Lateral with Tom Scott 134: The missing 'H'
May 2, 2025
Join Matt Gray, a creative mastermind behind the YouTube series 'Matt Gray is Trying', Bernadette Banner, a passionate dress historian, and Annie Rauwerda, the quirky creator of Depths of Wikipedia, as they dive into strange trivia about sales sites and Scandinavian sayings. They share humorous takes on unique art pieces, playful anecdotes about historical gowns, and the mystery of a missing 'H' in Biblical text. With lots of laughter, they also explore the whimsical connections between art, language, and even frogs!
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The Violin Frog Explained
- Diane moves a frog near her face repeatedly while a crowd watches in amazement.
- This action is actually a violinist manipulating the frog, the part that adjusts bow tension.
Scandinavian Countries Mnemonic
- Scandinavia is remembered by the mnemonic: Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia (west to east).
- It clarifies which countries are considered Scandinavian and their geographic order.
Math Equation on Gravestone
- A gravestone inscription '1965' vs. six characters is due to math notation: "1999 plus nine" instead of engraving the exact death year.
- This allowed marking the death year 2008 without redoing the stone, an innovative practical workaround.