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  • The First Road Trip Part 2: In Which We Discuss All Things Tangentially Related

    The First Road Trip Part 2: In Which We Discuss All Things Tangentially Related
    2026/02/02
    In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we discuss the interesting story of who came up with the unit of measurement called horsepower and why it got applied to engines. We also discuss the late 19th century dominance of the electric car and why and when that changed. Next up we look at the mildly humorous story of who got the first known speeding ticket, as well as the much less humorous story of the first person killed in a car accident. Finally we finish up by talking about a little-known fascinating fact about James Doohan (Scotty from Star Trek). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 分
  • The First Road Trip Part 1: The Gumption of Bertha Benz

    The First Road Trip Part 1: The Gumption of Bertha Benz
    2026/01/30
    In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we discuss the surprisingly long history of the automobile, then move on to discussing what is generally considered the first “modern” car, the Model 3, made by Karl Benz, and how is amazing wife ultimately saved him and the vehicle from obscurity through her extreme audacity and faith in his invention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 分
  • The Greatest Feat of Piloting in Space

    The Greatest Feat of Piloting in Space
    2026/01/29
    On April 9, 1959, the newly-formed National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, introduced the world to a new breed of heroes: the Mercury Seven, America’s first astronauts. Selected from a pool of over 500 military test pilots, these men represented the best the nation had to offer, and its best hope in the intensifying Space Race against the Soviets. Almost immediately, the Mercury Seven became national heroes: on May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard would became the first American in space, while on February 20, 1962, John Glenn would become the first American to orbit the earth, a feat which catapulted him to superstardom. But among these early pioneers was an astronaut who, while less well-known to the public, would become a legend in the aviation community. His name was Gordo Cooper. Leroy Gordon Cooper Jr. is probably best remembered for his portrayal by actor Dennis Quaid in the 1983 film The Right Stuff. In the film, Cooper is portrayed as a cocky fighter jock with an easy smile and the catchphrase “Who’s the best pilot you ever saw? Well, you’re looking at him.” However, the real Coope was considerably more soft-spoken and taciturn than his Hollywood counterpart. Born on March 6, 1927, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Cooper first learned to fly in his father’s biplane, soloing at age 12 and earning his pilot’s license at 16. As the Army and Navy flying schools were no longer taking candidates, Cooper instead joined the Marine Corps, but WWII ended before he could see active service. After living in Hawaii where he met his first wife Trudy Olson, Cooper finally received military flight training at Williams Air Fire Base in Arizona and in 1950 was posted to Landstuhl Air Base, West Germany. In 1956, Cooper attended the US Air Force Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California and spent the next three years test-flying high-performance jet aircraft. Author: Gilles Messier Host: Simon Whistler Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 分
  • Swept Under the Rug: The Truth About the Japanese Holocaust

    Swept Under the Rug: The Truth About the Japanese Holocaust
    2026/01/28
    Humans being horrible to other humans is nothing new. Think of the most brutal thing you can possibly imagine, and it’s almost certain not only has some human done that to another human, but probably some nation did it as a general policy to other humans. Possibly even for the amusement of the masses. And as ever, one of the few universal truths, beyond that Star Trek the Next Generation is the greatest thing humans have ever produced, is that the past was the worst. Nowhere is this perhaps better illustrated than what we are going to do an extremely deep dive into today because it’s an often forgotten bit of history, and even those who know something about it generally haven’t heard of many facets. This is despite the whole thing being central to one of the greatest and most studied conflicts in human history. Sponsor note:  Go to ⁠surfshark.com/BRAINFOOD⁠ or use code BRAINFOOD at checkout to get four extra months of Surf Shark VPN There's a 30 day money back guarantee, so you can try it risk free. Author: Daven Hiskey Host: Simon Whistler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 時間 12 分
  • That Time Ben Franklin and John Adams Slept Together and the Hilarity That Ensued

