1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,479 Speaker 1: You're listening to part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 2: Guess what Will? What's that Mango? 4 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: So you know what I think is completely underrated, like 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: criminally underrated, is Intimen's Donuts. 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 2: Oh heck, yeah, I'm with John. 7 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: I mean, when I was a kid, I loved Intimate 8 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: so much, and today I feel like you only see 9 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: occasional references to them. You know, you might see him 10 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: on Seinfeld or sometimes on thirty Rock episodes where Tina 11 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: fags them a shoutout. But as a kid, I loved 12 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: anytime my mom brought home those powdered donuts or or 13 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: even the chocolate covered ones as a tree. And you know, 14 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: I just thought mister and missus Edemon must have been 15 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: like the luckiest person in the world because they could 16 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: just snag donuts whenever they wanted. But it turns out 17 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: there actually was an actual mister Entemen and a whole 18 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: family of Entemens. They started with a bakery in Brooklyn 19 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: and then they moved out to Breezy Bay, Shore Long Island, 20 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: and they were kind of a big deal. Like they 21 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: used to sell cakes to franksin Natra. Did you know 22 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:08,959 Speaker 1: that I did not know this. No, yeah, it's pretty amazing. 23 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: And then eventually they started selling straight to grocery stores 24 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: across the country. But I actually had no idea how 25 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,839 Speaker 1: big their operation was. They ran a fourteen acre pastream 26 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: factory turning out delicious donuts along with crumbcakes and other 27 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: treats that I'm sure everyone knows about. But that's like 28 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: twelve football fields lined up just for delicious doughnuts. 29 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: And that would have been a dream as a kid, 30 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 2: you know. And I throw in as a kid so 31 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 2: as not tap to embarrass myself by saying, it's actually 32 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,279 Speaker 2: a dream now to just be able to go stand 33 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 2: around that many donuts. That's wild, I know, I know. 34 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,839 Speaker 1: But when the longest serving entimen, Charles, died a couple 35 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: of years ago at the healthy age of ninety two, 36 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: do you know what his sun revealed? 37 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 2: What's that that he. 38 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: Never ate the treats? His son said, he just wasn't 39 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: a dessert guy. Is that insane? 40 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 2: That is ridiculous and one of the saddest things I've 41 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: ever heard. 42 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: I know, But it's just one of nine facts you 43 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: absolutely have to know about donuts. 44 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 2: So let's dig in. Hey, their podcast listeners, Welcome to 45 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 2: Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm 46 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 2: joined by my good friend Mangesh hot Ticketter and on 47 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: the other side of the soundproof glass. Oh, this is 48 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 2: an interesting one, Mango. Dylan has this big sign and 49 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 2: it says no donut left behind. Yeah, he's looking really 50 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 2: serious about this, and he's got a whole bunch of 51 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 2: pastries out on the table. I think he's got some Zeppees, 52 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 2: some Cruilers, some Munchkins, the whole variety here. I think 53 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 2: there's actually some Berliners in there. So apparently he wants 54 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,239 Speaker 2: to shed some light on the varieties of donuts without 55 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 2: holes and give them their due. You know, Dylan is 56 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: just so considerate, he really is. That's our friend and 57 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: producer of course, and Fagan. So, Mango, are you a 58 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: big donut guy? I mean I like donuts. I find 59 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 2: them delightful with coffee. 60 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: We've got a donut plant nearros so we go out 61 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: to donuts occasionally, but they're not generally something I crave 62 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: these days. You know, when I'm around them, I definitely 63 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: eat too many. But weirdly, my biggest memory with donuts 64 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: is from when I was a kid. Our pediatric dentist 65 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: was right next to a Dunkin Donuts, and every time 66 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: I was done with an appointment, we would go get 67 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: a donut. 68 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 2: And it just feels so. 69 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: I get a sugar retreat after, you know, take care 70 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: of your teeth and get fluoride on them or whatever. 71 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 2: That makes me like your parents that much more. Mango, 72 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: that's pretty awesome. 73 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: And my dentist was also awesome. So like, the whole 74 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: experience was wonderful. But are you a donutut? 