1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius, the production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: I guess what, mango? What's that? Will? All right? I 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: know I brought these glue bottles into the studio here 4 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: and that we have put what do you think Maybe 5 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: we're on our fifth round of spreading it on our 6 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: hands and peeling it off just because it's it's too 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: much fun. Oh my god, it's so fun. But there's 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: actually a reason that I do this. I do this 9 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: in in classrooms now because I'm here to prove a point. 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: I actually need you to know that the glue that 11 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: kids use in schools, it's it's not really glue at all. 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: What do you mean by that? It's a misnomer. And 13 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: when I say misnomer to the kids, they looked at 14 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: me puzzled. But they need to know what the word 15 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: misnomer means as well. But true glue is derived from 16 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: natural materials like animal byproducts, plant resins, and since school 17 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: glue like Elmer's, is actually made from synthetic materials, that 18 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: technically makes it an adhesive. This is this is a 19 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: very important point. I love the idea of you just 20 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: like stomping around second grade classrooms yelling stop putting that 21 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: adhesive in your mouth. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean you 22 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: you know how much I traveled these days, and so 23 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: I try to make it a point by stopping by 24 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 1: at least two or three classrooms to make this point. 25 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: I mean, nearly every example prior to twentieth century was 26 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: all natural, like tree sap, beeswax, egg whites, animal blood. 27 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: In fact, the very first commercial glue company in the 28 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: UK made their glue from fish by products from sturgeons 29 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: to be specific. Can you imagine what they smell like? 30 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: So I actually remember Salvador Dolly made this homemade cologne 31 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: for his wife and it was out of like glue 32 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: and fish parts. But you know, if he'd use that 33 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: UK glue instead, like he could have saved himself. It's 34 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: kind of like a glue life hack. Yeah, totally is. 35 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: And what it felt so good to like peel it 36 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: off your neck and I think I'm gonna go another 37 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: round here. But it wasn't just in the UK, like 38 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: fish glue was the norm in the US two and 39 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: at least until Elmer's Glue all hit the market in 40 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: the late nineteen forties. Now, at that time, the Elmer's 41 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: brand also used natural ingredients in the glue, but the 42 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: kind of used were far less smelly than the surgeon. 43 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 1: So Elmer's Glue all was originally produced by the Boarding Company, 44 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: which you know is in the dairy business, and one 45 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: of the main ingredients in the early form of the 46 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: glue was case in, which you probably knows this protein 47 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,519 Speaker 1: found in dairy milk and something the Boarding company obviously 48 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: had a lot of. That's pretty interesting. So are there 49 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: any advantages to use in case in over something like 50 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: fish parts. Definitely, the improved smell, not surprisingly, but case 51 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 1: and glue also spread more easily at dried clear much 52 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: easier to wash out. So if you think about, you know, 53 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: kids using it, that was really important. But despite all 54 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: of these improvements, for some reason, they're packaging left much 55 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: to be desired. Like the glue was originally sold in 56 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: this glass bottle, which you know, it was getting broken 57 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: all the time with kids handling, and it came with 58 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: this separate wooden apple hater that was attached to the 59 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: side of the bottle was just a rubber band, and 60 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: so it was frequently going missing. And so when school 61 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: kids across the country started investing in the stuff, that's 62 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: when Borden decided to wise up and they now you know, 63 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: adopted this. This is what we think of is this 64 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: very classic white plastic bottle and has the orange dispenser 65 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: tip on the top. So you know me and you 66 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: know I love glue knowledge. But what is it that 67 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: made you want to talk about glue today? Yeah, you 68 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: really are some kind of an expert on this. But 69 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to talk about school back in September. But 70 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: as everybody knows, we've all been a bit busy around here. 71 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: But since our kids are firmly back in school, no 72 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: vacation in sight, I thought it'd be fun to explore 73 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: some of the weird origin stories behind school supplies and 74 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: a few other things you might find in the classroom. 