    That Time Ben Franklin and John Adams Slept Together and the Hilarity That Ensued
    2026/01/27
    While Ben Franklin was remarkably successful in keeping elements of his private life very private to the point that historians can only speculate about much of it, despite having a common law marriage, he was, shall we say, noted for his overt and unabashed love of women and their company, particularly if they were educated- something he even used in argument for why women should be encouraged in education, not restricted as was so often the case in his time. In his view, women were simply even more fun to talk to and spend time with this way. Unshy about any of this, he even once penned an exceptionally detailed letter outlining why older women are much more preferable to sleep with than their younger counterparts. And that any young man seeking a lover to help with difficult to deal with urges before marriage would be wise to find himself an elderly woman to help meet these needs. Much more on this and Franklin’s rather humorous and well thought out reasoning in the Bonus Facts later. Brilliant, charming, funny, extremely sociable, Franklin was beloved by most who met him, knew how to have a good time, and seemed inclined to cast off his puritan upbringing and enjoy life to its fullest… despite also occasionally penning wise proverbs on how to live a good life that seemed to starkly contrast with some of his actual behaviors. British politician William Corbett would sum up that Franklin was “A crafty and lecherous old hypocrite whose very statue seems to gloat on the wenches as they walk the State House Yard.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 分
  • Could the Tyrannosaurus Rex Really Not See You If You Didn’t Move?

    Could the Tyrannosaurus Rex Really Not See You If You Didn’t Move?
    2026/01/26
    In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start out with a follow up to a previous episode in which we mentioned Teddy Roosevelt likely helped delay the start of WWI, but then never actually said in that episode how. Next up we discuss whether the Tyrannosaurus Rex could really not see you if you didn’t move as depicted in Jurassic Park, as well as a few other interesting Jurassic Park factoids. Then we get into a little podcast feedback and finish up by discussing the interesting thing that would have actually happened in Finding Nemo when Nemo’s mother died had it been more accurate. Sponsor note:  Go to surfshark.com/BRAINFOOD or use code BRAINFOOD at checkout to get four extra months of Surf Shark VPN There's a 30 day money back guarantee, so you can try it risk free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 時間 7 分
  • Caesar Part 4: In Which We Discuss All Things Tangentially Related

    Caesar Part 4: In Which We Discuss All Things Tangentially Related
    2026/01/23
    In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start out by discussing the fascinating story about how the statue of Shakespeare in Central Park, New York, got there, what John Wilkes Booth’s Brother did for Abraham Lincoln’s son, the real story about why Caesar dressing is called that, and a bunch of other interesting stuff! This is part 4 of our 4 part series on Julius Caesar. Stay tuned next time for when we talk about something completely different! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 分
  • The Incredible Story of U-47 and “The Bull of Scapa Flow”

    The Incredible Story of U-47 and “The Bull of Scapa Flow”
    2026/01/22
    Scapa Flow lies barely seven degrees below the Arctic Circle, in the cold, windswept Orkney Islands at the northern tip of Scotland. Measuring 10 kilometres wide by 8 kilometres long with an average depth of 30 metres, this natural anchorage is bounded to the north by the mainland, to the east by the islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay, and to the west by the island of Hoy. In 1904, Scapa Flow was chosen as the home base for the British Grand Fleet, allowing the Royal Navy and German Imperial Navy to glower at each other across the North Sea. It was from here that the Grand Fleet sailed to the historic 1916 Battle of Jutland, and to here that the German High Seas Fleet sailed to surrender in 1918. In the years leading up to the Second World War, Scapa Flow was thought to be impregnable, and came to symbolize the supposed invincibility of the Royal Navy itself. But in the early morning hours of October 14, 1939, a lone German U-boat succeeded in doing the impossible, penetrating the harbour’s defences, sinking a 30,000-ton battleship, and slipping away undetected. It was one of the most daring feats of the war, and one which shattered the Royal Navy’s illusion of invulnerability. This is the incredible story of the U-47 and Captain Günther Prien, “The Bull of Scapa Flow.” Author: Gilles Messier Editor: Daven Hiskey Host: Simon Whistler Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    19 分