After 365 consecutive days of posting facts, this is the pause.
This bonus episode breaks from the usual Smartest Year Ever format to answer some of the questions I’ve gotten most over the past year: where the idea came from, whether I’m actually good at trivia, what the hardest parts were, how the process worked behind the scenes, and what’s coming next.
This wasn’t meant to be a highlight reel or a victory lap. It’s just an honest reflection on what it was like to make 365 full episodes, 365 short versions, and keep going every single day.
If you’ve been watching along all year, thank you. And if you’re new, this episode will give you a glimpse into what this project really was.
I’m taking a short break, then continuing Smartest Year Ever at a more normal, more sustainable pace.
Happy New Year.
#SmartestYearEver #365DaysOfFacts #BehindTheScenes #CreatorJourney #LearningEveryDay #BonusEpisode #dailyfacts #smallcreators #learnonyoutube
After 365 consecutive days of facts, history, science, language, weather, and human strangeness, Gordy ends Smartest Year Ever by zooming all the way out.
Astronauts have a name for the cognitive shift that happens when they see Earth from space for the first time. It’s not just awe. It’s not just perspective. It’s a profound psychological reframing that reshapes how they think about borders, identity, connection, and responsibility. They call it the Overview Effect.
This episode explores what astronauts report when they experience it, why the brain reacts so powerfully to seeing Earth from orbit, and how moments of extreme ensured novelty can permanently change how humans understand their place in the world. Drawing from spaceflight psychology, neuroscience, and firsthand astronaut accounts, Gordy examines why this phenomenon is so difficult to describe—and why it lingers long after astronauts return home.
The Overview Effect isn’t just a space story. It’s a story about scale, interconnectedness, and what happens when the human mind is forced to recalibrate itself against something truly vast.
And after a full year of daily learning—365 full episodes, 365 short episodes, 730 videos, no days off—this final chapter reflects on what happens when knowledge stacks high enough to change how you see everything beneath it.
This is the final episode of the daily marathon.
The end of one experiment.
And the beginning of something else.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
White, F. (1987). The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution. Houghton Mifflin.
Yaden, D. B., et al. (2016). The Overview Effect: Awe and self-transcendent experience in spaceflight. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 3(1), 1–11.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA Astronaut Oral History Project (Edgar Mitchell, Nicole Stott, Ron Garan, Chris Hadfield).
Poole, R. (2008). Earthrise: How Man First Saw the Earth. Yale University Press.
Stott, N. (2021). Back to Earth. Seal Press.
#OverviewEffect #SpacePsychology #HumanPerception #ScienceCommunication #DailyFacts #smartestyearever #newyearsresolution #funfacts #spacefacts #psychologyfacts #williamshatner #blueorigin #nasafacts #astronauts
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Sources
As New Year’s Eve approaches, millions of people will share a midnight kiss—or strategically avoid one. Kissing feels timeless, intimate, and deeply human. But it isn’t universal. And it isn’t uniquely ours.
In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy explores why kissing exists, what actually qualifies as a “kiss,” and how similar behaviors appear across the animal kingdom. From primate reconciliation rituals to avian pair-bonding, from chemical communication to social stress reduction, this episode examines kissing through the lens of evolutionary biology, anthropology, and animal behavior.
Rather than treating kissing as a single act, this episode places it on a biological spectrum of affiliative behaviors—tools shaped by evolution to build trust, reduce aggression, assess mates, and reinforce social bonds. Along the way, Gordy examines how humans turned a practical evolutionary behavior into romance, ritual, and symbolism—while other species kept it brutally functional.
This episode blends human ethology, comparative psychology, and animal social behavior to ask a deceptively simple question: why do mouths—across species—keep becoming social tools?
If you’ve ever assumed kissing was universal, instinctive, or uniquely human, this episode will quietly dismantle that assumption—without ruining the surprise.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#socialscience #kissing #animalfacts #sceincefacts #biologyfacts #evolutionfacts #AnimalBehavior #EvolutionaryBiology #HumanEvolution #ScienceExplained #DailyFacts #DidYouKnow #weirdanimals
Birkhead, T. (2008). The wisdom of birds: An illustrated history of ornithology. Bloomsbury.