75 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: So it's time to bust out your protractor. Lock in 76 00:03:52,240 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: that retainer because class is back in session, right he 77 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will 78 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: Pearson and is always I'm joined by my good friend 79 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: Manes Ticketer on the other side of that soundproof glass, 80 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: jotting down some notes in his Lisa Frank notebook. I'm 81 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: so jealous of this. Our friend and producer Loll Berlante 82 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:35,799 Speaker 1: check it out mega like it's it's just the smiling 83 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: panda riding on top of a smiling dolphin, and they're 84 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: both eating these rainbow colored ice cream cones, which also 85 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: seems to somehow be smiling. Well finds the best stuff. 86 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: It's incredible, And now I'm smiling. But you know, I 87 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: am glad that you kicked this off talking about glue, 88 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: because it makes it less weird that now I want 89 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 1: to talk about backpacks. So these days, the first backpack 90 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: that most people are is a school backpack, but that 91 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: hasn't always been the case. So prior to the mid 92 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 1: twentieth century, most American students either carried their books to 93 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: class by hand, or else they wrapped a leather belt 94 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: or cloth strap around the books and then kind of 95 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: slung that over their shoulder. And a few students did 96 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: use small briefcase style satchels to carry their stuff to class, 97 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: but for the most part, students really went backless and 98 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: stuck with these trusty book straps instead. It's so weird 99 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: to think about a world without backpacks, like, especially since 100 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: you're saying it wasn't all that long ago. I mean, 101 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: no one really thought about wearing a bag on your 102 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: bag before the twentieth century, I don't really understand that. So, 103 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: I mean, ruck sacks were I guess a thing before that, 104 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: and they were basically the draw string bags that you 105 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: sling over your shoulder. But these zipper bags with dual 106 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: straps like that didn't come along until And that was 107 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: the year when a mountaineer named Jerry Cunningham invented the 108 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: first ever zipper backpack out of canvas cloth and mostly 109 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: you did this because he didn't like the way traditional 110 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: ruck sacks slid around on his back when he was climbing. 111 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: So Jerry's design was a big hit with hikers and 112 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,559 Speaker 1: campers and and people like that, real outdoorsman. But actually 113 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: it would take another thirty years before his invention would 114 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: finally make its way off the trail and into the classroom. Again, 115 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 1: I mean, it's hard to believe it would take this 116 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: long to realize that there was a market for these 117 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: beyond just mountaineers. So was it Jerry's idea to bring 118 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: it into the classroom as well? No, not exactly. I mean, 119 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: he did keep playing with his backpack. He made the 120 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,559 Speaker 1: first nylon backpack in seven and his designs were mostly 121 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: for outdoor living, but it's actually that company Jan Sport. 122 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: Did you have a Janspoort growing up? Oh, totally, that's 123 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: multiple despite the like lifetime guarantee. I think I probably 124 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: had three different jans you know, we had between JanSport 125 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: and LB, and I had so many backpacks and they 126 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: all had like life lifetime guarantees, and I went to 127 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,239 Speaker 1: all of them. So he designed this tear drop design 128 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: and Jan Sport tweaked it a little and they used 129 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: it to win over students. But that even makes it 130 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: sound like a little more intentional than it was. So 131 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:57,600 Speaker 1: the University of Washington had this small sports shop inside 132 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: their campus bookstore because so many kids in the area 133 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: were into climbing and hiking or whatever, and so in 134 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty nine, the shop began stalking jam sports new 135 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 1: lightweight nylon backpack, mainly as used as like a day 136 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: pack for these hikes, and when students realized the bags 137 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: were perfect for keeping books and supplies, and it really 138 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: took off. It's funny because a pretty similar thing happened 139 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: with lunch boxes, which was another surprisingly recent addition to 140 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: the school's supply cannon, which is I guess people didn't 141 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: want their sandwiches wet for lunch, No, I don't. I 142 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: don't know if you want your sandwiches weather. That is, 143 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: kids were mostly just improvising, you know, through the mid 144 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: twentieth century or so, they'd use an old cookie tin 145 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: or tobacco tin they had long around somewhere, and so 146 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: it wasn't until the late nineteenth century that dedicated lunch 147 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: pails finally arrived on the scene. I always think that 148 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: word lunch pails is so funny, like the idea of 149 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: carrying around a bucket full of food. I mean, they 150 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: kind of were. I mean, the original lunch pails for 151 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: these small metal buckets, except they did come with lids, 152 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: and later versions took on more of a a toolbox 153 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: or bread basket