Lateral with Tom Scott 180: A curved bridge
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Mar 20, 2026 Rowan Ellis, filmmaker and content creator; Jordan Adika, comedian and podcaster; Jarvis Johnson, YouTuber and cultural commentator. They ponder viral business card pranks, why a bridge between Zambia and Botswana curves, Disney’s ‘go-away’ colours, tiny trademark boxes in cartoons, and a fighter plane that allegedly shot itself down. Quick, funny, and full of lateral thinking.
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Don't Post Employees' Personal Info For A Laugh
- Avoid public doxxing even for viral jokes; posting a retail worker's card led to unwanted attention.
- The employee Sam (Samsung) later changed name and auctioned cards for charity, showing consequences and remediation steps.
Alphabet Song Preserves Ancient Pictograms
- The alphabet song preserves ancient pictograms: A from ox head, B from house, C from camel, Z from a sickle-like weapon.
- These early glyphs evolved over millennia into the modern letters sung in children's alphabet songs.
Jet Caught Its Own Bullets During Test Flight
- A test F-11 Tiger accidentally shot itself when 20mm cannon shells slowed and the aircraft overtook them at high speed.
- A shell struck the windshield, pierced the airframe and damaged the engine, causing total power failure.