Lateral with Tom Scott 157: A red rubber ball
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Oct 10, 2025 
Neil Freeman, a producer at Morning Brew, joins forces with co-host Toby Howell and creative video maker Macy Gilliam. Together, they tackle wacky lateral thinking puzzles. They delve into the origins of the Ugly Jerry font, inspired by gerrymandering, and unveil how a red rubber ball signals safety in aerial performances. Hilarious anecdotes about a dog’s saliva and a tanning salon's unexpected job connections add extra spice to their banter, making for an entertaining and thought-provoking discussion.
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Tactile Exhibit Teaches Respect For Objects
- A Payne Art Center guide showed schoolchildren two identical chairs: one in a box and one they were allowed to touch.
- The unboxed chair was deliberately ruined to teach why museums have a 'do not touch' rule.
Crockpot Smell Attracted A Hungry Pet
- Brian's mother found a puddle caused by an animal attracted to crockpot smells and replaced the crockpot out of guilt.
- The puddle was saliva from a pet drawn by the food scent, so she discarded the appliance to stop tempting the animal.
A Font Built From Gerrymandered Districts
- The font 'Ugly Gerry' uses gerrymandered political district outlines as letterforms.
- Designers turned the grotesque shapes of manipulated districts into typographic commentary on gerrymandering.