1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Guess what will? What's that mango? So I'm not sure 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: if you're on Twitter, but everyone's been talking about buttons 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: this week, like Kim Jong un was bragging about his 4 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 1: which caused our Chief of State to brag about the 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: size of his nuclear button. Yeah, I'm not sure if 6 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: you have to be on Twitter to have heard this news. 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,639 Speaker 1: It feels like it has been everywhere this week. Yeah, 8 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: and this is obviously a really fun game for world 9 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: leaders to play, but it's been driving up my anxiety. 10 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: And then I started focusing my attention on all the 11 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: other buttons in this world, Like did you know that 12 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 1: the Victoria's Secret model Carolina Kurkova was born with a 13 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: medical complications, so she has no belly button, Like every 14 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: time she's in the magazine, they actually have to photoshop 15 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: a button in. Actually, I didn't realize humans could be 16 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: born without belly buttons. I thought that was just animals 17 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: that hatched from eggs. Yeah, well, I don't think she's 18 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: a reptile, if that's what you're implying. Like she had 19 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: an operation when she was a child, so she has 20 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: this strange, smooth belly. But apparently she's not alone. There 21 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: are lots of people in the world without belly buttons 22 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: as well. And it isn't just an Adam and evening. 23 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: But that's just the first of our button facts on 24 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: today's Nine Things. Let's dive in. Y Hey, their podcast listeners, 25 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: welcome to part time Genius and I'm Will Pearson and 26 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: as always I'm joined by my good friend Man Guesh 27 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: Ticketer and the man on the other side of the 28 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: soundproof glass wearing a very fancy cardigan. And those buttons 29 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: are so big. I actually think for those buttons on 30 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: top of buttons, Manko, I think so wow. That's our 31 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: friend and producer Tristan McNeil, and it's it's a real 32 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: shame that our regular superstar Nine Things guests, Gabe Bluesier 33 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: is not here in studio to appreciate this cardigan, but 34 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: he is joining us by sky pay their Gabe. Hey, guys, 35 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: thanks for having me. Well, let's talk buttons. You want 36 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: to uh, you want to go first? Do you have 37 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: a good fact? Yeah, definitely. So. Since Mango kicked this 38 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: off by talking about the President, I thought i'd tell 39 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: you about the time that President Carter hit a secret 40 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: panic button in the bathroom. Apparently He thought it was 41 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: the button for a flush, but was shocked when a 42 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 1: Secret Service agent basically kicked the door down, gun in hand, 43 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: only to find the President zipping up his trousers. According 44 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: to the agent Marty Venker, Carter was quote pretty chilly 45 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: to him after that. Oh way, I really want to 46 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: know like where this panic button was and how it 47 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: could be placed somewhere that could be confused for like 48 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: a flush button that's just on top of the toilet. Ah, 49 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: that is so weird. All right, well I've got a 50 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: slightly different button. Fact, I'll go next here. So I 51 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: actually didn't realize this used to be a thing in cars, 52 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: but this was the floor mounted dimmer switch. And it 53 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: actually comes from our old friend Karakvalchick over at Mental 54 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: Floss and she told us about this. But apparently the 55 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: switch for high beams used to be this little button 56 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: that was next to the brakes and so if you 57 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: tapped your left foot on it, your brights would then 58 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: turn on. So this this is another one for me, 59 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: was like, why was it ever thought to put it 60 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: right there? It just seems like a kind of a 61 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: strange place to have it. Alright, Mango, you got one? Yeah, definitely. So. Uh. So, 62 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 1: you know, everyone knows about the Staples easy button, right 63 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: like it was featured in their ad campaign forever ago. 64 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: And you might have known that the company sold easy 65 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,119 Speaker 1: buttons in their store and they made a fortune off 66 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: of them. But did you know that they actually came 67 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: in different varieties. So in addition to the one that 68 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,239 Speaker 1: said that was easy like the traditional button that they had, 69 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: they also had an easy for parentence button that said 70 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: things like of course you're right, and your house your rules, 71 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: as well as an easy for kids button that said 72 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: go ahead and stay up late and good news, no homework. 