1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: Hey, they're part time geniuses. Before we start the show, 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: we wanted to take a minute to recognize a few 3 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: of our brilliant listeners. During an episode on building the 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: Ultimate Animal Superhero, we challenge you guys to draw the 5 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: bizarre creature created in that episode. This thing involved parts 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: from the platypus, the salamander, the Texas horned lizard, the 7 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 1: scarlet jellyfish, the eel, and so many more creatures. And now, 8 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: I'll be honest, this seem like such a crazy, difficult 9 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: test that I didn't expect we'd actually get many submissions, 10 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: so we were thrilled when so many started coming in. 11 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: I really wish we could give prizes to everyone who 12 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: submitted a drawing, but please know you're all geniuses to us. Okay, 13 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: here's some of the winners. We've got Andrea Burns and 14 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: Jamie fam a pair of friends who decided to submit 15 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: drawings together. We have Simon de Zubria Ristrepo, who submitted 16 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: our cartoonist drawing. And for our winner in the best 17 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: Kids Drawing division, we have Laney, who's twelve and a 18 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: terrific artist, and the grand prize winner. This drawing was 19 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: so insane as I told the creator I really want 20 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: to see it as a poster, and we might just 21 00:00:57,720 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: have to make that happen. But in first place, we 22 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: have Natalie Leigh. Will post Natalie's winning piece on our 23 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: Facebook page, and you guys will all be getting part 24 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: Time Genius T shirts and some other fun prizes. Thank 25 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: you again to everyone who submitted drawings, and be on 26 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 1: the lookout for other contests and upcoming episodes. Now enjoy 27 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: the show. Guess what Mango? What's that? Will? So I 28 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: took a couple of wrong turns on the internet this 29 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: week and I ended up in this gallery of libraries 30 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: from the Middle Ages. And you know, book that used 31 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 1: to be a huge problem. So the first thing any 32 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: self respecting book collector would do is chain their books 33 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: to their bookshelf like dogs. Know, these things were so 34 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: much thicker, like heavy duty chains. If you look up 35 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: the Hereford Cathedral in London, you see bookshelves filled with manuscripts, 36 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: and in front of each book there's just a curtain 37 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: of chains hanging down because every one of those books 38 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: is tethered to the shelf. It's so imposing. That could 39 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: be a great tactic if you actually want people reading 40 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: the books but that wasn't even the best solution for 41 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: protecting your library. If you wanted to upgrade, you could 42 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: put your chain books inside a locked safe. It's kind 43 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: of a nesting doll approach to the book security. But 44 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: if you were really looking for protection, the ultimate in 45 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: book protection was a curse. Of course occurs. Well, they 46 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: were a little more like little inscribed threat that feels 47 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: like such a hail Mary. Like you've got a thief 48 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: who's broken into your home and then into your safe, 49 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: sod through a thick chain. Got this Harry Potter sequel 50 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: he's been dying to read, finally in his hands, and 51 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: somehow a curse is going to make him put the 52 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: book down. I mean, that's the idea. Let me read 53 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: you my favorite threat. It says, if anyone take away 54 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: this book, let him be fried in a pan. That 55 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: sounds like such a Looney Tunes threat. I know, it 56 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: isn't that intimidating unless the book owner also on the 57 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: human sized frying pan. All this research on book thefts 58 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: made me curious. What's the most stolen publication from public libraries. 59 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: Number two on the list is the Bible. Why does 60 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: anyone steal a Bible? I don't know, maybe they just 61 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: skimmed the first few pages, didn't get far enough to 62 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: realize that God's pretty clear about not stealing. But here's 63 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: some of the other things in the top ten. You've 64 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: got prep books for exams, books on not he's an 65 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: occult things generally books people might be too embarrassed to 66 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: check out. But the number one book that gets stolen 67 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: from public libraries the Guinness Book of World Records. What 68 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: I mean that itself kind of feels like a record. 69 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: I know, honestly, I hadn't thought about the Guinness Book 70 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: in years. I mean, I loved it as a kid, 71 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: couldn't wait for the book fair to come so I 72 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: could pick up a copy. But when I heard that fact, 73 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: it made me wonder, why are we so impressed with records? 74 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: And what is it about the Guinness Book that's made 75 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: it such a beloved institution? And who has the record 76 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: for reading the most baked beans in five minutes? So 77 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: that's what we're digging into today. Important Stuffy Hey their 78 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: podcast listeners, Well, when a part time genius, I'm will 79 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: Pure and then as always I'm joined by my good 80 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: friend Manes Tor and today's episode is all about world records, 81 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: how the Guinness Book got its start, how they're cataloged, 82 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: what countries take the book most seriously, And of course 83 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: we'll have a couple of terrible quizzes. Who do we 84 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: have on the line today, Mango, We've got Dan Rollman 85 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: from records center dot com. He's terrific. He's going to 86 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 1: tell us how his site, which allows you to set 87 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: all sorts of world records from the comfort of your phone, 88 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: got its start. All right, So before this episode, it 89 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: had been years since I looked at the Guinness Book. 90 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: How about you? Yeah, I remember reading them with friends 91 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: on the school bus and thumbing through them at the library, 92 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: but it had been like decades since I held one. 93 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 1: Actually had a strange experience buying my book for this episode. 94 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: What happened, Well, I went to this big bookstore in 95 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: my neighborhood and went up to the clerk, who is 96 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: this judgey literary type, And I said, I'm wondering if 97 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 1: you could help me, and he looked eager, and then 98 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: I said I'm looking for the Guinness Book of World Records. 99 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: And as that title is filled out of my mouth, 100 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: I just watched his face. Al Right, why is that 101 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: I don't know. It was almost like when I was 102 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,119 Speaker 1: a kid at the local video store and my friends 103 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: and I would approach the counter with like City Slickers too, 104 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: or some mainstream movie, and the clerk would just judges 105 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: because we weren't trying to rent like a Portuguese art film. Yeah, 106 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: I think you're gonna have to explain to our younger 107 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: listeners what a video stores. Well, a long time ago, 108 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: somewhere between when dinosaurs ruled the earth and Netflix took over, 109 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: people used to travel to the stores to rent games 110 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: and movies and sometimes pay exorbitant late fees to them. 111 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: That's probably the worst fact we've ever told on our show. 112 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: But you were talking about the bookstore experience. Yeah, so 113 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: I said get his book, and he didn't even bother 114 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: to look at his computer. He was like, reference, you 115 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: just go to reference. But then I started flipping the pages, 116 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: and holy smokes, I honestly forgot just how fun to 117 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: Guinness book is. Like, of course, kids steal us from libraries. 