No Such Thing As A Fish 495: No Such Thing As A Peanut Hall of Fame
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Sep 7, 2023 The hosts are joined by Neil Gaiman who discusses his love for bagels. They also talk about cutting bagels, the concept of idleness aversion, beekeeping in Minneapolis, the regulations surrounding margarine, Douglas's mishaps and anecdotes, and the significance of the number 42.
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Bagel's Origin from Anti-Semitism
- The bagel originated as a workaround by Polish Jews forbidden to bake bread, boiling ring-shaped dough instead.
- Boiling made the dough safe to handle and prevented poisoning accusations amid medieval anti-Semitism.
New York Bagel Bakers Union
- Early 20th century New York bagel bakers union required rolling 832 bagels per hour for entry.
- They had strong "bagel muscles," great pay, benefits, and union strikes caused city-wide bagel shortages.
Keeping Busy Increases Happiness
- People feel happier doing a repetitive task than sitting idle, demonstrated by choosing to walk 10 minutes for candy instead of waiting.
- Sisyphus' eternal boulder pushing may be less punishment than eternal idleness.