shape, and they feature these clasps so 154 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: you could keep the lid shut when you carry them around, 155 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: which is the kind of lunch box men took to 156 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: work in the early twentieth century. You can kind of 157 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: visualize those images we've seen, and pretty soon their children 158 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: followed suit. At cool, So when did these bright colors 159 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: and the cartoon characters, Like when did all that stuff 160 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: get onto the lunch boxes? That actually happened pretty early, 161 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 1: like The first one aim specifically at kids came in 162 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty five when the Aladdin Company put a picture 163 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: of Mickey Mouse on the front, but with the depression, 164 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: it didn't quite take off at that time. Yeah, I'm 165 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: guessing funds for that sort of thing where a little 166 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: limited and you know, food set of premium, not you know, 167 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: not the things you're carrying it around in. Yeah, no, 168 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: that's true. But you know, the Aladdin Company kept their 169 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 1: idea for this novelty lunch box in their back pocket, 170 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 1: and when TV started to take off, this was in 171 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: the early nineteen fifties, the company got another turn at this, 172 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: and so they released the metal Lunchbox and thermis that 173 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: featured a cruelly drawn picture of hop Along Cassidy. Well 174 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: that might sound pretty dull today, the hop Along lunch 175 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: Box was actually a massive hit. They sold six hundred 176 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: thousand of these things in a single year, and that 177 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: success was enough for another screen cowboy to take notice. 178 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,719 Speaker 1: This was, of course, Roy Rogers, so he approached the 179 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: Latin about making a lunch box of his own, but 180 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: the company actually turned him away because they didn't think 181 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: a second cowboy lunchbox would sell. It's just there's too 182 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: it's too much cowboy. You don't want two cowboys. I'm 183 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: guessing they were wrong about that, though, right, they were 184 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: very wrong about this because remember westerns were a big 185 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: deal in fifties entertainment, on the same scale as like 186 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: the superhero movies today, and there was absolutely room on 187 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: the shelf for two cowboy lunchboxes. And Roy Rogers knew this. 188 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: So to that end, Rogers partnered with a different company, 189 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,959 Speaker 1: it was American Thermis, and then together they released the 190 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 1: lunch box that was so popular and wound up selling 191 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 1: two and a half million units in nineteen fifty three. 192 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 1: Not only did Roy Rogers you know, this lunch box 193 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: sell through the roof, it also set a new benchmark 194 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: for lunchbox design. It had this full color illustration that 195 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: covered the entire box, and Thermis and so from their 196 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 1: lunch boxes really took off. Companies started churning out countless 197 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:23,439 Speaker 1: designs with TV movie, comic book characters. The biggest hit 198 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 1: was this Disney lunch box painted to resemble a school 199 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: bus that was carrying Mickey and the other Disney characters 200 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: along like Pinocchio and Dumbo, and so over nine million 201 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: of those school lunch boxes were sold, making it the 202 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: most popular lunchbox ever made. That's pretty incredible. So we're 203 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 1: lunch boxes still mostly metal at that point, where had 204 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: they already switched over to plastic. Now, these were all 205 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 1: still metal, And when all was said and done, roughly 206 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: a hundred and twenty million metal lunch boxes were sold 207 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: between nineteen fifty in nineteen seventy. The party kind of 208 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: ended in nineteen seventy two, though, when the State of 209 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: Florida banded metal lunchbox is from schools. They were, you know, 210 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:05,559 Speaker 1: worried that kids were using these heavy boxes as weapons, 211 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: which led to the plastic boxes that we've seen in 212 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: more recent years than the eventual declining sales of of 213 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: lunch boxes in general. So we've covered two of the 214 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: most quintessential school supplies I feel, like backpacks and lunch boxes. 215 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: But here's another thing I hadn't thought about in a while, 216 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: and that's the humble plastic recorder, which is still used 217 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: in music classes today. You know, I have always wondered, like, 218 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: how has decided that every kid in America should learn 219 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: how to play the recorder? Like I've always just assumed 220 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: someone on the school board was in cahoots with the manufacturer, 221 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: and that's how it somehow took off. Yeah, so I 222 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: was actually curious about that too, And it turns out 223 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 1: that it's largely thanks to the influence of this famous 224 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: German composer whose music theory became the basis for a 225 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: lot of the school music programs we see today. His 226 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 1: name was Carl Orff, and while his name might not 227 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: