Forever Ago

There’s stuff from ancient Egypt in museums all over the world, from jewelry and statues to mummified bodies. But it turns out a lot of that stuff was stolen.Joy and co-host Hania learn how Europeans took control of so many important artifacts from ancient Egypt. Plus, they teach a video game character about the disturbing history of unwrapping parties, where Victorian people in the 1800s would unwrap mummified bodies in front of a crowd of people.On First Things First we try to find out which came earliest in history: traces of cheese, written language or evidence of juggling!This episode was sponsored by:Fabric (Meetfabric.com/forever - Apply today in just 10 minutes. Policies issued by Western-Southern Life Assurance Company. Not available in certain states. Prices subject to underwriting and health questions.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Become a Smarty Pass subscriber today to access bonus episodes and ad-free episodes of Brains On!, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago -- all right here in your favorite podcast player.Visit smartypass.org/foreverago to get your Smarty Pass! It's $4/month or $36/year (a three-month discount!)Don't worry: This feed will stay free and we’ll be posting new episodes just like we always have.Whether you choose to subscribe, or keep listening in our free feeds, we so appreciate you listening to our shows and being a part of the Brains On universe.Thank you so much for your support!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab your hedge clippers and don’t forget to feed your plastic flamingos! Joy and cohost Max are exploring the surprising history—and even more surprising legacy—of the American lawn. The clean, green front lawn has been synonymous with the American Dream for decades, but…why do we like lawns so much? A green-year-round carpet of grass takes a lot of water and other resources to maintain, and can pollute local ecosystems. How can we get the pleasant sanctuary of a traditional lawn without harming the environment? Joy and Max climb a massive hill and find some donkeys, and lawnfluencer superstar Ry-Ry the Lawn Guy experiences a revelation. We hear from local wildlife, and environmental conservationist and tall-grass enthusiast Neil Diboll encourages us to let our lawn’s wild side come out to play. Naturally, the biggest question is: Will Joy construct the perfect topiary self-portrait?Once you’ve gotten the grass stains out of your pants, see if you can put this First Things First in the correct order: Plastic lawn flamingoes, the gas-powered lawnmower, and AstroTurf. Also--what summer shoe is one of the oldest styles of footwear in the whole world? Didja Know has the deets!This episode was sponsored by:Fabric Insurance (Meetfabric.com/forever - Apply today in just 10 minutes at meet fabric dot com slash forever. Policies issued by Western-Southern Life Assurance Company. Not available in certain states. Prices subject to underwriting and health questions.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready to shred! Joy and cohost Buddy are building the most epic guitarchestra (aka guitar orchestra) in this week’s episode — so they’re auditioning some of history’s most notable guitar players. Jazz innovator Charlie Christian shows off his strumming solos, which made scores of people want to buy electric guitars. Les Paul not only plays the electric guitar, he updates the look and sound, paving the way for rock and roll. And musician Sima Cunningham from the band Ohmme stops by to show off the special pedals she uses to push the boundaries of what a guitar even sounds like. Of course, the biggest question is: will Joy’s air guitar chops earn her a seat in the guitarchestra?All shredding aside, see if you can put this First Things First in the correct order: record players, headphones and pianos. Also, why do movie trailers come at the beginning of movies? Didja Know makes sense of it all!This episode was sponsored by:Fabric Insurance (Meetfabric.com/forever - Apply today in just 10 minutes at meet fabric dot com slash forever. Policies issued by Western-Southern Life Assurance Company. Not available in certain states. Prices subject to underwriting and health questions.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking for a story full of spies, sabotage, and feuding scientists? Get ready to dig into today’s episode all about the Bone Wars, a raging rivalry over discovering dinosaur bones and other fossils. Joy and her co-host Siddharth meet two competitive, popsicle-loving paleontologists who can’t seem to stop bickering. We’ll also learn about the history of paleontology with the help of science writer Riley Black.Plus, do you know which animal went extinct first: dodo birds, sabertooth tigers, or wooly mammoths? Find out in First Things First. You can also uncover how cartoons were invented on Didja Know. All this and a bag of bones in this episode of Forever Ago!If you just can’t get enough dynamite dino stories, this episode has a partner in our Brains On feed. It’s called Did the Brontosaurus really exist? Intriguing, right? Check it out!This episode was sponsored byFabric by Gerber Life (Meetfabric.com/forever - Apply today in just 10 minutes at meet fabric dot com slash forever. Policies issued by Western-Southern Life Assurance Company. Not available in certain states. Prices subject to underwriting and health questions.