118 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: Who doesn't want to know? What's the most number of 119 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: bowling balls someone's caught on their forehead? It's six, by 120 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: the way, Like I had six bowling balls in a 121 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: row thrown at him, and then he caught them on 122 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: his forehead, one after the other, which is impressive. I 123 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 1: don't even know how that works, but I'm guessing presumably 124 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: there was a seventh ball chucked his way that he 125 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: didn't catch. Yeah, the book doesn't mention that, but it 126 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: does say what the world's largest robots snakes, which is 127 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: what I can tell You're dying to talk about this, 128 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: of course I am. It's the Titana Boa. Not only 129 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: is it fifty ft long, but it was engineered to 130 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: be a life size replica of an extinct snake. It's 131 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: all based on a real fossil, and apparently the engineers 132 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 1: remote controlled it around at science festivals where it goes 133 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: wild on dance floor. I can only imagine. So I 134 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: love all those crazy facts to What's strange is that 135 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 1: when I was a kid, the stuff I really remembered 136 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: was much more about the guy with the longest mustache 137 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: or the tallest man in the world. But the book 138 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: actually has so much general knowledge in there. Like in 139 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: the two thousand and seventeen edition, there's a page on 140 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,239 Speaker 1: the business of sports and how the average NBA player 141 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: makes six hundred times what an Nbah cheer leader makes 142 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: or that the Lakers franchise pulls in two point six 143 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: billion dollars a year. Like those are real facts, not 144 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: just stunts. Like most apples held in a mouth and 145 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: cut in half by a chainsaw in a minute, which 146 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: is an actual record, right, yep, it's Johnny Strange cut 147 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: twelve apples in half out of Danielle Martin's mouth. Of 148 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: course that sounds terrifying. Also does the Guinness Book look 149 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: through all the apples and determine, well, this one wasn't 150 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: cut exactly down the center, so you're getting docted an apple. 151 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: I mean, the record keepers are definitely meticulous, which we're 152 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: going to talk about in a bit because it sounds 153 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: like a crazy job. And how you actually get into 154 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: the Guinness Book is an incredible process. But this guy, 155 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: Johnny Strange, he is an artist, so he also holds 156 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: the record for most apples held in one's own mouth 157 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: and cut my chainsaw in a minute. He cut eight 158 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: apples in half in his own mouth. I get uncomfortable 159 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: when I point scissors on myself. I can't even imagine 160 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: like turning a chainsaw in my own direction. But let's 161 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: get back to what I think you were saying, which 162 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: is that the Guinness Book contain more history and economics 163 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: and just facts about the world than you expected. Yeah, 164 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: that's right. There are all sorts of facts about geology 165 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: and earth science, like the longest natural arch, the largest 166 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: slot canyon. And that's because Guinness Book actually started out 167 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: as a way to settle argument. Really. Yeah, you know, 168 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: before people had cell phones or access to the internet, 169 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: you might be at the cafe and get into a 170 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: silly debate or something ridiculous, like what country dominates synchronized swimming? Sure, Switzerland? Okay, Well, 171 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: let's say one of your friends is arguing for Switzerland. 172 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: If you correct, I mean, you never bet against Swiss precision. 173 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: That's that's true, all right. So you're on team Switzerland 174 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: and someone else can't stop praising Russia, and the whole 175 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: debate gets heated because maybe you've had a few drinks 176 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: and you're a little too invested. But back in the 177 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: nineteen fifties, there really weren't a lot of ways to 178 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: settle this without either taking the word of the biggest 179 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: synchronized swimming fan in the group, or maybe calling him 180 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: a bookie with a specialty in the sport, and because 181 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: sometimes a drunken argument, no matter how trivial the topic, 182 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: can lead to a brawl. And that's what the Guinness 183 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: Book was for. It was actually a peacemaking device to 184 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: be stocked in bars and settle bickering. Oh I love that. 185 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 1: I feel like the Guinness Book deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, 186 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: or at least an Ignoble Peace Prize. You love the 187 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: Ignoble I do, but this feels so deserving. Singer wish. 188 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: Do you know what my favorite Ignoble peace prizes? What's that? 189 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: Tell me? It's from a few years back and it 190 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 1: went to a mayor in Lithuania. According to the Ignobles, 191 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: he want it for a quote demonstrating that the problem 192 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: of illegally parked luxury cars can be solved by running 193 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: over them with an armored tank. I looked up the 194 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: photos of this. The mayor would actually drive the tank 195 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: himself over Mercedes and Lexus is parked and Bikelon and 196 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: he was right. It solved the problem. I think they're 197 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 1: using the word piece ironically there though. Yeah, or the 198 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: Ignoble Pieces Prize also a full confession. I don't know 199 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: anything about Switzerland. Synchronized swimming team. The only thing I 200 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: do know about the sport is that swimmers use jeladan 201 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: to keep their hair in place. Yeah, that's why their 202 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: hair is so perfect and shiny. So, by the way, 203 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: Russia is dominant in the sport. They've won nineteen international 204 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 1: synchronized swimming titles in a row, which I learned from 205 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: the Guinness Book. See it actually worked well. It definitely 206 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: stopped us from getting in a fifth fin. That's true. 207 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: So do you know what the original argument that spurred 208 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: the idea for the Guinness Book was, like, was there 209 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 1: one specific thing people were debating there was? Actually it 210 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: all started with Sir Hugh Beaver. Sir Hugh Beaver. That 211 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: sounds like a name out of Wind in the Willows, 212 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 1: but he's a real person. So Sir Beaver was out 213 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: on a shooting expedition with friends when he took aim 214 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: and a golden plover and missed after a few shots. 