ring a bell, you've definitely heard his most famous work, 228 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: and at least one movie trailer. It's called Carmina Burana 229 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: and it sounds like this. Yeah, that definitely rings a bell. 230 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 1: I mean, it's kind of the go to hook for 231 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 1: every epic movie since the exactly. But anyway, so Orp's 232 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: approach to teaching music stress the importance of rhythm and 233 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: creative thinking rather than just memorizing musical notations. And he 234 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: thought the best way for a kid to learn music 235 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: was by teaching him to play a simple, accessible instrument 236 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,679 Speaker 1: that kind of mimic their own vocal range. And the 237 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: soprano recorder perfectly fit that bill, because you know, at 238 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 1: its core, the recorder is practically just a whistle, and 239 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: unlike more complicated instruments, there are no strings to strong 240 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: You don't have to purse your lips in any strange way. 241 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: You just kind of blow and outcomes this screechy, high 242 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: pitched tone. At least that's what I hear from my kids. 243 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: But if you cover this whole or that hole with 244 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: your fingers, you can actually change the notes you play. 245 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: But the recorders classroom dominance wasn't cemented until the nineteen sixties, 246 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: and that's when advances in manufacturing finally allowed the instruments 247 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,959 Speaker 1: to be mass produced in plastic. The plastic recorders were 248 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: especially attractive to educators because they were cheap enough that 249 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: you could buy them in bulk, but still durable enough 250 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: that you know they'd last, and they had a pretty 251 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: good sound. I do have to say, I mean, you're 252 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: being pretty cavalier about potentially alienating all those professional recorder 253 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,559 Speaker 1: players that might be in our audience. I think it 254 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: should be a little bit more careful. I think you're right, actually, 255 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: And Gabe, who did this research, warned me that recorders 256 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:37,680 Speaker 1: used to be considered a pretty serious instrument. According to experts, 257 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:40,680 Speaker 1: the recorders heyday was probably during the Baroque era, when 258 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: composers like Bach and Vivaldi would actually crank out pieces 259 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 1: that showcased recorders and all different sizes, and the recorder 260 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: kind of got off staged when the flute came into 261 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: Europe and Asia and gradually stole the show. But adult 262 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: musicians do still compose four and play the recorder today. 263 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: According to Susan Burns, who's the administrative director of the 264 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 1: American Recorder Society, quote, the recorder is a professional instrument 265 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: in its own right. Everyone says, oh, it's so easy 266 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: to play, but it takes a lifetime to master. Yeah, 267 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 1: it's funny. I don't know if you've ever seen this, 268 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: this clip that went viral of you hear the song 269 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: turned down for what being played, and then right after 270 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: they say that, it pans to this group of elementary 271 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: school students and they start playing the like chorus or 272 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: whatever on their recorders. It it was pretty great. I know, 273 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: we've got so much more. So let's take a quick break. 274 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: They're listening to Part Time Genius and we're talking about 275 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: the strange stories behind school supplies. All right, mango, So, 276 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: as you know, there's a question every parent has to 277 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: ask sooner or later, and that is, how can I 278 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: keep my kid from freaking out about their first day 279 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: of school. Like, it's a scary amount of change for 280 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: a child to deal with, and there's no universal answer 281 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: for how to combat that fear. But the Germans and 282 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: Austrians have what's probably the closest thing I think and 283 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: what is up. Well, basically you distract them with a 284 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: giant cone full of present. I mean, it seems so 285 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: obvious in hindsight, but this is a real thing in 286 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: Germany and Austria. So each year since the early eight hundred's, 287 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: the latest crop of first graders are gifted with what's 288 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: called a school to to, which is to help celebrate 289 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: their very first day of school. The name translates as 290 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: school bag, but it's more like this giant cone shaped 291 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: Christmas stocking. So parents will fashion it out of paper 292 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: and it's sometimes as big as two or three feet tall, 293 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 1: and then they fill it with like candy and toys 294 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: and all these other treats to help make the first 295 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: day of school more special. Actually, just look this up. 296 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: It's crazy. These cones are like as big as the kids. 297 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: It's insane. There is all the first year students just 298 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: lugged these giant cones around like all day. Well not 299 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: anymore now, I mean, nowadays, most kids get their sholta, 300 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: does it at home and and leave it there. But 301 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: back in the early days of the tradition, kids actually 302 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: had to rush to the schoolyard and pick their own 303 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: from this tree that was set to grow them only 304 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: when it was time for the school year to start. 