75 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: I love donuts, Mango, and I actually you were talking 76 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 2: about Intemen's earlier. So there's another variety called donuts. I 77 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 2: don't know if you call them donuts or donuts what 78 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 2: I'm really sure they come in the little bags. And 79 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: so you know this. There's a g people that I 80 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 2: get together every year. We go to a different place 81 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 2: around the country and we make up our own race 82 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 2: somewhere in the woods. And every year, and I'm not 83 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 2: making this up, we always bring bags of chocolate and 84 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 2: white powdered donuts and everybody gets one and you hold 85 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: it up in the air for a photo and then 86 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 2: you eat it because it gives you that TurboPower to 87 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 2: run the race. I don't know where the science is 88 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 2: behind that, but we do that every year. But there's 89 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 2: a lot of signs behind that, so much science behind 90 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: it. It helps you run super great in the woods. It's 91 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 2: specifically the woods. A donut helps you run. But anyway, 92 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 2: we should eventually get into this episode, So why don't 93 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 2: you start by giving us just a little bit of 94 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 2: donut background on why we're doing this show on donuts. 95 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 1: Yeah. So one of the interesting things about donuts is 96 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: that they're just about every culture in some form, Like 97 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: the Smithsonian says that there are fossils of fried dough 98 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 1: on ancient indigenous settlements in the Southwest, And of course 99 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: you can still eat like incredibly yummy fried dough and 100 00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: fry bread and soapapias from indigenous bakers there today. And 101 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: I don't think you can overstate just how much donuts 102 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,359 Speaker 1: actually tie the world together. At least three of the 103 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: world's major religions have traditions of fried dough for key celebrations, 104 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: including Hanukkah, Ramadan and Bennet's for like Fat Tuesday and Carnival. 105 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: And with over ten billion donuts made in the US 106 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: each year, Americans really can't get enough. So with today's episode, 107 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: we thought, you know, maybe we could bring the whole 108 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: world together with something delicious and celebrate the donuts many 109 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: gifts to modern mankind. 110 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: So what fact do you want to kick off with today? 111 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 2: I just got chill bumps with you, say, bit, that's 112 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 2: pretty great. Well, you know my fondness for maritime history, 113 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 2: so naturally my first fact comes from the sea. So 114 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 2: without a sailor and a bunch of queasy stomachs at sea, 115 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 2: we might not have the standard donut shape that we're 116 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,119 Speaker 2: all super familiar with. And it goes back to about 117 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 2: eighteen forty seven. There was a sailor named Hanson Gregory 118 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 2: and he was making his way up the maritime corporate ladder. 119 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 2: He was actually only sixteen years old, which I guess 120 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 2: at that point that wasn't super young, but still that's impressive. Exactly, So, 121 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 2: Gregory was working on ships in the lime trade, and 122 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: this was off the coast of his native state of Maine. 123 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 2: So his mother, like any good mother, would pack donuts 124 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 2: to see with him. And these aren't just to send 125 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 2: him like a taste of home, but apparently also as 126 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 2: a way to word off scurvy. 127 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: Now I don't normally think of donuts as like a 128 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: way to ward off scurvy, So what was special about 129 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: these donuts? 130 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 2: I did not either, but miss Gregory might have because 131 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 2: she put lemon rind into her cakes. At that point 132 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 2: in time, in the early US, donuts were just big 133 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 2: lumps of dough that were fried in animal fat. Now, 134 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 2: on the upside, they were supposed to keep well, which 135 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 2: is why she prepared her spiced and lemon scented cake 136 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 2: that way. But on the downside, Hanson said that the 137 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 2: donuts were so greasy. In fact, the donuts would often 138 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 2: just sort of sit in his fellow sailors tummies and 139 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 2: it would give them aches and pains and just make 140 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 2: them pretty uncomfortable. So why is that Well, part of 141 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 2: the reason is that they often weren't cooked through completely. 