215 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: He used the excuse that the plover was the fastest 216 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: European game bird. And you know how friends are that 217 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: give each other a hard time. So not only did 218 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: his friends remind him that he had a bad shot, 219 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: but they also claimed the red grouse was faster, and 220 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: so they took their argument to a pub than to 221 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: a library, and when they couldn't find the answer, Sir 222 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: Beaver came up with this idea of this fact book 223 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: that might help settle pub disputes. And because he was 224 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: such a big shot at Guinness Brewing, he knew there 225 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: were over eighty thousand pubs in England and Ireland and 226 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: he hoped they'd create a market. And it isn't that old. 227 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: Sir Hugh commissioned the first version in nineteen fifty four 228 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: as a promotional giveaway. He hired these twin brothers from London, 229 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: they were meticulous fact checkers, to help him write it. 230 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: But by nineteen it was already this institution. They printed 231 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: fifty thou copies of the first edition and immediately hit 232 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: the best seller list, which is pretty interesting that the 233 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: company isn't that old. But you left me on a cliffhanger, 234 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: was Sir Hugh right? Was the golden plover faster than 235 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: the red grouse? What's funny is that the whole book 236 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: was started to answer this one question, but according to 237 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 1: the Society of Guinness Book Collectors, that answer wasn't tackled 238 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: until the thirty six ndition where they gave the nod 239 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,319 Speaker 1: to the red grouse, which travels fifty eight miles an hour. 240 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 1: For you, I hope his friends aren't mocking him in 241 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: the afterlife. Well, they wrote this thing so apologetically, Like 242 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: the book reads, air speeds of seventy miles per hour 243 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: have been claimed, but it is extremely doubtful whether this 244 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: rapid flying bird can exceed fifty to fifty five miles 245 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: an hour, even in an emergency. But at least they 246 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: waited until he was dead a few decades before broaching 247 00:11:55,320 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: the subject. That's so considerate. So who do we have 248 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: on the line today? Mango? Today we have the number 249 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: twelve ranked competitive eater in the world and the former 250 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 1: world record holder of corn on the Coby eating seven 251 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: and twelve minutes and also cannoli. And he's the defending 252 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: champion of the Tour to Donut bicycle race in multiple states. 253 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: And his name might be familiar to you, will it's 254 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: Yasir Selin. Hey, Yasir, how's it going? So for full disclosure, 255 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: when Manguesh and I were at Mental Philoss, Yasir worked 256 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: in the marketing department. So uh, during the weekdays, he'd 257 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: be working on brilliant marketing ideas, and on the weekends 258 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: he'd be off to these crazy competitive eating contests and 259 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: races and other kinds of extreme activities. We're gonna ask 260 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: him all about those. But y'asa to start off, how 261 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: did you get into this world of extreme sports and 262 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 1: competitive eating. So back to two thousand ten, my wife 263 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: and I a pretty wacky goal all of doing the 264 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: New York City Manrathon. She was just coming up some 265 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: major health thing and we wanted to set a really 266 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 1: big goal for us both. And then I had dabbled 267 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: in competitive eating a couple of years earlier, but I 268 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: never quite got the hang of it, and I felt 269 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: like I could do anything. After doing a marathon, I thought, well, 270 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,079 Speaker 1: let me revisit this whole competitive eating thing. And I 271 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 1: went in with an extra energy and and you know, 272 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give to another shot. And uh, it was 273 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,599 Speaker 1: really supposed to be just a joke. I want to 274 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: do it one time, something that I could say, you 275 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: know what, I competed at Nathan's. But it turned into 276 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: like a three year affair of trying to figure out 277 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: how to get it, how to get there, because it's 278 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: actually a lot harder than people think. Wow, it's amazing. 279 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: I can remember when we worked together. We were so 280 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: excited to come see you at the Nathan's Contest, and 281 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: you offered us tickets to the spray zone, which is 282 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: the area in front of the competitors. We won't get 283 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 1: into details that I think the house so incredible. So 284 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: you're the former world cannoli eating champion. In fact, you 285 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 1: had a world record in both cannoli eating and corn 286 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: on the cob eating. Is that correct? That's right. Yeah, 287 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 1: I broke the world record last year in corn. I 288 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 1: did forty seven corn on the cob in twelve minutes. 289 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: A few years ago, I did Cannoli down in literally 290 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: in New York City, and I set the record. But 291 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: some of these other contests are about ninety major league 292 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: eating contests a year. So if you can think of 293 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: something new and you come up with a really smart 294 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: technique to go in and and disrupt the competition, there's 295 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: there's plenty of contests there out there, And in both cases, 296 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: in cannoli and in corn, that was how I just 297 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: sat down and figured out, well, there must be a 298 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: better way to eat corn a lot faster than everybody 299 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: else that they haven't thought of. So I'll tell you so. 300 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: In cannoli, so there's an outside, there's a there's a 301 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: really hard shell on on cannoli, and a lot of 302 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: the conventional wisdom was like just put it in and 303 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: then start crunching away and the squishy stuff will kind 304 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: of make its way down your throat. But it's the 305 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: hard stuff you have to worry about that, you know what. 306 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna put the effort of crunching the shell 307 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: on my teeth. I'm gonna crush it in my hand, 308 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: so pre I'm gonna pre crunch it. So that's kind 309 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: of what I did. I would grab the canoli. I'd 310 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 1: wear gloves, um, you know, like just rubber gloves, and 311 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: I crunch. I'd crush them and then I just shove 312 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 1: each one into my mouth and that that's what That's 313 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: what got me to one. Nobody thought of it. It 314 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: was just like it was there on the table and 315 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: I took it. I also wanted you to explain the 316 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: concept of the Tour to Donut. We obviously mentioned the 317 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: fact that you've you've won this race in multiple states, 318 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: but how does the Tour to Donut work and explain 319 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: the whole idea of the how the timing is kept. 320 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: The format is generally about a thirty six mile race, 321 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: and you have two doughnut stops, like at the twelve 322 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: mile mark and at the twenty four mile mark. You 323 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: get off your bike ups a twelve mile mark, you 324 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: set your bike aside, and then they have a glazed 325 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 1: donuts there from your the local donut shop, and you 326 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: eat as many as you possibly can now the person 327 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: for every donut that you eat you get a three 328 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: to five minute time credit, depending upon which race it is, 329 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: and then you do the same at the second stop. 330 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: You know, you get off your bike again, and you 331 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: do it again, and you can't vombit. Um that you 332 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: you just qualified immediately, thankfully, so there's no mess on 333 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: the course. Um. My record is fifty five donuts over 334 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: the course of a thirty six mile race. Um, and 335 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: that put me in the negative territory. So I'm actually 336 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: going back in time every time I do one of 337 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: these races. That's incredible. Just need a bunch of donuts 338 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: and you go back in time. That's impressive. So it's 339 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: very challenging. I can tell you. Just biking thirty six miles. Uh, 340 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: you know, a good clip twenty miles or more. It's difficult, 341 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: but to me, adding the donuts in there as a 342 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: bit of of of skill. But it's really it's fun everybody. 