305 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: I say, that's amazing. I can imagine kids just like 306 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: waiting like at the gates and then running in and 307 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: getting these plucking these cones from trews. It is kind 308 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: of funny that you brought up cones, because I actually 309 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: have the goods on a different sort of cone that 310 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: was supposed to I guess bring up the opposite reaction, 311 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: and that's the dunce cap. So during the Victorian era, 312 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: this goofy cone shaped hat became a symbolic form of 313 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: discipline and European and American schools alike, and if a 314 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: student acted up in class or didn't know the answer 315 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 1: to a question, they'd have to go sit in the corner. 316 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: And I'm sure you're seeing cartoons of like Dennis the 317 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: Menace or whatever where he's wearing a dunce cap sitting 318 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: in the corner. But the hope was all this embarrassment 319 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: with curtail future misbehaved year. Yeah. I mean, there's nothing 320 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: like a little public shaming to keep the kids in line. 321 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: You know. Well, it must have been pretty traumatizing for 322 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: the kids. But the practice actually continued in the US 323 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: and Europe well into the twentieth century, and Dunce caps 324 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 1: were pretty common all the way up until the nineteen fifties. Oh. 325 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: I do think of it as like a much older image. 326 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 1: I didn't realize they lasted that long. Yeah. So here's 327 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: the wildest part and something I hadn't heard before this week. 328 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: But we think about the Dunce cap as something that 329 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 1: signifies like a lack of intelligence, and it actually began 330 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: as a symbol of a really accomplished scholar. Born sometime 331 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,400 Speaker 1: in the thirteenth century. His name was John Dunn Scotus, 332 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 1: and he was a Franciscan priest and a linguist. He 333 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: studied theology and philosophy at Oxford and taught classes at 334 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: the University of Paris. And he even had a group 335 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 1: of students and others that kind of followed his teachings 336 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: and and lived near him, and they called themselves duncemen. 337 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 1: So Atlas Obscure has an article about it, and it says, quote, 338 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: Scotus was a renaissance man centuries before the Renaissance even 339 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 1: took place. But all of that said, it should be 340 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 1: known that Scotis liked to wear a big, pointy wizard 341 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: hat whenever he went out in public. So while he 342 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: was this incredibly smart guy, his sense of fashion might 343 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 1: be a little lacking or a little too forward, you know, 344 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: depending on how you how you look at it. But 345 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: the cool thing is, and no one is really sure 346 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: whether Scotis was inspired by depictions of wizards that he'd seen, 347 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: or whether it was his own cap that inspired the 348 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: wizard's look that that we think of now. I think 349 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: in either case, it sounds like the takeaway here is 350 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: that wise people wear very pointy hats. I think that's 351 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 1: the only thing I could take from Oh but you know, 352 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: Scotis even went a step further. He actually believed that 353 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: the conical shape of his hat kind of functioned as 354 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: this metaphysical reverse funnel, with knowledge collecting at the pointy 355 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: end and then flowing down around his brain. And and 356 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: so as silly as it sounds, the idea caught on 357 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 1: with academics of the day, and and the cone shaped 358 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: cat became the symbol of both duntsmen and of high 359 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: intelligence in general. A sort of bizarre So like what happened? 360 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:00,640 Speaker 1: Like what changed the hats from a mark of pride 361 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: to this symbol of shame? I guess, funnily enough, it's 362 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: actually the Renaissance that changed it. So by the mid 363 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: sixteenth century, popular theology and philosophy had moved away from 364 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: Scotus and his teachings, and that lack of popular favor 365 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: made the remaining Dunsmen look silly and kind of outdated. 366 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: Plus their pointy hats didn't help, so over time, the 367 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: dunceman and the dunce cap kind of became the symbol 368 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,679 Speaker 1: of foolishness and stupidity. Such a strange legacy. On the 369 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 1: bright side, though, historians have kind of vindicated Scotus over 370 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: the years, and he's not held up as one of 371 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 1: the finest thinkers of the Middle Ages, and Pope John 372 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: Paul the second even beautified him back in for his 373 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: work as a religious scholar. So who knows, maybe we 374 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: can turn things around for this famous cap too. Anyway, 375 00:19:45,000 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 1: We've got more to come, but first, a quick break 376 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,199 Speaker 1: welcome back to part time genius. So will you've probably 377 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: heard by now that sitting is the new smoking when 378 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: it comes to health concerns, and that's why so many 379 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,640 Speaker 1: offices these days are switching the standing desk for their workers. 