Dumping out my purse (update on the podcast)
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Jul 19, 2022•6 min
Your Brain on Facts
Host Moxie LaBouche brings you a weekly half-hour of things you didn't know, things you thought you knew, and things you never knew you never knew. Topics range from the history of nursing to the Balinese funeral rite David Bowie requested, from the origin of the Vulcan salute to the theft of Canada's strategic maple syrup reserve. This is your brain on facts. yourbrainonfacts.com
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Episodes
Episode 200, part 2!
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Jul 05, 2022•54 min•Ep. 200
Episode 200!!!!
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Jun 28, 2022•51 min•Ep. 200
Big, Bold Burglaries (ep 199)
How hard was it to steal the Mona Lisa? What does the word "ponzi" actually mean? Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt. Music: Kevin MacLeod, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 21, 2022•33 min•Ep. 199
Hidden Histories - Rosewood, Tulsa, Chicago (encore)
(Chronic health problems sometime require an encore performance of a past episode.) Hundreds dead, thousands homeless, entire communities wiped out, yet most of us have never heard of what happened in Rosewood 1923, Tulsa 1921, or Chicago 1919. Music by Kevin MacLeod Read the full script. Reach out and touch Moxie on FB, Twit, the 'Gram or email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 14, 2022•29 min
Strange Currency (ep. 198)
What do limestone, leather, plastic and mulberry tree bark have in common? They've all been used to make money, plus lots of other materials besides! Join me for a quick jaunt around the world and through history and we look at a fraction of the history of currency. Shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a patron of the podcast arts!...
Jun 07, 2022•35 min•Ep. 198
Suspect Sustenance Stories (ep. 197)
Who was General Tsao of chicken fame? Where do Danish pastries come from? Is pad Thai actually Thai food? All that and more in this patron-voted episode! 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt. Music: Kevin MacLeod, Learn more about y...
May 31, 2022•35 min•Ep. 197
Awfully Fond of You (ep. 196)
How did rubber ducks go from lumps of rubber that didn't even float to a cheerful childhood staple? Let's look at where they came from, where they're going, and why they keep showing up at violent political protests. 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross 00:38 Bit of backstory 07:13 Bert's best buddy 10:25 Review, patrons, thanks! 12:00 Ducks for charity or science 17:58 Giant ducks, wild and domestic 20:16 Can You Hear The Duckies Sing? 22:45 THE Rubber Duck Links t...
May 24, 2022•34 min•Ep. 196
Dread Pirate Misinformation (ep 195)
Finally, I get to the subtopic that launched not one but two episodes, the Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet, as well as the most interesting boring thing I could find and why science didn't get a handle on scurvy until nearly WWII. (Apologies in advance because I was red-lining my mic throughout and I have no idea why -- I'd been doing VO jobs all day with no such issue.) 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross 01:03 Ye scurvy dog 08:27 Gratitude et al 11:30 The doldrums ...
May 17, 2022•32 min•Ep. 195
Yaarrrr Brain On Facts (ep. 194)
What started as a need to tell the real story of "Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet has turned into a myth vs history two-parter! I love when that happens. Hear about pirate pensions, the makeup of the mariners, and civil unions on the seven seas. Special thanks to Charlie and Jesse over the in Brainiac Breakroom for help with the title. 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Rea...
May 10, 2022•32 min•Ep. 194
D'oh! (no episode this week)
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May 03, 2022•59 sec
We Can't Have Nice Things - Radio Contests (ep. 193)
It's the return of our occasional series, We Can't Have Nice Things. This week, we look at radio contest and promotions that went badly wrong, often at the draft stage. Free nude wedding anyone? 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross at yourbrainonfacts.com/merch 02:45 Radio Luxembourg's Ice Block Challenge 06:02 Bait & switch 10:12 Rules are rules 17:36 Review and news 20:40 No accounting for taste 22:15 Library of Chaos 27:27 Good, better, breast 30:08 Playing m...
