysicsFacts #HighSpeedCamera #TrillionFPS #SmartestYearEver

 During WWII, one cat allegedly survived the sinking of three different warships—switching sides from Nazi Germany to Britain in the process. His name? Unsinkable Sam.

In this episode, Gordy uncovers the unbelievable story of a black-and-white ship cat who may have had more than nine lives. From the doomed Bismarck, to the HMS Cossack, to the Ark Royal, Sam survived it all—often rescued from floating wreckage by stunned sailors.

But was it just legend? We dig into the eyewitness accounts, museum records, and the mystery surrounding naval mascots. Because even if parts of the tale were embellished... it’s still a hell of a story.

Plus: a shoutout to Mrs. Chippy, Shackleton’s own ill-fated ship cat. (RIP, legend.)

Sources:

• Imperial War Museums. (n.d.). The Cat That Survived the Bismarck. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-cat-that-survived-the-bismarck
  

• Historic UK. (n.d.). Unsinkable Sam. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Unsinkable-Sam/
  

• Royal Museums Greenwich. (n.d.). Animal mascots in naval folklore. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/animal-mascots-naval-folklore
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#WWIIHistory #ShipCats #UnsinkableSam #FunFacts #HistoryNerd #AnimalHistory #SmartestYearEver #LearnSomethingNew #CatFacts #MaritimeHistory #WeirdHistory #DailyFacts

Ever wondered what the rarest birthday is — and why some dates barely get any love? 🎂 In today's episode, Gordy breaks down real U.S. birth data to reveal why holidays like Christmas and New Year’s have far fewer births — and why September is a birthday traffic jam. Turns out, culture, scheduling, and simple timing all shape the calendar more than you’d think.

Stay curious, stay clever — and keep sharpening your skills on the quest to become the World’s Greatest Conversationalists.

Sources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (n.d.). National Vital Statistics Reports. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/nvsr.htm
  

• Miller, C. (2021, September 17). What Are the Most and Least Common Birthdays in the U.S.? The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/17/upshot/common-birthdays.html
  

• Time and Date. (n.d.). Most Common Birthdays. Retrieved from https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/birthdays.html
  

• Statista Research Department. (2023, October). Most and least common birthdays in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/758564/number-of-births-in-the-us-by-day/
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #BirthdayFacts #HistoryNerd #LearnSomethingNew #QuickFacts #MindBlown #WeirdFacts #CleverFacts

 In 1858, a cable was laid across the Atlantic Ocean—a 2,500-mile-long copper wire connecting Europe and North America for the first time. It was a technological marvel, a symbol of progress, and the "eighth wonder of the world"... for three weeks.

This episode dives into how the first transatlantic telegraph cable changed global communication—before it was fried by a man named Wildman Whitehouse. Gordy explores the wild story of Victorian ambition, why we still rely on undersea cables today, and what became of all that copper.

The first message took 17 hours to transmit. The first cable didn’t last much longer. But it was just enough to change the world forever.

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Sources:

• Standage, T. (1998). The Victorian Internet. Walker & Company.
  

• Smithsonian Institution. (n.d.). The Transatlantic Cable. National Museum of American History. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_713478
  

• PBS. (n.d.). Transatlantic Cable Timeline. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/cable-timeline/
  

#HistoryNerd #TelegraphHistory #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #OceanCable #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #QuickFacts #LearnSomethingNew #MindBlown #WeirdHistory #TechHistory #ConversationStarters

The oldest joke in human history was written over 4,000 years ago, and yes, it’s about a fart. Gordy explores this ancient gag from Sumer, how humor has evolved (or hasn’t), and dives into the roots of comedy from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman times. Turns out, the formula for laughs—taboo, absurdity, and relatability—hasn’t changed much. What’s different? Just the platform.

Join Smartest Year Ever and discover how farts, insults, and dumb-guy jokes are timeless.

Stay curious, stay clever.

Sources:

• Wiseman, R. (2007). Quirkology: The curious science of everyday lives. Pan Macmillan.
  

