Lateral with Tom Scott 54: Smearing honey on doors
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Oct 20, 2023 Podcast guests discuss topics such as navigating international grocery stores, photo cell light controls, observing children's signals, the history of the stethoscope, track rail expansion, using honey to smooth glass, and the mystery of a brass contraption.
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Tracker SIM Stolen From Migrating Stork
- A Polish charity discovered a SIM on a tracking device fitted to a stork had been removed and used to rack up $2,700 in international calls.
- They only learned this when the charity received the unexpected cell-phone bill after the bird reached Sudan.
Stethoscope Born From Kids Scratching Wood
- René Laennec watched children send signals by scratching a hollow log and realized sound travels through wood.
- That observation inspired his wooden tube for listening to chests, the precursor to the stethoscope.
Long Film Used As Ratings Protest
- Filmmaker Charlie Shackleton made a 10+ hour film of paint drying to force the British ratings board to watch it.
- He used the board's per-minute fee structure as a protest against the high cost of classifying films.