142 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 2: But Gregory had a solution to this. So the way 143 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 2: he tells it, and this is actually reported in the 144 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: Washington Post back in nineteen sixteen, when Gregory was back 145 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 2: on land in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts, he took 146 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 2: a tin cap to a pepper jar and started cutting 147 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 2: out the oily undercook centers of these donuts. And then 148 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 2: later on one of his short leaves. He had a 149 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 2: tinsmith make him this cutter that would help make that 150 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 2: hole in the center, and he left it with his 151 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 2: mother to make new donuts with this hole taken out, 152 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 2: and she started selling them around home and they just 153 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 2: kind of took off. So fried dough without the greasy center, 154 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 2: what's not to like about this? 155 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: So, I mean, obviously, like you're taking out this disgusting 156 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: middle part that isn't cooked through, Like, does he end 157 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: up copyriting this ten like, you know, he's improved the 158 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: donut in a major way. 159 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 2: Now, Yeah, it's a really good question. So Hanson actually 160 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: told the Post, I don't suppose Perry could patent the 161 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 2: North Pole or Columbus could pat in America. Instead, he 162 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 2: let the world have his delicious innovation. But that didn't 163 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 2: keep him from bragging about what he brought to the 164 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 2: table here. 165 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: So I'm guessing he doesn't get a piece of like 166 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: this multi billion dollar donut industry. 167 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 2: All of which really has him to think, Yeah, it's 168 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 2: really wild. If he knew what was eventually coming, he 169 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 2: might have wanted more of a piece of it, but 170 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 2: he certainly kept the bragging rights, and wildly enough, he 171 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 2: told the Post that story from a sailor's retirement home 172 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 2: in Quincy, Massachusetts, which is also the home of the 173 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 2: original Dunkin Donuts just thirty five years later. Anyway, I 174 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 2: thought that was pretty interesting. So what he got next 175 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 2: to mego? 176 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: So the next fact I have is that donuts were 177 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: named in the nineteen thirty four Chicago World's Fair, which 178 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 1: was referred to as the Century of Progress Fair, and 179 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: they were declared the food hit of the century. Now, 180 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:45,559 Speaker 1: oddly enough, donuts were supposed to be a vision of 181 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: the future, and the reason kind of goes back to 182 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: the same issue Henson Gregory was trying to solve for. 183 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: So donuts cooked in vats of lard were super, super greasy. 184 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: In fact, the original Dutch name for that kind of 185 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: donut that became really popular in New York and up 186 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: and down the Eastern Seaboard was oily cake, which you know, 187 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: doesn't sound so appetizing. 188 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:04,959 Speaker 2: It's not great branding. 189 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: But more than that, doughnuts were also really really stinky, 190 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: Like they had this foul smell that theatergoers in New 191 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: York City actually like complained about because these stale oily 192 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: aromas were just waffed through the air. And so there 193 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: was this theater in New York. There's a Russian Jewish 194 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: immigrant named Adolph Levitt, and he was frying up donuts 195 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: the traditional way. But then he comes up with something 196 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: in genius and he invents a way to keep all 197 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,559 Speaker 1: that funk and closed with a donut machine. 198 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 2: Well that's a brilliant move. So how did he do that? 199 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 2: Was it maybe a little less hog fat or what? Yeah, 200 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 2: I mean that's part of it. 201 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:41,839 Speaker 1: But it took him from nineteen twenty when he had 202 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,439 Speaker 1: this idea to nineteen thirty one when he debuted this 203 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: spectacular machine in the window of his Mayflower Donuts in Harlem, 204 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,199 Speaker 1: New York. It was the same machine he took to 205 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirty four World Spare and that he sold 206 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: through catalogs to bakeries around the country. The machine used 207 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: forty percent less oil than traditional methods, but even better 208 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: than all of that, he used blowers to get rid 209 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: of the smell, and I enclosed the whole process and 210 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: glass which you kept in the odor. But most importantly, 211 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: donuts became entertainment. 