Smartest Year Ever

 Before we had smartphones in our pockets or digital cameras around our necks, the concept of a camera was something entirely different—and it wasn’t even a device. It all started with a dark room, a tiny hole, and a mind-bending discovery. How did this simple setup eventually lead to photography as we know it? In this episode, Gordy uncovers the bizarre journey from the camera obscura —a room-siz...

Why do we forget our dreams so fast ? One moment, you’re in a vivid, surreal world—and the next, it’s like the memory was wiped clean. In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy breaks down the surprising brain science behind why dreams seem to disappear instantly upon waking. Explore how your brain might actually be deleting your dreams , why REM sleep is a memory black hole, and the role of n...

Ever wondered why we say phrases like "baker's dozen" or "spill the beans"? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy takes you on a quirky journey through the surprising origins of five more food-related idioms. Some are well-documented, while others are shrouded in mystery—can you guess which ones are which? This episode is a follow-up to the popular Food Idioms Part...

Ever wondered how far back you could time travel and still speak English? 🕰️ From Shakespeare and the King James Bible to Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and the epic Beowulf , English has been through some wild transformations over the centuries. In this episode, Gordy breaks down when English stops being recognizable. Discover how Modern English (1500–Present) evolved from Middle English (11...

Imagine an airline with no website, no public schedule, and a fleet of unmarked planes. It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it’s real—and it flies straight into Area 51. In today’s episode, Gordy dives into the shadowy world of Janet Airlines, a top-secret U.S. government airline that officially doesn’t exist. From its eerie red-striped jets to its unlisted destinations, Janet is the airline t...

Ever wondered at what point alcohol goes from hydrating to dehydrating? 🍺 It turns out there’s an ABV tipping point where drinks stop being your friend and start drying you out. Gordy dives into the science behind beer, wine, spirits , and how alcohol affects hydration. We’ll look at why sailors once drank low-alcohol “small beer” to stay hydrated, why modern drinks don’t do the trick, and how yo...

How many people have ever lived on Earth? The answer is way more than you’d think — and it’s a wild story of near-extinction, population explosions, and ancient survivors. We’re diving deep into the math behind the estimated number of humans who have ever walked the planet. From the earliest Homo sapiens 200,000 years ago to the 8 billion alive today, it’s a timeline packed with shocking bottlenec...

Ever wonder why your shoe size is a 10 in one country and a 42 in another? Or why different brands seem to fit differently even when labeled the same size? Gordy breaks down the bizarre history of shoe sizing , from medieval barleycorn measurements to modern inconsistencies. Discover why the Brannock Device —invented nearly a century ago—remains the gold standard, and why even that doesn’t guarant...

Throwing isn’t just a skill—it’s a human superpower. But what happens when we put our pitching abilities up against some of the strongest animals on Earth? In today’s episode, Gordy digs into the surprising science behind animal throwing speed, from gorillas hurling sticks to chimpanzees planning sneak attacks with rocks. But can any of them come close to a Major League fastball? And what does tha...

Ever wondered why light is the fastest thing in the universe ? Or how scientists first figured out its speed? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy dives into the fascinating journey from Galileo’s lanterns to Einstein’s relativity. From Ole Rømer’s groundbreaking discovery of light’s finite speed to Hippolyte Fizeau’s ingenious wheel experiment , we’ll explore how light sets the universal...

In 1994, a white cat named Snowball helped solve one of the most unusual investigations in Canadian history. When a missing person was found days later under suspicious circumstances, authorities recovered a leather jacket near the scene. It had traces of blood—and several strands of white pet hair . There was no human DNA linking the jacket to a suspect. But the person of interest? He had a white...

Jet lag is so normal today that we forget—it’s a modern glitch . For most of human history, people simply couldn’t move fast enough to get it. Boats were too slow. Horses, too steady. But the industrial age changed everything . In this episode, Gordy explores the invention of jet lag , from the rise of railroads in the 1800s to the first use of the term in a 1966 L.A. Times article . Along the way...

 Some sentences make perfect sense… until they don’t. Today, Gordy explores garden path sentences —a linguistic trap where your brain confidently goes one way, only to slam into a wall of confusion. From “The old man the boats” to “The horse raced past the barn fell,” these seemingly broken lines are actually grammatically correct. They’re just crafted to mislead your brain’s natural processing sy...