Connor, R. C., Heithaus, M. R., & Barre, L. M. (2000). Complex social structure, alliance stability, and mating access in bottlenose dolphins. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 267(1450), 1273–1281.
de Waal, F. B. M. (1989). Peacemaking among primates. Harvard University Press.
Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human ethology. Aldine de Gruyter.
Fruth, B., & Hohmann, G. (1996). Social behavior of bonobos (Pan paniscus). Evolutionary Anthropology, 5(1), 1–11.
Jankowiak, W. R., Volsche, S. L., & Garcia, J. R. (2015). Is the romantic kiss a human universal? American Anthropologist, 117(3), 535–539.
Mech, L. D. (1970). The wolf: The ecology and behavior of an endangered species. University of Minnesota Press.
Poole, J. H., & Moss, C. J. (2008). Elephant sociality and trunk-to-mouth behaviors. Journal of Mammalogy, 89(3), 605–612.
Sources:Wlodarski, R., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2015). The behavioral ecology of romantic kissing. Human Nature, 26(1), 52–71.
After sharing more than 360 daily facts in a single year, Gordy closes out Smartest Year Ever with a deceptively simple question: why do we call it “trivia”?
Today, trivia means fun facts, pub quizzes, and knowledge for bragging rights. But historically, the word carried a very different tone. Its roots stretch back through Latin, medieval education, and early academic hierarchies, where certain kinds of knowledge were dismissed as unimportant, common, or beneath serious study.
This episode explores how language evolves alongside culture—how words shift meaning, how education systems shape value, and how humans have always loved testing each other’s knowledge, long before quizzes, game shows, or question cards existed. From ancient classrooms to early print culture, the story of trivia reveals why we still love collecting, sharing, and showing off small but fascinating pieces of information.
It’s a fitting reflection at the end of a year devoted entirely to curiosity, learning, and the strange power of facts that stick.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#Trivia #WordOrigins #Etymology #LanguageHistory #DailyFacts #FunFacts #historyfacts #triviahistory #learnonyoutube
Sources:
Curtius, E. R. (1953). European Literature and the Latin Middle Ages. Princeton University Press.
Simpson, J., & Weiner, E. (Eds.). (1989). The Oxford English Dictionary (entries for “trivia,” “trivial,” “trivium”). Oxford University Press.
Parkes, M. B. (1993). Pause and Effect: An Introduction to the History of Punctuation in the West. University of California Press.
Highet, G. (1949). The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature. Oxford University Press.
Allen, D. C. (1950). The Legend of the Trivium and Quadrivium. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Pfister, G. (2008). Early quiz traditions and the evolution of trivia contests. Journal of Popular Culture, 41(6), 1052–1070.
After typing hundreds of thousands of words in a single year, Gordy finally stops to ask a deceptively simple question: why does the QWERTY keyboard look like this?
At first glance, the modern keyboard feels arbitrary—almost chaotic. But its strange layout isn’t random, and it wasn’t designed to frustrate or slow anyone down. QWERTY emerged from a very specific moment in technological history, shaped by early mechanical engineering limits, the rise of typewriters, and the unexpected influence of telegraph operators, some of the earliest power users of written communication.
This episode of Smartest Year Ever explores how Christopher Latham Sholes, early typewriter mechanics, and industrial standardization accidentally created one of the most enduring pieces of design in human history. Along the way, Gordy examines the myths surrounding typing efficiency, why alternative layouts like Dvorak and Colemak never replaced QWERTY, and how network effects, muscle memory, and mass adoption can outweigh pure engineering optimization.
What began as a workaround for a 19th-century machine quietly became a global standard, shaping how billions of people write, think, and work every day—long after the original problem disappeared.
This is a story about technology lock-in, design inertia, and how solutions meant to be temporary can become permanent cultural infrastructure.
No days off. New fact daily.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#QWERTY #KeyboardHistory #Typing #TechnologyHistory #DesignHistory #SmartestYearEver #DailyFacts #typewriters #historyfacts #computerfacts #factoftheday #learnonyoutube #funfacts #didyouknow
For decades, goldfish memory has been treated as a joke. A throwaway line. A cultural shortcut for forgetfulness. But modern animal cognition research paints a very different picture.
