Smartest Year Ever

Gordy

The Smartest Year Ever began as a 365-day experiment in curiosity. In 2025, I dropped a new fact every single day. History, science, language, word origins, and strange true stories, all the stuff that somehow makes you sound smarter in conversation. The goal hasn’t changed: help you become the world’s greatest conversationalist.

  1. 1d ago

    Why Some People Suddenly Become Geniuses (Savant Syndrome)

    Today I explore one of the strangest and most fascinating phenomena in neuroscience: acquired savant syndrome. Can a brain injury unlock hidden abilities? Can an ordinary person suddenly develop extraordinary talents without training? And what does that reveal about the true potential of the human brain? In this episode, I examine the remarkable cases of Derek Amato, Orlando Serrell, Diana de Avila, Tommy McHugh, and other individuals whose lives changed after head injuries, strokes, illnesses, or unexplained neurological events. Along the way, we'll explore savant syndrome, synesthesia, brain plasticity, neurodiversity, memory, creativity, genius, and the neuroscience behind sudden bursts of extraordinary ability. We'll also dive into the research of psychiatrist Darold Treffert and neuroscientist Allan Snyder, whose work raises a profound question: How much of the human brain's potential remains hidden from conscious awareness? If you're interested in psychology, neuroscience, intelligence, memory, brain injuries, human potential, unusual medical mysteries, cognitive science, learning, creativity, and extraordinary true stories, this episode is for you. #SavantSyndrome #Neuroscience #Psychology #BrainScience #HumanBrain #CognitiveScience  Sources • Blumberg, L. (2024). The Sudden Genius. Psychology Today. • Snyder, A. (2009). Explaining and inducing savant skills: privileged access to lower level, less-processed information. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 364(1522), 1399–1405. • Snyder, A., Bahramali, H., Hawker, T., & Mitchell, D. J. (2006). Savant-like numerosity skills revealed in normal people by magnetic pulses. Perception, 35(6), 837–845. • Snyder, A. W., Mulcahy, E., Taylor, J. L., Mitchell, D. J., Sachdev, P., & Gandevia, S. (2003). Savant-like skills exposed in normal people by suppressing the left fronto-temporal lobe. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, 2(2), 149–158. • Thomson, H. (2013, May 10). Stroke turned ex-con into rhyming painter. New Scientist. • Treffert, D. A. (2015). Accidental Genius. Scientific American. • Treffert, D. A., & Ries, N. M. (2021). Sudden Savant Syndrome: A New Form of Extraordinary Knowing. Wisconsin Medical Journal, 120(1). Thumbnail photo of Derek Amato courtesy UPROXX via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Music thanks to Zapsplat.

    8 min

  2. Jun 6

    Why Can't Living People Be on U.S. Money?

    Today I explore one of the strangest stories in American history: the reason living people are generally banned from appearing on U.S. currency. The story begins with George Washington, moves through the Civil War, and eventually lands on a little-known Treasury official named Spencer Clark, whose face somehow ended up on American money. The fallout led Congress to pass what became known as the Thayer Amendment, shaping U.S. currency policy for more than 160 years. Along the way, we'll look at paper money, fractional currency, Lewis and Clark, Salmon P. Chase, Calvin Coolidge, commemorative coins, and the modern debate surrounding proposals for a $250 bill, living presidents on currency, and the rules governing American money today. If you've ever wondered why only certain historical figures appear on U.S. bills and coins, this is one of the most bizarre and entertaining explanations in American political history. Music thanks to Zapsplat. #History #AmericanHistory #USCurrency #MoneyHistory #CivilWarHistory #USHistory #Historyfacts Atlas Obscura. (2025, August). A Treasury Official in 1866 Put His Own Face on U.S. Currency. Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2026). Can a Living Person Appear on U.S. Currency? Tradition, Thayer Act, & Trump Coins. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Spencer M. Clark. U.S. Department of the Treasury. FindLaw. (2026, March 31). A Change in Change? Trump Faces Lawsuit Over Plan to Put Himself on Coin. Jezebel. (2026, May). Trump Admin Removed Treasury Official After She Objected to Printing $250 Bill with Trump's Face. Northeastern University News. (2026, May 29). What Trump's Proposed $250 Bill Could Mean for Future Currency. Numismatic News. (2022, May). A Blunder at the Treasury Department in 1864. Thayer, M. R. (1866). Speech before the U.S. House of Representatives. Time. (2026, May 29). Treasury Prepares to Put Trump on a $250 Bill—If Congress Allows It. United States Code, Title 31, §5114. WAVY News. (2026, May). Trump $250 Bill Proposal Sparks Backlash.