212 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 2: Oh wow, that long ago. So when I think of 213 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 2: this whole thing, like watching donuts go across the conveyor belt. 214 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 2: That whole bit. I associate that with Krispy Kreme, like 215 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 2: my kids used to love going to those stores. In 216 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 2: two hundreds pro sets the belt that forever and ever. 217 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 2: Is this the precursor to that? 218 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: Or what? 219 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 2: Yeah? Totally is. 220 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: So his machine drew crowds to the windows. In fact, 221 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: the New Yorker covered it for Talk of the Town 222 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: and they wrote, quote, doughnuts float dreamily through a grease 223 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: canal and a glass enclosed machine, walk dreamily up a 224 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: moving ramp, and tumble dreamily into an outgoing basket. 225 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 2: It is. 226 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: And for all of that dreaminess, it was an efficient machine. 227 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: It actually cranked out twelve hundred doughnuts every hour. And 228 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: that meant that not only could he draw people in 229 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: with the excitement of watching this automated process, which felt 230 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: like watching the future, but he could all also sell 231 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: them fresh. People could get hot doughnuts by the dozens, 232 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: and it no longer bothered neighbors because the problem with 233 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 1: the smell was completely dealt with. So mister Levitt that 234 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: first year he cleared twenty five million dollars, which is 235 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: about a half billion dollars today. And Levitt's business partner 236 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: made it sound like God's work. He said that the 237 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: machine quote has taken the donut out of the mire 238 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: of prejudice that surrounded the heavy, grease soaked product of 239 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: the old oaken bucket and made it into a light, 240 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: puffy product of a machine. It's so amazing that all 241 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: of this is documented. But one last thing about Levitt 242 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: and his machine. Arthur Levitt was an avowed optimist, and 243 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: all around his Mayflower Donuts he had printed quote, as 244 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: you go through life, make this your goal. 245 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 2: Wash the donut, not the hole. That's pretty awesome. I mean, 246 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 2: I don't know exactly what it means, but it has 247 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 2: no meaning, but it's also pretty great. I love it, 248 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 2: and I can only imagine that kind of optimism is 249 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 2: what got Fred the Baker into the donut business. Do 250 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 2: you remember Fred the Baker? Mango, of course, time to 251 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 2: make the donuts. Yes, he sounded a little weary and 252 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 2: didn't sound super optimistic about it, but he's the subject 253 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,439 Speaker 2: of our next fact. So for younger listeners, Fred the 254 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 2: Baker was an iconic character in the Duncan Donuts ads 255 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 2: from nineteen eighty one all the way up till nineteen 256 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 2: ninety seven. So you'd see him clocking at the store 257 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 2: before dawn, heading back to make the donuts. And the 258 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 2: whole idea was to show that these donuts were always 259 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 2: being made fresh right there at Duncan, unlike supermarkets, which 260 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,199 Speaker 2: I guess is where everybody else was buying donuts. Anyway. 261 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 2: It was played by a character actor and named Michael Vale, 262 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 2: who had a poor man's Tom Selleck stash about him, 263 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 2: and the ad campaign was this huge hit. People loved 264 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 2: Fred the Baker. But after about fifteen years, Duncan was 265 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 2: ready to move on to a new campaign. Sure, but 266 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 2: they worried what might happen given just how much everybody 267 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 2: loved Fred. So Duncan decided to do their due diligence 268 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 2: and they asked customers what they would think if Fred 269 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 2: the Baker just kind of stopped showing up in commercials, 270 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 2: maybe moved off to a farm somewhere. And guess what 271 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 2: they said. I mean, I'd expect people to argue for 272 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 2: his job. Almost they actually argued for him to get retirement. 273 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 2: Apparently they said Fred could leave if he were treated 274 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 2: like an honored friend and employee. So Duncan Donuts gave 275 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 2: him a big retirement party including a parade in Boston 276 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 2: and free donuts to over six million customers on his 277 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 2: retirement day. This was September twenty second, nineteen ninety seven, 278 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,079 Speaker 2: and it's a sad little coda. Four years later, actor 279 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: Michael Vale actually died about the same exact time that 280 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 2: Duncan stopped making their donuts in store. No more Fred 281 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 2: Baker in all the senses. That's really interesting. 