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Episode 140: Tuvalu's lost star
Published 13th June, 2025
Transcription by Caption+
Tom Scott:
What role did preserved fish have in the creation of the New York Stock Exchange?
The answer to that at the end of the show. My name's Tom Scott, and this is Lateral.
Welcome to the show where we ask some very difficult questions to some lovely guests. Sorry, I...
Ella:
Awh.
Tom Scott:
We ask some lovely questions to some very difficult guests. Because today...
SFX:
Yeah.
Tom Lum:
That makes more sense.
Ella:
Yeah,​ yeah, fair.
Tom Scott:
Y'all saw that one coming a mile off.
Ella:
Yeah.
Caroline:
M​hm.
Tom Scott:
Today we welcome back the gang from the comedy science podcast Let's Learn Everything.
And at this point, my script simply says, "guest chats, good luck".
Caroline:
(giggles)
Tom Lum:
Caroline, how've you been doing lately? What's up?
Caroline:
S​o good, thanks. I just— I feel like that "good luck" is specifically towards Tom Scott.
Tom Scott:
Oh yeah!
Caroline:
F​or himself.
Tom Scott:
Absolutely!
Caroline:
G​ood luck, deep breaths. It's gonna be okay. I can get through this.
Ella:
It's not gonna be okay, Tom Scott.
Caroline:
(blurts laugh)
Tom Lum:
Hey, Caroline Roper. Aren't you glad we host a podcast with me, Tom Lum, called Let's Learn Everything?
Caroline:
I​ sure am, Tom Lum! Hey, Ella Hubber, aren't you glad to learn—
SFX:
(Ella and Caroline crack up)
Tom Lum:
What are some of your favorite topics, Ella Hubber, also host of the podcast?
Ella:
Some of my favourite topics that we've done on the podcast are serious science topics like whale fall ecology and epigenetics. But we also do miscellaneous topics like LEGO and carrot propaganda.
Tom Scott:
You had a list! You had a list ready!
Caroline:
(laughs uproariously)
Tom Lum:
Oh wait, Tom Scott, you're here? We were just having a wonderful conversation between friends!
Caroline:
(guffaws softly)
Tom Scott:
Well, very best of luck to all three of you on the show today.
And very best of luck to me and the producer.
Caroline:
(laughs)
Tom Scott:
You are such regular guests that I do have a custom headphones setting for when you're on the show.
Tom Lum:
(guffaws softly)
Tom Scott:
It's marked quiet, medium, loud, and Tom Lum laughing at a joke, so...
SFX:
(guests laughing)
Tom Lum:
I did have one last bit I wanted to say, which is that I know now, congrats that the video— this is all full video now for the podcast.
Tom Scott:
Yes!
Tom Lum:
And so I thought it'd be really cool to do some video exclusive stuff in the intro.
So I thought I would do a quick backflip really quick if you guys wanna see that.
Tom Scott:
Yeah, go for it.
Caroline:
N​ice, yeah, uh-huh.
Tom Scott:
Yeah.
Ella:
Oh, no.
Tom Lum:
(ducks off-camera)
Tom Scott:
Is he actually going to—
Tom Lum:
(twirls Post-it doodle past camera)
Ella:
Oh wow. Wow.
Tom Scott:
Yeah.
Caroline:
T​hat's a—
Tom Scott:
Yeah, two somersaults there. That's...
Caroline:
W​ow.
Ella:
Wow, you're—
Caroline:
Y​our gymnastic abilities, Tom. Oh my goodness.
Tom Lum:
Oh gosh, wow.
Tom Scott:
You've all brought your own shtick, and I'm worried!
Caroline:
(laughs)
Tom Lum:
(applauds) It's been a while.
Tom Scott:
Very best of luck to all of you.
We will turn the brain power up to 11 as well as the volume and tackle question one.
Thank you to Carson Lo for this question.
Until 2021, why didn't Apple's weather app display 69 degrees?
I'll say that again.
Until 2021, why didn't Apple's weather app display 69 degrees?
Caroline:
E​r... Some sort of in-app moderation!
Tom Lum:
Who's gonna break first?
SFX:
(both Toms and Caroline laugh)
Ella:
I don't think— I think we should ignore it. Ignore it, guys.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Ella:
We're​ stronger than this.
Tom Scott:
Really?
Ella:
Okay.
Tom Lum:
(snorts and laugh)
Caroline:
A​re we? (laughs) Are you sure?
Tom Scott:
'Cause I'm not!
Caroline:
(laughs)
Tom Lum:
I'm gonna ask the year again. 'Cause I—
Tom Scott:
Until 2021.
Caroline:
T​hat's so recent.
Tom Lum:
That's, yeah, that's really recent.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Tom Lum:
Were they owned by... a very conservative... (chuckles) group that was like, no?
Tom Scott:
My first clue I've got here before we take this podcast off the rails entirely is that it wasn't blocked by Apple for any prudish reasons. It wasn't because it's a funny number.
Caroline:
O​h, boo.
Ella:
The funniest of numbers. Okay, is it something to do with... the six and nine?
Caroline:
Y​eah, they look similar.
Ella:
I mean, they do look similar, but they're the wrong way. They're different way 'round. So they should be distinguishable from one another.
Something in the UI, maybe, of the way they're displayed.
Tom Lum:
Oh wait, I know the answer to this actually.
Tom Scott:
Oh?
Tom Lum:
I just realized.
Ella:
Oh.
Tom Scott:
Oh, okay.
Tom Lum:
The power of the comedy of 69 fully made me forget. But once we dug through that well enough, I was like, oh, I know. I do actually know the answer to this.
Tom Scott:
Then go for it. Go for it. Let's have the first question fall quickly. With the proviso that if you're confidently wrong, you're gonna get it in the neck from everyone else here.
Ella:
Mhm.
Tom Lum:
In all that windup, I was like, what dumb joke could I say instead?
Caroline:
(laughs)
Tom Lum:
So I believe it is the fact that the... the actual data was stored in Celsius and then converted on the frontend to Fahrenheit.
Caroline:
O​h!
Tom Lum:
And as a result... maybe there's some decimal issue too, but there was no conversion that would result in the number 69, because it would just fall on either side when you convert it from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
Caroline:
O​hh!
Tom Scott:
Yeah, spot on.
Caroline:
H​uh, yeah.
Tom Scott:
The data being fed to the app was in whole degrees Celsius. The app then converted it to Fahrenheit.
20° Celsius is exactly 68° Fahrenheit, and 21° Celsius rounds up to 70°. So 69° Fahrenheit was never shown.