343 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I approach it like it's it's just a 344 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 1: fun thing that I get to do on the weekend. 345 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: I get to eat the donuts, which I love donuts, 346 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: I love bike, So why not put them both together? 347 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: Yeah sounds good to me. So well, we wanted to 348 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:17,120 Speaker 1: put Yaster to the challenge today, although he has the 349 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: Big Nathan's Eating contests coming up in just a few days. 350 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: Of course, this episode will publish just a few days 351 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,640 Speaker 1: after the Big Nathan's hot Dog eating contests, so we're 352 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: excited to see how you do, Yaster. I'm sure you'll 353 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: improve over last year. But what game are we playing 354 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: with Yaster today? Mango, We're playing a little game called 355 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: Mouthful of Doughnuts, and it's more than a quiz because 356 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: we're going to try to set a world record most 357 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 1: donut holes eaten while answering four trivia questions about donuts 358 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: and sixty seconds. All right, so the most donut holes 359 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: eating while answering four trivia questions about donuts in sixty seconds. Wow, 360 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: what a record. Okay, so we've got four trivia questions here. 361 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 1: We're gonna ask you a question, let Yasser answer, and 362 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: then while he's stuffing his face, we're going to ask 363 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: him another and we'll see how how many donuts we 364 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 1: can get through or donut holes we can get through. 365 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: And by we I mean he Okay, So alright, so 366 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: yeahs do you have all your supplies? Right? You've got 367 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: your donut holes, you got your water, You've got everything 368 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: else you might need. I got my water, I got 369 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: my donut holes, and I am ready. Okay, let's do it. 370 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 1: Mango three two one, alright, y'assir. What city has the 371 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:34,199 Speaker 1: highest donut shops per person? That's Boston? I heard it, 372 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: all right, Let's let him, Yes, let's let him meet 373 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: a few donuts. And which legend of Sleepy Hollow author 374 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: is credited with the first use of the word donut 375 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: in print? Oh man, um uh? Yes? All right? What 376 00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: Oregan donut shop used to make a medicine donut cook 377 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 1: hooded with ni quill I don't um? Oh man? That's right? 378 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 1: What roll did Rene's lagger gain? Wait for a boy 379 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: eating twenty donuts today one second time. All right, let's 380 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: let him, Let's let him chew and swallow, and then 381 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: we'll get an official count of our doughnut eating. Okay, 382 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 1: how'd you do donuts? I mean, that's got to be 383 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 1: a record of world record, right while answering for trivia 384 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,679 Speaker 1: questions donuts about donuts. Yes, that's got to be a 385 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: world record. So, in addition to hopefully setting a new 386 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 1: world record, what else has yasir one mango? Well, aside 387 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: from the joy of his new accomplishment, will be sending 388 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 1: him a bottle of pepto bismol. All right, so, Yaser, 389 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 1: good luck this coming week at the Nathan's Hot Dog 390 00:19:57,640 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: Eating Contest. And then he said, just right after that, 391 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: what do you have coming up? I am defending my 392 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: title at a tournid Donut um in Stun, Illinois, the 393 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: twenty nine annual Tourni Donut This will be my third 394 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: year um defending my title and I'm hoping to hit 395 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: at least uh fifty stick donuts this year. All right, Well, 396 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: good luck to you. It's always a pleasure to talk 397 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 1: to you, and thanks for coming on to part times. 398 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 1: We're rooting for you. Love you guys, you're listening to 399 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius and we're talking about the Guinness Book 400 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: of World Records. So, Mango, what's your favorite part of 401 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: the Guinness Book. I mean, there's so much fun stuff 402 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,639 Speaker 1: in there, but I love the strange personal feats, Like 403 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 1: I always remember seeing a photo of the dude with 404 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: the longest fingernails in the world as a kid, and 405 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: that's always the first thing I think about. In fact, 406 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: almost every fact enthusiast i've talked to mentions that pick, Yeah, 407 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: those visuals are so unforgettable, and I think for kids, 408 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:08,119 Speaker 1: it's something both so creepy looking but also so ordinary, 409 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: like not clipping your nails can get you in the 410 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 1: Guinness Book. It's kind of insane. And I guess the 411 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 1: thing that didn't occur to me when I was a 412 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 1: kid and the thing that I really wanted to hear 413 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: more of, and maybe this is what separates it from 414 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: being put in the kid's hobbies section, but I wanted 415 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: to hear more of the stories of the people behind 416 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: these records. You can find a few articles on people, 417 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 1: and you can find some of the stories on Guinness's 418 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: YouTube page. But take the guy Tree, the Chill l 419 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: who hadn't cut his nails on his left hand in 420 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: sixty two years. It's like his left hand is growing roots. 421 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: It surprises me every single time I looked at it. Yeah, 422 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: but his story is insane. Like as a high school kid, 423 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: he threw a ball at a teacher playfully and the 424 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: teacher yelled at him because he chipped a teacher's nails, 425 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: and the teacher told him he'd never understand the beauty 426 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,439 Speaker 1: of having long nails. So he and his friend, as 427 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: a joke, started growing their nails out, and then he 428 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: kind of gets enamored with it. So he keeps growing 429 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: the nails on his left hand and people call him 430 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,680 Speaker 1: dirty because of it. They start treating him badly. When 431 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: his parents try to arrange his marriage years later, twelve 432 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: families reject him. And when the families don't reject him, 433 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: the girls do because they think he's a monster and 434 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: that he'll strangle them that night. Like he can't get 435 00:22:12,119 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 1: a job because of the way he looks, even putting 436 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: on a shirt his heart. I mean, it's so depressing. 437 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: But he grows them and grows them to this insane 438 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,679 Speaker 1: length and to keep them preserved. Not only does he 439 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: treat them with a special product. But when he's sleeping 440 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: and he wants to roll over, he has to carefully 441 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: move his entire hand to the other side of the bed. 442 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 1: He claims he rolls over every thirty minutes, so he 443 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,400 Speaker 1: never gets a full night of sleep, And all this 444 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: for a little bit of fame. And in his mind 445 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: he thinks he'll get paid a lot for the nails 446 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: to be in a museum later, and that there's a 447 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: good bit of money that will come to him now. 448 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: And maybe it will, let's hope, But he just takes 449 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: such pride in those nails. They're like thirty feet long 450 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: now and gnarled, but he sees them as this thing 451 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:55,239 Speaker 1: of beauty, and he loves that people like you and 452 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: me know who he is. And also that he never 453 00:22:57,800 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: has to wait in the line in a line like 454 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: wear like at the club. I don't know this is 455 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: what he says, but I think it's like at the market. 