In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy digs into the real science behind goldfish learning, memory retention, and behavior, pulling from decades of behavioral psychology, neuroscience, and comparative cognition studies. Goldfish have been studied for nearly a century not because they are simple, but because they are reliably trainable, capable of learning patterns, cues, sequences, and environments in controlled experiments.
This episode explores how researchers test long-term memory in fish, why goldfish are still used as model organisms in learning experiments, and how one persistent myth managed to outlive the actual data. Along the way, Gordy reflects on what studying hundreds of facts over a year does to your own memory—and why confusing quiet behavior with low intelligence has been one of science’s longest-running mistakes.
If you think you already know the answer, you probably don’t.
No Days Off. New Fact Daily.
Sources:
Abramson, C. I., et al. (2017). Learning in goldfish (Carassius auratus): A review of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and maze learning. Behavioral Processes, 141, 307–318.
Behrend, E. R., & Bitterman, M. E. (1954). Avoidance conditioning in the goldfish. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 47(5), 389–393.
Rodríguez, F., et al. (2002). Long-term retention of spatial memory in goldfish. Animal Cognition, 5(3), 193–199.
López, J. C., et al. (1998). Spatial learning in goldfish: Place learning and cue learning in an overhead maze. Animal Learning & Behavior, 26(3), 266–272.
Bitterman, M. E. (1965). Phyletic differences in learning. American Psychologist, 20(6), 396–410.
Sarel, A., et al. (2022). An interspecies portable fish-operated vehicle. Behavioural Brain Research, 434, 114028.
#AnimalCognition #Neuroscience #FishBehavior #LearningAndMemory #ScienceExplained #DailyFacts #animalfacts #funfacts #weirdanimals #goldfishfacts #goldfishmemory #mythbusted #learnonyoutube #fishscience #sciencefacts
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy explores one of biology’s strangest loopholes — parthenogenesis, a rare form of asexual reproduction where an animal can develop from an unfertilized egg.
For decades, scientists assumed this phenomenon was mostly limited to insects and invertebrates. But modern genetics has revealed something far stranger: certain vertebrates, including reptiles, birds, and even sharks, can occasionally reproduce without males under the right conditions.
This episode dives into the genetic mechanics, evolutionary risks, and survival advantages behind this process — from isolated populations to captivity-triggered adaptations. Along the way, it explores how chromosomes are restored without fertilization, why the offspring aren’t true clones, and why this biological workaround has sharp limits.
It also confronts the obvious question: if this exists in nature, why doesn’t it work in mammals? The answer reveals one of the most rigid constraints in human biology and why reproduction isn’t nearly as flexible as it looks.
A story about evolutionary improvisation, genetic failsafes, and what happens when nature runs out of options — without giving away the surprise that makes this topic unforgettable.
No Days Off. New Fact Daily.
#Parthenogenesis #AnimalBiology #EvolutionaryScience #ReproductiveBiology #DailyFacts #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #komododragons #turkeys #sciencefacts #biologyfacts #animalfacts #learnonyoutube #automixis
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Sources:
Booth, W., Smith, C. F., Eskridge, P. H., Hoss, S. K., Mendelson, J. R., & Schuett, G. W. (2012). Facultative parthenogenesis in vertebrates. Biology Letters, 8(6), 983–985.
Watts, P. C., Buley, K. R., Sanderson, S., Boardman, W., Ciofi, C., & Gibson, R. (2006). Parthenogenesis in Komodo dragons. Nature, 444, 1021–1022.
Fields, A. T., Feldheim, K. A., Poulakis, G. R., & Chapman, D. D. (2017). Evidence of parthenogenesis in a captive zebra shark. Scientific Reports, 7, 41314.
Lampert, K. P. (2008). Facultative parthenogenesis in snakes. Journal of Heredity, 99(6), 666–669.
Olsen, M. W. (1965). Parthenogenesis in turkeys. Poultry Science, 44(2), 462–468.
Olsen, M. W. (1960). Performance record of a parthenogenetic turkey male. Science, 132(3440), 1661.
Kono, T., Obata, Y., Wu, Q., et al. (2004). Birth of parthenogenetic mice that can develop to adulthood. Nature, 428, 860–864.
