Smartest Year Ever

During Fright Facts Week , Gordy dives into one of the most chilling experiences the human brain can produce — sleep paralysis , the terrifying moment when your mind wakes up but your body doesn’t. For centuries, people thought it was a demonic visitation , a witch sitting on your chest , or a night hag haunting your dreams. Science calls it REM atonia , but that doesn’t make it feel any less like...

Every Halloween, we talk about zombies. But what if nature already made them? In this Fright Facts Week episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy explores the real-life fungus that controls ants like puppets , forcing them to climb, freeze, and die so it can spread. Known as Ophiocordyceps unilateralis — or the zombie ant fungus — this mind-controlling parasite shows that nature’s horror stories can b...

Every October 31st, millions of people dress as ghosts, ghouls, and superheroes — but few realize that Halloween began as a solemn ritual to survive the coming of winter. In this episode, Gordy traces the 2,000-year-old story of how an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain evolved into the Halloween we know today. From bonfires and animal-skin disguises to soul cakes, turnip lanterns , and the fi...

Miyamoto Musashi wasn’t just a samurai —he was Japan’s undefeated warrior-philosopher , a man who turned sword fighting into a system of thought that still influences strategy today. In this episode, Gordy dives into Musashi’s legendary duels , his creation of the two-sword style Niten Ichi-ryū , and his transformation from duelist to artist, strategist, and author of The Book of Five Rings . How...

Most people know the Guinness Book of World Records … but almost nobody knows it started with a missed shot at a bird — and a barroom argument that got way out of hand. In this episode, Gordy uncovers the real story behind the Guinness Book of World Records , tracing its roots back to Sir Hugh Beaver , the Guinness Brewery , and one fateful hunting trip in Ireland. Discover how a marketing idea me...

Does counting the seconds between lightning and thunder actually tell you how far away a storm is? 🌩️ In this episode, Gordy breaks down the science behind thunder , the physics of sound vs. light , and why that old “One Mississippi” trick actually works — sort of. Discover how Benjamin Franklin , Count Volta , and modern meteorologists all helped turn a childhood storm superstition into a surpris...

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy explores the surprising origins of the world’s first vending machine —and no, it wasn’t dispensing snacks in an airport. Long before soda machines and coffee dispensers, an ancient inventor named Hero of Alexandria engineered a coin-operated device that changed the way humans thought about automation , innovation , and fairness . From holy water dispen...

Zyzzyx Road might be the most infamous box office flop in Hollywood history —and yet, its failure wasn’t an accident. In this episode, Gordy digs into the bizarre story behind the lowest-grossing movie ever made , starring Katherine Heigl , Tom Sizemore , and one of the strangest marketing “strategies” ever. Why did a movie cost over $1.2 million to make but earn only thirty dollars ? How does a d...

Every American kid knows the words to the Pledge of Allegiance —but almost nobody knows where it actually came from. In this episode, Gordy uncovers the unexpected story behind one of America’s most repeated rituals: a pledge born from a children’s magazine , written by a socialist Baptist minister , and once performed with a salute that history has quietly erased. From its 19th-century debut at t...

In this episode, Gordy dives into the surprising anatomical truth behind one of the most emotional phrases in the English language: “tugging on my heartstrings.” It turns out, this expression isn’t just poetic — it’s rooted in real human anatomy. From the early days of Renaissance medicine to Shakespeare’s poetic turns in Othello , Gordy traces how literal fibrous cords in your heart inspired cent...

The Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most iconic landmarks—but here’s the twist: it wasn’t meant to last. When Gustave Eiffel’s iron colossus was unveiled for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris , critics mocked it as a “metal asparagus,” and the city had a plan to dismantle it after just 20 years. Gordy dives into the surprising story of how a structure once despised by Parisians became a permanent...

At Oxford University, a tiny bell has been quietly defying time for nearly two centuries. Known as the Oxford Electric Bell (or the Clarendon Dry Pile), this mysterious device has been running continuously since the 1840s , powered by one of the world’s oldest batteries . Scientists still don’t fully know how it works, or how it’s lasted this long. Why has this bell never stopped? What makes its u...