456 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 1: Of course, in India, your left hand is the one 457 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,880 Speaker 1: you used to clean yourself. So I'm not sure how 458 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: he's performing certain tasks. Well. I do like some of 459 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,399 Speaker 1: these personal stories, like you were telling me about the 460 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: British woman who holds the record for the youngest female 461 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: with a full beard. That's another video Guinnist did. Her 462 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: name's Hanan Car and her story is amazing because she 463 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: has a genetic disorder that gave her this lush facial 464 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 1: hair at a young age. At some point she chose 465 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: to ignore the relentless bullying she was facing and just 466 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:32,639 Speaker 1: decided to embrace the beard, which had to be so 467 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: insanely difficult. She's very feminine actually, and really quite striking, 468 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: and I don't know that she wants to extra attention. 469 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 1: But the reason she's chosen to be in the Guinness 470 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,239 Speaker 1: Book is that having all this facial hair drove her 471 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 1: to have suicidal thoughts when she was younger, and when 472 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: she realized that her life was worth more than that, 473 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,439 Speaker 1: she wanted to help others with body image issues to 474 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:55,880 Speaker 1: learn to accept themselves. She's really remarkable. Yeah, she is. Well. 475 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 1: As much as the book is filled with thousands and 476 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,359 Speaker 1: thousands of world records, you're not really considering what's driving 477 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: each person to be in this book. So one thing 478 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: that surprised me in researching Guinness was just how popular 479 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 1: it is in India. I mean, there are a few 480 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,360 Speaker 1: big record keeping authorities in the country. Guinness is one Limpa, 481 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: which is basically India's Sprite is another. But this is 482 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: great New York Times story on the only Guinness judge 483 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: who lives in India and he's running around the country 484 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: trying to verify records and just how exhausting it is, 485 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: but also how obsessed Indians are with numbers. Why do 486 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,919 Speaker 1: you think this is well, I mean, part of it 487 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: is just that India, from my experience of it, loves 488 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: trivia in a way I haven't seen anywhere else. There's 489 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,439 Speaker 1: an obsession with general knowledge, and having a book of 490 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: records definitely fits into that category. But I also think 491 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 1: that in a place with such disparity of wealth and resource, 492 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: being the best in the world at something and being 493 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 1: recognized for it is something that gives people pride and purpose. 494 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: Yet saying that there are actually some academic papers written 495 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: about this topic and how the records feel like such 496 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:55,840 Speaker 1: a great leveler in a place where the odds can 497 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 1: feel stacked against you exactly like the Times piece has 498 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: all these funny stories to talk about the problems of 499 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,119 Speaker 1: trying to verify a handshake gathering where millions of people 500 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,920 Speaker 1: turn up to participate. I mean that's a headache for 501 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 1: one judge. You have to register and verify each person 502 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: and count them and ensure that they're all shaking hands 503 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: at the same time. It's like a giant fact checking 504 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 1: problem that could take days to sort. And there's a 505 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: story of a young athlete trying to beat a light 506 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 1: bulb hurling record, which is also great. But at the 507 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 1: end of the yeast, there's a story about this farmer 508 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: who does squats every day and at fifty he realizes 509 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: he could potentially beat the world record. And when the 510 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: Guinness judge asked him why he cares about a squat record, 511 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: it's all because his daughter is marrying into a better family. 512 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:39,919 Speaker 1: And his quote is, I want her husband's family to 513 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 1: know that I'm worth something. I want to make a 514 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 1: markak I know, and kind of beautiful. I mean, I 515 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 1: love these stories because you don't think about the desperation 516 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 1: and work that goes into trying to set these records 517 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: and the different motivations. Like for me, I have assumed 518 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 1: they were always like publicity stunts. Gary's Angelato Shack is 519 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: trying to break the world's largest alata records, and Guinness 520 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:03,639 Speaker 1: actually has an arm that works with corporations to build 521 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,440 Speaker 1: out those events, or I assumed it was attention seekers 522 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: but of a more fun variety, like most baked beans 523 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 1: eaten in five minutes, which is two one. So that's 524 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: a shred of Furman's record, right, He is the best 525 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:17,919 Speaker 1: I know. He held over a hundred records simultaneously at 526 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: one point. Yeah, I think it was a hundred thirty 527 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: one records at the same time, and he's broken over 528 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: six hundred records in his career. He's done everything from 529 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 1: like po going up Mount Fuji to underwater jump roping 530 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: too fastest mile using two shovels of stilts. He actually 531 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: has the long distance sack racing record, which for some 532 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 1: reason involved raising a yak in demand's a beast. Also, 533 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:45,199 Speaker 1: how much do you love his nickname Mr? Versatility? A lot, 534 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 1: although if I had his name, I'd probably go by 535 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,640 Speaker 1: a shred to the fir Monster, Furman mascot or the Ferminator. 536 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: I mean. Mr Versatility has a lot of options. But 537 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: before we get into his secrets or breaking records and 538 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 1: how you can to, why don't we break for a quiz? 539 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 1: Sounds kid? So our guest today has one of the 540 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 1: coolest jobs in the world. As the CEO of Record Center, 541 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: he's created a new digital home for world records, making 542 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,679 Speaker 1: it easier for humans to compete in important categories like 543 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: most quarters fit inside of belly button and longest office 544 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 1: chair train pulled by a motorcycle. Dan Rohman, We've spent 545 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:29,919 Speaker 1: way too much time watching videos on your site and 546 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: we're big fans of your work, so welcome to part 547 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: time Genius. Thank you so much. It's great to be 548 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: with you guys. All right, well, let's dive right into it. 549 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,880 Speaker 1: Tell us about your early obsession with records. Sure, um, well, 550 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: I always say Record Center. Uh. Started probably when I 551 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:45,680 Speaker 1: was a ten year old kid and got my first 552 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 1: Guinness Book of World Record book. Um, and it instantly 553 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: became my favorite book on my bookshelf. I was endlessly 554 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 1: obsessed with the pictures of the guy with the long 555 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: curvy fingernail and the UH set the world sad as 556 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 1: twins on the motorcycles at These images just became indelible 557 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: in my mind, and I really, from a young age, 558 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:12,919 Speaker 1: I just thought that owning a world record myself would 559 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: possibly be the coolest thing I could do in my lifetime. 