Special Episode from Who Smarted?

Summary

Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest - Special Episode from Who Smarted?

Introduction

In this special episode of "Who Smarted?" featured in the Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest podcast series, hosts Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert delve into the fascinating world of accidental inventions. This episode, released on April 9, 2025, seamlessly blends science, history, and humor to engage young listeners in understanding how some of their favorite everyday items came to be through unexpected mishaps and happy accidents.

Theme: Accidental Inventions

Accidental inventions form the cornerstone of this episode, with the hosts exploring how unintentional discoveries have significantly impacted our daily lives. The episode begins with Jerry Colbert setting the scene at a local elementary school science fair, where accidental inventions take center stage.

Adam Tex Davis explains the concept, stating:

“There are lots of inventions, discoveries, and even food recipes that were purely accidental. I thought it would be cool to show that even mistakes can sometimes lead to something great.”
(Timestamp: 03:33)

This theme not only highlights the serendipitous nature of innovation but also encourages young minds to embrace curiosity and experimentation.

Exploring Accidental Food Inventions

The episode first explores several accidental food inventions, each accompanied by engaging anecdotes and educational insights.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adam introduces the history of chocolate chip cookies, recounting the story of Ruth Wakefield:

“In 1930, Ruth Wakefield was baking chocolate cookies when she realized she was out of baker's chocolate. She broke semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces and added them to the dough. Instead of melting completely, the chocolate remained in chunks, creating the first chocolate chip cookie.”
(Timestamp: 05:15)

Jerry humorously reacts:

“Whoa, I see. And now people all over the world get to enjoy her cooking accident. Speaking of, can I please have a cookie?”
(Timestamp: 05:54)

Ice Cream Cone

Next, the hosts delve into the accidental invention of the ice cream cone:

“At the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Ernest A. Hamwy, running a zalabia (a type of waffle) stand, found himself out of bowls for serving ice cream. In a moment of creativity, he rolled the waffle into a cone shape, allowing patrons to enjoy their ice cream without bowls. Thus, the ice cream cone was born.”
(Timestamp: 07:20)

Jerry engages the audience with a playful quiz:

“Is it A, a traffic cone, B, with their hands, or C, in a bowl? If you said C from a bowl, nice job.”
(Timestamp: 06:59)

Popsicles

The invention of popsicles is attributed to an 11-year-old named Frank Epperson:

“In 1905, Frank Epperson mixed soda water powder and water, leaving the mixture with a stirring stick overnight. The freezing temperatures turned it into the first popsicle.”
(Timestamp: 09:05)

Adam adds:

“In 1923, Frank started a business making what he called 'epsicles,' which later became known as popsicles, in seven fruit flavors.”
(Timestamp: 09:32)

Potato Chips

Jerry introduces the tale of potato chips:

“At the Cary Moon Lake house in Saratoga Springs, New York, a customer repeatedly sent back his fried potatoes for not being thin and crispy enough. Frustrated, chef George Crum sliced the potatoes ultra-thin, fried them to perfection, and salt added the final touch. The customer loved them, paving the way for the beloved potato chips we enjoy today.”
(Timestamp: 10:26)

Non-Food Accidental Inventions

Transitioning from culinary creations, the episode highlights non-food inventions that have become household staples.

Frisbee

The story behind the Frisbee begins with a bakery near Yale University:

“The Frisbee is named after a bakery where pie tins were tossed back and forth by students. These pie tins evolved into the plastic discs we now know as Frisbees.”
(Timestamp: 11:59)

Jerry jokes:

“But why? It's not a food.”
(Timestamp: 11:59)

Silly Putty

Silly Putty owes its existence to James Wright:

“In 1944, engineer James Wright mixed boric acid with silicon oil, accidentally creating a bouncy, gooey substance. Initially dismissed, it was later introduced by Peter Hodgson in 1949 as Silly Putty, a popular children's toy.”
(Timestamp: 12:36)

Adam shares an interesting fact:

