Mrs. Fox (3:17)

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

Trusty (3:21)

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.

Mrs. Fox (3:32)

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

Trusty (3:37)

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

Mrs. Fox (3:42)

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.

Trusty (3:54)

Ah, that is cool. Okay, smarty pants, with all. 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. Oh look, a new kind of cheering gum. No, not that kind of accident. Mrs. Fox, can you please explain to the smarty pants?

Mrs. Fox (4:30)

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.

Trusty (4:41)

Oh, and speaking of cases, I'm staring at a display case here filled with something that looks downright delicious. Smarty pants, 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. Om, nom nom nom nom. 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?

Mrs. Fox (5:10)

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

Trusty (5:18)

No, seriously.

Mrs. Fox (5:20)

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

Trusty (5:26)

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

Mrs. Fox (5:32)

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.

Trusty (5:58)

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

Mrs. Fox (6:06)

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

Trusty (6:10)

No problem. Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

Mrs. Fox (6:13)

Bup.

Trusty (6:13)

Okay, what's next? Please tell me there are more tasty accidents to try.

Mrs. Fox (6:18)

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.

Trusty (6:28)

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?

Mrs. Fox (6:37)

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

Trusty (6:51)

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

Mrs. Fox (6:59)

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

Trusty (7:02)

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?

Mrs. Fox (7:24)

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

Trusty (7:31)

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

Mrs. Fox (7:40)

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.

Trusty (7:55)

Huh?

Mrs. Fox (7:56)

The ice cream vendor ran out of bowls. But not to worry. Ernest A. Hanwee came to the rescue by rolling his zalabia, 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.

Trusty (8:13)

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

Mrs. Fox (8:25)

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.

Trusty (8:36)

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

Mrs. Fox (8:43)

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

Trusty (8:47)

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.

Mrs. Fox (9:01)

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

Trusty (9:33)

Very cool in more ways than one.

Mrs. Fox (9:35)

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.

Trusty (9:50)

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

Mrs. Fox (9:54)

But wait, there's more.

Trusty (9:55)

Oh boy. We'll find out what this one is right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Have you ever had that moment where your kiddo looks up at you from the kitchen table, frustrated, stuck on their homework and you want so badly to help them, but you just can't? Not because you don't care, but because school is different now. Math looks like a foreign language, the grammar rules have changed. Not to mention you're juggling five other things and dinner is burning. Every parent I know has been here. That's why I want to tell you about something that can make your life easier. Ixl. It's an online learning program that helps your child with math, English, science, and social studies from Pre K to 12th grade. But while that would be enough, what makes it extra special is how it adapts to your child. It figures out what they need and guides them gently toward mastery. And just like WhoSmarted IXL makes learning fun, your kids get instant feedback and even earn rewards. So if you're trying to set your child up for success, then set them up with ixl. It works and it's fun. And now who smarted listeners get 20% off when you sign up today@ixl.com smartit that's ixl.com smarted 20% off so you can get the most effective learning program out there at the best price and be the helpful parent that you were meant to be. Okay, let's be honest. Life is a lot right now. Between school drop offs, back to back meetings, half folded laundry, and texts you forgot to reply to, who has time to launch that business idea that's been living in your Notes app since 2021? Especially with that one thing standing between you and finally getting your business out into the world. A website. That part always feels like a brick wall. You want it to look professional. You want it to work, and you don't want to spend a lot of money on it. That's why I'm telling you, use Squarespace. With Squarespace, it's as easy as tell it what your idea is. Pick a style you love. Boom. Website. They've got tools for selling, scheduling, newsletters, online stores, all of it. And it looks beautiful and it works perfectly. And the whole thing happens in minutes, in the middle of your real, messy, overloaded life three months from now. Don't let the reason you still haven't launched your business be but the website. I built my first Squarespace site in less than a half hour. This is the sign for you to build yours. Go to squarespace.com smarted and use code smarted for a free trial and 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. You don't need more time. You just need the right tools. That's Squarespace. I wore winter boots every day for two years. I hate climbing trees.

Mrs. Fox (12:46)

I'm Debra Goldstein, host of the podcast the Big Fib. And half of those statements were indeed fibs. On every episode of the Big Fib, we bring on two grownups. One is an expert and the other is a liar. And it's the job of our human child contestant to help us figure out who is who, because no one can spot a liar better than a kid. We've had episodes on everything from Minecraft to mythology and from Lego to libraries. Join me and my robot co host, Lisa, on the Big Fib, on Apple podcasts or on gzmshows.com now back to who's Smarted?

Trusty (13:22)

Where were we?

Mrs. Fox (13:23)

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?

Trusty (13:34)

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

Mrs. Fox (13:39)

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

Trusty (13:45)

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 Crumb sliced the potatoes super thin, added salt, and fried them until crispy.

Mrs. Fox (14:10)

To his surprise, the Customer loved them, and the rest is chip history.

Trusty (14:16)

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?

Mrs. Fox (14:35)

Trustee. Catch.

Trusty (14:37)

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

Mrs. Fox (14:40)

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

Trusty (14:44)

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.

Mrs. Fox (14:56)

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

Trusty (15:00)

Yep, I love tossing the old Frisbee around in the park.

Mrs. Fox (15:03)

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

Trusty (15:07)

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?

Mrs. Fox (15:15)

Surprisingly, the Frisbee is named after a bakery.

Trusty (15:19)

But why? It's not a food.

Mrs. Fox (15:21)

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

Trusty (15:28)

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

Mrs. Fox (15:30)

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

Trusty (15:37)

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.

Mrs. Fox (15:55)

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.

Trusty (16:07)

And everyone loved it right away, right?

Mrs. Fox (16:09)

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.

Trusty (16:23)

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.

Mrs. Fox (16:38)

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

Trusty (16:43)

Smarty pants, 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.

Mrs. Fox (17:00)

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.

Trusty (17:27)

Sounds like it was fun for the whole family.

Mrs. Fox (17:29)

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.

Trusty (17:45)

Oh, way more fun than torsion spring.

Mrs. Fox (17:48)

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

Trusty (17:53)

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

Mrs. Fox (18:01)

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.

Trusty (18:14)

Everyone knows it's Slinky.

Mrs. Fox (18:16)

And that's our accidental invention themed science fair.

Trusty (18:19)

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 Sweetig 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's Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production. Who's Smarted.