    7 min

  3. May 30

    Why Wasn’t Buzz Aldrin First on the Moon?

    Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969, but what if history had gone differently? Today I explore one of the most fascinating questions in space history: Why wasn’t Buzz Aldrin first on the Moon? Was Neil Armstrong always NASA's choice? Did Apollo 11 follow a predetermined plan? And what role did NASA politics, astronaut personalities, spacecraft design, and pure circumstance play in deciding who would take the most famous step in human history? Along the way, we'll dig into the controversy surrounding Armstrong's famous "one small step for man" quote, the debate over whether he planned it in advance, the near-disaster during the Apollo 11 lunar landing, and the surprising reason there are so few photographs of Armstrong actually standing on the Moon. If you enjoy space history, Apollo 11, NASA, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, the Moon landing, astronaut stories, science history, Cold War history, and fascinating true stories, you're in the right place. #Apollo11 #MoonLanding #NeilArmstrong #BuzzAldrin #SpaceHistory #NASA #spacefacts Music thanks to Zapsplat. Sources • Aldrin, B. (1973). Return to Earth. Random House. • Armstrong, N. (2005). Interview with Ed Bradley, 60 Minutes. CBS News. • Collins, M. (1974). Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. • Hansen, J. R. (2005). First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong. Simon & Schuster. • Kraft, C. (2005). Interview cited in The New Yorker and discussed in HowStuffWorks, June 28, 2023. • NASA. (n.d.). Apollo 11 Mission Overview. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. • Nelson, C. (2009). Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon. Viking. • Portree, D. S. F. (2019, April 21). First on the Moon: Looking Back on the Apollo 11 Decision, 50 Years On. AmericaSpace.

    9 min

  4. May 23

    How Long Could You Survive on Each Planet?

    Today I break down one of the most extreme questions in space science and human survival: how long could you actually survive on each planet in our solar system with no spacesuit? From the crushing pressure of Venus, to the near-vacuum of Mars, to the chaos of the outer planets, every world presents a completely different way your body would fail. Some environments are instantly lethal, others give you just enough time to realize what’s happening, and that’s where things get interesting. This episode explores planetary environments, atmospheric pressure, temperature extremes, and the limits of human physiology in space. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you were suddenly exposed to another planet’s surface, this is the breakdown. And yes…I have a ranking system. Music thanks to Zapsplat. #SpaceFacts #Astronomy #ScienceExplained #planets #hypothetical #solarsystem HowStuffWorks. (2024). What If an Astronaut Went on a Space Walk Without Wearing a Space Suit? Live Science. (2021). What Would Happen to the Human Body in the Vacuum of Space? NASA Science. (2026). Venus Facts. NASA Science. (2025). Neptune Facts. NASA Science. (2025). Uranus Facts. NASA Space Place. (n.d.). What Is the Weather Like on Other Planets? Planetary Society. (2023). Life on Venus: Your Questions Answered. Science ABC. (2023). How Long Can You Survive on Various Celestial Bodies Without a Spacesuit? ScienceInsights. (2026). Why Venus Is Not Habitable: Heat, Acid, and Pressure. Space.com. (2022). Could People Breathe the Air on Mars? Space Center Houston. (2022). Meet the Solar System: Uranus. The Conversation. (2026). Could People Breathe the Air on Mars? World Atlas. (2025). The Fastest Winds in the Solar System.

