Smartest Year Ever

Neanderthals weren’t just strong—they were fast. Built like linebackers, not marathoners. Gordy breaks down how fast a Neanderthal could sprint, using modern biomechanics, anthropology, and evolutionary science.

With shorter limbs but massive muscle attachments, Neanderthals could hit estimated speeds of 20–25 mph in short bursts—almost matching elite modern athletes. So, could they beat you in a 40-yard dash? The answer might surprise you.

Explore the science of speed, the evolutionary split between Neanderthals and modern humans, and what it means to be built for burst, not distance.

Follow Smartest Year Ever for more daily facts that make you a better conversationalist.

Sources:

• Payne, R.C., & Crompton, R.H. (2014). Biomechanical consequences of shorter lower limbs in Neanderthals. Journal of Human Evolution, 76, 98–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.03.002
  

• Raichlen, D.A., & Lieberman, D.E. (2009). Running, endurance, and Homo evolution. Journal of Human Evolution, 56, 403–410.
  

• University College London. (2019). Neanderthals sprinted through Ice Age woodlands. UCL News. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/jan/neanderthals-sprinted-ice-age-woodlands
  

• Churchill, S.E. (2014). Thin on the Ground: Neandertal Biology, Archeology and Ecology. Wiley-Blackwell.
  

#NeanderthalSpeed #HumanEvolution #SprintVsEndurance #Anthropology #Biomechanics #SmartestYearEver #StayCurious #StayClever #DailyKnowledge

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Palm trees and Los Angeles feel like they go hand in hand—but they’re not even from here. Most were imported in the early 20th century to help sell a dream, and now that dream is fading. These trees are aging out, not being replaced, and within a few decades, they’ll disappear from LA’s skyline. Gordy breaks down the history of LA’s palm obsession, why they were planted in the first place, and what’s replacing them as the city shifts away from its iconic—but artificial—look.

Follow Gordy on his daily quest to become the world’s greatest conversationalist.

Sources:

• Los Angeles Times. (2022). L.A. is iconic for its palm trees. But they're on the way out. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-06-23/l-a-iconic-palm-trees-are-disappearing
  

• KCET. (n.d.). Are palm trees native to L.A.? Where did they come from? https://www.kcet.org/history-society/are-palm-trees-native-to-l-a
  

• Smithsonian Magazine. (2017). Why are there so many palm trees in Los Angeles? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/why-are-there-so-many-palm-trees-los-angeles-180962374/
  

• Los Angeles Department of City Planning. (n.d.). Urban Forestry: Street Trees. https://planning.lacity.org/odocument/42a4e8c2-df5e-42b0-8724-b27557d8db9a/StreetTrees.pdf
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat. #PalmTrees #LosAngeles #SmartestYearEver #UrbanForestry #CityPlanning #DailyFacts #NatureFacts #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #TreeFacts #Environment #HistoryFacts

Why don’t we ride zebras? They look like designer horses, but they’ve never joined the lineup of domesticated animals. In this episode, Gordy dives into the wild nature of zebras, why they’ve resisted human control, and how their biology and behavior made them impossible to tame—even in Africa where people lived beside them for thousands of years.

From Lord Walter Rothschild’s zebra carriage to modern genetics, we explore why these striped beasts remain untouchable. Learn how temperament, social structure, and evolution left zebras on the sidelines while horses took center stage in human history.

Stay curious, stay clever.

Follow @SmartestYearEver for more daily facts on the journey to become the world’s greatest conversationalists.

Sources:

• Clutton-Brock, J. (1992). Horse Power: A History of the Horse and Donkey in Human Societies. Harvard University Press.
  

• Diamond, J. (1997). Guns, Germs, and Steel. W. W. Norton & Company.
  

• ZME Science. (n.d.). Why Zebras Were Never Domesticated. Retrieved from https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/animals/mammals/why-zebras-were-never-domesticated
  

• Rare Historical Photos. (n.d.). Riding Zebras: Historical Photographs. Retrieved from https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/riding-zebras-photographs
  

• University College London. (2019). Neanderthals sprinted through Ice Age woodlands. Retrieved from https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/jan/neanderthals-sprinted-ice-age-woodlands
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

#Zebras #AnimalFacts #WhyZebrasArentRidden #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #FunFacts #HistoryFacts #Domestication #DidYouKnow #Evolution #ScienceFacts #CuriousMinds #AnimalBehavior #StayCurious

On Earth Day 1970, a college student submitted a simple, elegant design to a contest. That design became the now-iconic recycling symbol—a triangle of arrows chasing each other endlessly. But does it really mean something is recyclable?