Apr 26, 2022•37 min•Ep. 193
Courthouse Rock (ep.192)
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear leather jackets with chains, long hair, and lots of eyeliner! Today we look at three times heavy metal musicians said "We're not gonna take it" and defended the freedom of speech, but were they "Breaking the Law" and just "Howl(ing) at the Moon"? 0:42 Twisted Sister vs Congress 17:07 Reviews and news 19:58 Ozzy Osbourne's Suicide Solution 26:20 Judas Priest, Better Than You 28:28 Subliminal back-masking 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine...
Apr 19, 2022•37 min•Ep. 192
Gregor MacGregor (ep. 190)
People used to say "If you believe that, I have some swampland in Florida to sell you," but they really should have said, "I have some lovely acres in the Republic of Poyais you can buy, but you have to act now!" Presenting one of my favorite con artists ever, the man who declared himself prince of a South American country that didn't exist, Gregor MacGregor (yes, that's really his name). Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and t...
Apr 05, 2022•19 min•Ep. 190
Fell on Black Days: Sunday (ep. 189)
(Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MOXIE - Enter promo code MOXIE for 83% off and 3 extra months free!) T-shirt for Ukraine, all proceeds and matching donation to Ukraine Red Cross at yourbrainonfacts.com/merch There are four Sundays a month, but more than a dozen days we call "Black Sunday." Here are three -- two forces of nature and one parade of schadenfreude. 02:42 Black Blizzard 12:45 Bondi Beach 24:42 Disneyland Quote reader: Vlado from It's Not Rocket Surgery Promo: Remnant Ste...
Mar 29, 2022•36 min•Ep. 189
Tax and Taxonomy (ep. 188)
Who you gonna believe -- me or your lying eyes? Today we look at court cases where people try to avoid taxes by arguing that things aren't the things that they clearly are. 00:50 Tomato 08:18 Jaffa Cakes 17:48 Hydrox vs Oreo 37:40 X-Men Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt. Music: Kevin MacLeod, Wa...
Mar 22, 2022•36 min•Ep. 188
It Stinks! (your sense of smell, ep. 187)
Our Patrons have a nose for good topics, so today we 07:04 Smells and space 14:40 Ham-sniffer 21:17 It's the pits 30:48 Aromatherapy Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt. Music: Kevin MacLeod, and The Mini Vandals. Sources: https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/premium-iberian-ham-sniffers-are-tire...
Mar 15, 2022•35 min•Ep. 187
Witty, Wild Women (ep 186)
Why did no one tell me about Moms Mabley?!! Hear about her and other 'living loud and proud' ladies (Dorothy Parker, Mae West, Tallulah Bankhead) on this International Women's Day. 01:00 Tallulah Bankhead 13:00 Mae West 23:00 Moms Mabley Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt. Music: Kevin MacLeod, D...
Mar 08, 2022•41 min•Ep. 186
Dying for Your Art (ep. 185)
Voted on by our Patreon, we dive into the deadly side of sculpture, painting, ballet and more! 01:36 Blucifer 04:00 Get the lead out 10:00 Ballet blazes 20:45 Death by a thousand face 26:43 The Conqueror and the conquered Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt. Music: Kevin MacLeod, David Fesilyan, D...
Mar 01, 2022•31 min•Ep. 185
Earth's Unsungest Heroes: Black Inventors, pt 4 (ep 184)
Necessity is the mother of invention and these inventions had real mothers! Hear about Black female inventors, the tribulations of research, and a story I didn't expect to find and couldn't pass up. 01:00 L'histoire 06:36 Martha Jones's corn husker 07:55 Mary Jones de Leon's cooking apparatus 08:56 Judy Reed's dough kneader-roller 10:30 Sarah Goode's folding bed-desk 11:40 Sarah Boon's ironing board 17:15 Lyda Newman's hairbrush 19:33 Madam CJ Walker's Wonderful Hair-grower 22:03 Biddy Mason Lin...
