Smartest Year Ever

In 1997, scientists recorded a mysterious deep-sea sound so loud it could be heard across the ocean. The Bloop baffled experts—it was louder than a blue whale, seemingly organic, and no one could explain it. Some believed it was a giant sea monster, an alien spacecraft, or even the awakening of Cthulhu himself.

But the real answer? It’s still weird.

This episode of Smartest Year Ever dives deep into the legend of The Bloop, from wild conspiracy theories to the actual science behind its eerie, Earth-shaking roar. Plus, we’ll play the sound for you—sped up 16x so you can actually hear it. And just because The Bloop got explained, don’t get too comfortable… there are still other unexplained ocean sounds lurking in the depths.

We know more about the surface of the Moon than the deep ocean. So who knows what’s still down there?

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Sources:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Bloop: Unexplained Sounds from the Deep (1997).

• NOAA Official Audio: "The Bloop," recorded 1997, sped up 16 times.

• Scientific American (2012). “Bloop: The Mystery Sound from the Deep.”

• National Geographic (2018). “The World’s Strangest Unexplained Sounds.”

• Journal of Marine Science (2005). “Acoustic Signatures of Icequakes.”

A 25-foot tsunami of molasses barreling through Boston at 35 mph? Sounds like something out of a fever dream—but in 1919, it actually happened. The Great Molasses Flood was one of the most bizarre and tragic industrial disasters in U.S. history, leaving 21 dead, 150 injured, and a city covered in sticky chaos.

Gordy takes you through the explosive failure of a poorly built molasses tank, how it wiped out buildings and trapped people like flies in syrup, and why locals swore you could still smell the disaster decades later. Plus, how this catastrophe led to modern safety regulations—after the company tried to blame anarchists.

Was it just a freak accident, or was this disaster boiling up from the start? Find out in today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever.

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Sources:

• Puleo, Stephen. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. Beacon Press, 2003.
• Boston Globe Archives, January 16, 1919. Molasses Tank Explodes, Many Dead.
• Smithsonian Magazine, January 2019. The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919.
• Massachusetts Historical Society. Eyewitness Accounts & Photos of the Molasses Disaster.
• Scientific American, 2016. How a Wave of Molasses Became a Deadly Force.

Stay curious, clever, and conversational—see you tomorrow in the Smartest Year Ever.

Before Pepsi was Pepsi… it was Brad’s Drink. Yes, that’s what North Carolina pharmacist Caleb Bradham originally called his soda fountain creation in 1893. A mix of sugar, lemon oil, nutmeg, and other ingredients, it was meant to aid digestion and boost energy. But in 1898, a name change to Pepsi-Cola gave it a modern edge—though ironically, it never contained pepsin.

From near-bankruptcy in the 1920s to a marketing genius move during the Great Depression, this is the surprising story of how one of the biggest soda brands in the world almost had a very different name.

📌 Sources:

• PepsiCo - Our History

• Smithsonian Magazine - The Origins of Pepsi-Cola

• Encyclopedia of North Carolina - Caleb Bradham and Brad’s Drink

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Why does February have only 28 days? And why is it named after an ancient Roman cleansing ritual? This month used to sit at the end of the calendar, acting as a reset button before the Romans moved the new year to January. Then, in a bizarre turn of numerical superstition, February got stuck as the runt of the litter—and even Julius Caesar’s reforms didn’t help.

🔹 The 10-month calendar that came before🔹 The festival of Februa and its purifying origins🔹 Why February was doomed to be short forever

Tune in for the weird history of February!

Sources:

• History.com - Origins of February

• Encyclopedia Britannica - Ancient Roman Festivals

• National Geographic - Roman Calendar Evolution

🎧 Listen now & follow Smartest Year Ever!

Before Lady Liberty, there was the Colossus of Rhodes, a towering 108-foot statue that once stood as a symbol of strength and victory. Though it fell centuries ago, its influence lived on in Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s design of the Statue of Liberty—from her torch to her crown of rays. But their meanings couldn’t be more different.

Today, Gordy explores how an ancient Greek wonder helped inspire America’s greatest icon of freedom.

📌 Follow Smartest Year Ever for more daily facts!

Sources:

• UNESCO - Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

• National Park Service - Statue of Liberty History

• Ancient History Encyclopedia - The Colossus of Rhodes

Can LED lights prevent shark attacks? Gordy explores a cutting-edge solution using LED-lit surfboards to confuse sharks and protect humans. Learn how this tech benefits both people and marine wildlife by offering a humane alternative to traditional shark deterrents.

Follow Smartest Year Ever on YouTube, Spotify, and Instagram for daily insights!

Sources:

Current Biology - LED Lights and Shark Deterrence

BBC News - Australian Scientists Test LED Surfboards

Macquarie University - Shark Deterrent Research

Gordy uncovers the bizarre history of Dancing Cat Fever, where convulsing cats warned humans of deadly mercury poisoning. How did superstition meet science to solve this mystery? Learn about these feline sentinels, the dangers of mercury exposure, and its lasting impact on environmental health.

Follow Smartest Year Ever on YouTube, Spotify, and Instagram for more daily insights!

Sources:

• Toxicological Reviews - Mercury Poisoning in History

• Smithsonian Magazine - The Strange History of Dancing Cats

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - Minamata Disease and Mercury Exposure

Canaries in coal mines were no metaphor—they were lifesavers. Gordy explains how miners relied on these birds to detect toxic gases and the extraordinary biology that made it possible. But it doesn’t end there: from bees monitoring pollution to dogs sniffing out cancer, we’re still relying on animals to warn us of unseen dangers. Explore the science and history behind sentinel species in today’s episode.

Sources:

• Smithsonian Magazine - The History of Canaries in Coal Mines

• BBC News - Why Canaries Were Used in Coal Mines

• Environmental Health Perspectives - Sentinel Species and Environmental Hazards

Is your dog’s adorable head tilt a sign of intelligence? Gordy breaks down the science of this charming canine quirk. Learn how dogs might be adjusting their ears for better hearing, tilting their heads to see us more clearly, or even cleverly manipulating us for extra love. Plus, discover how “gifted” dogs tilt their heads more often while learning new words.

Sources:

• Animal Cognition Journal - Dogs’ Head Tilting and Word Learning

• American Kennel Club - Why Do Dogs Tilt Their Heads?

• Psychology Today - The Science Behind Head Tilting in Dogs

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Ever had a full-body shiver after a bathroom break? This episode dives into the fascinating science behind Post-Micturition Convulsion Syndrome (PMCS), better known as pee shivers. Gordy explains how your autonomic nervous system, temperature regulation, and blood pressure drops might all play a role in this mysterious but universal phenomenon.

Sources:

• American Urological Association - Post-Micturition Phenomena

• Healthline - Why Do Pee Shivers Happen?

• Journal of Neurophysiology - Autonomic Nervous System Responses to Micturition

Stay curious and clever—on our quest to become the world’s greatest conversationalists.