In this episode of The Brain Food Show podcast, we interview prolific online writer and researcher Karl Smallwood.  Karl’s written for TodayIFoundOut for over five years now, producing hundreds of articles, including many of the most popular on the website and channel.  Beyond that, he’s also written for such sites as Cracked, Mental_Floss, TopTenz, Biographics, and many others. In his spare time he also runs the criminally undersubscribed channel FactFiend here, as well as its companion website.

During the interview Karl gives tips on things like how to rapidly become an expert on a given subject you might otherwise start out with little knowledge on, writing online, time management, juggling many writing projects and more.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post Writing and Researching Online- A Chat with Karl Smallwood appeared first on Today I Found Out.

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In this episode of The BrainFood Show, we look at the fascinating and sometimes hilarious origins of four of the biggest companies in the world. We also discuss our new podcast format and wrap up the show discussing the Curse of the Colonel and other related bonus facts.

If you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

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In episode 5 of The BrainFood Show podcast, we discuss the shady, but clever, business dealings of famed enlightenment thinker Voltaire that ultimately allowed him to write with the impunity he is so famous for, where most others of his time and region of the world could not.

Next up we talk to famed YouTuber Craig Benzine (better known online by his moniker Wheezy Waiter) about the changes in YouTuber over time, the types of things aspiring YouTubers should do differently today than in the early days of the platform, and just a general interesting chat on his thoughts on a variety of things.

If you would like to follow Craig on the many things he works on, you can check out Story Not Story (a popular bedtime story podcast with his wife, Chyna), his main YouTube channel Wheezy Waiter, and The GoodStuff. You can also catch him on a variety of channels including Crash Course film history and more.

We wrap up the podcast with some Q&A, Feedback, and Bonus Facts, including the origin of the story of Newton having an apple on fall on his head and whether there is any truth behind said story.

Finally, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using, we would be extremely grateful.  Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

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In episode 4 of The BrainFood Show podcast, we discuss the fascinating origin of Atari and the game that more or less gave birth to an industry- Pong. Next up, we talk with award winning computer game designers Lori and Corey Cole, most notably creators of one of the greatest game series in history, the groundbreaking Quest for Glory (which you can find on GOG if you’re wanting to play them), as well as the highly anticipated upcoming Hero-U – Rogue to Redemption.

During the conversation we discuss such things as how to make a good Kickstarter, as well as how to become a computer game developer. They also give a behind the scenes look at developing computer games, talk a little about what it was like working at Sierra in its glory days, give some phenomenal life advice, and much more!

We wrap up the podcast discussing how YouTube should solve the issue of integrated ads being shown to YouTube Red subscribers.

If you’re interested in pre-ordering the Coles’ new game Hero-U or want to learn more about the game, go check it out here.

And if you want to listen to one of the funny things they had John Rhys-Davies saying in Quest for Glory 4, check out the scene with the Rusalka mentioned in the podcast.

Finally, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using, we would be extremely grateful.  Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post The Fascinating Origin of Pong and Atari + Interview with the Creators of Quest for Glory and the Upcoming Hero-U (The BrainFood Show Episode 4) appeared first on Today I Found Out.

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In episode 3 of The BrainFood Show podcast, we discuss the fascinating origins of the Food Pyramid and why that is a horribly unhealthy way to eat (and why the USDA made it that way even though they knew well it wasn’t a healthy recommendation at the time).  We also discuss whether eating too much salt is actually bad for you or not, what actually is the difference between fruits and vegetables, and what ultra-scientifically grounded nutrition recommendations say we should eat.

Next up, we look at a great productivity tool, why clocks run clockwise, why grandfather clocks are called that, one of the great Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, and much, much more.

For some viewing materials for this one, please check out the Swedish Food Pyramid and the USDA pyramid. You can also view the Harvard Food Plate and the USDA’s Food Plate, as well as read through their general recommendations.

Our book recommendation for the day is either Bigger, Leaner, Stronger (for guys) or Thinner, Leaner, Stronger (for girls) both written by a guy named Michael Matthews and both ultra-science based, easy reads on proper nutrition and exercise and how to do both as easy and enjoyably as possible. Very much cutting through many of the myths and misconceptions out there, generally put forth by fad diet creators and the like. It turns out proper nutrition and efficient exercise really isn’t that complicated.

Finally, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using, we would be extremely grateful.  Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

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In episode 2 of The BrainFood Show podcast, we discuss what actually started WWI, with the motivations there not quite what most people think, some rather interesting things the soldiers on both sides got up to in the early days of the war, and the absolutely bizarre, but effective, Order of the White Feather. We wrap up this section discussing the man the almost universally misinterpreted poem The Road Not Taken is based on and the connection between the poem and his ultimate death not long after he read it.

Next up we discuss the pros and cons of niche vs non-niche on YouTube and beyond, our plans for the TodayIFoundOut channel in 2018, and answer some subscriber questions.

And for those interested in reading the full and quite fascinating write-up on the story behind The Road Not Taken, you can find that here.

Discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

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In this debut episode of our new The BrainFood Show podcast, we discuss the surprising similarities between online commenters and audiences throughout history, as well as how the practice of throwing tomatoes at performers got started.  We’ll also be looking at the various ways to monetize on youtube and websites and just generally explaining how all that works. Finally, we cover a little Q&A using some of the most commonly asked questions directed at us on YouTube and the website.

Discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

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So I thought I should post this interview I did on WGN Radio last night for those of you that like to listen, rather than read.  In it Bill Leff and I discuss a variety of interesting facts ranging from from Spy Kitties to Nuking the Moon.

The post Interview on Chicago’s 720 WGN Radio with Bill Leff Where We Discuss CIA Spy Kitties, the Origins of Thanksgiving, the Plan to Nuke the Moon and Much More appeared first on Today I Found Out.