In today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the surprising history and modern misuse of the recycling symbol, also known as the Mobius loop. From Gary Anderson’s winning design to the unregulated use of the triangle-on-plastics today, this story is a perfect example of how good intentions can get muddied by marketing.

You’ll learn:

Who actually invented the recycling symbol—and why

What those little numbers inside the triangle really mean

Why most plastics with the symbol still end up in the landfill

And how “circular reasoning” might be the most honest description of all

Whether you care about the environment or just love a good origin story, this one’s for you.

• California Attorney General. (2022). Attorney General Bonta launches investigation into role of fossil fuel and petrochemical industries in causing global plastic pollution. https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-launches-investigation-role-fossil-fuel-and

• American Institute of Graphic Arts. (2020). Recycling symbol turns 50. https://www.aiga.org/aiga/content/tools-and-resources/recycling-symbol-turns-50/

• Stanford Magazine. (2020). Symbolically green: The story behind the recycling symbol. https://stanfordmag.org/contents/symbolically-green

• Federal Trade Commission. (2012). Guides for the use of environmental marketing claims (Green Guides). https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-green-guides

#RecyclingFacts #EarthDay #PlasticWaste #DesignHistory #Greenwashing #MobiusLoop #Sustainability #EnvironmentalEducation #SmartestYearEver

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

In today’s Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the wildest Olympic race of all time—the 1904 Olympic Marathon in St. Louis, Missouri, a chaotic, dusty disaster full of cars, poison, and unbelievable cheating.

From runners collapsing in 90-degree heat with no water, to a guy literally riding in a car for part of the race… and still almost winning—this event was absolute madness.

Even the official winner, Thomas Hicks, was dosed with strychnine—yes, the poison used to kill rats—mixed with brandy and egg whites to keep him going. He was hallucinating, carried across the finish line, and still declared the gold medalist.

This episode reveals the bizarre early history of performance-enhancing drugs, Olympic rule chaos, and why this race almost killed people—including its winner.

Was this the most ridiculous race in Olympic history? You decide.

Sources:

• Lennartz, K., & Teutenberg, W. (2004). The 1904 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. McFarland.
  

• Wallechinsky, D., & Loucky, J. (2012). The Complete Book of the Olympics. Aurum Press.
  

• The Guardian. (2012, July 30). Olympic scandal: the 1904 marathon was pure mayhem. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/jul/30/olympics-2012-1904-marathon
  

• Smithsonian Magazine. (n.d.). The 1904 Olympic Marathon May Have Been the Strangest Ever. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1904-olympic-marathon-may-have-been-strangest-ever-180952747/
  

• International Olympic Committee. (n.d.). History of Doping Control. https://olympics.com/ioc/medical-and-scientific-commission
  

#Olympics #OlympicHistory #StrangeButTrue #1904Marathon #WeirdHistory #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #MarathonMonday #HistoryNerd #LearnEveryDay #PodcastFacts #RunningHistory #bostonmarathon #olympics #olympichistory #athletic #runners Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Why do we say someone quit “cold turkey” when they stop something abruptly? Gordy breaks down the two top theories behind this odd phrase—and neither involves leftovers.

One theory ties the phrase to the physical symptoms of withdrawal, where pale skin and goosebumps were said to resemble uncooked turkey. The other traces it back to the older phrase “talking turkey,” meaning to speak plainly—with “cold turkey” evolving into a metaphor for doing something bluntly and without ceremony.

So which theory is right? Honestly, both could be. Language is rarely as tidy as we want it to be.

Sources:

• Ayto, J. (2010). Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford University Press.

• Etymonline. (n.d.). Cold turkey. Retrieved from https://www.etymonline.com/word/cold%20turkey
  

• Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). The origin of "cold turkey." Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/what-does-cold-turkey-mean
  

#SmartestYearEver #ColdTurkey #WordOrigins #LanguageFacts #FunFacts #CuriousMinds #HistoryNerd #EverydayPhrases #DidYouKnow #LearnEveryDay Music thanks to Zapsplat.

How did they measure Mount Everest before satellites, drones, or even calculators? In today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy explores how 19th-century surveyors pulled off one of the most impressive feats of pre-digital science — calculating the height of the world’s tallest mountain with stunning precision.

Long before GPS, the British-led Great Trigonometrical Survey of India used trigonometry, angle measurements, and a whole lot of patience to determine that Peak XV — later renamed Mount Everest — was the highest point on Earth. And the number they came up with? Just 29 feet off from what modern tech says today.

You’ll learn about:

• The math behind the original height calculation

• Why they couldn’t just climb it

• The forgotten local names of Everest

• And how this entire project rewrote what we knew about the Earth’s surface
  

This is a story of math, ambition, and colonial geography — and one of the most mind-blowing scientific estimates in human history.