73 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: It's always so strange to me when things like that 74 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: take off. I wonder how many of those they actually sold. 75 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: That such a bizarre thing. Yeah, definitely, all right, gay, 76 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: what's your next fact? Here's something I've never thought about 77 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: until I came across an article in Slate, But apparently 78 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: in early colonial America, people used to make their own 79 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: buttons at home, and according to the article quote, working 80 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: class families counted themselves lucky if they owned a handheld 81 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: button mold. So basically, you you'd heat up this mold 82 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: on some coals, fill it with lead, and then let 83 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: it cool into a button shape, and then you'd you know, 84 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: decorate the heavy button or wrap it in fabric something 85 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: like that. That's amazing. We're gonna do a little button 86 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: history here too, because I've I've actually got a button fact, 87 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: an old button fact as well. So at one point, 88 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: buttons were so popular and often fashion so tiny that 89 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: your fingers weren't actually helpful in getting the button through 90 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: the loop, and so people kept these button hooks around 91 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: and so basically there were these scary looking kind of 92 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: crochet type instruments that you'd use to pull a tiny 93 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: button through a narrow eyehole. And often you'd have to 94 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: have different button hooks for different size. But it just 95 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: seems like such a hassle I have to do all this. 96 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: It is. It is exactly the opposite of what Tristan's 97 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: got going on, where I think for those huge buttons, 98 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: you actually need two hands to be able to get 99 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 1: it through the hoop there. Alright, Mango, what's your next fact? 100 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: That's that's a funny bit of history. So um that 101 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: actually reminds me of something I read about why women's 102 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:18,359 Speaker 1: buttons are on the left side of the shirt and 103 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: men's are on the right. And there are a whole 104 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: bunch of theories about this, Like some people claim men 105 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: needed their dominant hand for holding weapons in the Middle Ages, 106 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: so the button on the right made it easier for 107 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: their non dominant hand to button the shirt one handed 108 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: or mental Floss says this theory about how women tend 109 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: to hold babies with their left hand so that their 110 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: right hand is free to do things, and that's why 111 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: the buttons are on the left side of their blouses. 112 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: But the theory with the biggest support is that more 113 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: fancy women were dressed by others, and when you're buttoning 114 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: a lot of buttons for an impatient royal or duchess 115 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,359 Speaker 1: or whatever, having the buttons played your dominant hand is useful. 116 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: So they're on the handmaids right or the noblewoman's left 117 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: to speed up the process. Oh, actually makes a lot 118 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 1: of sense, All right, Gabe, what's your what's your last 119 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 1: factor the day? Here's a really cool and So the 120 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: first remotes for TVs were called lazy bones, and they 121 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,239 Speaker 1: had a wire that connected directly to the TV set. 122 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: But Zenith improved on this design in n S with 123 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: their wireless Space command remote, and it worked in a 124 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 1: totally different manner than you might expect. So when you 125 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: press the button, it would cause a tiny hammer inside 126 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: to hit an aluminum bar that would then cause an 127 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: ultrasonic tone, and the TV would interpret those notes as 128 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 1: commands to change the channel or turn the set on 129 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: and off. According to Time magazine, the hammer made enough 130 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: noise when it clicked down that people started calling the 131 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 1: space command a clicker. Alright, well, I've got one last 132 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: fact that I was saving this one because it's pretty gross, 133 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: but also because it relates to mangoes belly button fact 134 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: at the beginning of the show, and that is that 135 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: scientists have figured out how to use bacteria from belly 136 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: buttons and adding milk to make cheese, which I know 137 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: that sounds disgusting, right it. The whole point of the exhibit, 138 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: which took place in Trinity College, Dublin, was to expose 139 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: people to the range of microbial communities in the human body. 140 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: But according to NPR, while people started by quote making 141 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: these grossed out faces, they then smell the cheese and 142 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: realize it just smells like a normal cheese. I'm not 143 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: sure that makes it any less gross. That just makes 144 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: me think that belly buttons smell like cheese. All right, Gabe. 145 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: Since your long distance today, I feel like you get 146 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: to choose who wins today's nine Things. Ah, I gotta 147 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: give it to you then. I mean you brought it 148 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: full circle with that belly button fact, so I think 149 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: you take the trophy. I knew it, I was, I 150 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: was going to be disappointed if I didn't well listeners. 151 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: If we forgot any facts about belly buttons or buttons 152 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: in general that you know, feel free to share those 153 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: with us. You can always reach us part time Genius 154 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: and how Stuff Works dot com. You can also call 155 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: us on our seven Fact hotline one eight four four 156 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: pt Genius, or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter. 157 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: It's been really fun hearing from you guys, with lots 158 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: of ideas for some of our future nine Facts episodes, 159 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: so keep those coming and we'll be back tomorrow with 160 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: a full length episode. Thanks for listening.