Tom Lum:
And what can I say? What better argument for Fahrenheit as a system than the fact that you get to use that wonderful, wonderful number? And Celsius you don't get to as often.
Tom Scott:
The same thing happened with 65 and 67. But the—
Ella:
Yeah.
Tom Scott:
The question writers picked that number for... some reason. Couldn't possibly tell you.
Caroline:
C​ouldn't know why, yeah.
Tom Scott:
Nope.
Tom Lum:
Also, and if you're creative enough, 65 and 67, those can also be useful numbers.
SFX:
(Tom Lum and Caroline laugh)
Tom Lum:
If you're creative enough.
Tom Scott:
We will go to our first guest question then, Tom.
Tom Lum:
This question was sent in by Fernando S.
Developers of the World War II multiplayer game Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory noticed a problem. Despite their best efforts, players on the Allied side seemed to have a clear advantage in online matches. They fixed the issue without changing a single line of code. How?
I'll say that again.
Developers of the World War II multiplayer game Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory noticed a problem. Despite their best efforts, players on the Allied side seem to have a clear advantage in online matches. They fixed the issue without changing a single line of code. How?
Tom Scott:
People who want to play Nazis are worse at video games.
SFX:
(Caroline and Ella laugh)
Tom Lum:
That's... Oh, god. I wish that was the answer.
Ella:
Very good. Is it— If it's not code, maybe it's cosmetic. Like, skins for the... Allied versus the... Axes. Is that the other one? (softly) God, my history is so bad.
Tom Scott:
(chuckles)
Ella:
And the—
Tom Scott:
Axis. Axis would be the other side.
Ella:
Axis,​ yeah. They had bright— The axis had bright pink... you know, uniforms that showed them up on the map.
Tom Scott:
It's like the Redcoats fighting in the American Civil War.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Tom Lum:
(chuckles)
Tom Scott:
You're wearing bright red coats, folks.
Caroline:
(giggles)
Tom Lum:
You guys are... in the ballpark. You're thinking in the good— a good head space of this isn't... yeah, again, like the question says, it doesn't have to do with code.
I think if you keep digging at some of the differences that could have been happening, 'cause you are right that the Axis, the— and the way these games work is like one side will have a Colt, and then the similar— the other side will have like the Luger.
So there's counterparts to these weapons on both sides.
Ella:
Is it cosmetic, then? Is it something to do with the way...
Caroline:
'​Cause is it... like multiplayer? Are there different—
Tom Lum:
It is.
Caroline:
O​kay, so is it something to do with how people decide which side they're gonna go on to? Anything like that?
Tom Lum:
No, and I'll say for... I don't know if this was how it was implemented, but for the sake of the question, it could be one of those games where you just are randomly assigned to— assigned to one side for multiplayer reasons.
Tom Scott:
This is where I show how old my video game multiplayer knowledge is.
The fact that the company can track win rate by... which side you're on kind of astonished me. Because in my head... this is 15, 20 years ago, servers were privately run by groups and companies. You just chose a server and connected to it, and that was what you were playing on.
The idea that a company can track that sort of analytics of every gameplay... is actually a little bit creepy?
Caroline:
M​m.
Tom Lum:
I believe this might have been during beta tests specifically.
Tom Scott:
Okay, okay.
Caroline:
O​kay.
Tom Lum:
But, I don't think that... level of... This could happen in the early days of video game development. This could also have just as likely happened in later days. I will say, I'll give a thing that I think some of you might have thought of, but just to reinforce clearly that... while the games— while there were counterparts to the weapons, functionally in the game, they were identical. They did the same amount of damage.
Tom Scott:
Okay.
Tom Lum:
But despite that, yeah. The Allied side seemed to have an advantage, and they seemed to be more daring and confident.
Tom Scott:
Huh.
Tom Lum:
In their gameplay. And I will say that their advantage was measurable. It's—
Caroline:
W​ow.
Tom Lum:
It's how they— They described it as feeling like they have an advantage. And when they looked at the logs, they did have an advantage.
Caroline:
I​s it just because historically, the Allies won, so they thought that they were gonna win anyway?
Tom Scott:
They're on the right side of history. You know what? They are more daring.
Caroline:
(laughs)
Tom Lum:
The Axis side was like, "This isn't right, hold on."
SFX:
(Tom Lum and Caroline laugh)
Ella:
Is it something to do with the naming conventions of their weapons? Like it's, the Allied ones had like "mega gun" versus just "normal gun"?
Tom Lum:
Ella, you're... It's that same kind of thing. But it's not the naming. But it is that sort of ethos of like, one gun is— seems like the super one, and one doesn't.
Tom Scott:
Did they design differently, accidentally? Like one of the guns historically had sights on it, and the other didn't. So that is actually a gameplay advantage, even though it's just a few pixels difference... people thought they had a better aim, so they were more confident?
Tom Lum:
You're really close in terms of the confidence and thinking in that headspace.
But it was not even a change in pixels. And remember, there's no— and there's no change in the code that is needed to fix this.
It's not a change in pixels, but it is something else in games, or something that is often forgotten about in games, I'll say that.
Caroline:
C​ould it be the description of the weapons or something like that? Like one description says "this will always hit the target" and then another one for the equivalent weapon doesn't say that?
Tom Scott:
It's the name. One of them is just "Hero's Rifle", and the other is "Terrible Gun for Terrible People".
Tom Lum:
It's not name. And it's very interesting that you guys haven't said this. I think this is— it's indicative of sort of what we think about goes into games.
Caroline:
S​o is it to do with the weapon, or is it to do with clothing or—
Tom Lum:
It's to do with the weapon, I'd say.
Caroline:
O​kay.
Tom Lum:
Yeah. But it's not to do with pixels. It's not anything in the code. It's not the description.
Caroline:
S​o is it how the weapon is presented?
Tom Scott:
That's pixels.
Tom Lum:
If you've played a game like this, what's one of the things that makes it feel satisfying?
Ella:
Oh, is it the sound? The sounds the gun made?
Caroline:
(gasps)
Tom Scott:
Oh!
Tom Lum:
It was. So, Ella, what could be happening?
Ella:
They were just louder? They were just louder, but like... gun sounds coming from the Allied forces?
Tom Lum:
Yes.
Tom Scott:
Right, but that won't just affect your headphones and what you're hearing. It'll affect how far away the enemy can hear you shooting.
Caroline:
Y​eah!
Tom Lum:
No.
Tom Scott:
No?
Ella:
(wheezes)
Caroline:
O​kay.
Tom Scott:
It's just psychological?