For centuries, people have argued about what the “X” in Xmas means. Some call it disrespectful. Some insist it removes the meaning of the holiday. But as Gordy explains in today’s episode of Smartest Year Ever, the real story goes back nearly a thousand years—deep into the worlds of Greek manuscripts, ancient Christian symbols, and a writing tradition that shaped how entire cultures recorded sacred names.
This episode unpacks how languages evolve, how visual symbols become powerful cultural shortcuts, and why certain misconceptions catch fire even when the historical record is airtight. It’s an episode stuffed with linguistic history, medieval scribal habits, and some surprising connections that don’t show up in the usual holiday conversations.
If you're fascinated by word origins, etymology, religious history, ancient alphabets, or the way cultural myths spread, this one is a perfect Christmas deep dive. And if you think you already know why people write Xmas, Gordy’s got a story that may rewrite what you thought you knew.
So what does the “X” really stand for? Watch to find out.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#WordOrigins #HistoryFacts #LanguageHistory #DailyFacts #Etymology #xmas #christmas #greeklanguage #learnonyoutube #factoftheday #christmashistory
SourcesJeffrey, P. (2006). The Secret Gospel of Mark Unveiled. Yale University Press. Ligatus Research Centre. (n.d.). Manuscript Abbreviations Catalogue. University of the Arts London. McArthur, T. (1992). Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press. Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). Entries on “Xmas,” “Xtian,” and medieval scribal abbreviations. Oxford University Press. Crystal, D. (2019). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press.
Why do we hang Christmas stockings by the fireplace, of all things? In this episode, Gordy digs into the surprisingly deep origins of one of the strangest holiday traditions — a tradition that blends medieval folklore, St. Nicholas legends, Dutch holiday customs, Victorian Christmas culture, and the long cultural shadow of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.
This episode explores how European winter traditions, gift-giving rituals, and the evolution of American Christmas imagery converged into the stocking we know today. From fireplace folklore to holiday symbolism, this is one of those stories where a tiny detail in an old legend ends up shaping an entire modern tradition.
It’s a perfect deep dive for anyone who loves Christmas history, holiday mythology, or the strange ways cultural traditions evolve and spread.
No spoilers — the surprising part that locked this tradition into American culture happens in the episode.
If you enjoy learning about the hidden origins of everyday rituals, this one’s a must-watch.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Sources:
de Voragine, J. (1993). The Golden Legend. Princeton University Press. (Original work published 13th century)
Nissenbaum, S. (1996). The Battle for Christmas. Knopf/Vintage.
Forbes, B. D. (2007). Christmas: A Candid History. University of California Press.
Restad, P. (1995). Christmas in America: A History. Oxford University Press.
Smithsonian Magazine. (2012). The Legend of the Christmas Stocking.
Margry, P. J. (Ed.). (2000). The Saint Nicholas Book. Meertens Institute.
Anonymous. (1823). A Visit from St. Nicholas.
#ChristmasHistory #HolidayTraditions #funfacts #DailyFacts #HistoryFacts #ChristmasEve #christmasfacts #learnonyoutube #stnicholas #sinterklass #stockings
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Every December, Santa’s sleigh and his iconic team of reindeer feel like timeless parts of Christmas. But Gordy digs into the real history behind this tradition — tracing how Arctic cultures, early American Christmas lore, and one influential 19th-century poem fused into the story we know today.
This episode explores the surprising cultural evolution behind Santa’s reindeer, from ancient Arctic sleigh traditions to the literary moment that transformed them into Christmas icons. Gordy breaks down how names, imagery, and myths converged into one of the most recognizable holiday symbols on the planet — and why the story changed again in the 20th century.
If you’ve ever wondered how reindeer became inseparable from Santa, or how a single piece of American literature reshaped Christmas mythology, this one delivers. No spoilers — but the origins aren’t what most people think.
So there you have it… Another step on our quest to become the world’s greatest conversationalists.
Sources:
Forbes, B. D. (2007). Christmas: A Candid History. University of California Press.
Miller, T. (2007). The Night Before Christmas: A Cultural History. Oxford University Press.
Montgomery Ward Archives. (1939). Robert L. May Papers.