“Astronauts on Apollo 8 used Silly Putty to keep tools from floating around after leaving Earth's gravity.”
(Timestamp: 13:03)

Slinky

Finally, the hosts recount the creation of the Slinky:

“In 1943, Navy engineer Richard James was developing torsion springs when one fell and began walking down stairs. Fascinated, he and his wife Betty refined the idea, and by 1945, the Slinky was introduced as a toy. A store named Gimbel's sold out 400 Slinkys in 90 minutes, cementing its place in toy history.”
(Timestamp: 13:24)

Conclusion and Takeaways

The episode wraps up by emphasizing the value of accidental discoveries in shaping our world. Adam reinforces the message:

“Even mistakes can sometimes lead to something great.”
(Timestamp: 03:39)

Jerry adds a light-hearted closing:

“Wow. I am glad I'm not a judge. It would be too hard to pick or eat just one.”
(Timestamp: 15:00)

Through engaging storytelling and interactive quizzes, Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest successfully educates its young audience about the importance of creativity, resilience, and the unexpected paths that lead to innovation.

Notable Quotes

• Adam Tex Davis: “There are lots of inventions, discoveries, and even food recipes that were purely accidental. I thought it would be cool to show that even mistakes can sometimes lead to something great.”
  (03:33)

• Jerry Colbert: “Whoa, I see. And now people all over the world get to enjoy her cooking accident. Speaking of, can I please have a cookie?”
  (05:54)

• Adam Tex Davis: “At 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Ernest A. Hamwy... the ice cream cone was born.”
  (07:20)

• Jerry Colbert: “But why? It's not a food.”
  (11:59)

• Adam Tex Davis: “Even mistakes can sometimes lead to something great.”
  (03:39)

Production Credits

Who Smarted? is crafted with a team of talented individuals:

• Written by: Slinky Sarah Sweetick
• Voiced by: Diana Helen Kennedy, Adam Tex Davis, and Jerry Colbert
• Technical Direction and Sound Design: Josh Hahn
• Associate Producer: Max Waffle Cone Kamasky
• Theme Song: Brian Silly Putty Suarez, with lyrics by Adam Tex Davis

Created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert, this episode stands as a testament to the inventive spirit and the magic that can emerge from unexpected moments.

Transcript

[Adam Tex Davis]

Pinna.

[Diana Helen Kennedy]

Hey, groomers. I just learned about a podcast called who Smarted? And I like it so much that I wanted to tell you a little bit about it. And then we're gonna put an episode in our feed. It's all about making learning fun and funny, which I love. I listened to an episode recently about how flavors are created, and they talked about, like, you know, how you make like a steak flavor not with steak, and how you can make a vomit flavored jelly bean. You better believe I loved that part. On every episode, the narrator takes kids through epic adventures of discovery, like using time travel or shrinking down and going inside the body. They study video games, outer space, animals, mythology. I listen to it on my own. Can't wait to introduce it to my daughter. And I understand why it's one of the highest rated, top ranked kids podcasts in the world. Because it's super good. Stay tuned and give it a listen. WhoSmarted is available on all major podcast platforms. Search for WhoSmarted on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jerry Colbert]

And now it's time for who'ssmarted. Psst. Hey, Smartypants. Guess where I am. Did you say? I have no idea. Yeah, this game might be more fair with a few hints. Okay, hint one, I'm at a school. Hint two, it's a special day when kids present science projects. Hint three, when I said this game would be more fair with some hints, that was actually a hint. Okay, what do you got? Did you say I'm at a science fair? Great guess, Smarties. This year, yours truly was invited to be a guest judge for the science fair in my local elementary school. After all, who Smarted is a science podcast, so it makes sense they would ask me. Well, that and nobody else was available at 11am on a Tuesday. Anyway, this year, all the science fair presentations have a special accidental inventions. Whoa, whoa. Hey, look. I just invented a laser toothbrush. No, no, no, no, no, no. That's not what an accidental invention is. Oh. But what exactly is an accidental invention? And what are some of the most famous accidental inventions? And are there any accidental inventions that are part of your everyday life? Um, I don't know. Well, then listen and learn as we find out the answers to these questions and more as we take another big whiff of science and history. On who's Smarted, who's Smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make Smarted lots of fun. On who's Smart and wow, I just took A lap around the gym. And I must say, there are a lot of cool projects here. It's gonna be hard to pick just one winner.

