Jeremy R. asks: Why did America stop using the gold standard? To begin with, if you’re not familiar, “the gold standard” is a monetary standard where the basic unit of currency is gold. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that gold is directly used in the transaction (though, it could be and that is known as a pure gold standard). […]
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This Day In History: December 12, 1980 When an ordinary person doodles, the results eventually get tossed in the trash without a second thought. But when one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance era’s hastily scribbled drawings are discovered in centuries-old notebooks, they cause multi-million dollar bidding wars. And so it was that on December 12, 1980, Armand Hammer, […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn why it is that it’s generally advised that you do not put metals in microwave ovens, despite the devices being made of metal, as well as how a microwave actually works to cook food. You’re also going to learn a boatload of fascinating facts about the microwave oven. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes […]
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Santa Claus has long been the symbol of Christmas, bringing joy and presents to all the good girls and boys. But if you are child in Germany, Austria, and other parts of the Alps region, there may be something much more dark, mischievous, and grumpy hidden in the shadows next to dear old St. Nick. That something is Krampus, the […]
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Quick Fact 831: A few years ago a man from Singapore became an Internet sensation thanks to his unique name, “Batman bin Suparman” which in English would translate as “Batman son of Suparman.” So what happened after? He was arrested in 2013 for robbing a store. He also had previously stolen his brother’s (Nurazman Suparman) ATM card, using it to […]
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This Day In History: December 11, 1792 On August 13, 1792, during the height of the French Revolution, Louis XVI was arrested. He was taken to a Paris fortress being used as a prison called the Temple to await his fate. (He probably had a pretty good idea of what it would be; it was more a matter of when […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn why some countries have rules that drivers should drive on the left side of the road, and others chose to pick the right side. [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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Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 18, 1915, John R. Fox grew up in Ohio before attending Wilberforce University, an African American college located in a town of the same name. He met his future wife, Arlene, there while he studied biology and science. The couple moved to Brockton, Massachusetts after getting married, where they had a daughter, Sandra. At […]
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Rene I. asks: What makes the new car smell and is it true that it is toxic to humans? That “new car smell” is romanticized and beloved by many people. In fact, it is so desired that there is even an air freshener that is scented as “new car smell. ” But what produces this distinct scent and are the […]
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This Day In History: December 10, 1907 On December 10, 1907, a reported thousand men, many medical students, marched through London defending the practice of surgery on live animals (vivisection). This demonstration ended in Trafalgar Square when the police charged the rioters on horseback, culminating in a street battle of several hours’ duration. Incredibly, all of this ire was directed […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn what causes the so-called “eye-floaters” that you may occasionally see when looking at things like a bright blue sky. [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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Mar.W asks: Why are zombies always depicted liking to eat brains? Zombies have been a pop culture staple for decades, and in that time the concept of the dead coming back to life somehow to feast on the living has proliferated virtually every form of media that exists. One trait that is seemingly synonymous with zombies is their apparent need to feed […]
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This Day In History: December 9, 1992 “’Well, there were three of us in the marriage so it was a bit crowded.”- Princess Diana It was an announcement that would have been no surprise at all had they been any other British couple. Even after all the very public tiffs and extramarital dalliances, the House of Commons let out a […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn whether there is any truth to the idea that women used to commonly get married shortly after puberty. In the bonus topic today, you’re going to learn why the toilet is sometimes called a “John.” [TRANSCRIPT: Marriage Age | Toilet] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You […]
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Mark C. asks: Where did the expression “a penny for your thoughts” come from? The word “penny” may have come from the English ruler Penda, King of Mencia (an Anglo-Saxton kingdom in today’s English midlands). During his reign from 626 AD to 655 AD, he issued coins that were called “pending.” To further this theory along, the old English word […]
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The history books (and Hollywood) often describe the famous lawman, Wyatt Earp, as many things: brave, courageous, moral, law-abiding, and honorable. In the story of the “Gunfight at the OK Corral,” Earp is often portrayed as the hero, the good guy we all should be rooting for. In truth, Wyatt Earp was a much more complicated individual who, among other […]
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This Day In History: December 8, 1980 It was the last thing people expected. On December 8, 1980, Howard Cosell announced during Monday Night Football that John Lennon, legendary musician and peace activist, had been shot and killed outside his home in New York City. The shooter, 25-year-old Mark David Chapman, made no attempt to flee the scene or resist […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn why tires stopped being made white and instead are now almost always made black excepting with novelty tires. In the bonus topic, you’re also going to learn how men’s and women’s bikes came to have the differing designs the do. [TRANSCRIPT: Tires | Bikes] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: […]
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