• BBC News. (2010). World's oldest joke traced back to 1900 BC. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10855857
  

• Kington, T. (2008). Fart joke is oldest gag in world. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/31/iraq
  

• Beard, M. (2014). Laughter in Ancient Rome: On joking, tickling, and cracking up. University of California Press.
  

#SmartestYearEver #AncientHistory #FunFacts #HistoryNerd #AncientJokes #FartJokes #ComedyHistory #WeirdFacts #DidYouKnow #MindBlown

Music thanks to Zapsplat

Pigeons are everywhere—but why? In this episode, Gordy uncovers how these birds went from ancient messengers and status symbols to the feathered freeloaders of modern cities. Turns out, today's city pigeons are descendants of the rock dove, one of the earliest domesticated animals. Once prized by Mesopotamians, Egyptians, and Persians, they thrived alongside humans for thousands of years—before going feral. Cities became the perfect stand-in for their natural cliffside homes, and they never left.

Why do pigeons love cities? Because we built them a concrete paradise.

From ancient air mail to sidewalk strutters, this is how pigeons became permanent residents.

Stay curious, stay clever.

Sources:

• Haag-Wackernagel, D. (1990). Human–pigeon interaction in urban areas. Anthrozoös, 3(3), 163–174.
  

• Johnston, R. F., & Janiga, M. (1995). Feral Pigeons. Oxford University Press.
  

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (n.d.). Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/species/rock-pigeon-columba-livia
  

• Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Pigeon: Bird. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/animal/pigeon-bird
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Bluetooth: one of the most common wireless technologies today—but why is it named after a Viking king with a dead tooth? Gordy explores the quirky origin of the name, diving into the story of Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, the 10th-century ruler who united Denmark and Norway... and inspired the name of a 1990s tech revolution.

Find out why engineers at Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia almost went with a bland name like PAN ("Personal Area Networking"), but instead left us with Viking runes in every wireless device we own.

And yes—that Bluetooth logo? It's a bind rune. You're literally pairing your devices with Viking letters.

So next time your headphones sync, thank a medieval warlord with questionable dental hygiene.

Sources

• Kardach, J. (2008). The Name Bluetooth. Intel Technology Journal. Retrieved from https://www.kardach.com/bluetooth/naming-bluetooth
  

• BBC News. (2015). Bluetooth: How a Viking king inspired wireless tech. BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30935850
  

• Norse Mythology for Smart People. (n.d.). Bind Runes and Bluetooth Logo. Retrieved from https://norse-mythology.org/
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#HistoryFacts #TechHistory #Bluetooth #Vikings #SmartFacts #DailyFacts #ScienceFacts #FunFacts #LearnSomethingNew #BrainFood #WirelessTech #HaraldBluetooth #RuneSymbols #TechTrivia

Ever wondered how deep your property really goes? Gordy takes you on a deep dive—literally—into subsurface property rights. From ancient laws like the ad coelum doctrine to modern mineral rights and airspace ownership, this episode explores what you actually own beneath your feet... and what belongs to someone else.

You might own your house, your yard, even a nice basement—but the Earth’s core? That’s where the line is drawn. Find out why you can’t just dig your way to the center of the Earth, and how oil companies, air rights, and geothermal laws shape what’s yours—and what’s not.

Stay curious, stay clever.

Sources:

• Bender, S. D. (2019). Subsurface Property Rights: Who Owns the Earth Below? Property and Law Journal, 45.
  

• American Bar Association. (n.d.). Mineral Rights: Surface Rights vs. Subsurface Rights. Retrieved from https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/publications/teaching-legal-docs/mineral-rights/
  

• Cornell Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). Ad Coelum Doctrine. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/ad_coelum
  

• NYC Planning. (n.d.). Air Rights and the Zoning Resolution. Retrieved from https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/about/city-planning-history/zoning-resolution.pdf
  

• U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Subsurface Ownership in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/programs/energy-resources-program/science/subsurface-ownership-united-states
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#SmartestYearEver #LearnEveryDay #PropertyRights #WeirdLaws #HistoryFacts #FunFacts #GeologyFacts #DailyLearning #MindBlown #StayCurious #WorldsGreatestConversationalists