[Adam Tex Davis]

That's okay, trusty. This fair isn't so much about picking a winner and more about presenting some great projects and some interesting science and history.

[Jerry Colbert]

Oh, but then why was I invited to judge?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Because we thought if we put casual observer on the invite, you wouldn't come.

[Jerry Colbert]

Ah, pretty sneaky, Mrs. Fox. Smarty pants, meet Mrs. Fox. She's the sixth grade science teacher at this school and an old friend who loves to outsmart me.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Nah, there's no outsmarting you. But this way we all get to smart together.

[Jerry Colbert]

Good point. So let's talk about this year's theme. What made you choose accidental inventions?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Well, as it turns out, there are lots of inventions, discoveries, and even food recipes that were purely accidental. I thought it would be cool to show that even mistakes can sometimes lead to something great.

[Jerry Colbert]

Ah, that is cool. Okay, smartypants, with all that in mind, what do you think an accidental invention is? Is it A, an invention that came about unintentionally, B, an invention that causes accidents, or C, an invention that does not work? Well, the answer is A, an invention or discovery that came about unintentionally or by accident. Whoa, whoa. Oh look, a new kind of chewing gum. No, not that kind of accident. Mrs. Fox, can you please explain to the smarty pants?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Sure, it may seem like all inventions were created on purpose, or that all new discoveries were the result a scientist or inventor set out to make, but that's not always the case.

[Jerry Colbert]

Oh, and speaking of cases, I'm staring at a display case here filled with something that looks downright delicious. Delicious. Smarty pants. See if you can guess what it is. It's small, round, has little chocolate pieces in it, and gets eaten by a monster who sounds like this. If you said chocolate chip cookies, you're right. Not that I'm complaining, but why are there chocolate chip cookies here? Oh, wait, is this the snack bar?

[Adam Tex Davis]

No, trustee. Believe it or not, even though chocolate chip cookies are a super popular treat, they're actually the result of a cooking accident.

[Jerry Colbert]

No, seriously.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Seriously. Chocolate chip cookies were accidentally invented by ruth Wakefield in 1930.

[Jerry Colbert]

Okay, but what does that even mean? Was she trying to make chocolate chip pancakes instead?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Close. Ish. You see, Ruth Wakefield was baking chocolate cookies when she realized she was out of baker's chocolate. So she broke semi sweetened chocolate into small pieces and added them to the dough. But instead of melting and being absorbed by the dough, to make chocolate cookies. As she expected, the small pieces remained as little chunks or chips. And just like that, the chocolate chip cookie was born. Whoa.

[Jerry Colbert]

Ah, I see. And now people all over the world get to enjoy her cooking accident. Speaking of, can I please have a cookie?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Okay, but just one. Remember, this is someone's project.

[Jerry Colbert]

No problem. Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom. Okay, what's next? Please tell me there are more tasty accidents to try.

[Adam Tex Davis]

There are. This next one isn't a food you usually eat by itself, but rather you use it to hold another popular dessert treat and then eat it afterwards.

[Jerry Colbert]

Hmm, that's a tricky one. What do you think, smarty pants? Any ideas what it could be? Yeah, I'm stumped, too. Can you give us any more hints, Mrs. Fox?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Sure. It was accidentally invented in 1904, and the food that goes inside it is ice cream.

[Jerry Colbert]

Ooh, I think I know what it is. Smarty pants. Are you thinking of a shape right now? Is that shape a cone?

[Adam Tex Davis]

That's right. Ice cream cones were invented accidentally.

