Build For Tomorrow

This is a story about when a big industry stops competing, and starts trying to pass laws to protect itself instead.Whatever you think you know of margarine, put that aside. When the spread was first invented in the mid-1800s, it was made very differently — and solved very real problems for the nutrient-starved people of the time. That sent the dairy industry into a full-blown panic, leading to margarine’s demonization (and then taxation and strange discoloration). In this episode, we explore how the dairy industry got politicians all riled up, what it says about industries’ ability to halt innovation, and why it took more than a century for butter and margarine to finally square off in the most fair fight of them all: a true food fight.Get in touch!Web: jasonfeifer.comEmail. jasonfeifer@gmail.comTwitter / Instagram: @heyfeifer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As electricity began to light our world, resistance came from curious corners. “God had decreed that darkness should follow light, and mortals had no right to turn night into day,” wrote one German newspaper. “A lamp for a nightmare,” declared a Scottish poet. And Thomas Edison, the inventor who gave us the first commercial light bulb, tried his hardest to make people fear a competitor’s form of electricity. But here’s the strangest thing of all: Edison and his ilk failed quickly; their fearmongering just never stuck, and electricity, unlike every other innovation we’ve explored on this show, easily expanded into our world. Why? To understand that, we have go way back -- to the very first spark.Get in touch!Web: jasonfeifer.comEmail. jasonfeifer@gmail.comTwitter / Instagram: @heyfeifer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pinball was banned from the 1940s to 1970s in many cities across America. New York City’s mayor made a show of bashing pinball machines with a hammer. Church ladies in suburban Chicago went on vigilante raids, ripping games out of stores. In this episode, we go through history to understand how a simple game became demonized. The answer, like pinball itself, requires us to bounce from one object to another, but ultimately falls into one big question: Is pinball a game of skill, or a game of chance?Get in touch!Instagram: @heyfeiferTwitter: @heyfeiferWeb: jasonfeifer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For 500 years, a succession of kings, sultans, and businessmen have tried to ban or destroy the world’s favorite morning pick-me-up. Among their claims: Coffee makes you impotent! It destroys brain tissue! It attacks the nervous system! And most critically of all, it makes you want to take up arms against your government. In this episode, we explore exactly what coffee does to us,,, and how did it overcame the controversy to become the best part of waking up.Get in touch!Instagram: @heyfeiferTwitter: @heyfeiferWeb: jasonfeifer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“One might suppose that the popular prejudice against vaccination had died out by this time,” one writer complains. It sounds like a lament from today, but in fact, it’s from 1875. Anti-vaxxers may seem like a product of our fake-news, health-hysteria modern times, but the fear that propels these skeptics is as old as the vaccine itself. How has modern medicine not shaken generations’ worth of suspicion and fear? We go back to look at two pivotal moments -- the birth of the vaccine and a 1905 Supreme Court case -- to understand what still motivates the anti-vaxxers of today.Get in touch!Instagram: @heyfeiferTwitter: @heyfeiferWeb: jasonfeifer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For as long as chess has been around — and we’re talking 1,500-plus years — someone has tried to ban it. But why? The answer is complicated, but it begins here: For ages, global and moralistic leaders have viewed games as a threat worth quashing.Get in touch!Instagram: @heyfeiferTwitter: @heyfeiferWeb: jasonfeifer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Discover how the bicycle, once feared for inciting madness and moral decline in women, sparked cultural anxieties in 19th-century England. Explore the transformation of public perception as bicycles evolved from symbols of chaos to agents of mental well-being and independence. Delve into the historical battles against gender norms and see parallels with today’s societal debates on women's rights. Uncover the fascinating journey of this two-wheeled invention and its profound impact on society and culture.

In 18th century London, umbrellas were scorned, seen as symbols of weakness rather than practicality. Jonas Hanway bravely championed their use, facing ridicule and even physical threats. This cultural resistance highlighted class struggles and masculinity norms. Over time, attitudes shifted, and the umbrella found its place, even making headlines with modern figures like President Obama. The podcast humorously ties in health critiques of tea, paving the way for a whimsical look at bicycles next.

Discover the fascinating history of New York's horse manure crisis and how the arrival of cars resolved it unexpectedly. Dive into the early 1900s when automobiles faced fierce skepticism, labeled as 'devil wagons.' Explore the intense cultural clash between car enthusiasts and horse lovers. Reflect on how marketing shaped perceptions of this new technology. Finally, draw intriguing parallels between past resistance to automobiles and today's hesitance towards self-driving cars, pondering how future generations will view human-controlled transport.

Dive into the early 1900s where recorded music faced fierce criticism for ruining art and affecting mental engagement. Discover how fears surrounding the phonograph transformed music consumption, shifting from live to recorded experiences. Explore John Philip Sousa's dire predictions about the future of live performances and how these concerns contrast with today's vibrant music landscape. Hear about trailblazing musicians like Viola Smith, showcasing the unique identities music can inspire amidst technological change.