380 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: But you know, despite all the studies touting the health 381 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: benefits of standing over sitting, it's unusual to find standing 382 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: desks in elementary schools, which I mean, that's a good 383 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,359 Speaker 1: point because it is kind of weird when you think 384 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 1: about I mean us whom all the benefits of standing 385 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,640 Speaker 1: desk apply just as well as students as they would 386 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: to adult office workers. Yeah, I mean, you're exactly right. 387 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: So there was this study that came out last year 388 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: and it found that third graders who used a standing 389 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: desk at school were more focused in the classroom and 390 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: more active overall compared to kids of the same age 391 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 1: he used traditional sit down desks. And another study came 392 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: up with the same results for second through fourth graders, 393 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: setting a twelve percent increase and engagement from students who 394 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 1: had the option of standing in class. I mean, it 395 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: does sound like things might change in the not too 396 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 1: distant future, and maybe we'll see standing desks become more 397 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: of the norm in these classrooms. Yeah, so, a handful 398 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,119 Speaker 1: of elementary schools across the country have already started adding 399 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: standing desk to the classrooms, and I'm guessing more and 400 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: more schools will jump on the trend as they become 401 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 1: more affordable. But in the meantime, one elementary school teacher 402 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: in California, Lynn Acres, has already made the switch to 403 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: standing desks, and she explained the benefits this way. Quote, 404 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: children naturally learned through movement. If you restrict them to sitting, 405 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: they interrupt you more and maybe asked to go to 406 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,640 Speaker 1: the bathroom a lot. They need to get their energy out, 407 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: which makes sense. But you know, on the other hand, 408 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,360 Speaker 1: restricting kids this standing all day long could also lead 409 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: to just as many problems. I mean, what if they 410 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: get tired. Yeah, so schools are actually using a mix 411 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 1: of standing and sitting desks, which lets the kids choose 412 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 1: the option what works best for them. And even at 413 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: schools where there are only standing desks, they tend to 414 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: provide kids with these tall chairs or stools so that 415 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: just in case they're tired, they can rest their legs. 416 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 1: It's definitely a smart move. And you know, since you 417 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: mentioned how kids need an outlet for their energy. I 418 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: do want to touch on something that's kind of become 419 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,439 Speaker 1: really a controversial topic. Are you talking about recess? I 420 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: am definitely talking about recess. You know, we have to 421 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: talk about recess. But instead of talking about how some 422 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: schools have tried to abolish recess, which maybe was where 423 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:13,479 Speaker 1: you were thinking, I actually wanted to look at how 424 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: we can make recess an even more effective form of 425 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: exercise than it already is. So, according to researchers in Denmark, 426 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 1: the perfect place to start is with our schools playgrounds. 427 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 1: In two thousand fifteen, Danis researchers conducted a study where 428 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 1: they had hundreds of elementary students where accelerometers and these 429 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: GPS trackers during their school year so that their activity 430 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,360 Speaker 1: levels at recess could actually be monitored. But here's the thing. 431 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 1: The kids didn't all attend the same school or have 432 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: recess on the same playground, and this variance allowed the 433 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: researchers to see which types of schoolyard are more or 434 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: less conducive to exercise, and so, based on the data 435 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,679 Speaker 1: from these accelerometers, the children in the study were significantly 436 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: more active when playing on grassy areas and it sites 437 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: featuring playground equipment, and on the other end of the spectrum, 438 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: concrete lots were the worst of the bunch, so they 439 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: elicited the least energy expenditure of all the environment studied. 440 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: So the hope is that with this kind of insight 441 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,719 Speaker 1: on what works best, developers can make better decisions and 442 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: create playgrounds and school yards where you know, it's easier 443 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: and more fun for kids to choose to be active 444 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: on their own. Which is interesting. So what kinds of 445 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 1: stuff are we talking about though, like, because I'm guessing 446 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: it's something beyond your typical slides and monkey bars. Yeah, 447 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 1: that's right. So that the researchers behind this study helped 448 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 1: a few different schools renovate their playgrounds and the main 449 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 1: focus was to widen the variety of activities on offer. 