282 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: You know, I kind of want to see that survey 283 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 1: because it feels like, you know, if the options are 284 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: Firefred or give him a big retirement party including a parade, 285 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: like of course. 286 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 2: People are going to choose that. Yeah, yeah, which which 287 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 2: ones of these would you choose? 288 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: So? Yeah, okay, Well, the s fifth fact is about 289 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: a man named Ted Nagoy and he's actually the reason 290 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: that four out of five donut shops in southern California 291 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: are owned by Cambodian refugees and their families. 292 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 2: I've actually always thought that was fascinating. So how did 293 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 2: Cambodians get so involved in US donut culture? 294 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 1: So Ted came to the US in nineteen seventy five. 295 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: This was with a wave of nearly half a million 296 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: refugees from Cambodia, where at the time the dictator Polpod 297 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: and the Khmer Rouge had taken over, and those immigrants 298 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: by and large came to the US through Camp Pendleton, 299 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: which is south of Orange County. 300 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 2: Now. 301 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: Eventually, Ted got a job as a janitor in a 302 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: church in the OC and another job as a gas 303 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: station attendant overnight. And while he was working at this 304 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: gas station, he saw what a great business the donut 305 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: shop next door was. Eventually he was tempted to go 306 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: over to try a donut on one of his breaks, 307 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: and he found out that donuts were not only delicious, 308 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: it actually felt kind of familiar. So numb Kong is 309 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 1: this treat from Cambodia that was fried dough made in 310 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: a ring shape, you know, just like donuts, except numb 311 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:02,480 Speaker 1: kong were made out of rice flour. And he really 312 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: loved these donuts. He became a regular and he thought 313 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: about selling them himself. So he asked a woman at 314 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: the counter, was there any hope for him to own 315 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: a shop like this, and they actually suggested he applied 316 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: to the management program for their donut chain, which was Winchel's. Now, 317 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: he convinced the pastor at his church where he was 318 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: janitor to sponsor him, and the pastor obliged, and he 319 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: became the first Southeast Asian to go through this program. Now, 320 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: of course, he made a big change when he started 321 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: managing his own shop. He put his wife, Sangatini and 322 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: his kids to work. He barely slept. But you know, 323 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: in actually not that long, he had enough to buy 324 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: a local donut shop called Christie's. Now, what's interesting about 325 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: Ted is he didn't change the name or the donuts 326 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: they sold. He just made them around the clock, like 327 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: these really fresh and really tasty donuts. Thanks to his 328 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: and his family's tirelessness, within a year, he bought three 329 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: more shops. By nineteen eighty, just five years after arriving 330 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: in the US, he owned twenty shops, and even crazier, 331 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: he didn't change the names in any way or show 332 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: that they were connected. He really wasn't building a brand. 333 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: He was just keeping these mom and pop donut shops going. 334 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: And as he went he brought his community with him. 335 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: So workers, managers, shop owners themselves all came from his 336 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: friends and family, and in fact, my friend Vana's family 337 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: had a shop around that area too. But in addition 338 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: to the reason why, like Cambodians owned donut shops in 339 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: southern California. He's also responsible for why donut shops use 340 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: pink boxes. 341 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 2: Oh wow, so why is that? 342 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: So? When Ted was sourcing boxes for his donut shops, 343 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: he experienced, you know, serious sticker shock when he was 344 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: looking at the white boxes that bakeries were using, and 345 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: he asked like, did they have anything cheaper? And apparently 346 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: there was a bunch of leftover pink card stock from 347 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: this other client. It was much much cheaper. Also, it 348 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: was kind of reminiscent of the color red, which is 349 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: so important to Asian cultures and businesses and particularly ethnically 350 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: Chinese people like his own. Anyway, before four long, donut 351 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: shops