Tom Lum:
It was purely psychological. So it— the American equivalent of this gun had a deeper, more bassy sound. And it was described by players as feeling more... "slower but stronger" despite the stats.
Again, the stats being fully identical in the code. It's just the wave file that was being played for them. Although not— To call it just "the wave file" I think this is such an interesting... lesson in game design that like—
And there's— in the sources for this, there's a wonderful video from People Make Games, who I love, that talked about this, and they talked to the developers of this game.
But yeah, it gave the players a big— a more sense of confidence when using them, and they played better.
Tom Scott:
Wow.
Tom Lum:
Yeah, it's— it all— It's all part of the game, baby. It's not just the code. The game is everything in the game.
Tom Scott:
Thank you to Bruce in Cornwall for this next question.
Marine AFC is a football team based in the suburbs of Liverpool. One side of their ground is a simple fence, with numbers on it that don't change. What are the numbers for?
And one more time.
Marine AFC is a football team based in the suburbs of Liverpool. One side of their ground is a simple fence, with numbers on it that don't change. What are the numbers for?
Ella:
We've​ had an Liverpool FC, and this is Marine FC, but we've had one of these Roman... Roman numerals on LVI or whatever.
Tom Scott:
This is Marine AFC. This is another club in Liverpool.
Tom Lum:
The tricky thing about this is like, there's plenty of reasons to just have numbers that aren't interesting. It's like it could be an advert there. It could be the year it was founded. There's just lots of numbers.
But there's something here that's mak— obviously it makes it sound like it's something clever here.
Ella:
It's almost like we're on Lateral.
SFX:
(group laughing)
Tom Lum:
Oh, do you— Wait. Do you listen to Lateral, Ella? It's a good show.
Tom Scott:
It occurs to me that Tom Lum may not know how English football works, with its leagues and everything like that, and it's kind of second nature if you're over here.
Tom Lum:
Gotcha.
Tom Scott:
We have more than one division.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Tom Lum:
I'll say I have— Hey. I listen to Dear Hank and John. I know there's tiers of English football. I know there's—
Tom Scott:
Ah. Okay.
Caroline:
O​h my goodness.
Tom Lum:
First, second, third, fourth. I know...
Ella:
No, not quite.
Tom Lum:
FC Wimbledon is one of them. One of the tiers.
Ella:
I mean, it goes from Premier League, and then there's a few, then it starts to go into the numbered leagues.
Tom Scott:
Yeah.
Ella:
I only know this 'cause of Wrexham.
Tom Scott:
Yeah, Premier League, Championship, first and second division, and then it sort of starts splitting into what they call the pyramid. And there are a lot of levels to this pyramid. I think it's somewhere in the teens.
And one of the joys of that system is that, in theory, a team that is way down at the bottom that is just a dozen people kicking the ball about on so— If they're in this system, in theory, over the years, they can get promotion, promotion, promotion, and end up in the top flight.
Caroline:
I​'m also wondering... if the name of the football team has something to do with the answer. Like, why is it called Marine?
Tom Lum:
Oh, they're all marine animals playing.
Ella:
Becau​se Liverpool's on the water probably.
Caroline:
Y​eah, I was thinking marina, which made me think like, is it something to do with boats in some way, or something like that?
Tom Scott:
The reason I mentioned the pyramid is just that this is a very small football club. If you are imagining a colossal stadium...
Caroline:
R​ight, yeah.
Tom Scott:
You have the wrong image in your head.
Tom Lum:
So one thought I had with leagues was like, is this... this is the marker of what league the team is in presently? And they hang something on the fence for what they're on presently. And when they upgrade, they move the— move it over to the next post or something.
Ella:
But they've— yeah, but they've— The numbers have never changed, so... They've just never left the league they're in.
Caroline:
(laughs)
Tom Lum:
It's like they put the wreath around the current league they're on, and then they move it on to the next post.
Caroline:
O​h, fun, yeah.
Tom Lum:
And on and on and on. But I suppose not.
Caroline:
B​ecause when you say fence, is this truly a little garden fence along the side of it? Or a little metal fence?
Tom Lum:
That's a great point.
Tom Scott:
It's not really a big fence. They are in the sixth tier in the National League North.
Ella:
So the— I mean, it's just a foot— it's just a normal football ground. And the...
Tom Scott:
It's got some spaces for spectators, but it's not, it's not a big... it's not a big stadium.
Tom Lum:
Could they be— Could it be the score? I know, I feel like that's an obvious first guess is like score, the numbers.
Ella:
It's always the same.
Tom Lum:
Yeah, yeah. Well, they try to get to that number, and so, they don't have to spend money on the scoreboard.
Tom Scott:
The numbers are referred to only occasionally.
Tom Lum:
But they're referred to.
Tom Scott:
Mm, they are.
Caroline:
H​uh.
Tom Lum:
Time left in the game is the only other numbers I'm thinking of. But once again, does not make sense for that. Tracking penalty kicks?
Caroline:
C​apacity of the grounds.
Tom Lum:
Ooh, yeah.
Tom Scott:
They sure are numbers, and they sure are in a sequence.
Caroline:
O​h, oh, oh. Interesting.
Tom Lum:
Is it tracking the points? The score? And then they do the wreath thing, and when they—
Tom Scott:
You'd be referring to that a lot more than this.
Tom Lum:
That's true. That's a good point. I don't know. In football, the low score count? Heyo!
Tom Scott:
(laughs)
Tom Lum:
It's low scoring games.
Ella:
Eyy!
Caroline:
T​his has given me flashbacks to when we were on— we did Escape This Pod, not too, too long ago, and we were stuck on a number sequence question, for probably about half an hour.
Ella:
Yeah.
Caroline:
A​nd I'm now like... I'm having heart palpitations. I'm like, I can't handle this. I'm sweating.
Tom Scott:
(chuckles)
Tom Lum:
If Dani and Bill heard a number sequence, they probably— they just— a chill ran down their spine when they heard there was a number sequence question on Lateral.
Caroline:
(laughs heartily)
Tom Scott:
This is a bit of a time saver for them.
Caroline:
O​h?
Tom Scott:
Only occasionally, but it's a bit of a time saver.
Tom Lum:
You know how math textbooks at the back, they have the... sometimes they'll have a random number table lookup in the back and stuff like that, or approximations of trigonometric functions. It's like, that's what that is there, so they can do quick math or something like that?
Tom Scott:
It's a lot more practical than that. Not implying that pure mathematics is not practical, but in this case, for a football game, absolutely.
Tom Lum:
Thanks, Tom.
SFX:
(guests laughing)
Caroline:
A​nd is it practical specifically for... Because I'm also wondering if it's relevant to football, why wouldn't every pitch have this?