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back with a hot new episode on staying cool! We’re talking about the history of air conditioning, our favorite frosty invention. Joy and co-host Maeve meet a sassy talking ice unicorn who is trying to find a place to chill out (and not melt!). Find out what chocolate, chewing gum and macaroni have to do with the invention of air conditioning. Plus, hear about some eco-friendly ways to beat the heat (splash pads, anyone?).First Things First is back, too! Find out which was invented first: frozen yogurt, slushies or snow cones. Find all this frozen goodness, and a peek into why school buses are yellow, in this episode of Forever Ago!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey there Forever Friends! We’re coming back with new weekly episodes, starting next week. Until then, check out this cash-riffic show from our pals at Million Bazillion.If you add up all the money a grown-up makes in their lifetime, it might sound like a lot! Surely they must have more to show for it. Where are the castles, the ponies, the fancy cars? In this episode, with the help of a magic necklace and a podcast-loving neighbor, we’ll do the numbers on the stuff grown-ups have to pay for every day. It’s not all pizza parties and ice cream sundaes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahoy, matey! When you think of a pirate, you’re probably thinking of a white man with a beard and an eyepatch, maybe a pegleg, maybe a parrot on his shoulder. But we’re here to tell you that pirates didn’t usually look like that. Joy and co-host Elsa learn about what pirates were really like from expert Laura Sook Duncombe (instead of an eyepatch, they usually had… a written contract?) and hear the story of Cheng I Sao, a fierce female pirate who ruled the South China Sea in the early 19th century. And on First Things First, it’s an all captain edition. Who came first: Captain America, Captain Hook, or Cap’n Crunch?We want to hear what you think about Forever Ago! You can help us out by filling out a short audience survey: foreverago.org/surveyThis episode was sponsored by:Outschool (outschool.com/foreverago to save $15 on your child’s first class)Fabric Insurance (meetfabric.com/FOREVER Fabric Insurance Agency policies issued by Vantis Life. Not available in New York and Montana. Prices subject to underwriting and health questions.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whenever you go to a big pool or a public beach, you’ll always see lifeguards around: a person whose job it is to stand by the water and make sure everybody is safe. It’s a cool job, but did you ever wonder how it got started? Joy and co-host Brooklyn want to learn how to be lifeguards, and they learn from a couple of robots programmed to be like Hawaiian surfing legends Duke Kahanamoku and George Freeth, who are part of the early history of lifeguarding in the United States. And on First Things First, you’ll guess which came first: seatbelts, fire extinguishers, or CPR.Also, we have a favor to ask of you! We want to know a little bit more about our listeners and it will help us a lot if you’d head to foreverago.org/survey and complete a short, anonymous survey. It takes less than 5 minutes and you’ll be doing all of us at Forever Ago a huge favor by filling it out. Again, that’s foreverago.org/survey. Thanks so much!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everybody loves a nice dip in the pool when it’s hot outside… but if you never learned to swim, that pool can be pretty scary. Host Joy Dolo and co-host Brooklyn take us on a personal journey this week, exploring Joy’s own history with swimming, along with why many African-Americans aren’t comfortable in the water. (Hint: it’s about colonialism.) We’ll look at the history of swimming around the world, some of the misguided beliefs that led some people to think there was only one right way to swim. We’ll also meet someone who’s working to make sure more Black kids know how to get around in the water. Plus, there’s a new First Things First! What came first: swim caps, swim fins, or swim goggles?This episode was sponsored by:Outschool (outschool.com/foreverago to save $15 on your child’s first class)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.