What would it be like to experience history’s deadliest weapon — twice ? This episode tells the astonishing story of Tsutomu Yamaguchi , a man caught in both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic blasts. Gordy unpacks how he endured the unimaginable, what it meant for his family, and why he later devoted his life to warning the world about nuclear weapons. You’ll hear about survival against all odds,...

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy uncovers the hidden history of Monopoly —and it’s not the rags-to-riches story you’ve been told. Everyone knows Monopoly as the classic board game where you crush your family and friends into financial ruin. But few realize that the game began as a cautionary tale against monopolies , created by an inventor who wanted to teach players the dangers of un...

Esperanto is the language that set out to change the world. In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy dives into the story of L. L. Zamenhof , the Polish doctor who believed a single, neutral, easy-to-learn language could unite humanity. From its bold beginnings in 1887, to its suppression under Hitler and Stalin, to its surprising survival today—Esperanto has lived a remarkable life. Why did...

Theodore Roosevelt ’s 1912 campaign nearly ended in bloodshed—but instead, it became one of the most legendary moments in American political history . On the night of October 14, 1912, Roosevelt was shot in the chest while campaigning in Milwaukee . What happened next only added to the Bull Moose mythos —and solidified Roosevelt’s place as one of the most unforgettable figures in U.S. history. In...

 Christopher Columbus is celebrated every year in the United States — but there’s a big historical twist most people miss. Gordy dives into the history of Columbus Day , the myth-making that turned Columbus into an American icon, and the surprising truth about where he actually traveled. Why does the U.S. honor a man who never even touched its soil? And how did maps, textbooks, and politics turn C...

What did the world look like before the Americas appeared on any map? In 1492, Martin Behaim unveiled the Erdapfel , the oldest surviving globe in existence. This hand-painted sphere was a Renaissance masterpiece—and yet, it’s hilariously wrong. Based on Marco Polo’s exaggerations, Ptolemaic geography, and medieval sailor legends , the Erdapfel shows a world with no Americas, an oversized Japan, a...

In 1981, a bizarre coup plot unfolded that blended neo-Nazis, mercenaries, and a deposed Caribbean prime minister into one of the most farcical operations in modern history. Known as Operation Red Dog , this failed attempt to seize control of the island of Dominica became infamous as the so-called “Bayou of Pigs.” In this episode, Gordy explores how a group of extremists loaded up weapons, ammo, a...

In 897 AD, Rome staged one of the most grotesque and unforgettable trials in history. The defendant wasn’t alive—he was already buried. Months after his death, Pope Formosus was dug up, dressed in papal robes, and placed in a courtroom chair to face charges in what became known as the Cadaver Synod . In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy unpacks the twisted mix of medieval politics, papal...

In 1958, Mao Zedong launched the Four Pests Campaign as part of the Great Leap Forward , a nationwide effort to eliminate rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows. The goal was to protect crops and public health. Instead, it spiraled into one of the greatest ecological disasters in modern history . Gordy takes you inside this story of pots, pans, and sparrows falling from the sky , showing how a war...

The Great Stink of 1858 was more than just a bad smell—it was one of the most pivotal turning points in Victorian history. In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy uncovers how the Thames turned toxic , why Parliament nearly shut down , and how this crisis gave rise to one of the greatest feats of 19th-century engineering: Joseph Bazalgette’s modern London sewer system . From the Industrial R...

In 1944, a secret U.S. Army unit carried inflatable tanks , blasted fake soundscapes , and staged phantom divisions across Europe. Known as the Ghost Army , this group of artists, designers, and engineers turned creativity into one of the most unusual weapons of World War II . Gordy takes you through how these master illusionists used camouflage, sound effects, and radio trickery to deceive the Na...

George Washington’s teeth are legendary—but not for the reasons most people think. For centuries, kids have been taught that America’s first president had wooden teeth , but that’s one of history’s most stubborn myths. The reality is stranger, more unsettling, and far more revealing about life in the 18th century . In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy digs into the myth vs. reality of Was...

Today, Gordy explores the surprising history of generational names —from the Lost Generation to Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Why did we start labeling entire age groups with catchy titles? And who decided which names stuck? This episode traces the evolution of generation branding , from sociological theory in the 19th century to cultural touchstones like Hemingway, Tom Broka...