around the country had picked up on this iconic 352 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: box color. And you look at things like Voodoo Donuts 353 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: today from Portland, their logo and boxes are pink. And 354 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: it's all thanks to this money saving venture from this 355 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 1: immigrant on the hustle. Actually, though, there's one last fact. 356 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: When Ted's wife, Sangatini, became a US citizen, she actually 357 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: took the name Christie's after their first thoughbut shop. 358 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 2: So pretty sweet. That is a great story, all right, Well, 359 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 2: here's one thing that always bugged me. So you know 360 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 2: that famous speech by JFK at the Berlin Wall was 361 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 2: back in nineteen sixty three, and he says, I beIN 362 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 2: ein Berliner, right, And it's supposed to be this really 363 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 2: stirring moment where he's expressing solidarity with the people of 364 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 2: Berlin who now have a big wall between the Communists 365 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,719 Speaker 2: and the Democratic sides. But then everyone there laughed at 366 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 2: it because in Germany that doesn't mean I'm a citizen 367 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 2: of Berlin. It means I am a jelly donut. Not 368 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 2: quite so stirring here, And as people know, there was 369 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 2: a bit of laughter in the audience, but the laughter 370 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 2: actually wasn't immediate. It came a minute later when Kennedy said, 371 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 2: I appreciate my interpreter translating my German. 372 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: So clearly people there didn't take the Berliner line as 373 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: a joke. They were actually laughing at this later comment 374 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 1: by Kennedy. So how do we get the story about 375 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 1: the jelly donut. 376 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 2: Well, if you order a Berliner at a bakery and 377 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,880 Speaker 2: the rest of Germany, you will get a jelly donut. 378 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 2: But Berliners themselves don't call jelly donuts after themselves they 379 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 2: call them fan Kuchen. Now, the story actually originates with 380 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 2: a British novelist, Lynn Dayton, who wrote a book with 381 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 2: an unreliable narrator who claims that ik ben ein Berliner 382 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 2: was a joke and that German cartoonist had a field 383 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 2: day with the gaff the next day, but none of 384 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 2: that was actually true. It was part of his fictional 385 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 2: character's unreliability. So the New York Times repeated the story 386 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 2: in their review, and then it got repeated in American 387 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 2: publications for years and years. But with the advent of Wikipedia, 388 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 2: the Germans finally put the myth to rest. So in 389 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 2: the German Wikipedia entry about the speech, it has a 390 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 2: heading labeled quote misconception of the English World. So anyway, 391 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 2: it's pretty interesting. 392 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: That's amazing. I feel like you hear that joke everywhere, 393 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: from like Eddie Izard to you know, mention that it's 394 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: just repeated. But uh, that's funny that that's a total misconception. 395 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: I actually have a great fact I can't wait to 396 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: tell you, but we've got to hit up some ads first, 397 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: so don't touch that dial. 398 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 2: Welcome back to Part time Genius. We're talking about one 399 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 2: of our favorite topics donuts? All right, mango, what do 400 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 2: you have next? Well? 401 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,639 Speaker 1: Did you know that the phrase dollars to donuts like 402 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 1: I bet dollars to donuts before donuts was dollars to buttons, 403 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: which is just. 404 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 2: Such a super scus fun. 405 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:55,639 Speaker 1: I mean, dollars to doughnuts also makes no sense, but 406 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: dollars buttons just sounds weaker. So I want to go 407 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: the fact in, but I actually have it. Another fact, 408 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: and is that did you know that dunking your donuts 409 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: in coffee is officially considered bad manners? 410 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 2: I did not know this. 411 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 1: I did not know this, And cops all over the 412 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: country are being problematic to people like Emily Post who 413 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 1: wrote this about them in nineteen forty one. So apparently, 414 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,119 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty one, the Campfire Girls did this annual 415 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: fundraiser that was a donut drive, and I'm guessing the 416 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: girl Scouts had the market cornered on cookies. And anyway, 417 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: some young enterprising Campfire Girls wrote to Emily Post column 418 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: to get her endorsement of dunking donuts and coffee, and 419 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: she flat out refused, like she would not endorse it. 420 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,919 Speaker 1: She wrote that as much as she would like to agree, 421 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: with such an upstanding group of young people. Quote, dipping 422 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: a great round object into a coffee or teacup and 423 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: then biting into the sopping object is about as bad 424 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: an example of table behavior as could be found. But 425 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: she did suggest a workaround. 