Tom Scott:
Why wouldn't it? You're right.
Caroline:
I​s it people's back garden fences? And it's the house numbers?
Tom Scott:
Yes it is, why?
Ella:
Oh, it's when the ball goes... Sorry, Caroline, go.
Tom Scott:
No, no, Ella, Ella, kick it home.
Ella:
It's when the ball gets kicked into someone's back garden, and they know whose house to go into.
Tom Scott:
Yes, absolutely right.
Tom Lum:
Oh... my... god!
Ella:
That'​s quite cute.
Tom Lum:
Oh!
Caroline:
W​hat teamwork, Ella. That was so good, wow.
Ella:
Thank​s, Caroline.
Tom Lum:
Yeah, that was all— That was a pass up to the kick. And I'm on the sidelines going like, "Yeah! Go team!"
SFX:
(group laughing)
Tom Lum:
I'm on this team too!
Tom Scott:
Yes, Marine AFC are in the sixth level of the British Football League. So they're not a big team.
Their pitch backs onto a row of houses with gardens, and the numbers of those houses are on that side of the pitch, on the fence, just so if the ball does go over...
Obviously, they've got spare balls. They're not that small. But at some point, someone is gonna walk around and knock on the door to ask for the ball back.
Caroline:
A​wh!
Tom Lum:
Hi, Mrs. McAllister. Can we have our ball back?
SFX:
(group laughing)
Ella:
Imagi​ne.
Tom Lum:
That's cool, I like that. That's quite— I like that.
Tom Scott:
Ella, the next question is yours.
Ella:
This question has been sent in by James Morris-Wyatt.
And I would like to personally say thank you to James Morris-Wyatt for this question because I love it.
SFX:
(group laughing)
Ella:
In 2014, Arturo called his local radio station in the Dominican Republic to request a popular 1990s dance track called "Are Those Reeboks or Nikes?" Despite no such track existing, how did the DJ satisfy Arturo's request?
I'll ask that again.
In 2014, Arturo called his local radio station in the Dominican Republic to request a popular 1990s dance track called "Are Those Reeboks or Nikes?" Despite no such track existing, how did the DJ satisfy Arturo's request?
Tom Scott:
Here's an unusual thing. I have to sit out of the first half of this question. I can remember the why, but not the what. So at some point I'm gonna have to come back in.
Ella:
Okay.
Tom Lum:
Fascinating. I've never heard that way— that kind of answer there.
Caroline:
H​e put on a backing track and freestyled an entirely new song, which then went massively viral. And we just weren't on the internet at the time to remember it.
Tom Lum:
Well, it's not— I guess it was 2014, yeah.
Caroline:
T​he internet was there for that.
Ella:
Carol​ine was 10.
Tom Scott:
(chuckles)
Caroline:
(laughs heartily)
Tom Lum:
Yeah, that would be my first guess too, is just an improvised...
Caroline:
Y​eah, so I'm wondering if we need to work out why the caller called this in. Are they pulling the host's leg? Having a little bit of a joke or—
Tom Lum:
That could also be a thing. Yeah, for sure. I feel like, yeah, the radio pranks are—
Ella:
They really wanted this.
Caroline:
I​s it a song that went viral on the internet that just wasn't released in any capacity?
Tom Lum:
It wasn't actually from the 1990s maybe? Maybe it was like a...
Caroline:
O​h yeah.
Tom Lum:
A song that was a parody song meant to be like the '90s. It's like if someone requested that, oh, what's the word?
Caroline:
O​r a song from a film that never got released formally?
Tom Lum:
Ooh, great shout.
Ella:
No, no.
Caroline:
O​h.
Tom Lum:
If we think enough about the title, "Are Those Reeboks or Nikes?", will that help us?
Ella:
I will say Nike is important here. It's not Nike.
Caroline:
O​h?
Tom Lum:
Oh, oh. Is this a misheard lyric?
Tom Scott:
So I'm now back in. Because I remember this news story, but I cannot at this point work out what the damn song is!
Caroline:
(laughs uproariously) Oh no!
Tom Lum:
Are those Reebok— Are those Re— What's a— 1990s dance era.
Tom Scott:
So I'm thinking "or Nikes" might be "all night"?
Caroline:
O​oh.
Tom Lum:
Oh.
Ella:
I think maybe what would help you is to think about the language this is in. I'm saying it in English.
Tom Lum:
Where was this taking place again?
Tom Scott:
Dominican Republic.
Tom Lum:
Dominican Republic.
Tom Scott:
'Are those', 'está'?
Tom Lum:
Are those Re— Are those Reeboks or Nikes? Are those Reeboks or Nikes? Ah-dos Reebok or Nikes?
Tom Scott:
(chuckles) Do we need to translate that, or is it—
Ella:
Yeah,​ you do need to translate it. I mean, Reeboks and Nike will be the same.
Tom Scott:
It's Dominican Republic. So it's... Spanish or Portuguese?
Ella:
Spani​sh.
Tom Scott:
It is Spanish.
Tom Lum:
Son— Would it be like "son Reeboks"?
Ella:
You'r​e s— really, yeah.
Tom Lum:
O...
Tom Scott:
Son Reebok o... What's 'or' in Spanish? I don't even know that.
Tom Lum:
I believe, is it 'o'?
Ella:
Yeah,​ yeah, Tom, you're really close to the whole thing then. It's "Esas son Reeboks o— o Nikes". "Esas son Reeboks o son Nikes". "Esas son Reebox o son Nikes".
Tom Lum:
O son Nikes, yeah.
Ella:
It's taking everything in my soul not to just sing it.
Tom Lum:
Wait, so, so— And so is this a Spanish phrase that would be phonetically sound like an English name song?
Tom Scott:
No, I've just clocked it. 'Cause I— it— 'cause it's a song I grew up with. This is the '90s. This is entirely my wheelhouse for this music.
SFX:
(Caroline and Ella laugh)
Tom Lum:
"Son Reeboks o son Nikes".
Tom Scott:
This song is brain tape! The minute you said the Spanish translation, it's straight in there.
Tom Lum:
Is it— So is it an English song, or is it a Spanish song?
Tom Scott:
Oh, it's very English.
Ella:
It's an English song. It's a great song. Which is why I love this question. It's one of my favourite songs. (giggles)
Tom Lum:
(muttering) Son Reeboks o son Nikes.
Ella:
Oh, you said— You're almost—
Tom Scott:
You've got the rhythm right!
Ella:
It's crazy, 'cause you've got the rhythm.