560 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: For some reason. I tried to a a girl in 561 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: college by telling her that I thought I was going 562 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: to become the world record holder in ravioli eating. Um So, 563 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: I looked into ravioli eating, and then I also was 564 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 1: researching the longest time riding a roller coaster, um and 565 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: I quickly realized that I was not a particularly fast eater. 566 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: And I quickly realized that I was never going to 567 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: write a roller coaster for days and end. Um But 568 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: but but just that idea stuck with me that somehow, 569 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: someday I wanted to hold the title of being the 570 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: world best at something I did not successfully get Get 571 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: Get the Lady with my rap shocking. I don't understand 572 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: how that didn't work out. I heard some of the 573 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: started at burning Man. Can you tell us a little 574 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: about that? Sure? Um So. I started going to Burning 575 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: Man in two thousand and two, and after a couple 576 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: of years, my friends and I were really excited to 577 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: develop a theme camp that had a real interactive component. 578 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 1: We'd like the idea of something that would allow other 579 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: people at burning Man to come up to our space 580 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 1: and engage with us in a fun, creative manner. And 581 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: since I had had this lifelong obsession with world records. 582 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: I said, what if we become the official world record camp, 583 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 1: essentially a burning Man kind of a governing body for 584 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: all world records set in the desert. So we created 585 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: a camp in two thousand and four called the Apply 586 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: a Book of Records. Apply is what Burners called the 587 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: desert area out there. And we all put on a 588 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: bunch of yellow sports coats that were inspired by Howard 589 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: Cosell Air Wide World of Sports, and we and we 590 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: just said that people coming up, and we're gonna make 591 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 1: you a world champion. And it was It was amazing 592 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: because I could see from the first day we we 593 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: set up shop that I was not the only person 594 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: out there who had had these dreams of being a 595 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: world champion. And people were really excited by this opportunity 596 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: of like, why you guys really are going to help 597 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 1: me set like my own world record. So so in 598 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: the first years and we did it for for five years, 599 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 1: we saw things like the fastest accordion rendition that the 600 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: Devil went down to Georgia, the most consecutive backflips of 601 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: stilt was one that blew us away. Um. We had 602 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: like people would come up and do balloon twisting like 603 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: I think it was like the most balloon animals made 604 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: in thirty seconds. Uh, you know, we just we just 605 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: saw this endless paradeive of people coming up and being 606 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: creative and and clearly getting a deep sense of joy 607 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,959 Speaker 1: when we said great congratulations, were recognizing this as an 608 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: official world record. So this project kept evolving, and then 609 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 1: inspired by by Wikipedia as much as anything, I felt 610 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: that there would be an opportunity to take what we 611 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 1: were doing in the desert and put it onto the 612 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: Internet and love the open, democratic, participatory approach of Wikipedia 613 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 1: for encyclopedic information, and said what happens if we try 614 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 1: and do the same thing with human achievements. So we 615 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 1: launched in two thousand eight UM what was originally called 616 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: the Universal Record Database u r dB dot org. And 617 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 1: it was the same premise that we had um given 618 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 1: people at Burning Man. We we we gave the same 619 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: invitation to the world. So, Dan, I love that you 620 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: once held the record for the most bananas stuff down 621 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 1: a pair of pants while wearing them. So how how 622 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: fun is it to see an entirely new category of 623 00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: record open up? And and what are some of your favorites? Uh? So, yeah, 624 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: the first time. So the first world record that I set, 625 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 1: which I actually did a burning man, was the most 626 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 1: times whistling Happy Birthday in one minute, and so I 627 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: think I had done at fifteen or sixteen or something. 628 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: I did it pretty quickly. I'll give you a quick 629 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:32,959 Speaker 1: example exactly. I'm um, so I had I had this 630 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 1: record up, and again I would tell people like, yeah, 631 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: I hold the world record for the most times whistling 632 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: Happy Birthday in one minute, and had this great sense 633 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 1: of pride, and then we launched the website, and within 634 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: maybe a month or so, it got my record got 635 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: broken by a teenager in San Diego who I really like. 636 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: When it happened that day, I was angry at I 637 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 1: just couldn't believe that this jerk had taken away my 638 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 1: dreams and stolen my world record for most times swissling 639 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: Happy Birthday. But over the years, as I set more 640 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 1: world records and basically watched I think all of them 641 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: are almost all of them get broken, and I've come 642 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: to really find a deep joy in watching people break 643 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: my records and the analogy that I uses it feels 644 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 1: like I've I've written the song and somebody's covering it. 645 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 1: But they're actually doing a better job playing the song 646 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 1: and than I did originally. Um So, for a category 647 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 1: like most bananas sitting a pair of pants while wearing them, 648 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: I had done sixty and thought that I had said 649 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 1: a pretty pretty high mark, and then it suddenly got 650 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:42,080 Speaker 1: broken by radio DJ in Australia, and then I think 651 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 1: some guy in Texas maybe holds the record now. And 652 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: we've seen this time and time again on Record Setter, 653 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 1: where we have a lot of these really obtuse categories, 654 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 1: like we've had people compete in the in the category 655 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 1: for most giraffe tattoos on a shoulder, We've had a 656 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: couple of guys go back and forth. And another one 657 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:06,520 Speaker 1: of my favorite categories that's become very competitive and I 658 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:08,879 Speaker 1: think could be a to come in Olympic sports someday 659 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 1: is the longest high five. So it began with these 660 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:15,840 Speaker 1: two guys in Toronto who called themselves the Record Collection. 