Who Smarted? – “Where are the Least Populated Places on Earth?”

Date: February 25, 2026
Host: Trusty Narrator
Guest: Andy the Anthropologist

Episode Overview

This episode of “Who Smarted?” dives into a fun exploration of the least populated places on Earth. With a blend of humor, interactive trivia, and fascinating storytelling, the Trusty Narrator and Andy the Anthropologist uncover what makes certain locations so sparsely peopled. Themes of remoteness, harsh climates, unique functions, and shifting economies illustrate a surprising variety in the world’s most lonely spots. The episode is packed with “wow” facts, snappy banter, and even a heartwarming story about a real one-person town.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Overcrowded vs. Remote

• [00:00–01:51]
  • Opens on a packed city bus, drawing a comic contrast to uninhabited, remote places.
  • Trusty Narrator: “Sometimes I wish I could just go somewhere in the middle of nowhere, you know, with no people. Or at least, like, very few people.”
  • Andy introduces himself as an anthropologist and offers to answer questions about the world’s least populated places.

2. Pitcairn Islands: A Tale of Extreme Remoteness

• [02:31–04:51]
  • Andy: “I’d say it doesn’t get any more remote than the Pitcairn Islands.”
  • Only 47 residents—descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers and Polynesians from Tahiti.
  • Only one of the four islands (Pitcairn) is inhabited.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Trusty Narrator: “There were more people on the bus.” [03:57]

3. Greenland: When Size Hides Sparsity

• [05:25–07:23]
  • Greenland is vast (over 830,000 sq miles) yet has just 57,000 people.
  • Key concept: Population Density
    • Andy: “In Greenland, there’s only 0.36 people per square mile.” [06:44]
  • 80% of Greenland is covered by permanent ice, so residents live only on tiny areas of the coast.

4. Other Reasons for Low Population: Special Purpose Places

• [07:58–09:35]
  • Vatican City introduced as a place with a tiny population due to its specific function.
  • Only 764 residents: clergy, church workers, and their families.
  • Surprising Fact: The Vatican pharmacy is the busiest in the world with 2,000 visitors a day.
    • Quote: “Twice the population of the country are walking in to buy breath mints and cough syrup every day.” – Andy [09:35]

5. Chilling Out: The World’s Coldest Town

• [10:10–10:46]
  • Oymyakhen, Russia: Home to just 500 residents, known as the coldest inhabited town on Earth (–58°F in winter).

6. One-Woman Town: Monowi, Nebraska

• [13:42–14:51]
  • The town of Monowi has just ONE resident, 90-year-old Elsie Ehler.
  • Used to house 150 people; economic migration caused the population to dwindle.
  • Elsie is mayor, librarian, and tavern owner. No sign of loneliness—she welcomes visitors from all over.
    • Quote: “As the only resident, she’s the mayor, she runs the library, and she runs the town’s only tavern.” – Andy [14:34]

7. Wrap-up: The Pros and Cons of Solitude

• [15:18–15:26]
  • Narrator reflects on the fantasy vs. reality of living somewhere completely empty, noting potential loneliness.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I'm more than just a random armpit. I'm Andy, the anthropologist. Studying people, places and societies is what I do.”
  – Andy the Anthropologist [01:27]

• “Pitcairn island... only has 47 people. There were more people on the bus.”
  – Trusty Narrator [03:57]

• “Greenland is over 830,000 square miles large... but 80% of the island is covered by a permanent ice sheet.”
  – Andy [07:23]

• “Population density is the number of people living in a place relative to its size.”
  – Andy [06:44]

• “The Vatican Pharmacy was founded in 1874 and receives 2,000 visitors per day.”
  – Trusty Narrator [09:11]

• “Would you want to live in the coldest town on Earth?... Oymyakhen, Russia, which is consistently the coldest inhabited place on the planet.”
  – Andy [10:14]

• “The town in question is Monowi, Nebraska, here in the United States. And the only resident is a 90 year old lady named Elsie Ehler.”
  – Andy [13:47]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00–01:51 – Crowded city vs. the fantasy of solitude
• 03:00–04:51 – The remote Pitcairn Islands and their unusual history
• 05:25–07:23 – Greenland’s ice and population density explained
• 07:58–09:35 – Vatican City’s tiny population and unique pharmacy fact
• 10:10–10:46 – Oymyakhen: The coldest inhabited place
• 13:42–14:51 – One-person town: Monowi, Nebraska
• 15:18–15:26 – Reflections on living with (or without) people

Episode Takeaways

• Locations with few people often share traits: remoteness, harsh climate, or unique purpose.
• Even in the most unexpected places, there are unique reasons for a small population—history, geography, economy, and even a single person’s resilience.
• Humorous touches and interactive questions keep kids engaged while learning real-world geography and history.

Final Thoughts

This episode of "Who Smarted?" uses humor, clever storytelling, and accessible explanations to make geography and anthropology come alive. Kids (and adults) are encouraged to ask questions and reconsider their own “fantasies” about lonely places. The episode demonstrates that behind every number and statistic, there are stories, surprising facts, and sometimes, a single remarkable person.