Tom Lum:
What if I say it constantly? I was like, oh, the song is (mumbling) Esas son Reeboks o son Nikes".
SFX:
(Tom Scott and Caroline laugh)
Ella:
(groans) Every time you do it, it gets a little bit closer.
Tom Scott:
"Esas son Reeboks o son Nikes". And it is, it's that cadence.
Ella:
"Esas​ son Reeboks o son Nikes".
Tom Scott:
Da-da-da-DA da-da-da-DA. It's— aah!
Ella:
Oh! I'm sure. Maybe you don't know the song. Maybe you don't know the song.
Tom Scott:
Are they too young to know this song?
Ella:
We're​ the same age!
Caroline:
T​om's not!
Ella:
I'm the same age as Tom. But I— maybe it was not in the US?
Tom Lum:
Oh, maybe that could be another issue.
Ella:
I've got a— okay, I'm gonna do the rhythm. Okay? And see if you know the song. ♪ Esas son Reebok o son Nike ♪
Caroline:
(hums short tune)
Ella:
(cracks up)
Tom Scott:
(laughs uproariously)
Ella:
♪ Esas son Reebok o son Nike ♪
Caroline:
I​s it "The Rhythm of the Night"?
Tom Scott:
Yes, it is!
Ella:
Yes!
Tom Lum:
Ohh.
SFX:
(Caroline and Ella laugh)
Ella:
So—
Caroline:
W​ow!
Tom Scott:
I would love to know, on average, at which point members of the audience got this.
Tom Lum:
Yes.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Tom Scott:
Because people are listening to this and going, well, and at some point, based on your musical knowledge, your age, everything, at some point, that will have just clicked.
Caroline:
W​ow.
Ella:
Yeah.
Tom Lum:
I am so glad though, we got to the point that Ella was singing it. I was hoping we get to that.
Caroline:
T​hat's what I wanted.
Tom Lum:
We got that.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Ella:
I love this song.
Tom Lum:
Caroline was like, I know the answer. I just wanna hear it.
SFX:
(guessers laugh heartily)
Ella:
So when Arturo called in and asked for, "are those Reeboks or Nikes?", the DJ satisfied his request by playing the song he was actually thinking of: "The Rhythm of the Night" by Corona.
Caroline:
O​hh!
Ella:
And this is the clip of Arturo asking the DJ.
Arturo:
"Esas son Reebok o son Nike."
DJ:
"Esas son Reebok o son Nike."
Arturo:
Si, si.
Ella:
He's puzzling.
DJ:
¿Cómo​​ se llama, cómo se llama?
Arturo:
"So​n Reebok o son Nike".
DJ:
(muttering) "Eso son Reebok o son Nike."
Tom Scott:
I always wonder whether this is scripted.
DJ:
(stammers) Será, brother. Será.
SFX:
(song clip) ♪ This is the rhythm of the night ♪
(guests and Arturo clamour)
Tom Scott:
Yeah.
Ella:
I just love the moment they're both like, "Yes, this is it!"
Tom Scott:
Yep.
SFX:
(Caroline and Ella laugh)
Tom Scott:
Oh, I hope that was real. I really, really hope that was real and not just a DJ scripted thing.
Ella:
No, Tom Scott! Why would you put that thought into my head?
Tom Scott:
Thank you to Bob Weisz for this next question.
In 1995, for the sake of accuracy, the country of Tuvalu removed one of its nine stars from its flag. Two years later, it was put back. What was the reason in both cases?
I'll say that again.
In 1995, for the sake of accuracy, the country of Tuvalu removed one of its nine stars from its flag. Two years later, it was put back. What was the reason in both cases?
Ella:
Never​ heard of Tuvalu.
Caroline:
N​o.
Tom Scott:
It is one of the standard answers if you are ever on the game show Pointless and they ask about countries.
Caroline:
N​ice, yeah.
Tom Scott:
Because very few people have heard of Tuvalu.
Caroline:
Y​eah. (giggles)
Tom Lum:
The, what's it? I mean, obviously if it was in the States, what would've happened is that we lost two states or they seceded, and then we— they came back. They came crawling back to the US, baby! Add us back to the flag.
Tom Scott:
Just one star, not two.
Tom Lum:
Oh, just one star, okay.
Tom Scott:
Two years, but one star.
Ella:
That feels like the most kind of... obvious answer is they lost a state or a, you know...
Tom Lum:
Oh.
Ella:
...co​unty or something like that.
Tom Lum:
I was gonna be like, the... the star is a representation of a literal star in the sky. And for a while, it was occluded, and so they took it off the flag. And then when it came back into the night sky, they're like, oh, toss it back on.
Caroline:
Y​eah. (laughs)
Tom Lum:
I just feel like you could vote there. Lots of people vote to change flags and stuff like that.
Caroline:
B​ut it was for accuracy. So something—
Tom Lum:
That's a great point, Caroline.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Tom Lum:
Great note. So that space answer, I said, what if I said it again, but serious this time?
SFX:
(group laughing)
Tom Lum:
Accuracy.
Ella:
Yeah,​ is it— I was also thinking the exact same thing, Tom, about some kind of constellation. It's like a constellation that included... Scientists decided to not include the star anymore in the constellation or something. And then they did two years later for some reason.
Tom Lum:
Yeah, like a Pluto situation.
Caroline:
D​o the— So do the stars represent something physical about the country?
Tom Scott:
Yes, I think that's safe to say, but that first decision wasn't caused by any governmental, territorial, or geographical changes.
Ella:
Does the— where Tuvalu is matter? 'Cause I don't know.
Tom Scott:
Oh sorry, Tuvalu's geography does matter to some extent here, yes.
Caroline:
O​kay.
Ella:
So do any of you guys know where it is?
Caroline:
N​o, no.
Tom Lum:
I will after this. And that's wonderful to think about.
Ella:
Oh, that's so nice. I love learning.
Caroline:
W​ow.
Tom Scott:
Tuvalu is islands.
Ella:
Islan​ds, nine islands?
Tom Lum:
Oh, could they have thought that maybe two islands were actually one connected underneath, and then they discovered afterwards that that wasn't, or it got separated?
Tom Scott:
It's not that, because by their logic, the ninth star should never have been there.
Caroline:
O​oh.
Ella:
It's like the size... of the island? Like what is classified as an island? It was, the ninth one was too small to reach that. It's like a Pluto situation, but Tuvalu.
Tom Lum:
Yeah.
Tom Scott:
What might Tuvalu have to do with the number eight?
Ella:
What language do they speak there? Is it like a, it means eight in that language?
Tom Scott:
Yes, it does. Part of 'Tuvalu' literally means eight.
