99% Invisible Mini-Stories : Volume 14
Jan 19, 2022
Dive into delightful mini-stories that celebrate everyday wonders! Discover how cycling meets architecture during the Tour de France, enriching the sport with cultural insights. Uncover the true origins of daylight saving time and the humorous myths around Benjamin Franklin. Delve into the intriguing history of fire poles in firehouses, highlighting their evolution from practical tools to nostalgic relics. It's a lively mix of joy, history, and unexpected connections that will brighten your day!
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Tour de France as Tourism
- The Tour de France organizers saw the architectural commentary as a way to promote tourism and improve the race's financial situation.
- They started providing commentators with detailed guidebooks about the French countryside.
Listener Feedback
- Chris Berube discusses listener feedback on a previous episode about daylight saving time.
- Many listeners mistakenly attributed the invention of daylight saving time to Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin's Economical Project
- Benjamin Franklin wrote a satirical essay titled "An Economical Project" while in Paris.
- He observed Parisians' late-rising habits and humorously suggested using cannons to wake them up at sunrise.