Feb 22, 2022•37 min
Earth's Unsung-est Heroes: Black Inventors, pt. 3 (ep. 183)
Congrats to Hearts & Wheels, who won week 2 of #moxiemillion, by sharing the show to help it reach 1 million downloads this month! Necessity is the mother of invention and who was in a more necessitous position than victims of the Atlantic slave trade? You may revolutionize industries, but good luck getting a patent. 00:47 Patents and law 06:40 Benjamin Bradley 09:10 Benjamin Montgomery 16:30 Thomas Jennings 23:15 Henry Boyd Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out wi...
Feb 15, 2022•28 min•Ep. 183
The African Queens (ep 182)
Congrats to Richard Enriquez, who won week 1 of #moxiemillion, by sharing the show to help it reach 1 million downloads this month! Cleopatra-schmeopatra! Hear the stories of three queens of Africa who should also be household names. Starring the clever queen Moremi, the fierce queen Amanirenas, and the terrifying queen Ranavalona. Links to all the research resources are on the website. 3:06 Moremi of Ife 10:54 Amanirena of Kush 23:00 Ranavalona I of Madagascar Hang out with your fellow Brainiac...
Feb 08, 2022•35 min•Ep. 182
Gods and Monkeys (ep. 181)
With half the world's continents being home to a panoply of monkey species, it's no wonder the people of Center & South America, Asia, and Africa hold monkeys in high esteems as mythological and religious figures. Hear about Hanuman, howlers, Hapi, and a helluva lot more (and yes, Sun Wukong, obviously). Links to all the research resources are on the website. 04:45 Japan: Sarugami 09:57 Central/South America: howler monkey god 13:50 Africa: Gbekre Hapi, Babi 17:35 India: Hanuman 27:00 China:...
Feb 01, 2022•34 min•Ep. 181
Cons, Scams, and Flim-Flams with Pretend (ep. 180)
Javier Leiva from Pretend did a podcast with me!!!! Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. We teach each other about: 03:10 a pig in a poke 06:30 salting a mine 10:00 melon drop 14:50 vanity awards 21:55 Baltimore stock-broker 25:00 fake casting agents Plus learn the three most interesting things about me! Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about your ad...
Jan 25, 2022•33 min•Ep. 180
Voice Over The Moon, pt 2 (ep 179)
How'd it go for the first BBC announcer with an accent? How much work can you get if you "make it" in voiceover? How much did the woman behind Siri make? And what's a pencil got to do with any of this? All this and more in part 2! Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 00:25 RP and Wilfred Pickles (voiced by Simon Jackson) 04:26 T...
Jan 18, 2022•34 min•Ep. 179
Voice Over the Moon, vol. 1 (ep. 178)
From a rogue radio operator, to Bugs Bunny, to the lady who recorded all the time and temperature message for the phone company, we look at some history and notable names in voicework (which is what I do for a living, hire me!) Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 02:52 Jane Barbe, the voice on the telephone 04:58 Reginald Fesse...
Jan 11, 2022•29 min•Ep. 178
Very New Year (ep. 177)
Happy new year! Or is it? It depends on which calendar you're using. Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Music: Kevin MacLeod, David Fesliyan. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Links to all the research resources are on the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 04, 2022•18 min•Ep. 177
The Christmas Truce
Happy holidays to all my beautiful Brainiacs! Enjoy this bonus mini episode on a bit of history that, while not obscure, should be better-known (and taken to heart) by more people -- the WWI Christmas Truce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 24, 2021•14 min
Worst. Christmas Song. Ever. (ep. 176)
Voted on by our Patreon, we look at the what, how, and for-gods-sake-why of some of those most hated holiday songs! 02:40 Banned songs 08:09 Wonderful Christmastime 10:45 Chipmunks Song 16:36 Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth) Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Music: Kevin MacLeod, David Fesliyan. Reach out and touch Moxie o...
Dec 21, 2021•28 min•Ep. 176
Take That to the Bank (ep. 175)
Strategic reserves -- everything from Canadian maple syrup to seeds -- are intended to stabilize prices or to help us survive, in both the short and long term. So what are we keeping and why? (and what happens if someone steals it?!) Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Music: Kevin MacLeod, David Fesliyan. Reach out and touch M...
Dec 14, 2021•37 min•Ep. 175
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