661 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: They set themselves up several kilometers apart from each other 662 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,880 Speaker 1: in downtown Toronto, and they ran towards each other with 663 00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:29,880 Speaker 1: a camera following each of them and set the world 664 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 1: record for the literally the longest high five. They ran 665 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 1: towards each other so it's sort of like a two 666 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: person running race, and then that exploded into a globally 667 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:43,040 Speaker 1: competitive category. And I think the records gosh, I haven't 668 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:44,919 Speaker 1: looked in a while, but I'm pretty sure it's over 669 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 1: ten miles. So it's become this two person running race. 670 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 1: Both participants have to keep their arms up for the 671 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 1: duration of the of the run, and the moments at 672 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 1: the end of these runs where they at please see 673 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 1: each other and exchange the high five. It's just it's 674 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:09,960 Speaker 1: jubilation every time. That's pretty true. I love that. Alright, Well, 675 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 1: this has been a lot of fun and we are 676 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 1: now ready to put you to the test. Mango. What 677 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: game are we playing with Dan today? So this is 678 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:19,200 Speaker 1: a game called the Rename Game. And since Record Centers 679 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:21,399 Speaker 1: originally went by a different name, the u r dB 680 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 1: before taking on the Sleeker Moniker, we thought would be 681 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: fun to quiz Dan on some other industry giants and 682 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,359 Speaker 1: the names their companies used to be called. Okay, right, 683 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,640 Speaker 1: So we'll give you an old name and a clue, 684 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: and you'll tell us the name of the current company. 685 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:36,360 Speaker 1: So we'll see how many of these you can answer 686 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: in sixty seconds. Is that right? Okay? So Dan, We're 687 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,400 Speaker 1: gonna put sixty seconds on the clock. I'll ask you 688 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,239 Speaker 1: questions and you just keep answering as many as you can. 689 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,719 Speaker 1: Maybe you'll set a world record. We'll see that sounds good. 690 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: I think that sounds okay. This Oregon based sneaker company 691 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 1: was called Blue Ribbon Sports before it was renamed for 692 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: a Greek goddess, Nike. Right. This lad magazine was called 693 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 1: Stag Party before it was named by Hugh Hefner. Right. 694 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:06,080 Speaker 1: This Larry and Sarage internet search company was called BackRub 695 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: before it was renamed This choice of a new generation 696 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 1: cola was called Brad's Drink before it was renamed PEPs. 697 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 1: This big electronic box store and home to the Geek 698 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: Squad was called Sound of Music before it was renamed 699 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 1: by This maker of smartphone devices was called Research in 700 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: Motion before taking a fruitier name. Obama famously had one 701 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 1: when he started his first term in the White House, BlackBerry. 702 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,080 Speaker 1: That's right. This Eat Fresh sandwich chain was called Pete 703 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: Super Submarines before it was renamed pet Is a man 704 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:41,600 Speaker 1: Uh Subway. This number one rental car company was called 705 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:45,840 Speaker 1: Drive Yourself before it was renamed For Measurement for Frequency 706 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:47,840 Speaker 1: that is correct, and I think we do have a 707 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 1: world record for most correct questions answered in the rename 708 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 1: game on Part Time Genius Congress. Teenager from San Diego 709 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:01,320 Speaker 1: can beat that. So how many did he get correct? 710 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: Maga Dan scored an astounding eight for eight, which runs 711 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:07,279 Speaker 1: them an official certificate of admiration from us here at 712 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:13,080 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius. Congratulationsratulations, Dan, Thank you very much. I 713 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: hope all of our listeners will check out Records Center 714 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 1: and aim to set a record of their own. Dan, 715 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 1: thanks so much for joining us on Part Time Genius, 716 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 1: my pleasure. Thanks so much, guys. So we were talking 717 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: about a Shrida Firman who's a legend on the Guinness Circuit. 718 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 1: What's his secret? Well, I think part of it is 719 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: that it's the same sense of validation everyone's looking for. 720 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 1: Some people run marathons to prove it to themselves, right, 721 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:50,880 Speaker 1: and for someone like a Shrida, who apparently gained confidence 722 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 1: after finding a guru and getting into spirituality and meditation, 723 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:57,000 Speaker 1: he wanted to push his body in fun ways. So 724 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:00,080 Speaker 1: we started by doing twenty seven thousand jumping jacks, and 725 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,680 Speaker 1: then he moved on to things like long distance somersaulting 726 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: or whatever. But it also seems like one of his 727 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:08,479 Speaker 1: better skills is creating funny new categories that get attention. Yeah, 728 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:10,359 Speaker 1: you're right. There are a lot of rules for getting 729 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:12,879 Speaker 1: into the Guinness Book because they're super strict. I mean, 730 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:16,360 Speaker 1: they're getting flooded with fifty record claims a year and 731 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:18,319 Speaker 1: only three or four thousand of them make it into 732 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:21,600 Speaker 1: the book, and they care about the accuracy. But Ashrida 733 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:24,239 Speaker 1: is particularly good at gaming the system, right. I mean 734 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,080 Speaker 1: he's particularly good at creating spectacles. I mean you need 735 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: to witnesses, and you have to do this in a 736 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,719 Speaker 1: public space and multiple cameras and media. There are lots 737 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: of conditions, and part of the reason he incorporates places 738 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 1: like Mount Fuji and the Pyramids into his attempts is 739 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:41,360 Speaker 1: that it's just an easier way to draw press exactly. 740 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,120 Speaker 1: But he also understands the rules, like Guinness is pretty 741 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:46,960 Speaker 1: specific about what they will and won't admit. There's an 742 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 1: interview on fre economics with the editor of the Guinness Book, 743 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 1: which is really great, but it shows how hard the 744 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 1: job is and where the Guinness Book draws some of 745 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,760 Speaker 1: the lines, like they won't let you put an animal 746 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:01,000 Speaker 1: in harm or another person you're free to put yourself 747 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,719 Speaker 1: at danger. And in addition, they only want categories with 748 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:06,919 Speaker 1: one variable. So, like the example he gives is someone 749 00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:09,879 Speaker 1: submitting for the heaviest person to raft a particular river, 750 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 1: and that just opens up a can of worms for them, 751 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:15,200 Speaker 1: because in addition to verifying that, they have to open 752 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 1: up the category to the lightest person on a raft 753 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: on that river male female considerations, and then they'd have 754 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,399 Speaker 1: to open up to every river. And you can see 755 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 1: how that sort of snowballs. Yeah. Well, when we talk 756 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:28,920 Speaker 1: to Dan, his analogy was really interesting to me. So 757 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:31,719 Speaker 1: a site like Records Center, where anyone can enter a 758 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:34,759 Speaker 1: new category with video evidence and it's self patrolled in 759 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,920 Speaker 1: a Wikipedia way, is such a smart idea. It really 760 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,920 Speaker 1: does feel like a Wikipedia model to the Guinness Books Britannica, 761 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: which is interesting right. It democratizes the whole process and 762 00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:46,239 Speaker 1: takes away all the need for judging and at the 763 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,719 Speaker 1: same time allows everyone to feel special. You can see 764 00:39:48,719 --> 00:39:50,880 Speaker 1: how something like this would take off in India. You 765 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,640 Speaker 1: get quick validation instead of having to write to Guinness 766 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: and wait for two months for a response. And even here, 767 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:59,400 Speaker 1: I mean Record Center is all over Jimmy Fallon like 768 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:01,399 Speaker 1: I think Camera Diaz held the record for the most 769 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,680 Speaker 1: bunny snuggled in a hammock. Yeah, she did that on 770 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,440 Speaker 1: the show. And the thing is everyone's good at something, 771 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 1: you just have to figure out what that is. It's 772 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: like that guy David Kalb who's the best in the 773 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 1: world at horse He beat Lebron James because he mounted 774 