The Nostalgic Nerds Podcast

Renee Murphy, Marc Massar

5.0 (4)
Technology

A podcast exploring the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now.

1d ago

S3E04 - The Meter in the Basement

The Gas Meter. Wait, what? We're doing an episode about gas meters? That's pretty nerdy even for Renee and Marc isn't it? Yes. It ticks all the Nostalgic Nerds Podcast check-boxes. It's invisible infrastructureIt's got a neat historyCool, science-y stuffReplacing with new "smart" techWhat do you know about the gas meter in your basement, or on a wall on the side of your house? Come have a listen and learn a bit about this invisible piece of tech that did its job for 180 years before anyone thought to replace it. We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
2d ago · Bonus

S3E04 Bonus - Never Broken

Tune in Thursday for this week's episode all about Gas Meters. You know we love invisible infrastructure and the gas meter is one of those things that worked for 180 years with very little change...and now natural gas is fading out very slowly in residential use and the meter infrastructure is changing too. Ok, maybe gas meters don't sound fun...but Renee and Marc always bring the laughs and this week is no different. Lots of great knowledge this week. So, this week's bonus song, "Never Broken," is all about the meter that did its job, but now the job isn't there anymore. It's being replaced with infrastructure that is part of the connected world. Lyrics down below: [Verse 1] Started countin’ back in fifty-two Bolted to the wall No one ever came to look Nobody at all [Verse 2] No wire. No battery All I got is that gas line Seventy years of countin' I got it right every time [Chorus] I did my job (did my job) I did it right. I never lied. Never broke. Not a single night But that job's moved on Breathin' and countin' Just ain't good enough no more [Bridge] There's a new job now Peak load Count down Software Real time Smart grid Rate plan Watchin' all the time [Verse 3] Van come Tuesday mornin' Two men and a key Read my dials one last time Then that was it for me [Bridge 2] Time of use Load profile Intervals Remote read Disconnect Override Now they got a word for me Legacy End of life Scrap value Nobody's comin' back for me [Final Chorus] I did my job (did my job) I did it right. I never lied. Never broke. Not a single night But that job's moved on They don't need me now I was never broken [Outro] I did my job I did my job Never broken We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Sep 2

S3E03 - Chips and Chips

What started out as a text from Marc's brother turned into an investigation into the hundred year history of monosodium glutamate and how that turned into a durable insulating film for high-end processors. The umami taste gave us critical microprocessor coatings. Crazy. So, coatings for chips...and chips. This one is a bit weirder than what we normally cover, so you know it's going to be fun. We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Aug 31 · Bonus

S3E03 Bonus - Know MSG

What does MSG have in common with microprocessor coatings? You'll have to listen to our new episode "Chips and Chips" coming this week to find out. Renee and Marc dive into the strange world of food and CPU coatings this week and that's the inspiration for the song. There was a time when MSG was vilified. It was so demonised that restaurants would put signs in their windows saying "No MSG." But you know what? MSG is in every savoury food you love. It's not going to kill you. Humans have been eating it and using it for centuries. Lyrics below. [Verse 1] It's in the ham (it's in the ham) It's in the cheese (it's in the cheese) It's in the mushroom It's in the anchovy [Verse 2] It's in the soy sauce (soy sauce) It's in the soup (in the soup) It's in the tomato It's in the gravy [Chorus] I know, I know, MSG (I know) Ain't no good, they say, for me But lord, the taste is driving me It's in everything I eat [Verse 3] Monosodium (monosodium) Glutamate (glutamate) Sitting on your plate [Bridge] They put a sign up in the window Said no MSG Mama's got it in the pot And I ain't walked away No MSG (no MSG) I Know MSG (know MSG) [Final Chorus] I know, I know, MSG (I know) Ain't no good, they say, for me But lord, the taste is driving me And it's in everything I eat [Outro] It's in the ham It's in the cheese Know MSG (know MSG) In everything I eat We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Aug 20

S3E02 - Pins, Machines, and the Perfect Game

A bowling alley looks like the least engineered place you can spend an afternoon. Rented shoes, sticky floors, someone's name spelled wrong (or rudely) on the display. Underneath the grime, neon, noise, and beer stains is four thousand years of arguing about pin dimensions, a materials-science arms race, and enough instrumentation to describe your delivery as a set of physical parameters. Before 1952 the cost of running a lane scaled with the number of people bowling, because somebody had to sit in the pit and set the pins by hand. After the pinsetter, one more bowler cost almost nothing. Within a decade the pinboys were gone and America had eleven thousand bowling centres. Then the equipment got ahead of the game. Reactive resin arrives in the early nineties, scores climb across the entire competitive population, and the governing bodies answer with oil. The technology arms race in the bowling alley lives on. We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Aug 19 · Bonus

S3E02 Bonus - Seven Ten!

Tomorrow's episode is all about the history of bowling technology. Pins, pinboys, automatic pinsetters, rubbers, resins, polymers! Oh, so much chemistry and mechanical engineering. But this week's lively soul/funk groove is all about the dreaded 7-10 split. Hope you're enjoying our new Season 3 house band. Lyrics below. [Verse 1] Eight went down Eight Went Down I heard 'em fall Heard Them Fall Two still up Two stand wide On the left On the right [Pre-Chorus] That lane is quiet Men stand still Two pins waitin' Waitin' on me [Chorus] Sev! Ven! Ten! Seven-ten Corner, corner Nothing 'tween Sev! Ven! Ten! Seven-ten Worst two pins Man ever seen [Verse 2] Four steps Count 'em out One Two Three Slide Thumb out Fingers last Ball rolls Moving fast [Pre-Chorus] That lane is quiet Men stand still Two pins waitin' Waitin' on me [Chorus] Sev! Ven! Ten! Seven-ten Corner, corner Nothing 'tween Sev! Ven! Ten! Seven-ten Worst two pins Man ever seen [Bridge ] It's rolling It's rolling Right board Right board Hit that wall Hit that wall Come across Come across Take 'em both Take 'em both [Final Chorus] Sev! Ven! Ten! Seven-ten Corner, corner Nothing between Seven Ten Seven-ten Watch me Watch me now [Outro ] Rolling Rolling Seven Ten We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Aug 13

S3E01 - Going Up

For most of history, the top floor was where the poor people lived. Nobody wanted to climb four flights, so the ground floor was the good address and the attic was the punishment. Then a man in Yonkers built a brake, stood on a platform in front of a crowd, and had someone cut the rope with an axe. The car dropped a couple of inches and stopped. He said "all safe, gentlemen," and the shape of every city on earth changed. Otis didn't invent the elevator. Hoists and lifting systems go way back, and the Colosseum ran twenty-eight of them under the arena floor with eight men on a capstan for each one. What Otis invented was safety. Also the close-door button. It doesn't work. You know it doesn't work. Press it anyway. Join us for a fun and informative Season 3 opener. We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Aug 12 · Bonus

S3E01 Bonus - One Floor

Have you ever entered a full elevator car just to ride the elevator one single floor? Did you feel the judgement? Did you feel the shame? This week's song is a begging, pleading, song about that unforgivable sin. The single floor elevator ride. Renee and Marc are back this week after some time off with a brand new season that starts tomorrow. Our first tech topic is...wait a minute, this can't be right...elevators? Elevators. Huh. OK. Interesting. Tune in tomorrow for the Season 3 opener all about elevators. And since we've got a new Season, we've got a new house band for the season. This time, a soul ensemble. Hope you enjoy it. We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.

5

out of 5

4 Ratings

A podcast exploring the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now.

Creator

Renee Murphy, Marc Massar
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

79
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 The Nostalgic Nerds Podcast
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