Nissenbaum, S. (1997). The Battle for Christmas. Vintage.
Rosenthal, B. (1982). The evolution of Santa’s reindeer. American Heritage, 34(1).
Smithsonian Magazine. (n.d.). The real story behind “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Smithsonian Institution.
Encyclopedia of Sámi Culture. (n.d.). Reindeer domestication and transport traditions.
#ChristmasHistory #HolidayTraditions #SantaClaus #ReindeerHistory #reindeer #Santasreindeer #santafacts #christmasfacts #thenightbeforechristmas #historyfacts #christmastraditions #learnonyoutube #funfacts Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Every December, Gordy takes a tradition everyone thinks they understand and unravels the surprising, layered story behind it. This time, he investigates the true history of the Christmas tree and how an ordinary evergreen became one of the most recognizable symbols of the modern holiday season.
This episode traces the tradition across ancient civilizations, medieval Europe, and Victorian-era reinvention, revealing how a patchwork of rituals slowly transformed into the global custom practiced today. The result isn’t just a festive symbol — it’s a story about winter survival, cultural identity, religious storytelling, and the power of imagery.
Why did early cultures treat evergreens as powerful objects? What medieval custom helped anchor the tree in December traditions? And how did one 19th-century illustration explode the practice across the English-speaking world?
Gordy digs into the history, symbolism, and cultural evolution behind the tree we decorate without thinking — and the origins are deeper, older, and more surprising than most people realize.
Expect rich historical detail, smart commentary, and insightful storytelling, all crafted to make anyone a better conversationalist during the holidays.
#ChristmasHistory #HolidayTraditions #ChristmasTree #christmastrees #trees #christmastreehistory #ancientegypt #learnonyoutube #holidayfacts #christmasfacts #funfacts Music thanks to Zapsplat.
SOURCES:
Alsace Tourism. (n.d.). History of Christmas traditions in Alsace.
Illustrated London News. (1848). Christmas Supplement.
Johnson, E. H. (1882). Electric Christmas tree demonstration records. Edison Electric Light Co.
Latvia Travel Board. (n.d.). Riga Christmas tree tradition.
Nissenbaum, S. (1996). The Battle for Christmas. Vintage.
Smithsonian Institution. (n.d.). European winter symbolism and evergreen rituals.
University of Tartu. (n.d.). Records of the Brotherhood of Blackheads and early Baltic holiday customs.
On December 24, 1914, something unfolded on the Western Front that no one expected. In this episode, Gordy explores one of the most extraordinary moments of World War I: the unsanctioned Christmas Truce of 1914, when soldiers on both sides paused a global war and stepped into no-man’s-land together.
It’s a moment wrapped in legend, but the real story is even more compelling. Gordy breaks down the frontline conditions, the early trench morale, the surprising candlelit tannenbaum, the shared carols, and the scattered pockets of fraternization that briefly stopped a mechanized war. He also explains what historians actually know about the famous “football” story, why commanders considered the truce dangerous, and how this small, human moment vanished as the war escalated into gas attacks, industrialized propaganda, and catastrophic casualties.
This episode is perfect for anyone drawn to World War I history, battlefield psychology, cultural myths, military leadership, or stories where unexpected humanity emerges under impossible conditions.
Watch to learn what really happened in the 1914 Christmas Truce, why it mattered, and why it never happened again.
Sources • Brown, M. (1984). The Christmas Truce. Leo Cooper. • Weintraub, S. (2001). Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. Free Press. • Cook, T. (1996). The Christmas Truce of 1914. Canadian Military History, 5(1), 47–54. • BBC News. (2014). Christmas Truce 1914: A Week When War Took a Holiday. • Imperial War Museums. (n.d.). The Real Story of the Christmas Truce. • Ferguson, N. (1999). The Pity of War. Penguin. • British National Archives. (1914). First World War: Truce. • Ashworth, T. (2000). Trench Warfare 1914–1918: The Live and Let Live System. Pan Macmillan. • Brown, I. M. (1996). Live and Let Live in the First World War. Journal of Strategic Studies, 19(4), 94–108.
