Lateral with Tom Scott 184: Popcorn in the sea
4 snips
Apr 17, 2026 
Sarah Renae Clark, artist and YouTuber known for large colouring projects. Dani Siller, co-host/producer of Escape This Podcast and puzzle enthusiast. Bill Sunderland, podcaster and co-creator of Escape This Podcast. They puzzle over Portman Toe injuries, a popcorn sea spill used for marine cleanup training, Rubik's Cube calendars, backyard ultra pacing and the Fosbury flop's origins.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Natalie Portman Toe Injuries On Black Swan
- Natalie Portman repeatedly injured her toe while filming Black Swan, and the crew nicknamed the resulting downtime the Natalie Portman's left toe delay.
- The phrase was shortened to Portman Toe as a portmanteau of Portman and toe, used jokingly about her frequent injuries.
How Lack Of Toilets Preserved A Victorian Theatre
- Not upgrading to modern toilets left the Britannia Panopticon's timber floors saturated with urine from rowdy audiences, preserving and protecting the wood from fire.
- The absorbed moisture and ammonia made the structure too damp to burn, helping it survive to the present day.
John Stapp's Rocket Sled Experiments
- John Stapp rode rocket-propelled sleds on tracks in the 1940s–50s to test extreme deceleration, reaching speeds up to 632 mph and experiencing decelerations of ~46G.
- He often went home in an ambulance due to injuries and dressed in the dark fearing potential eye damage from tests.