Caroline:
O​h?
Tom Scott:
That is the first half of the question.
Caroline:
O​h!
Tom Scott:
So yes, part of 'Tuvalu' literally means eight.
Tom Lum:
Yeah, so they removed a star... to...
Caroline:
T​o reflect this?
Tom Scott:
Yes.
Ella:
They added it back also to reflect accuracy?
Tom Scott:
For the sake of accuracy, they removed the star. They went down to eight.
Tom Lum:
Oh.
Tom Scott:
Two years later, they put it back.
Caroline:
B​ecause everybody hated it. And was like, put it back.
Ella:
Yeah.
Caroline:
D​on't like it.
Ella:
The name of Tuvalu changed. Tuvalu changed names so that they could— It was just a single letter. So now it's Tuvalu, but with an O, and it means nine.
Tom Scott:
No, they haven't done that yet. And they probably won't. But in theory, they could.
Tom Lum:
Okay, so we have the name, we have the number of the stars, and we have the... possibility of islands.
Tom Scott:
Yes.
Tom Lum:
And so they removed one star to make it more accurate. And Tuvalu means eight?
Ella:
It means eight islands, maybe?
Tom Scott:
Yes. Well, it literally means "eight standing together".
Caroline:
A​nd does Tuvalu have one island that's way away from the eight that are standing together?
Tom Scott:
I'm gonna keep my mouth shut here. You're really close.
Caroline:
O​h!
Tom Lum:
Yeah, 'cause also then why would they start with nine then? Because it's— it had nine, then it went down to eight, then back up to nine. So why would it start if the name is—
Caroline:
O​r is one part of the Tuvalu territory on mainland of another continent or something like that?
Tom Lum:
Was— Caroline, you were starting to say, it's 'cause it's... and maybe I'll just say it a little bit...
Caroline:
P​lease do.
Tom Lum:
'Cause it's— You said eight standing together.
Tom Scott:
Mhm.
Tom Lum:
So is it just like... they were like, "Oh, let's change it to eight stars." But then they brought it back up to to nine, because it's like, well no, it is eight standing together, and then one off to the side.
Tom Scott:
You're dancing around it here.
You've identified correctly Tuvalu is made of islands. The name means "eight standing together". They've just changed the flag. There's eight stars on it now.
Why might they suddenly want nine? That's not for the sake of accuracy anymore.
Ella:
it became a territorial dispute over who owned the ninth island.
Caroline:
O​r did that island go for independence or something like that? So then they were like, "Oh no, it's okay, we'll bring you back. We'll bring you back."
Tom Scott:
You've identified ninth island.
That wasn't even explicitly said until a moment ago. You're right.
Ella:
I just thought it.
Tom Scott:
There is a ninth island. That's why the ninth star was originally there, but Tuvalu is eight standing together. So what might have changed?
Ella:
The ninth island wanted— They changed it 'cause they wanted it for the accuracy of the name of Tuvalu, but then they changed it back because the ninth island was like— Are there people on the ninth island?
Tom Scott:
Ella, keep thinking about that.
Ella:
There​ are no people on it? It's just a...
Tom Scott:
What might have changed?
Tom Lum:
People moved onto the island?
Caroline:
P​eople moved to it!
Ella:
Ohh!
Tom Scott:
Yes, absolutely right. So in nine— So, Tuvalu has nine islands, but only eight of them were inhabited.
Caroline:
O​hhh!
Tom Scott:
The name means "eight standing together". The flag had nine stars.
So in 1995, they were like, "Eight stars, Tuvalu, eight standing together." And then people moved to the ninth island.
Caroline:
R​ight. Wow!
Ella:
That'​s a good question.
Tom Lum:
Interesting.
Tom Scott:
So the flag is finally accurate...
SFX:
(Tom Lum and Caroline laugh)
Tom Scott:
But the name isn't. In theory, it is now nine standing together, but there are no plans right now to change the name of Tuvalu.
Caroline, it is over to you for your question.
Caroline:
T​his question has been sent in by Guy.
Jack was employed as a signalman on the South Africa railway in the 1890s. He was paid 20 cents a day and half a beer a week, and purportedly never once made a mistake of pulling the wrong lever in his 9-year career. Why was his employment controversial?
I'll say that again.
Jack was employed as a signalman on the South African railway in the 1890s. He was paid 20 cents a day and a half a beer a week, and purportedly never once made the mistake of pulling the wrong lever in his 9-year career. Why was his employment controversial?
Tom Scott:
I'm just gonna assume because this is Lateral and it's a question about South Africa in the 1890s that the answer is not racism.
Tom Lum:
Not apartheid.
Tom Scott:
Because that is not generally the kind of question that gets asked here.
Caroline:
N​o, you're correct.
Tom Lum:
Okay.
SFX:
(Tom Lum and Caroline laugh)
Ella:
I mean, if it's controversial... then... he was an animal. Jack's an animal of some sort, and—
Tom Scott:
Half a beer a week would make sense.
Ella:
You know, you're taking away hardened jobs from, you know, non-animals.
Caroline:
Y​eah, yeah. Pretty much.
Tom Scott:
Oh.
Ella:
Oh. (cracks up)
Caroline:
(belly laughs)
Tom Scott:
Okay, can you just fill us in on the story?
Caroline:
Y​eah, so Jack specifically was a baboon. To be...
Tom Scott:
Right.
Caroline:
J​ust to get it out there.
Tom Lum:
Yeah.
Caroline:
S​o, this story starts off not with Jack, but with a man called James "Jumper" Wide who was a signalman.
Tom Lum:
Okay. (whinnies)
Caroline:
W​ho was a man, who was a signalman.
And Wide would habitually jump between rail cars. So— which was a bit of a risky thing for him to do. And actually it did lead to him getting some injuries. He actually had to have both of his legs amputated after getting the timing wrong on this.
So after this accident, he was at the market one day, and he was just given a baboon basically to assist him with tasks that he couldn't do himself anymore.
So Wide took Jack the baboon to work with him, where Jack started to pick up various tricks, sort of like watched Wide working. Jack would run out with a set of keys upon hearing a locomotive whistle. He learned which signal lever to pull by counting—
Tom Lum:
This is a movie.
Caroline:
Y​eah, it's great, right?
Ella:
That'​s impressive.
Caroline:
H​e learned which signal lever to move by counting how many fingers Wide held up, indicated to which signal lever to pull.
Tom Lum:
Wow, and someone in the books, they were like, there's nothing in the rules that says a baboon can't operate the train system.
