Fun Facts of The Day - The Rod Ryan Show

Summary3 min read

Podcast Summary: The Rod Ryan Show – Fun Facts of The Day

Date: June 9, 2026
Host/Station: 94.5 The Buzz (KTBZ-FM), Houston

Main Theme

This episode’s segment centers around “Fun Facts of the Day,” where the hosts deliver intriguing trivia and share witty banter, designed to make listeners feel both entertained and just a little bit smarter in front of their friends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. John Williams and the Jaws Theme

John Williams – renowned for creating some of the most iconic film soundtracks, including Indiana Jones, Jaws, and Superman (00:31).
Backstory: When Williams first presented the now-famous two-note Jaws theme to Steven Spielberg, the director laughed, thinking it was a joke, and was expecting something more melodic (00:40–00:53).
Memorable Exchange:
- B: “Spielberg goes, ‘You're kidding. That's what you’re doing for my movie, John.’ So again, Spielberg thought it was a joke.” (00:59)
- C: “The sophisticated approach you would like me to take isn’t the approach you took with the film I just experienced.” (01:10)
Insight: John Williams composes his music after previewing the movies, which lets him perfectly mesh themes with on-screen action (01:19–01:20).

2. Voltaire and the French Lottery

Historical Fact: Voltaire, a famed philosopher, found a loophole in the 1729 French lottery. At age 35, he realized the total cost of buying all the tickets was less than the jackpot, bought them all, and won about 500,000 francs—a fortune worth tens of millions in today’s money (01:31–02:00).
Fun Moments:
- C: “Lots of weird things going on there. Number one, I didn’t know Voltaire was real ... I thought it was all books and we made it up.” (02:07–02:13)
- C: “There was a French lottery in the 1700s and it was worth that much money.” (02:14–02:19)
- B: “It’s crazy.” (02:19)
Lighthearted Banter: The hosts joke about their (lack of) philosophical favorites and marvel at the story’s cleverness.

3. Earth’s Core — Hotter Than the Sun’s Surface

Science Fact: The earth’s core is even hotter than the surface of the sun (02:29).
Host Reaction:
- B: “The core of the earth is hot than the surface of the sun. That's neat.” (02:29–02:37)
- A: “Yeah, it's the fun fact of the day. We make you look smart in front of your buddies. It's the fun fact of the day.” (02:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Spielberg on the Jaws Theme:

“Spielberg goes, ‘You're kidding. That's what you’re doing for my movie, John.’” – B, 00:59
John Williams’ Logic:

“The sophisticated approach you would like me to take isn’t the approach you took with the film I just experienced.” – C, 01:10
On Voltaire’s Realness:

“Lots of weird things going on there. Number one, I didn’t know Voltaire was real ... I thought it was all books and we made it up.” – C, 02:07
Surprised About 1700s Lotteries:

“There was a French lottery in the 1700s and it was worth that much money.” – C, 02:14

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:31 – Introduction to John Williams’ iconic soundtracks
00:40–00:59 – Backstory of the Jaws theme and Spielberg’s reaction
01:31–02:00 – Voltaire’s clever lottery win and the philosophical banter
02:29 – Surprising fact about the earth’s core temperature

Tone & Style

The segment is playful and conversational, with light teasing among hosts and a rapid delivery of “fun facts” meant to amuse as much as astound. The language is casual, peppered with jokes about historical and pop culture figures.

In Summary

This episode’s “Fun Facts of the Day” delivers oddball trivia with commentary and wit, offering listeners a perfect blend of knowledge and entertainment to start their day feeling smarter—and in on the joke.

Loading summary

Transcript29 lines

[00:01]
A
Fun fact of the day. We make you look smart in front of your buddies. It's the fun fact of the day.
[00:11]
B
All right, here's the new fun fact. Where's big baldy?
[00:13]
C
Oh, he's traveling.
[00:15]
A
He was at the basketball game last night. I saw.
[00:17]
B
Was he courtside right next to Larry David?
[00:20]
C
I thought I saw Hal. He was right there. Oh, he was behind Jay Z. You couldn't see Jay Z's hair was.
[00:27]
B
All right, here's some new fun facts for you today. John Williams is the guy that did
[00:31]
C
the soundtrack track to every movie of our lives. To all the big things. I mean, from Indiana Jones to Jaws. Okay, Superman. He's done it all.
[00:40]
B
When John Williams first played the two note Jaws theme for Steven Spielberg, Spielberg laughed, thought, this is a joke, right? And he was expecting something a little bit more melodic.
[00:53]
C
Now if I, if I gotta do it for you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:59]
B
John Williams played that for him. Spielberger goes, you're kidding. That's what you're doing for my movie, John. So again, Spielberg thought it was a joke. John replied, the sophisticated approach you would
[01:11]
C
like me to take isn't the approach you took with the film I just experienced. John Williams gets to see the movies before us.
[01:20]
A
Yeah.
[01:20]
C
And then puts the music to him.
[01:27]
B
The famous philosopher, Voltaire.
[01:32]
C
What's your favorite philosophies from Voltaire, Alex? There's so many to choose from.
[01:36]
B
I was more of a Socrates guy. Okay, well, Voltaire made all his money in 1729. He was 35 years old. He realized that the jackpot for the then French lottery was more than the cost of buying every single ticket. Voltaire, pretty smart guy. He bought every ticket and won the jackpot about 500000 francs, which is the
[02:01]
C
equivalent like tens of millions of dollars today.
[02:04]
B
That is fun.
[02:08]
C
Lots of weird things going on there. Number one, I didn't know Voltaire was real
[02:13]
B
books and we made it up.
[02:14]
C
There was a French lottery in the 1700s and it was worth that much money.
[02:19]
B
It's crazy.
[02:21]
C
I should be done with the Fun facts with 10 in there.
[02:27]
B
All right, well, I'll leave you with something.
[02:28]
C
I'll leave you with a banger.
[02:30]
B
The core of the earth is hot than the surface of the sun. That's neat.
[02:37]
A
Yeah, it's the fun fact of the day. We make you look smart in front of your buddies. It's the fun fact of the day.
[02:46]
D
Want a cybersecurity degree that leads to real results at wgu? You'll gain AI integrated skills certifications and career momentum. Without the degree from wgu, I wouldn't have got the job. Learn more at wgu Edu.