The Things Around Us

Manhole Covers

Why are manhole covers round?

The Post Office

Join Host Kessler McLaughlin on a brief overview of how the post office came to be and to learn what individual objects you can ship without envelopes or packages. Sources and Further Reading: History Channel | Post Office [⁠https://www.history.com/news/us-post-office-benjamin-franklin⁠] Britannica | Postal System History [⁠https://www.britannica.com/topic/postal-system/History⁠] Britannica | Cursus Publicus [⁠https://www.britannica.com/topic/cursus-publicus⁠] Smithsonian Postal Museum | Ben Franklin [https://postalmuseum.si.edu/benjamin-franklin-philadelphia’s-postmaster ] The Week Magazine | Post Office Innovations [⁠https://theweek.com/articles/724620/secret-innovative-history-post-office⁠] US Postal Service | History [https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/⁠] US Postal Service | An American History (ebook) [⁠https://about.usps.com/publications/pub100.pdf⁠] US Postal Service | Facts [https://facts.usps.com/⁠ ] US Postal Service | Decoding the Zip Code [⁠https://facts.usps.com/decoding-the-zip-code/⁠ ] US Postal Service | Mailing Potatoes [⁠https://facts.usps.com/mailing-potatoes/⁠]

The Microwave

We all use microwaves, but how do they work? Where did they come from? We'll explore the origins of these common household appliances and some fun ways to use them that you might not have explored (no explosions required). Sources and Further Reading Smithsonian | Microwave Oven [https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/snapshot/microwave-oven#:~:text=Microwave%20Oven%2C%201976&text=Percy%20Spencer%20developed%20and%20patented,weighing%20more%20than%20750%20pounds.] MIT | Percy Spencer [https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/percy-spencer#:~:text=Following%20the%20war%2C%20Spencer%20was,experiment%20with%20un%2Dpopped%20popcorn.] Brittannica | How Microwaves Work [https://www.britannica.com/story/how-do-microwaves-work] Reader's Digest | Microwave Mistakes [https://www.rd.com/list/microwave-mistakes/] Taste of Home | Microwave Popcorn [https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/the-reason-you-should-microwave-popcorn-this-side-up/] FDA | Microwave Ovens [https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/resources-you-radiation-emitting-products/microwave-ovens#Have_Radiation_Injuries_Resulted_from_Microwave_Ovens_] Music by ⁠lvymusic⁠ [

The Mile Marker

Where did mile markers come from? How do you read them? In this episode we travel back in time for a brief study on the signs that move us forward. Sources and Further Reading: The Lower Merion Historical Society [https://lowermerionhistory.org/?page_id=186987#:~:text=Ancient%20Landmarks,go%20to%20reach%20their%20destination] National Park Service - The Odometer [https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/mormon-odometer.htm#:~:text=In%201628%2C%20Thomas%20Savery%20invented,the%20mileage%20of%20the%20routes%E2%81%A0] Britannica - Vitruvius [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vitruvius] The History Channel - The Roman Forum [https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/roman-forum] The Historical Marker Database [https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=175105] The United States Department of Transportation: Read Your Road [https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/docs/ryr.pdf] Ranger Brian Reedy, Historian, U.S. National Park Service

The History of the Paperclip

Few things are as ubiquitous in one's desk as a paper clip. But where did the paper clip come from who invented it and why did they do it? Join host Kessler McLaughlin for an explanation of the history of the paper clip. For further reading, here are some sources from the episode: University of Houston [https://uh.edu/engines/epi769.htm#:~:text=The%20Norwegian%20Johan%20Vaaler%20is,the%20first%20paper%20clip%20patent.] Slate [https://slate.com/human-interest/2012/05/the-history-of-the-paper-clip-it-was-invented-in-1899-it-hasnt-been-improved-upon-since.html] Follow us on Twitter @AroundUsShow [https://twitter.com/AroundUsShow]