Some words just sound like nonsense—but they’re not. Today, Gordy breaks down five real words that sound fake but are 100% legit: from a woodworking term that sounds like an alien sidekick, to the name of that eye chart you never knew had a name. These aren't made-up internet jokes or slang. They’re real, dictionary-approved words with wildly unexpected meanings —and once you learn them, you’l...

Why are manhole covers round? In this episode of Smartest Year Ever , Gordy breaks down one of the most deceptively clever questions in interview history. From physics and engineering to human behavior and tech hiring practices, the shape of a manhole turns out to be a masterclass in practical design . Made famous by Microsoft interviews in the 1990s , this question still pops up today—not because...

Most people recognize the "prayer hands" gesture instantly—palms pressed, fingers pointed skyward. But where did it come from ? In this episode, Gordy dives into the surprising origin of the 🙏 gesture. From ancient India’s respectful Anjali Mudra , to the feudal power plays of medieval Europe, and finally to the sacred ritual we now associate with prayer—this hand pose has had quite a j...

In today’s episode, Gordy explores a mind-bending innovation in modern physics: filming light itself in motion —at a trillion frames per second . Sound impossible? Welcome to femto-photography , where researchers at MIT figured out how to capture a single pulse of light as it travels through a Coke bottle , scatters off an apple, and even starts forming shadows in real time. This isn’t slow motion...

 During WWII, one cat allegedly survived the sinking of three different warships —switching sides from Nazi Germany to Britain in the process. His name? Unsinkable Sam . In this episode, Gordy uncovers the unbelievable story of a black-and-white ship cat who may have had more than nine lives. From the doomed Bismarck , to the HMS Cossack , to the Ark Royal , Sam survived it all—often rescued from...

Ever wondered what the rarest birthday is — and why some dates barely get any love? 🎂 In today's episode, Gordy breaks down real U.S. birth data to reveal why holidays like Christmas and New Year’s have far fewer births — and why September is a birthday traffic jam. Turns out, culture, scheduling, and simple timing all shape the calendar more than you’d think. Stay curious, stay clever — and...

 In 1858 , a cable was laid across the Atlantic Ocean —a 2,500-mile-long copper wire connecting Europe and North America for the first time. It was a technological marvel, a symbol of progress, and the "eighth wonder of the world" ... for three weeks. This episode dives into how the first transatlantic telegraph cable changed global communication—before it was fried by a man named Wildma...

The oldest joke in human history was written over 4,000 years ago , and yes, it’s about a fart . Gordy explores this ancient gag from Sumer , how humor has evolved (or hasn’t), and dives into the roots of comedy from Egyptian , Greek , and Roman times. Turns out, the formula for laughs— taboo , absurdity , and relatability —hasn’t changed much. What’s different? Just the platform. Join Smartest Ye...

Pigeons are everywhere —but why? In this episode, Gordy uncovers how these birds went from ancient messengers and status symbols to the feathered freeloaders of modern cities. Turns out, today's city pigeons are descendants of the rock dove, one of the earliest domesticated animals . Once prized by Mesopotamians, Egyptians, and Persians , they thrived alongside humans for thousands of years—before...

Bluetooth : one of the most common wireless technologies today—but why is it named after a Viking king with a dead tooth? Gordy explores the quirky origin of the name, diving into the story of Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson , the 10th-century ruler who united Denmark and Norway... and inspired the name of a 1990s tech revolution. Find out why engineers at Intel, Ericsson , and Nokia almost...

Ever wondered how deep your property really goes? Gordy takes you on a deep dive—literally—into subsurface property rights . From ancient laws like the ad coelum doctrine to modern mineral rights and airspace ownership , this episode explores what you actually own beneath your feet... and what belongs to someone else. You might own your house, your yard, even a nice basement—but the Earth’s core?...

Neanderthals weren’t just strong —they were fast . Built like linebackers, not marathoners. Gordy breaks down how fast a Neanderthal could sprint, using modern biomechanics, anthropology, and evolutionary science. With shorter limbs but massive muscle attachments , Neanderthals could hit estimated speeds of 20–25 mph in short bursts—almost matching elite modern athletes. So, could they beat you in...