[Jerry Colbert]

Smartypants, how did people eat ice cream before the ice cream cone was invented? Did they eat it from A, a traffic cone, B, with their hands, or C, in a bowl? Did you say C from a bowl? If so, nice job. So how did people go from enjoying ice cream bowls to ice cream cones?

[Adam Tex Davis]

It all started at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis with a man named Ernest A. Hamwy, who had a zylabius stand.

[Jerry Colbert]

Ah. Um, sorry. What say Zalabia, Smarty pants? Do you have any idea? Yeah, me neither.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Zalabia is a type of waffle. Ernest's stand was near another vendor's ice cream stand. It was a hot day, so lots of people wanted ice cream. But then tragedy struck. Huh? The ice cream vendor ran out of bowls. But not to worry. Ernest a. Hanwee came to the rescue by rolling his zalebia, or waffle, into a cone shape and topping it with a scoop of ice cream. And just like that, the ice cream cone was born.

[Jerry Colbert]

Amazing. Hey, smarty pants, maybe next time you run out of bowls or plates, you can invent something, too. Oh, is that another popular summer treat I see?

[Adam Tex Davis]

It sure is trusty. This one comes on a stick, is something you lick, and can usually be found in different fruit flavors. Oh, and here's one more musical hint.

[Jerry Colbert]

Pop goes the weasel. Did you say pop as in popsicles?

[Adam Tex Davis]

That's right. Popsicles were an accidental invention, too.

[Jerry Colbert]

Smarty pants, were popsicles invented by, A, a chef, B, an ice Cream truck driver or C. A kid. If you said they were invented by a chef, you're wrong. Sorry.

[Adam Tex Davis]

While this might sound surprising, popsicles were actually invented by a kid.

[Jerry Colbert]

Whoa.

[Adam Tex Davis]

In 1905, one year after the accidental invention of the ice cream cone, 11 year old Frank Epperson mixed soda water powder, a popular drink at the time, and water. He left the mixture on his back porch overnight with a stirring stick still in it. The temperature dropped to a record low that night, and what he found in the morning became the first popsicle.

[Jerry Colbert]

Ooh, Very cool. In more ways than one.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Eighteen years later, in 1923, Frank Epperson remembered his frozen soda water and started a business making what he called epsicles in seven fruit flavors. Even though the name was eventually changed to popsicles, we still enjoy this same frozen treat today.

[Jerry Colbert]

I can't believe so many food favorites were invented by accident.

[Adam Tex Davis]

But wait, there's more.

[Jerry Colbert]

Oh, boy. We'll find out what this one is right after this quick break. And a word from our sponsors. Now back to who smarted? Where were we?

[Adam Tex Davis]

I was about to feed you facts about another accidentally invented food, one that Americans spend nearly $4 billion on each year. Any guesses what it could be, smarty pants?

[Jerry Colbert]

Is it A, potato chips, B, hamburgers, or C, pizza?

[Adam Tex Davis]

While those are all good guesses, the food in question is the potato chip.

[Jerry Colbert]

Oh. We actually covered the history of the potato chip on a past episode of who's Smarted? But the short version is a customer at the Cary Moonlake house in Saratoga Springs, New York, kept sending back his plate of fried potatoes. It seems they weren't thin and crispy enough. Annoyed, but wanting to give the customer what he wanted, a frustrated chef named George Crum sliced the potatoes super thin, added salt, and fried them until crispy.

[Adam Tex Davis]

To his surprise, the customer loved them. And the rest is chip history.

[Jerry Colbert]

It's a good thing he decided to make potato chips for his demanding customer instead of serving something disgusting instead. Who wants meat cake? Oof. Some mistakes should not be celebrated. Anyway, we've learned about a lot of accidentally invented foods, but what about other fun things that were invented by accident?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Trustee. Catch.

[Jerry Colbert]

Um, why did you just throw this thin disk, like, object at me?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Because it, too, was an accidental invention, Smartypants.

[Jerry Colbert]

Do you know what it is? Is it A, a flying potato chip, B, a dinner plate, or C, a frisbee? The answer is C, a frisbee. Here, catch.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Oh, nice throw, trusty. Obviously you've thrown a frisbee before.