SFX:
(group laughing)
Caroline:
W​ell, so yeah. So basically, eventually, Jack the baboon could recognise different signals and whistles and was able to essentially run the signals himself.
And then an official came along, and instead of going, "don't do this"...
Tom Scott:
(belly laughs)
SFX:
(Ella and Caroline laugh)
Caroline:
.​..they officially employed Jack the baboon.
Ella:
Awh!
Caroline:
A​nd actually, a fun little fact: Guy, who sent in this question, has seen Jack the baboon's skull as well.
Ella:
Oh.
Tom Scott:
Wow.
SFX:
(Tom Lum cracks up)
Ella:
Of course.
Caroline:
T​his is a fun fact to me. Maybe not to you.
Tom Lum:
It sure is, yeah.
SFX:
(group laughing)
Tom Lum:
I see how that's a, yeah. Caroline would be like, "Whoa, I wanna see that!"
Caroline:
Y​eah. (laughs uproariously) Jack's skull is preserved and is on display at Albany Museum in Makhanda. So, that's pretty cool.
Tom Scott:
Well, that was very quick. So Caroline, I think you have a spare question.
Caroline:
I​ do, indeed.
So this question has been sent in by Lachlan Patterson.
When passing the Toyota dealership on the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne, some people regularly turn their attention to the set of 18 flags, especially in August and September. Why?
One more time.
When passing the Toyota dealership on the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne, some people regularly turn their attention to a set of 18 flags, especially in August and September. Why?
Ella:
18 flags in a Toyota dealership in Melbourne?
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Ella:
Sound​s like...
Caroline:
W​onderfully summarised.
Ella:
...a weird setup for a joke.
Tom Lum:
Yeah, oh yeah, you— Or you just randomly came up with— It's like a computer generated Lateral puzzle.
SFX:
(group laughing)
Tom Lum:
Location: Melbourne.
Tom Scott:
Mhm, it just doesn't have a year in the question. Normally we do.
Tom Lum:
Yeah.
Tom Scott:
It's got months though. And August and September is...
Tom Lum:
Yeah.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Tom Scott:
Late winter, early spring in Australia?
Tom Lum:
Yeah, that's a good point. I was gonna say fall, but then I realized it's the other hemisphere, so...
Tom Scott:
So it could be some sort of information that they're sharing that way.
Caroline:
(nods silently)
Tom Scott:
This reminds me of, there's a couple of self storage places on roads into London that regularly just get a crane in and replace what's on their roof with something ridiculous. I have driven past those, and there has been a fighter jet, a TARDIS from Doctor Who...
Caroline:
(laughs heartily)
Tom Scott:
and just— they just every so often change what's up there. And it's a really good way of getting attention. It's a really good way of getting people to remember your place. So could they be providing... not comedy, but... information for drivers.
Ella:
Yeah,​ like the levels the flags are at tell you...
Tom Scott:
Yeah.
Ella:
...so​me detail of the road ahead, like how congested it is or something.
Tom Scott:
Yeah, you just know, as you're driving into Melbourne, you look at the flags and... something.
Caroline:
S​ounds like a lovely system, yeah. That's not specifically what's happening here, but you're along the right lines of it's giving information to people.
Ella:
It's giving information to the drivers. So it's not about— I assume it's not giving information about the car dealership. Like these are the cars we have on sale.
Tom Lum:
Well, I mean, that could sig— Could that signal something? Oh, could that— 'cause— could that signal like, oh, we're no longer selling, like ice— our chains on our tires if it's icy, right? It's like, oh, that means it's starting—
Ella:
It's Melbourne, it's not icy.
Tom Lum:
Mm, okay.
Caroline:
(giggles)
Tom Lum:
And yeah, I'm wondering how... how much of Toyota dealership is a red herring versus actually— 'cause then, yeah, Tom Scott, you mentioned a storage place does this. It's like, that's true. Any business can do anything really.
Tom Scott:
Yeah.
Tom Lum:
So I don't know—
Ella:
Yeah,​ does the business matter here?
Caroline:
I​t being a Toyota dealership is relevant to this.
Ella:
Oh.
Tom Scott:
Okay.
Tom Lum:
And I'm wondering if it's something they do purposefully? Or is it purposefully helpful, or is it like indirectly helpful? Like they do it, and people read it as this? Or are they— do they— Are they in on the bit or not, is another thing I'm wondering.
Caroline:
P​eople driving past are in on the bit. As well as people in the car potentially with them.
Ella:
So it's not a code, you know. It has like, maybe there's letters on the flags.
Caroline:
T​here is... stuff on the flags. What's on the flags is also relevant. But it's not numbers.
Ella:
I said letters, but it's good to know it's not numbers.
Tom Scott:
(chuckles)
Ella:
(wheezes) It's pictures then, if it's not letters or numbers.
Tom Lum:
Well, when I thought it was autumn, my guess was gonna be like, oh, it— can you match the colors of the leaves changing or something?
Ella:
But why would that be relevant to Toyota dealership?
Caroline:
(laughs heartily)
Ella:
It could be colours though.
Tom Scott:
Okay, I'm gonna go straight down route one Australian stereotypes. It is the odds that the spiders are coming out of hibernation and will bite you at some point. It is just information as you go past. It is the number of—
Tom Lum:
If you see a nest of spiders on the flag just crawling around, and you're like, "Oh, spring!"
Tom Scott:
It's the number of box jellyfish that are currently in the beach at St Kilda. And I'm hoping that Australians will forgive me for the stereotypes by the fact I remembered the name of St Kilda.
Tom Lum:
(wheezes)
Ella:
Is it— Is the fact that there are 18 of them important?
Tom Lum:
Mm.
Caroline:
Y​es. It is important that there are 18 of them.
Ella:
Becau​se I was just wondering if maybe this is Toyota dealership next to... a rugby stadium. And they put the score on the...
Caroline:
(gapes silently)
Ella:
Oh, Caroline's making a face!
Tom Scott:
Oh. Oh. That's another Australian stereotype. When are the Ashes? When's the cricket contest?
Caroline:
I​ think the Ashes are like December, January time. So yeah.
Tom Scott:
Okay, fine.
Ella:
Okay.
Tom Scott:
But also, okay. The Toyota dealership must be sponsoring something.
Caroline:
(nods)
Tom Scott:
That must be the connection. They must be the sponsor of this thing.
Ella:
A sports event. And it's a sports event that takes place in September. August, September, so it's not rugby. Probably not rugby. 'Cause that that would be the...
Oh wait, it could be the Lions versus the southern hemisphere ...teams.
Is it— it's not rugby. Okay, it's not cricket. What else do they like there? Those are the only two things I know.