#Historyfacts #history #christmashistory #christmasfacts #WorldWarI #ChristmasTruce #1914 #MilitaryHistory #DailyFacts #learnonyoutube Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Gordy dives into one of the most iconic symbols in modern culture—a symbol so widespread that people forget it actually had a creator, a purpose, and a moment in history that shaped its meaning. This episode unpacks how a simple circular design became a global emblem of peace, how it spread from a small British protest movement into worldwide activism, and why it still carries emotional weight today.
Instead of reducing the symbol to retro nostalgia, Gordy traces its evolution through Cold War tensions, British protest culture, and the rise of international peace movements. Viewers will discover how artists, activists, and entire generations transformed this design into a universal shorthand for hope—and why its history is far stranger than the version most people think they know.
Along the way, Gordy digs into the symbol’s visual language, its misunderstood origins, and the waves of cultural mythology that followed it across decades. The story sits at the crossroads of graphic design, social movements, nuclear history, and political communication—a perfect example of how a simple image can gain massive power when the world needs it.
So there you have it… a symbol that reshaped visual activism and left a mark on global culture.
Sources: – Rigby, A. (n.d.). Aldermaston marches and the origins of the peace symbol. Peace Pledge Union Archives. – Kolsbun, K., & Sweeney, M. (2008). Peace: The biography of a symbol. National Geographic Books. – Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. (n.d.). History and archival materials. – Smithsonian Magazine. (2018). The surprisingly recent history of the peace sign. – BBC News. (2008). The story of the peace sign.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#HistoryFacts #DesignHistory #Symbolism #VisualCulture #peacesign #peace #nucleardisarmament #peace #worldpeace #designfacts #learnonyoutube #didyouknow #symbology #semaphores
Abraham Lincoln is known for the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the reshaping of the American presidency — but this episode dives into a very different side of him. Long before he entered the White House, Lincoln developed a fascination with mechanical engineering, river navigation, and the everyday problems that slowed 19th-century travel.
In today’s story, Gordy explores the surprising moment when a future president took that curiosity and turned it into something official: a U.S. patent, filed at a time when the country was still expanding westward and inventors were reshaping American industry. This episode looks at how Lincoln thought, why he cared so much about innovation, and what his early designs reveal about the mind behind one of the most influential leaders in American history.
It’s a glimpse at a lesser-known Lincoln — one driven by problem-solving, systems, and invention — and a reminder that even the icons carved into marble started as curious, restless thinkers trying to fix practical problems.
Sources • Smithsonian Institution. (1849). Patent Model Collection, U.S. Patent 6,469. National Museum of American History. • United States Patent and Trademark Office. (1849). Official Patent Record No. 6,469. • Goodwin, D. K. (2005). Team of Rivals. Simon & Schuster. • Library of Congress, Manuscript Division. Abraham Lincoln Papers. • Guelzo, A. C. (1999). Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President. Wm. B. Eerdmans.
Music thanks to Zapsplat. #HistoryFacts #AbrahamLincoln #Inventions #USPTO #AmericanHistory #DailyFacts #learnonyoutube #USpresidents #presidents #presidentialfacts #ushistory
In this episode, Gordy uncovers the unbelievable true story of Nikolai Sutyagin and the infamous illegal wooden skyscraper that once towered over Arkhangelsk, Russia. This bizarre structure—part folk-architecture experiment, part urban legend—became one of the most talked-about “houses” on the early internet.
Gordy explores how a simple two-story home grew into a massive, improvised multi-story wooden tower built almost entirely by hand. No blueprints. No engineering plans. Just incremental construction that pushed Russian building codes, fire regulations, and municipal patience to their absolute limit.
The Sutyagin House became a symbol of DIY architecture, unregulated construction, and the strange line between creativity and chaos. Why did this towering wooden structure rise so high? Why did officials ultimately order it dismantled? And how did it become one of the most famous “accidental skyscrapers” in modern folklore?
This episode blends architecture, history, and human eccentricity—told with the dry wit and sharp detail that Smartest Year Ever listeners expect.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#Architecture #HistoryFacts #WeirdHistory #UrbanLegends #DailyFacts #sutyagin #funfacts #weirdfacts #learnonyoutube #badarchitecture #russia
Sources:
Arkhangelsk Municipal Court. (2008). Decision on Unauthorized Construction.