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:16,640 Speaker 1: the hoop on a forklift and then did trick shots 775 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 1: to a basket that was like thirty feet in the air. 776 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:21,239 Speaker 1: And if you have enough variables and the right stack 777 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: of talents, you can be the best in the world 778 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:25,880 Speaker 1: at something. So we should probably figure out what ridiculous 779 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:28,480 Speaker 1: records we should try to set listeners. If you have 780 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:30,759 Speaker 1: any thoughts on that, please email them into part time 781 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:33,319 Speaker 1: genius at how stuff works dot com and we'll work 782 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:35,440 Speaker 1: on trying to break some ridiculous records in the not 783 00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:38,840 Speaker 1: so distant future. But back to Guinness, with competition like 784 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,120 Speaker 1: Records Center, which is called fire in a surprisingly big way. 785 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:44,000 Speaker 1: What do you think will happen to Guinness? Is it 786 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,319 Speaker 1: bound to go the way of Britannica. I don't know. 787 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:49,480 Speaker 1: I mean they have evolved, They do video game records 788 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:52,359 Speaker 1: and have a strong site online, and I think there's 789 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:54,680 Speaker 1: so many good stories in there. The books are really 790 00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:57,080 Speaker 1: just a good way to get kids into learning, and 791 00:40:57,280 --> 00:40:59,359 Speaker 1: I feel like there's value in the publishing and TV 792 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: arms it. You know, Guinness has changed hands a few 793 00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:04,719 Speaker 1: times in the last few years, and what's interesting is 794 00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:06,520 Speaker 1: that they're now owned by the company that owns their 795 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:09,160 Speaker 1: Ripley's Believe it or Not museums, and they want to 796 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:12,560 Speaker 1: build these big, combined Guinness Ripley museums where you can 797 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:15,240 Speaker 1: go with your family and try to set your own records, 798 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:18,360 Speaker 1: like for the loudest family scream or the longest laugh, 799 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:21,440 Speaker 1: which maybe gives the brand a new leash. All I 800 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:23,879 Speaker 1: know is that I've loved reaquainting with the book, and 801 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:26,320 Speaker 1: I have no intention of growing out my fingernails to 802 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:28,799 Speaker 1: compete on that front. But I do plan to change 803 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:30,880 Speaker 1: my Guinness book to my desk and inscribe it with 804 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:33,160 Speaker 1: a threatening note so that no one takes it away 805 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:35,520 Speaker 1: from me. That's great, that's a brilliant idea. Well, one 806 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:37,560 Speaker 1: thing that's going to be harder to protect is your 807 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 1: part time genius fact off record. Are you ready to 808 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:43,800 Speaker 1: drop some knowledge And by drop knowledge, I mean share 809 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,440 Speaker 1: super nerd effects that we couldn't get into the episode earlier. 810 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:59,520 Speaker 1: M So here's a quick one to get us going. 811 00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 1: While the US has the most records on record per 812 00:42:03,080 --> 00:42:06,040 Speaker 1: capita of the Vatican City is the greatest source of records. 813 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:08,799 Speaker 1: Roughly nine claims come from the Vatican every year from 814 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,960 Speaker 1: a population of only nine hundred and twenty people. I 815 00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:14,680 Speaker 1: want to see what those records are to. Three of 816 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:17,879 Speaker 1: the most common records to break also sound like they're 817 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:22,880 Speaker 1: being craned for at preschools. Largest finger painting, longest reading 818 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:26,280 Speaker 1: a loud marathon, and largest group hug or all records 819 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: that are regularly challenged and broken. Nice. Kevin Shelley set 820 00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:32,399 Speaker 1: the record for the most toilet seats broken by one's 821 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:35,320 Speaker 1: head in two thousand eight. He made his family prows, 822 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:38,880 Speaker 1: shattering forty six of them in a minute. That's crazy. 823 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:41,759 Speaker 1: I know. The record for most people riding on a 824 00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:45,200 Speaker 1: surfboard is sixty six. Of course, if I had sixty 825 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:46,839 Speaker 1: five other people on the board with me, I feel 826 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:48,759 Speaker 1: like I'd have a better chance of learning surfing to 827 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:53,480 Speaker 1: The highest shallow dive was accomplished by Professor Splash on 828 00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:57,080 Speaker 1: Chinese TV. What's the high shallow dive. It's what it 829 00:42:57,120 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 1: sounds like. So he jumped from nearly thirty eight ft 830 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:02,560 Speaker 1: in the air into a kiddie pool filled with twelve 831 00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 1: inches of water. Oh that's insane. So here's a cute 832 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:08,959 Speaker 1: one black and the cat is the world's wealthiest cat. 833 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:12,239 Speaker 1: He inherited twelve point five million dollars. And I don't 834 00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: know about you, but I need to find myself a 835 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:17,919 Speaker 1: sugar cat. Blackie, if you're listening, call me a sugar cat. 836 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:21,880 Speaker 1: Good luck with that. Most number of fatalities in a 837 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:24,799 Speaker 1: crocodile attack used to be a category. Do you want 838 00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:27,239 Speaker 1: to elaborate on that? And not really, except please don't 839 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:30,360 Speaker 1: tangle with saltwater crocodiles on Ramrey Island. They hold the 840 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:34,359 Speaker 1: record for a reason. Well, I'm not tangling with any crocodiles, 841 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 1: but here's one about a shark. When the Guinness Book 842 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,640 Speaker 1: of World Records honored Jonathan Lee Riches as the most 843 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:42,680 Speaker 1: litigious men in the world, he did what he did best. 844 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:45,359 Speaker 1: He suited them, of course he did. Okay, I'll give 845 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:47,359 Speaker 1: you this round, but before we go, we should figure 846 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:49,680 Speaker 1: out who we should add to our Hall of genius. 847 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:51,920 Speaker 1: What do you think about adding Sir Hugh Beaver to 848 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:54,319 Speaker 1: the mix. I feel like he created the Guinness Book. 849 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:58,120 Speaker 1: He honored millions of people while delighting others. He encouraged 850 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:01,600 Speaker 1: generation upon generation to be their best selves, even if 851 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:04,280 Speaker 1: the best self meant trying to crack more than semi 852 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:07,759 Speaker 1: two eggs in a minute by sitting on them. But 853 00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:10,440 Speaker 1: sir weever doesn't win them any awards anymore, and I 854 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:13,360 Speaker 1: think he deserves one today. I agree, So the record 855 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 1: stops today, Sir Beaver. Your certificate will be in the 856 00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:19,240 Speaker 1: mail shortly. That's it for today's episode of Part Time Genius. 857 00:44:19,239 --> 00:44:21,840 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. You know what I 858 00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:24,799 Speaker 1: thought about, including farthest distance to throw and catch a 859 00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:42,800 Speaker 1: running chainsaw it's four meters every Thanks again for listening. 860 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:45,080 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius is a production of how stuff works 861 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:47,680 Speaker 1: and wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do 862 00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:50,840 Speaker 1: the important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan 863 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:53,399 Speaker 1: McNeil does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme 864 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:56,400 Speaker 1: song and does the mixy mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland 865 00:44:56,440 --> 00:44:59,160 Speaker 1: does the exact producer thing. Gay Bluesier is our lead 866 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:02,280 Speaker 1: researcher with the work from the Research Army, including Austin Thompson, 867 00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:04,960 Speaker 1: Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. Jeff Cook gets 868 00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:07,040 Speaker 1: the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you 869 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:08,960 Speaker 1: like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if 870 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:10,919 Speaker 1: you really really like what you've heard, maybe you could 871 00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:12,920 Speaker 1: leave a good review for us. Did you did you 872 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:14,439 Speaker 1: forget Jason based on who