426 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 2: That will work. Emily Post always coming up with a solution. 427 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 2: So what was it? 428 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: So she says, you can break off a piece of 429 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,119 Speaker 1: your donut, drop it into your coffee, and use a 430 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:13,439 Speaker 1: spoon to scoop it out and eat it, and somehow 431 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: this is better. It does not sound better to be 432 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: like trying to fish out tiny pieces of donut from 433 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: your coffee with a spoon. 434 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:23,440 Speaker 2: That sounds terrible. Plus the coffee. 435 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: Gets all crumbly it anyway, I have a hard disagree 436 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: with this one. The founder of Dunkin Donuts, Bill Rosenberg, 437 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: actually tried to solve it as well, except he tried 438 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 1: a different thing. He invented a dunker, which was a 439 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: regular cake donut, but it had a handle coming off 440 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 1: the ring. Do you remember these donuts? 441 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 2: I don't know that I do. Yeah, I don't know. 442 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,439 Speaker 1: They were like misshaped donuts that you would dunk, but 443 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: apparently dunk and sold Dunkers at the chain for years, 444 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 1: but they had to be cut by hand, and everyone 445 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: agreed that they didn't really make the dunking any easier, 446 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: and so they discontinued it in two thousand and three. 447 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: All gone, Yeah, so will what do you have for 448 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: your last facts? 449 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 2: All right, mango? Have you ever heard the term dough 450 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 2: boys for soldiers? Yeah, definitely, but I don't really know 451 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 2: what it means. Well, the term started in the American 452 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 2: Civil War, and there was actually some debate, but it 453 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 2: was about how buttons on the soldiers' uniforms looked like 454 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 2: flower dumplings, or perhaps that the soldiers polished their metal 455 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:26,159 Speaker 2: with flour. But there's another reason to call them dough boys. 456 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 2: During the Civil War, volunteers made massive batches of donuts 457 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 2: to serve to the troops, and this was a tradition 458 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 2: that continued into World War One, actually on into World 459 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 2: War Two. And like we talked about earlier that sailor 460 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 2: Hanson Gregory had just invented the ring shaped donut and 461 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 2: created the ten cutter. This was something that had become 462 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 2: available widely and it was used pretty frequently during the 463 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 2: Civil War. Then in World War One, the Salvation Army 464 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 2: actually sent volunteers to France near the stalemated front lines there, 465 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 2: and they would make these hot, fresh donuts for the 466 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 2: young people serving there to remind them of home. 467 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 1: It's so weird that like there are facts like this 468 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 1: that we don't know, you know, Like it feels like, 469 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: after all these years, I would have heard this. But 470 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,200 Speaker 1: also I feel like I don't really think of donuts as. 471 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,119 Speaker 2: A very American thing. They just feel like, yeah, from 472 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 2: around the world, I know, you know. I'm sure they 473 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 2: were just happy for something fresh and delicious to eat. 474 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:21,360 Speaker 2: But it became this huge hit, and the Salvation Army 475 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 2: started to hold these annual fundraisers for veterans. They would 476 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 2: call them Donut Day to commemorate the donut lasses or 477 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 2: women who sailed to the front lines there, and they'd 478 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,359 Speaker 2: make them hand out donuts. The Salvation Army sold these 479 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 2: treats as fundraisers and even had eating contests and other 480 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 2: stunts to drum up interests and of course more revenue. 481 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 2: So the Washington Post reported on this in nineteen twenty two. 482 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 2: It was about a donut race being held by the 483 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 2: Ellipse just south of the White House with this gigantic 484 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 2: sixty eight pound four foot donuts. Now, Donut Day is 485 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 2: still celebrated to this day on the first Friday in June. 486 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: I feel like we need to make celebrating Donut Day 487 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: more of a tradition here, definitely. So here's my last 488 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: fact which kind of blows my mind. Astrophysicists at the 489 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: University of Leone in France examined images from the earliest 490 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,440 Speaker 1: times of the universe, and in twenty twenty one they 491 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: surmise that our universe is just one giant donut. 