    10 min

  5. May 16

    Why Nobody Could Read Egyptian for 1,400 Years

    Today I dive into one of the most fascinating mysteries in history: how Egyptian hieroglyphics became completely unreadable for over 1,400 years—and how a single discovery changed everything. For centuries, an entire civilization’s history, religion, science, and culture were preserved in stone across ancient Egypt… but no one could understand a word of it. Scholars believed hieroglyphics were purely symbolic, missing the deeper truth hidden within the language. That all changed with the discovery of the Rosetta Stone—one of the most important archaeological finds ever. This broken slab of stone became the key to unlocking ancient Egyptian language, allowing historians to finally begin decoding thousands of years of inscriptions, monuments, and written history. In this episode, I explore the story behind the Rosetta Stone, the race to decipher hieroglyphics, and the unlikely chain of events that led to one of the greatest breakthroughs in human knowledge. If you’ve ever wondered how we lost—and then rediscovered—an entire written language, this is the story. #languagefacts #historyfacts #ancientegypt #rosettastone #didyouknow #hieroglyphics Music thanks to Zapsplat. American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE). (2023). The Rosetta Stone: Unlocking the Ancient Egyptian Language. Art Journey Paris. (2022). How Did Champollion Decipher the Rosetta Stone and Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs? Artnet News. (2025, November 4). Egyptologists Call on British Museum to Return Rosetta Stone. British Museum. (2022). Eureka! Finding the Key to Ancient Egypt. British Museum. (n.d.). Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Rosetta Stone. EBSCO Research Starters. (n.d.). Discovery of the Rosetta Stone. History.com Editors. (n.d.). Rosetta Stone Found. History.com Editors. (n.d.). French Scholar Announces He’s Cracked the Rosetta Stone Code. JSTOR Daily. (2022). Jean-François Champollion Deciphers the Rosetta Stone. Linda Hall Library. (2024). The Rosetta Stone. Napoleon Foundation. (2019). The Rosetta Stone: A Journey from Alexandria to London. National Geographic. (2021). How the Rosetta Stone Unlocked the Secrets of Ancient Civilizations. NPR. (2022, October). Egyptians Call for the Return of the Rosetta Stone and Other Ancient Artifacts. The Collector. (2023). Jean-François Champollion: Deciphering the Rosetta Stone. The Conversation. (2022). Rosetta Stone: A New Museum Is Reviving Calls to Return the Artefact to Egypt.

    8 min

  6. May 9

    What Do You Actually Do If You Find Buried Treasure?

    Today I break down what actually happens when someone finds buried treasure—and more importantly, what you’re supposed to do next. From the famous Saddle Ridge Hoard to modern discoveries like the Great Kentucky Hoard, finding gold coins, hidden treasure, or valuable artifacts isn’t just a lucky payday—it’s a legal, financial, and historical situation most people completely misunderstand. If you’ve ever wondered: Do you actually own buried treasure on your property? Can you legally keep treasure you find? What are the laws around treasure trove in the United States? How do you sell gold coins or rare artifacts without getting ripped off? And why the IRS taxes treasure before you even sell it… This episode walks through exactly what you need to know—without ruining the surprise of how complicated this really gets. I also cover the biggest mistakes people make when they discover hidden gold, why cleaning coins can destroy their value instantly, how coin grading services like PCGS and NGC work, and what happens if you try to keep a major discovery quiet. #learnonyoutube #historyfacts #didyouknow #treasure #goldcoins #legalfacts #law Music thanks to Zapsplat. Cesarini v. United States, 296 F. Supp. 3 (N.D. Ohio 1969). Internal Revenue Service. (2026). Treasury Regulation § 1.61-14(a): Treasure trove and gross income. U.S. Department of the Treasury. McCarthy, D. J., & Kagin, D. (2014). Initial evaluation of the Saddle Ridge Hoard. Kagin’s Inc. Numismatic Guaranty Company. (2023). NGC certifies the Great Kentucky Hoard of pre-1865 U.S. gold coinage. Smithsonian Institution. (2024). Discovering the Saddle Ridge Hoard. National Museum of American History. Steinmetz, K. (2014). Gold coins: California couple looks set to keep Saddle Ridge hoard. TIME Magazine. Thomson Reuters. (2019). If I find treasure, can I keep it? FindLaw. JM Bullion. (2026). Should you clean your old coins? GovMint. (2026). State laws on buried treasure ownership in the U.S.