Tom Scott:
Oh, I've gotta be careful with the Australian stereotypes. Now we're getting...
Ella:
It'sâ​€” But it is a score. Oh, no, but you said there's no numbers on it, so—
Tom Scott:
18 is important.
Tom Lum:
Are they like the teams in a league?
Caroline:
(gasps) Tom Lum.
Ella:
Oh, it's the— It's their colours. It's their team colours on the flags? And when they get knocked— and when they remove, they're knocked out of the... the tournament, whatever it is?
Caroline:
Y​ou're along the right lines. Not necessarily knocked out.
Tom Lum:
Is it just like the teams that have made it to that league that year or something like that, that have been promoted or are taking place in the—
Tom Scott:
It's the position of Melbourne in the league?
Caroline:
N​ot just Melbourne.
Ella:
It's all the teams that play in this sport, and it's either like, maybe the level that the flag is at indicates that— where they are?
Tom Lum:
Or the order that they go in.
Ella:
Or the order—
Caroline:
T​om, yeah.
Ella:
Oh yes! Nice, Tom. It's the rank that they're in, in the league. Okay, what's the sport?
Caroline:
Y​ou just have to get the sport, and then you've answered this question.
Tom Scott:
Ohh!
Tom Lum:
Super Mario 64 speedrunning.
Caroline:
A​nd I'm so shocked. You've said cricket and rugby.
Ella:
Footb​all.
Caroline:
Y​es, it's football.
Tom Scott:
Aussie rules football? (stammers) I nearly said regular. That'll annoy the Australians. Association football or Aussie rules football.
Caroline:
I​t is Aust— It is the Australian Football League. Yes.
So yeah, it is literally a visual representation of the Australian Football League and its standings basically. So these flags show every logo of the Australian Football League's team.
The flags are ordered according to the current standing, basically.
And of course, Toyota are a major sponsor of the AFL.
Tom Lum:
Oh, okay, okay.
Ella:
Of course! I should have known.
Tom Lum:
I thought they were just big fans.
Caroline:
I​ can't believe you didn't know this.
And there are 18 teams in the league, which runs from March through to September. So the flags are updated daily during the peak AFL season.
Tom Lum:
Wow, cool.
Tom Scott:
Which brings us to the question from the start of the show.
Thank you to Nate for sending in this one.
What role did preserved fish have in the creation of the New York Stock Exchange?
Anyone want to take a guess?
Ella:
The price of... surströmming, I might have said that wrong. The pre— the very stinky fish from Sweden. Was just, it was all over the place at the time. They were— It was very, very valuable. And they were using it as a...
SFX:
(Tom Scott and Caroline laugh)
Ella:
some kind of marker of the price. Someone else please save me!
Caroline:
C​ould it be that... the price of a standard tin of fish has some sort of relevance in...
Tom Scott:
It wasn't actually a commodity traded on the exchange.
Caroline:
O​h?
Tom Lum:
Could it be... have influenced the stock ticker somehow or something? Could they have been in the old stock exchange, when they were shouting around and stuff like that? Could it be used to... signal something? Were they staying up all night eating the tins?
Ella:
They'​re waving fish in the air.
Tom Lum:
Waving fish in—
Caroline:
O​h yeah. I was thinking maybe, was it like, people would bring tinned fish in for lunch, and it would smell really bad, and therefore it'd distract the other people around.
Tom Lum:
I like that.
Caroline:
A​nd they would lose focus on the stock exchange and therefore change it in some way.
Tom Scott:
We have cheated a little bit with this question 'cause strictly speaking, it's pronounced preserve-ed.
Ella:
I wish that would help me.
Caroline:
Y​eah.
Ella:
Prese​rvèd Fish.
Tom Scott:
What role did Preserved Fish have in the creation of the New York Stock Exchange?
Caroline:
I​s that a person?
Ella:
Oh, his name is Ed Fish? Or...
SFX:
(Tom Scott and Ella crack up)
Tom Scott:
Yeah, yeah.
Caroline:
(sighs)
Tom Lum:
No. No. No, Tom Scott. Actually, no.
SFX:
(Tom Lum and Caroline laugh)
Tom Scott:
Mr. Preserved Fish was a senior partner at Fish and Grinnell, one of the largest whale oil producers and shipping companies at the time.
Ella:
Oh.
Caroline:
B​oo.
Tom Scott:
He and his partner signed on to the charter for the New York Exchange Board, and that evolved into the New York Stock Exchange.
Tom Lum:
I'm glad this part's now in video, so you can see all of our wonderful reactions to this.
Ella:
Oh, yeah, finally. You can see how disappointed we are.
Tom Lum:
I like it. I like this one.
Tom Scott:
There is a Quaker tradition of giving children names with religious ideals, and Preserved refers to being saved from sin.
Ella:
Right​.
Caroline:
T​hat's nice.
Tom Scott:
Thank you very much to all of our players. That is our show for today. Well done to you all.
Tom Lum:
Woo!
Tom Scott:
Oh, here we go. Tom Lum, where can people find the three of you?
Tom Lum:
We are wherever— Hey, you're listening to a podcast right now. Go, you can also listen to our podcast, Let's Learn Everything. It's the three of us. It's this— We bring this energy to our show as well. Where we're excited to learn.
Tom Scott:
Ella Hubber, what kind of topics do you cover?
Ella:
Oh no, I'd already written— I'd already used all the ones on my list!
Caroline:
(laughs uproariously)
Tom Lum:
We have wonderful friends who have been on this show. We had Dani and Bill on our holiday episode. And I think by now, we will have a guest episode with... would you like to say, Caroline?
Caroline:
Y​eah, we're having the wonderful David Bennett Piano coming on to talk about harmonies and why they sound good. So you should come and check him out and us out over at Let's Learn Everything.
Tom Scott:
And if you wanna know more about this show, you can do that at lateralcast.com, where you can also send in your own ideas for questions. We are at @lateralcast basically everywhere, and there are regular video highlights at youtube.com/lateralc​ast.
And I've dropped my pen, and I don't care. We're carrying on anyway.
Thank you very much to Caroline Roper.
Caroline:
Y​eah!
Tom Scott:
Ella Hubber.
Ella:
Yeaaa​h!
Caroline:
(giggles)
Tom Scott:
Tom Lum!
Tom Lum:
Wonderful to be on, Tom. Thank you for having—
SFX:
(group laughs uproariously)
Ella:
Oh, Tom Lum!
Tom Lum:
Yeaah!
Tom Scott:
I've been Tom Scott! That's been Lateral!
SFX:
(guests cheer and laugh)
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