In this episode, you’re going to learn what psychiatric medication was a main ingredient to the soft drink 7-Up until the 1950s. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Mark D asks: How does the witness protection program really work? Is it like in the movies or what? Born of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, and the brainchild of longtime Department of Justice attorney, Gerald Shur, the U.S. Marshall Service Witness Security Program (WITSEC) has successfully protected more than 18,000 people since it first began operations in […]
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Lindsey asks: How fast do electrons flow inside electrical cables? You may be surprised to learn that electrons flow through a typical copper wire much slower than a turtle walks. Each wire that conducts a flow of electrons, producing usable electric current, is composed of billions of atoms. To move along it, the electrons have to traverse these atoms, randomly […]
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This Day In History: March 30, 1905 On March 30, 1905, an unassuming and dapper Englishman named Albert Pierrepoint was born who would one day own a pub in Lancashire called “Help the Poor Struggler.” He would also have another job that was a bit more unusual – Great Britain’s Chief executioner. His atypical trade was a family affair. The […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The Jiggly History of Jell-O For over a century, Jell-O has been a part of American culture and, according to a 1904 edition of the Ladies Home Journal, “America’s Favorite Dessert” (conveniently enough named such in an advertisement paid for by […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about a country where the streets literally have no names and how they get along just fine despite this. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Keith D. asks: I was just wondering who came up with the expression “This ain’t my first rodeo”? For the uninitiated, “This ain’t my first rodeo” is roughly equivalent to telling a person that you’re more than prepared for a given situation or that it offers little challenge to you. It’s more often than not used derisively, usually in situations […]
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This Day In History: March 27, 1973 In one of the most memorable, if controversial, moments in Academy Award history, iconic actor Marlon Brando refused a best actor Oscar for his role in “The Godfather.” Brando sent Sacheen Littlefeather, a 26-year-old aspiring actress in his stead. Attired in full Apache dress, Littlefeather explained that Brando could not accept the award […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the truth about who invented the TV dinner. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Ivory has been producing their uniquely floating soap for the well over a century now and in that time they’ve become one of the most popular soap brands in the world. For many years, the company has maintained that the discovery of its trademark floating soap was a complete accident, but exactly how true is this? For those of you who […]
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Byron H. asks: When exactly does a speed limit come into effect? Is it when you see the sign or the instant you cross it? If it’s an increase in speed can you legally accelerate up to the speed so your speed matches the sign right when you get to it, or do you have to wait? On paper, speed […]
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This Day In History: March 26, 1904 “Life is like arriving late for a movie, having to figure out what was going on without bothering everybody with a lot of questions, and then being unexpectedly called away before you find out how it ends.” – Joseph Campbell Joseph John Campbell, the renowned professor, author, anthropologist, speaker and mythologist was born […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the man that many think loosely inspired the character of Indiana Jones. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Jacob M. asks: Does juicy fruit gum actually contain any fruit juice? With a brand recognition rate somewhere close to 99% in the States, it’s pretty safe to say that almost everyone reading this has at least heard of Juicy Fruit gum, if not also chewed it at some point. The question we’re looking at today is- exactly what fruit […]
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This Day In History: March 25, 1150 The Tichborne Dole dates back to medieval England during the reign of Henry II. The story began in 1150, when Lady Mabella, the wife of the miserly and cruel Sir Roger Tichborne, asked her husband to fulfill her one dying wish. She warned that he and his heirs would suffer dire consequences if […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about a (now) controversial experiment run on third grade students in the 1960s and the truth about what was done and the surprisingly positive end result. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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In this video, produced by the very talented Brady Haran over at Numberphile, which you can subscribe to here, Dr. Persi Diaconis answers the question of how many times you have to shuffle a deck of cards to thoroughly mix them up, as well as demonstrating the best and worst ways to shuffle. If you like this video, please join […]
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Nick C. asks: How did they settle on six feet deep for graves? If there’s one thing everyone knows about graves other than the fact that they’re really spooky at night, it’s that they’re always six feet deep. In truth, despite “six feet under” being synonymous with the very idea of death, it has little to no relevance in burial […]
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