450 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: So in addition to the standard playground fair like swing sets, 451 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 1: they added these areas specifically designed for dancing and climbing 452 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:52,199 Speaker 1: and skating, and they even dedicated this trampoline area. And 453 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 1: I mean, really, who wouldn't want to spend at least 454 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,479 Speaker 1: an hour a day in a place like that all 455 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: those options? I know, it does sound pretty fun and 456 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: in the end. Isn't that the only school supply that 457 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: a kid really needs? Fun? Pens, pencils, notebooks, rulers, there's 458 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: probably a few other things. Yeah, it's like a true 459 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: grown up. So why don't we keep the fun going 460 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: with a fact off? H So here's a quick one 461 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 1: on crayons. According to a Yale University study, Crayola crayons 462 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 1: are one of the most recognizable sense for adults, ranking 463 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 1: at number eighteen of all the sense they tried, and 464 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: it beat out Believe this or not, cheese and bleach. Wow, 465 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: that's impressive. All right, Well, speaking of names for crayons, 466 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 1: did you know that Krayola uses multiple names to refer 467 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,919 Speaker 1: to the same colors. So the practice started early, with 468 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: the company using fifty four names to refer to just 469 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: thirty eight separate colors by the end of nineteen oh three, 470 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: and things only balloon from there. So you fast forward 471 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 1: to two thousand fifteen and Crayola had to signed seven 472 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty nine names to just three hundred and 473 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: thirty one colors. Now, to be clear, though, this doesn't 474 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: mean the company is stuffing duplicate crayons and the same 475 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: box under a different name, but if you were to 476 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: open different boxes, you might actually find that the same 477 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: blue crayon is simultaneously labeled as Liberty blue, iron Man blue, 478 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 1: or Birdie blue, depending on the box that you get. 479 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: So pencils may seem a little old fashioned as more 480 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 1: kids learned to type and use pens, but don't count 481 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: them out just yet. According to the Chicago Tribune, they 482 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: keep coming back into fashion every so often, and when 483 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: Sudoku first became a craze, pencils actually had a seven 484 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 1: percent increase in sales in London. Holy cow. All right, well, 485 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: here's a quick one. I didn't realize until our friend 486 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: Aaron McCarthy did the story on trapper keepers. So apparently 487 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: the unique folders were called trappers because they kept papers 488 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 1: in them so well, and then the binder was called 489 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: a trapper keeper because it held all the trappers to 490 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 1: get there. You know, I had always wondered why it 491 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,399 Speaker 1: had that name. It is such a strange name for 492 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: a product that I absolutely love. So you gave us 493 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 1: the skinny on Elmer's glue at the top of the show. 494 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:11,959 Speaker 1: So now I'm actually going to clue you in on 495 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,680 Speaker 1: Elmer himself, because I believe it or not. Elmer wasn't 496 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: created just for the glue bottle. He was actually based 497 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: on a real bull that the Board and Company used 498 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: to advertise its products at the World's Fair. So the 499 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,360 Speaker 1: original plan was to have the dairy company's famous spokes 500 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,199 Speaker 1: cow Elsie, appear at the event, but she was actually 501 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: busy shooting the film version of Little Women or or 502 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: the sequel I guess Little Men bizarre, but she was 503 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: on set, so Boorden knew they couldn't show up to 504 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:41,359 Speaker 1: the World's Fair empty handed, so at the last minute, 505 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:44,680 Speaker 1: the company found a bull to use instead, and at 506 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 1: the fair, the company dubbed him Elmer and announced that 507 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,160 Speaker 1: he was the unmentioned husband of Elsie, which I'm sure 508 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:53,200 Speaker 1: Elsie wasn't too happy about it, but the public loved 509 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: the idea, and Elmer was quickly made the mascot for 510 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: the Board and Chemical division, you know, the other side 511 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 1: of the company, And that's how we wound up on 512 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: the glue that would eventually bear his name. That was 513 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: a a much more involved origin story than I expected 514 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:08,959 Speaker 1: for the for the fact off especially, but I do 515 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: like the way you brought the episode full circle, So 516 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 1: just for that, I think I'm gonna give you the trophy. 517 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: I will take it all right. Well, that's gonna do it. 518 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 1: For today's Part Time Genius for myself, Mango, Gabe, and Lowell. 519 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back soon with 520 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: another episode. Part Time Genius is a production of I 521 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit 522 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you 523 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite show.