Lateral with Tom Scott 182: The calendar goal scorer
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Apr 3, 2026 Johnny Robbins, quiz developer and podcaster, and James Smales, podcaster and quiz writer, join the panel. They probe why a striker is nicknamed for months, Norway's odd skateboard-related ban, and how pneumatic tubes moved money and printouts. They also unpack moving ancient buildings like a sliding puzzle and reveal a TV PIN Easter egg.
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Why The Calendar Goalscorer Nickname Exists
- Colombian footballer Efmam Hassan D. Gonzalez is nicknamed the calendar goalscorer because his forename was constructed from the first letters of months.
- His unusual name (Efmam Hassond) spells out months J-A-S-O-N-D pattern recognition made the nickname memorable on and off the pitch.
Norway's Skateboarding Ban Explained
- Norway banned skateboard trucks on ramps from 1978 to 1989 because of injury data from the US that prompted a nationwide skateboarding ban.
- The law targeted skateboard 'trucks' (the metal axle assemblies) and effectively outlawed skateboarding for 11 years, fueling an underground scene.
Why Pneumatic Tubes Spread To Strange Places
- William Murdoch's 1790s pneumatic tube system sent cylinders through partial-vacuum tubes to move items quickly.
- The system later moved money in casinos, printouts in NASA Mission Control, and cash in Japanese love hotels for discreet transactions.