[Jerry Colbert]

Yep, I love tossing the old frisbee around. In the park.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Cool. But do you know where the name Frisbee came from?

[Jerry Colbert]

Hmm. What do you think, smarty pants? Is the Frisbee named after the person who invented it, the town where it was invented, or a bakery?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Surprisingly, the Frisbee is named after a bakery.

[Jerry Colbert]

But why? It's not a food.

[Adam Tex Davis]

A bakery. Near Yale University, the Frisbee bakery sold pies in tins. After the students finished eating the pie.

[Jerry Colbert]

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

[Adam Tex Davis]

They tossed the tin back and forth. What started as a pie tin became the plastic Frisbee disc we love to throw around today.

[Jerry Colbert]

Sweet. But I do wish you still got a pie every time you bought a Frisbee. Oh, I see. Another toy I used to love playing with as a young narrator. Here's a hint. It's pretty silly. Oh, and it's also very stretchy and comes inside a plastic egg. Give up? Why, it's none other than silly putty.

[Adam Tex Davis]

In 1944, an engineer named James Wright worked with silicon at General Electric. One day, he added boric acid to silicon oil, making a gooey substance that bounced.

[Jerry Colbert]

And everyone loved it right away, right?

[Adam Tex Davis]

Nope. People had no use for it, so it was forgotten about for a while. But then, in 1949, a man named Peter Hodgson had the idea to put it in plastic eggs, call it Silly Putty, and sell it as a toy. From there, it took off.

[Jerry Colbert]

Oh, yeah. I loved playing with Silly Putty. Still do. But I'm not alone, smarty pants. Fun fact. The astronauts on Apollo 8 played with silly Putty when they got bored and used it to keep tools from floating around after they left Earth's gravity.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Of course, Silly Putty isn't the only famous toy that's an accidental invention.

[Jerry Colbert]

Smartypants, which of these toys do you think was an accidental invention? Is it A, a Yo Yo, B, a Slinky, Or C, a Rubik's Cube? The answer is, everyone knows it's Slinky. That's right. If you said Slinky. Nice job.

[Adam Tex Davis]

In 1943, Richard James, an engineer for the United States Navy, was working on developing torsion springs that could keep sensitive equipment steady at sea. When one of the springs fell. Richard watched as it moved curiously across the floor. He recognized something special was happening when he arrived home. He showed the crawling spring to his wife, Betty. They gave it to their son, Tom. He let it go at the top of the stairs.

[Jerry Colbert]

Sounds like it was fun for the whole family.

[Adam Tex Davis]

It was. After watching it walk down the stairs, Richard decided to work on developing a fun toy Spring. It just needed a clever name. Betty looked through a dictionary for two days, trying to find a word that was both fun and descriptive. They settled on Slinky.

[Jerry Colbert]

Oh, way more fun than torsion spring.

[Adam Tex Davis]

By November 1945, the Slinky was ready to be introduced in stores as a holiday present.

[Jerry Colbert]

So, Smartypants, do you think people wanted to buy the Slinky? Go ahead, shout out your answer, Mrs. Fox. What happened next?

[Adam Tex Davis]

A store called Gimbel's had 400 Slinkys to sell. They sold out in 90 minutes. And while not as popular as it once was, kids all around the world still play with Slinkys today.

[Jerry Colbert]

Everyone knows it's Slinky.

[Adam Tex Davis]

And that's our Accidental Invention themed science fair.

[Jerry Colbert]

Wow. I am glad I'm not a judge. It would be too hard to pick or eat just one. A double dose of shout outs to smarty duo Eli and Copeland in Bennetsville, South Carolina. We hear you love listening to who Smarted in the car after school every day. Nice. We're so happy to have you both smarting with us, Smartypants. This episode, Accidental Inventions was written by Slinky Sarah Sweetick and voiced by Diana Helen Kennedy, Adam Frisbee Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Waffle Cone Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Silly Putty Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.