    11 min

  7. May 2

    You Don't Actually Own Your Land

    Today I break down one of the most counterintuitive ideas in property law: when you “own” land… how much of it do you actually own? We naturally think of land ownership as a vertical column—everything beneath your feet and everything above your head. But modern real estate law, mineral rights, and airspace regulations don’t work that way. In this episode, I explore how concepts like subsurface rights, directional drilling, and airspace ownership changed the way property works in the United States. From oil companies extracting resources beneath private land, to landmark legal cases like Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon and United States v. Causby, this episode breaks down how ownership, regulation, and government authority actually interact. Follow along as we uncover how property rights, police power, and modern infrastructure quietly limit what you thought you owned. Merrill, T. W., & Smith, H. E. (2017). Property: Principles and Policies. Foundation Press. United States v. Causby, 328 U.S. 256 (1946). Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon, 260 U.S. 393 (1922). Brown v. Lundell, 344 S.W.2d 863 (Tex. 1961). Pierce, D. E. (2018). Oil and Gas Law. West Academic Publishing. Texas General Land Office. Mineral Rights Overview. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Navigable Airspace Regulations. NYC Department of City Planning. Air Rights and Zoning Regulations. #propertylaw #historyfacts #LearnOnSpotify #funfacts #legalfacts #hypotheticalquestions Music thanks to Zapsplat.

    7 min

  8. Apr 27

    Do Newborns Remember Being Born? It Just Happened

    Today I break down one of the strangest questions in neuroscience and human memory:Do newborn babies remember being born… or even being in the womb? We all experience it — yet almost no one can recall it. So what actually happens to those earliest moments of life? This episode dives into the science behind infantile amnesia, exploring how memory formation, the hippocampus, and early brain development shape what you can — and can’t — remember. I walk through how episodic memory (the kind you can consciously recall) differs from implicit memory, and why babies may be learning far more than we realize… just in a completely different way. We also get into the role of neurogenesis, synaptic pruning, and why the rapidly changing brain might actually interfere with long-term memory storage. Plus, how language development, autobiographical memory, and caregiver interaction help determine your first real memories. And then there’s the deeper question:Are those early memories truly gone… or just inaccessible? If you’re interested in brain science, psychology, memory research, early childhood development, or just want a better understanding of how your mind works, this one goes deep. Sources and studies are listed below. Follow for more daily facts designed to make you a better conversationalist. Music thanks to Zapsplat. #sciencefacts #brainfacts #psychologyfacts #memoryscience #neuroscience #childdevelopment Bauer, P. J. (2007). Remembering the Times of Our Lives: Memory in Infancy and Beyond. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. DeCasper, A. J., & Fifer, W. P. (1980). Newborns prefer their mothers’ voices. Science, 208(4448), 1174–1176. Guskjolen, A., Kenney, J. W., de la Parra, J., Yeung, B. A., Josselyn, S. A., & Frankland, P. W. (2018). Recovery of "lost" infant memories in mice. Current Biology, 28(14), 2283–2290. Josselyn, S. A., & Frankland, P. W. (2012). Infantile amnesia: A neurogenic hypothesis. Learning & Memory, 19(9), 423–433. Nelson, K. (1993). The psychological and social origins of autobiographical memory. Psychological Science, 4(1), 7–14. Rovee-Collier, C., & Cuevas, K. (2009). Multiple memory systems are unnecessary to account for infant memory development. Developmental Psychology, 45(1), 160–174. Squire, L. R., & Zola-Morgan, S. (1991). The medial temporal lobe memory system. Science, 253(5026), 1380–1386. Travaglia, A., Bhattacharya, S., & Bhattacharya, S. (2016). Infantile amnesia reflects a developmental critical period for hippocampal learning. Nature Neuroscience, 19(9), 1225–1233.

    7 min
See All (386)

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Smartest Year Ever began as a 365-day experiment in curiosity. In 2025, I dropped a new fact every single day. History, science, language, word origins, and strange true stories, all the stuff that somehow makes you sound smarter in conversation. The goal hasn’t changed: help you become the world’s greatest conversationalist.

Information

  • Creator
    Gordy
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    386
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Gordy
  • Show Website
    Smartest Year Ever

You Might Also Like