Moscow Times. (2008, January 17). Russia’s Tallest Wooden House Ordered Demolished.
BBC News. (2012, February 6). Russia’s ‘Wooden Skyscraper’ Demolished.
Associated Press. (2008). Russian Man’s 13-Story Wooden House Ordered Torn Down.
Pravda. (1997–2002). Interviews and reporting on Nikolai Sutyagin.
The St. Petersburg Times. (1997–2002). Reporting and interviews with Sutyagin.
International Fire Safety Standards: Russian Federation Code for Wooden Construction (раздел 5, пожарная безопасность).
Gordy digs into the surprising, often uncomfortable history of what humans used before modern toilet paper — a story that spans ancient hygiene, Roman sanitation, Chinese papermaking, early plumbing, and the unexpected innovations that shaped the bathroom habits we take for granted.
This episode explores how different cultures adapted to their environments, why ostraka, pessoi, moss, hay, corncobs, and communal sponges once dominated daily life, and how industrial papermaking, perforation technology, and indoor plumbing transformed sanitation forever.
What makes the story even stranger is how recent the invention of commercial toilet paper really is — and how long it took before it became soft, safe, and socially acceptable. The evolution of “bathroom tissue” is full of surprising twists, cultural differences, forgotten innovations, and marketing battles that reshaped public expectations about comfort and cleanliness.
Gordy uncovers how the shift from improvisation to industry happened, how early toilet paper manufacturers competed to solve real infrastructure problems, and why some regions of the world still prefer water-based cleansing, bidets, and high-tech toilets today.
The full history is far more dramatic (and far more global) than most people realize.
Sources
Amato, J. A. (2014). Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity. Oxford University Press.
Mungello, D. E. (2013). Toilet paper and the history of hygiene in China. East Asian Science, Technology and Society, 7(4).
Scott Paper Company. (1930s). Historical advertising archives.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History. (n.d.). Seth Wheeler and the toilet paper roll.
Schivelbusch, W. (2007). The Culture of the Body and the Rise of Modern Hygiene.
Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Entries on hygiene, papermaking, and sanitation history.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
#History #ToiletPaperHistory #Sanitation #Cleanliness #hygiene #hygienehistory #AncientHistory #DailyFacts #toiletpaper #dailyfacts #funfacts #historyfacts #ancientfacts #learnonyoutube
Why did the monocle even exist — and why did it become such a strange cultural symbol? In this episode, Gordy dives into the unexpected history of the monocle, exploring how a simple one-eyed lens evolved from budget vision correction into a marker of European refinement, social class, and even early gender-nonconforming fashion.
Gordy unpacks how fragile early spectacles were, why a single custom lens was the most practical option in the 1800s, and how monocles later picked up surprising cultural associations — from aristocrats to androgynous style icons to a famous Parisian bar called Le Monocle. Along the way, he debunks one of the internet’s most persistent false memories: the idea that the Monopoly Man ever wore one.
This episode blends history, fashion, optics, material culture, and the psychology of false memory — all with SYE’s trademark wit, clarity, and curiosity.
#History #Optics #DailyFacts #FalseMemory #monopolyman #monocles #eyewear #fashionhistory #historyfacts #monocle #glasses funfacts
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Sources:
Daum, A. (2003). Optical innovations and social fashion in the 19th century. Journal of the History of Medicine.
Henson, D. (1998). Spectacles in the industrial age. British Optical Association.
Cassedy, P. (2013). The rise and fall of the monocle. Smithsonian Magazine.
Bundesarchiv. (1880–1914). Photographic collections of Prussian officers.
Parker, I. (2016). The Mandela Effect and false memory. The New Yorker.
The CIA once asked itself a question no intelligence agency ever wants to ask: what have we done that might cause a scandal?
That question produced a seven-hundred-page internal document now known as the Family Jewels — a secret compilation of controversial intelligence activities from the height of the Cold War.
In this episode, Gordy explores how the file began, why it existed at all, and how its contents reshaped the public’s understanding of American intelligence. He looks at the strange intersection of domestic surveillance, covert action, political pressure, and the uneasy boundary between national security and overreach.