492 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 2: That's some real science yet again, but actually I have 493 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 2: no idea what that means. 494 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: Mango. Yeah, so it's obviously not that it's made of 495 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: flower and fat and yeast. What we're talking about is 496 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: the shape, and the idea is that the universe is 497 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: closed in all three dimensions and shaped like a three 498 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:40,639 Speaker 1: D donut of truly cosmic but not infinite size. This 499 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: theory posits that the universe is finite, with the entire 500 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: cosmos being only three or four times what we can 501 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: observe now. Astronomers agree that the universe is still flat, 502 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 1: meaning that parallel line state parallel in perpetuity. But while 503 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: we know as geometry, what these scientists are positing is 504 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: a different topology where the spatial relationships separate from shapes. 505 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,679 Speaker 1: It's suggesting that our universe might be multiply connected, and 506 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: dimensions of our universe will connect back to each other. Now, 507 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 1: I know this sounds super confusing, but the astrophysicist Paul 508 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,879 Speaker 1: Cutter actually explained it really well in an article on 509 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: life science, and this is what he said. If you 510 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,880 Speaker 1: take a flat piece of paper, clearly parallel lines remain parallel. 511 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: Now you roll it into a cylinder. Still, all parallel 512 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: lines remain parallel, not diverging or connected. But now curl 513 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: the ends of the cylinder around to connect them. You 514 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: have a donut shape. The parallel lines still don't diverge 515 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:37,199 Speaker 1: or connect, but the lines are no longer infinite, and 516 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: knowing this can help us measure the full size of 517 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: the universe. It also means that while technically you could 518 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 1: travel in one direction and wind up back where you begin, 519 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,919 Speaker 1: you can't really do that. Like, the universe is constantly expanding, 520 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,880 Speaker 1: often faster than the speed of light, so you can 521 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 1: never really catch up to yourself. 522 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 2: I'm just going to have to take your word for 523 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,200 Speaker 2: it on this one. That is fascinating but also pretty 524 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 2: complicated and in the immortal words of Homer Simpson, donuts 525 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 2: is there anything they can't do? You know? Also, I 526 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 2: really love the fact that I should be dunking my 527 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:09,959 Speaker 2: donuts and pieces with a spoon. So I think we're 528 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:11,680 Speaker 2: gonna have to give you the trophy for that one, Mango. 529 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: I know it feels so disgusting, and I love that 530 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 1: so proper, and I love that I'm going to be 531 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: a diner's just correcting people from now on. But I 532 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 1: will take the trophy. That is it for today's episode. 533 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,360 Speaker 1: Remember if you've got donut facts to share, drop us 534 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: a line on our Instagram at Part Time Genius, or 535 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 1: you can always email our moms at Petgenius moms at 536 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: gmail dot com. Now from Gabe, Dylan, Marywill and myself, 537 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 1: thank you so much for listening. And I also have 538 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: to shout out to my wife Lizzie Jacobs, who research 539 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 1: and wrote for this episode. Lizzie is particularly good at 540 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 1: taking us on wrong turns on vacations that somehow accidentally 541 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: find donut shops. Love it, and it happens so much 542 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: that all of us think it's no longer a coincidence anyway. 543 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,600 Speaker 1: That is it for this week's Part Time Genius. 544 00:26:58,720 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listen. 545 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius is a production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. 546 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 2: This show is hosted by. 547 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: Will Pearson and me Mongaige Heatikler and research by our 548 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:26,199 Speaker 1: good pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's episode was engineered and 549 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,919 Speaker 1: produced by the wonderful Dylan Fagan with support from Tyler Klang. 550 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 1: The show is executive produced for iHeart by Katrina Norvell 551 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 1: and Ali Perry, with social media support from Sasha Gay, 552 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 1: Trustee Dara Potts and Viney Shorey. For more podcasts from 553 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:46,640 Speaker 1: Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 554 00:27:46,880 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.