Not So Random Facts

Not So Random Facts

Random facts are only random because we don't know the context behind them. This podcast will fix all that by explaining the history, science, and cultural basis for every random fact you've ever wondered about.

Episodes

The Closest Living Relative Of The T-Rex Is The Chicken

June 5, 2022 • 16 mins
Like many young kids I was fascinated by dinosaurs growing up. The idea of these massive creatures roaming the Earth filled me with wonder and excitement. Stegosaurus was always my favorite personally. But for anyone disappointed that dinosaurs are no longer around I have some good news ... they are. They have just taken a very different form these days. A form that tastes great with barbeque sauce or honey mustard.

Host - Mic...
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The Center Of Our Galaxy Is Made of Raspberry Rum

March 29, 2022 • 13 mins
If you enjoy a nice cocktail and astronomy, than this is the episode for you. Now before you listen I will admit, I am stretching the definition of rum a bit. But please forgive me because like most episodes of this series I'm excited for the chance to share a random fact that takes us on so many wonderful tangents from the atomic orbitals of electrons to how raspberries get their flavor.

Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.c...
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George Washington Carver Didn't Invent Peanut Butter, but He Did Save American Agriculture

February 20, 2022 • 15 mins
There's nothing quite as satisfying as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, no matter what your age. And as such a common treat, you might think we should spend an episode discussing the person who invented peanut butter. I thought it was invented by George Washington Carver, but I was wrong, and reading about him led me down an interesting journey about education, agriculture, and the healing powers of legumes. So take a listen ...
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Why Is English One of the Only Languages That Has Spelling Bees?

February 2, 2022 • 27 mins
Do you ever mix up there, their, and they're? Or perhaps like me you forget when to use its as opposed to it's. Or perhaps you've wondered why cough doesn't rhyme with rough, or though, or through. Well, English is a messy language. It is so confusing that spelling words correctly is an accomplishment, so we host spelling bees to show off that skill. But English is unique in hosting spelling bees, most cultures of other languag...
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All Human Beings Glow

June 18, 2021 • 21 mins
Fireflies, sea jellies, and ... humans? Seriously, all of them can glow? It's true. But before you look down at your hands and say to yourself these aren't glowing so clearly this episode was made by a crazy person ... give his episode a listen. We take a deep dive into bioluminescence, the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, and free radicals to explain it all.

Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelv

To see m...
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98.6 Fahrenheit (or 37 Celsius) Is NOT The Average Human Temperature

February 7, 2021 • 16 mins
From an early age we're taught that 98.6 degrees Farhenheit (or 37 degrees Celsius if you live a country that uses a better measurement system) is the average body temperature for a human being. But it turns out that one of the most basic facts of human anatomy is wrong. Find out how a German physician with the greatest name first decided to figure out how hot humans are and why his conclusion no longer applies.

Host - Michael Rai...
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Adolf Hitler Was Convicted Of Treason, Then Released From Jail To Promote Unity

February 7, 2021 • 32 mins
This is not a typical episode and deals with very heavy subject matter. This episodes discusses the common features of fascism, the riser of fascism in Europe and draws parallels to Trump's version of Conservativism in the United States today. It is not light-hearted and I take no offense to you deciding to skip this episode. Or disagreeing with some of the opinions I put forth. But this is an important conversation to have in ...
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Frankenstein Was Written As Part Of A Bet Between Bored Friends In Isolation

October 30, 2020 • 18 mins
It is such a series of strange events that lead to Mary Shelley and her friends being cooped up for a summer with nothing better to do than tell scary stories. No one could have predicted that a volcano eruption in the South Pacific would so drastically change the weather in Europe that no one could go out that summer due to the cold. But something about the story of friends who are stuck inside trying to come up with new ways to...
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Handshakes Were Once Used to Prove to Enemies You Were Unarmed

October 23, 2020 • 13 mins
How many hands have you shaken in your lifetime? Well after this episode, you might want to shake fewer hands in the future. From Ancient Babylon to Medieval Europe to rural America, we'll trace the history of this gesture and why its not a good idea during a pandemic.

Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelv

To see more of what Storyteller Entertainment has to offer, head to our website: https://www.storytellere...
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Cats Chose To Domesticate Themselves ... And May Choose To Go Back

June 10, 2020 • 16 mins
If dogs are man's best friend, what are cats? Our begrudging roommates? Whatever they are, they hold a unique place in the genetic experiments we call domestication. While goats and sheep looked tasty and wolves were helpful on the hunt, cats were just kind of handy to have around. But they were free to come and go as they please for most of the historical interaction between homo sapiens and felis silvestris ... and that works...
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How Similar Was The Boston Tea Party To The Protests Of Today?