Sources:

• Waugh, A. (1856). The Survey of Mount Everest. Royal Geographical Society.

• Green, C. S. (1999). Surveying Techniques and Early Geographical Discoveries. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 33(4).

• Royal Geographical Society. (n.d.). History of Mount Everest’s Surveying. Retrieved from www.rgs.org

• Headrick, D. R. (2009). Technology: A World History. Oxford University Press.
  

#MountEverest #EverestFacts #HistoryNerd #SmartestYearEver #DailyLearning #GeoHistory #MountainTrivia #TrigonometricalSurvey #ScienceFacts #WorldGeography #GTSIndia #SurveyingHistory #intothinair #Everest #math Music thanks to Zapsplat.

You know that little dangly thing at the back of your throat? It’s called the uvula, and it’s not just hanging out for decoration. In today’s episode, Gordy dives into why we have a uvula, what it does, and how it quietly helps us speak, swallow, and stay healthy.

Turns out, this squishy little grape-shaped structure is involved in everything from making certain consonants possible to preventing food from going up your nose. It even contributes to your immune defense — and yes, it can swell up and cause trouble if you treat it wrong (ask College Gordy).

Plus, where did the name “uvula” even come from? And why would anyone want it removed?

This episode is all about small things that punch above their weight — and the uvula is a surprisingly mighty MVP.

🧠 Smart conversations start with smart curiosity. This one’s juicy.

Sources

• Jones, K., et al. (2011). The role of the uvula in speech and swallowing. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(1), 13–20.
  

• Hunter, W. (1995). The anatomy and function of the uvula. Journal of Medical History.
  

• Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). Uvula. oed.com.
  

• Brodsky, L. (2014). Surgical management of the uvula and its role in sleep apnea. American Journal of Otolaryngology, 35.
  

#Uvula #AnatomyFacts #SpeechScience #SmartestYearEver #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #WeirdBiology #DailyFacts #LearnSomethingNewEveryDay

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

 If Ancient Rome was so brilliant, why didn’t they invent trains? Or steam engines? Or, you know… industrialize?

In this episode, Gordy explores why one of history’s most advanced civilizations never sparked an industrial revolution, even though they had brilliant engineers, sprawling cities, and even a proto-steam engine over a thousand years before James Watt.

From the invention of Hero’s aeolipile to Rome’s heavy reliance on slave labor and rigid social hierarchies, this episode breaks down the real reasons why the Romans paved the roads, but never built the trains. Spoiler: It’s not because they weren’t smart.

Perfect for history nerds, science fans, and anyone who’s ever asked: “What if Rome had railroads?”

Sources:

• Wilson, A. (2002). Machines, Power and the Ancient Economy. The Journal of Roman Studies, 92, 1–32.
  

• Landels, J. G. (2000). Engineering in the Ancient World. University of California Press.
  

• Oleson, J. P. (Ed.). (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World. Oxford University Press.
  

• Greene, K. (1990). The Archaeology of the Roman Economy. University of California Press.
  

• Headrick, D. R. (2009). Technology: A World History. Oxford University Press.
  

Hashtags: #AncientRome #IndustrialRevolution #HistoryNerds #SmartestYearEver #DidYouKnow #WhyRomeHadNoTrains #EverydayHistoryFacts

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Why do we call someone the “salt of the earth”? Or say someone’s “all that and a bag of chips”? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy breaks down the surprising, strange, and sometimes murky origins of common food idioms. From medieval soup to colonial slang, we’re digging into five of the most popular phrases — including one submitted by a listener on TikTok.

Language is messy, and idiom histories aren’t always crystal clear — but these stories give you the best-supported theories we’ve got. Tune in for a tasty batch of etymological brain snacks you can drop at your next dinner party.

🧂 Phrases covered in this episode:

• Salt of the earth

• Have your cake and eat it too

• Make no bones about it

• All that and a bag of chips

• Big cheese
  

Follow @SmartestYearEver on your favorite platforms for daily wit, wisdom, and conversational gold.

Sources:

• Ayto, J. (2010). Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford University Press.

• Green, J. (2010). Green’s Dictionary of Slang. Chambers.

• Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oed.com

• Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Dictionary and Thesaurus. https://www.merriam-webster.com

• Smithsonian Magazine. (n.d.). The mysterious origins of everyday phrases. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-mysterious-origins-of-everyday-phrases-180974609/
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat. #languagefacts #etymology #FoodPhrases #SmartestYearEver #IdiomsExplained #LearnEveryDay #WittyWisdom #FunFacts #WordOrigins #EverydayEnglish