Lateral with Tom Scott 101: George Washington and boxing
Sep 13, 2024
The hosts dive into whimsical sports banter, chatting about the quirky world of badminton and its scoring intricacies. They humorously speculate on George Washington's possible boxing career, mixing history with modern culture. Other highlights include a fascinating look at sound in sports and film production, alongside a playful discussion on dolphin care. The blend of absurdity and knowledge ensures a delightful ride, as they tackle everything from seasonal product trends to the complexities of aviation.
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Spin Serve Changed Badminton Play
- Marcus Rinshoi invented a spin serve in badminton that curves the shuttlecock midair, turning a routine serve into an almost unreturnable weapon.
- The Badminton World Federation temporarily banned the technique in May 2023 to study its effects after pros showed it created a competitive leap.
Holst Used A Door To Create Neptune's Fade
- Gustav Holst places the female chorus in an adjoining room for Neptune to create an ethereal fade-out effect as the door closes slowly.
- The score instructs the door be left open until the last bar then silently closed to make the voices recede mysteriously.
Date Frequencies Skew Product Sales
- Sales irregularities (94%, 92%, 58%) came from products tied to calendar day numbers: items for 29, 30, and 31 appear less often because fewer months contain those dates.
- Example: personalized numerology birthday cards sold by day show much lower demand for the 31st, about 58% of average.