June 9, 2020 • 20 mins
The Boston Tea Party was one of the founding moments of the American Revolution, and as such one of the founding moments of the United States. It was a protest against an unfair government by a people who had been pushed beyond their limits. As protests continue in the United States against police brutality, its important to look back at our history to see how this moment compares to our country's origins.

If you would like to sup...
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What Did Ancient People Use Instead of Toilet Paper?

April 21, 2020 • 11 mins
As the pandemic of the coronavirus has lead to frequent shortages of toilet paper, it got me wondering; what did people use before toilet paper? And why, considering its a respiratory disease, are people buying toilet paper in the first place? With a look back through history at a somewhat gross and taboo subject, this episode might just help you if you run out of TP

Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelv

To see...
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The "Spanish Flu" killed more people than World War 1 ... How Does The Coronavirus Compare?

April 21, 2020 • 19 mins
The world was coming out of the devastation of war to find itself in the worst pandemic in centuries. And as its the misnamed Spanish Flu is the worst pandemic we have experienced in the last hundred years or so, its worth taking a look to compare and contrast it with our current situation. The greatest weapon against the disease (and panic) is information, so I hope this episode puts certain aspects of the disease into context.

...
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In 1992, 29,000 Bathtub Toys Fell Off a Container Ship and Taught Us All About Ocean Currents

October 4, 2019 • 24 mins
It started as an accident that happens hundreds of times a year; a shipping container fell overboard during rough weather, spilling its contents into the Pacific ocean. But this container was filled with 28,800 beavers, frogs, turtles and rubber duckies that have since then, made their way around the world. And tracking their journey has led oceanographers to discover new information about how interconnected the world's water way...
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Scientists Have Crossbred Spiders With Goats To Create More Spider Webs

August 3, 2019 • 16 mins
Spiders and goats go together like peanut butter and jelly, right? RIGHT?!? Well, according to some scientists they do, as genetic manipulation has led to a truly unusual hybrid. But why would a scientist do such a thing? Well it has to do with the remarkable qualities of spider silk. It's stronger than steel, tougher than kevlar, and if used in the right applications could save lives. And goats are going to help us get more ...
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The Apollo 11 Astronauts Had To Go Through Customs To Declare Their Moon Rocks

July 17, 2019 • 21 mins
If you're occasionally annoyed by bureaucracy, I hope its a consolation to know that even astronauts have to deal with government forms. This mundane fact about the first mission to the moon cracks me up, but there are dozens of amazing facts and incredible stories leading up to that historic mission. Join me for a very brief dive into the history of space travel and how the Apollo program slowly came together to lead mankind to ...
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Sunflowers Can Clean Up Nuclear Radiation After Disasters

June 14, 2019 • 22 mins
Have you been watching Chernobyl? I have, it was a great show. And as per usual, it sent me down a research rabbit hole as I learned more about the debilitating effects of radiation exposure. But it also led me to a fascinating fact about using plants to combat nuclear waste. Join me for a brief lesson on nuclear power and how sunflowers helped clean up Chernobyl after the disaster.

Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/r...
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The Biggest Organism In The World Is Either a Tree Or a Mushroom

May 29, 2019 • 23 mins
What's the biggest organism in the world? Depends on who you ask. This episode is a quick overview of the origins and structure of all life on Earth ... quite a large subject, but its important to understand if we're going to try to answer the question of world's biggest living thing. But even with all that context, can we we ever really know for sure?

Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelv

To see more of what...
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Dogs Can Detect Cancer By Their Sense of Smell

May 1, 2019 • 17 mins
Man's best friend has been by our side for thousands of years, and many scientists believe its about time they follow us into the lab. New studies indicate that there is scientific proof that indicates dogs can detect cancer with just a few sniffs, but to understand the implications of that we need to take a deeper look at both how animals smell and what cancer really is.

Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelv

T...
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The Amazon Rainforest Produces 20% Of All Of Earth's Oxygen

April 17, 2019 • 19 mins
As Earth Day approaches we look at one of the most wonderfully diverse biomes in the world; the Amazon rainforest. There is plenty to marvel at with the millions of species that call this area their home, and unfortunately like many areas around the world, the Amazon rainforest is in danger. But as we'll discuss in this episode, that wouldn't just be detrimental for the region, but for the entire world. And unbeknownst to most p...
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