Along the way, you'll meet the journalists, defectors, and protest movements caught in the crossfire — and the intelligence officials scrambling to contain the fallout.
No spoilers here… but the most surprising thing isn’t what the CIA was doing. It’s how we found out.
#History #CIA #IntelligenceHistory #ColdWar #FamilyJewels #CIAsecrets #MKULTRA #HTLingual #CIAfiles #declassified #frankolson #historyfacts #americanhistory Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Sources:
Church Committee. (1976). Final Report of the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities. U.S. Senate.
Central Intelligence Agency. (2007). Family Jewels (Declassified Archive). CIA Reading Room.
Hersh, S. (1974). Huge CIA operation reported in U.S. against antiwar forces. The New York Times.
Weiner, T. (2007). Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Doubleday.
U.S. National Archives. (n.d.). MK ULTRA and HTLINGUAL Records.
In the 1960s, the CIA launched one of the strangest covert projects in espionage history — a top-secret mission to transform an ordinary house cat into a Cold War spy.
In this episode, Gordy dives into the bizarre true story of Project Acoustic Kitty — a multimillion-dollar experiment where veterinarians and engineers attempted to surgically implant listening devices inside cats. It was part of a larger intelligence arms race where both the U.S. and the Soviet Union were desperate for new surveillance methods.
What followed was a surreal blend of biotechnology, spycraft, and absurdity that could only happen in the Cold War. How did this project get approved? What did the CIA hope to learn? And how did it all go so spectacularly wrong?
Gordy breaks down the real declassified files, the chilling details, and the aftermath that left even CIA insiders shaking their heads.
So—did the world’s first spy cat succeed, or was it one of history’s most expensive feline fiascos?
Watch to find out.
Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency. (2001). Acoustic Kitty Project Files, Directorate of Science & Technology, declassified in the “Family Jewels” archive.
Marchetti, V. (2001, 2007). Interviews in The Telegraph and The Washington Post.
National Security Archive, George Washington University.
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. (1967). Implant Communications Research Summary, declassified.
Smithsonian Magazine. (2019, Nov). “Acoustic Kitty: The CIA’s Bizarre Cold War Spy Cat.”
#CIA #SpyHistory #ColdWar #WeirdFacts #weirdhistory #DailyFacts #HistoryFacts #Espionage #DidYouKnow #animalfacts #animalspies #CIAspy #spygear #funfacts #learnonyoutube #spyfacts #catfacts
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
In 1986, Cleveland tried to set a world record for the biggest balloon launch in history — and ended up with one of the most infamous public relations disasters of all time.
On this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy unpacks the unbelievable story of Balloonfest ’86 — a charity event gone wrong that flooded skies with 1.4 million helium balloons, shut down airports, and even interfered with Coast Guard rescue efforts.
It began as an uplifting act of civic pride, backed by the United Way of Cleveland, meant to bring joy and national attention to a struggling city. But when the weather turned, that joy quite literally came crashing back down to Earth.
This is the jaw-dropping true story of how good intentions, mass spectacle, and poor timing collided — and why Balloonfest remains a case study in unintended consequences nearly forty years later.
If you’ve never seen a city try to outdo Disneyland with helium and hope… you need to see this.
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Sources:
Kroll, J. (2011, August 15). Balloonfest 1986, the spectacle that became a debacle. The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com.
O’Malley, M. (2011, September 26). 25 years ago, thousands watched a balloon launch on Public Square. The Plain Dealer.
Quinn, C. (2024, May 25). The complete and true story of Cleveland’s 1986 Balloonfest: Letter from the Editor. Cleveland.com.
Stratford, S. (2021, September 27). Balloonfest ’86: 35 years since downtown Cleveland event turned disastrous. FOX 8 Cleveland.
Balloonfest. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University.
Guinness Book of World Records (1988 Edition).
Truesdell, N. (2018, June 12). The Balloonfest That Went Horribly Wrong. The Atlantic.
#Balloonfest #ClevelandHistory #Disaster #WorldRecord #HistoryFacts #DailyFacts #DidYouKnow #environmentalism #cleveland #balloons #balloonfest86 #80shistory #learnonyoutube #commentary #funfacts #worldrecordattempt #unintendedconsequences