Episode 20: Wonderwall

Wallpaper used to be a lot more like regular paper than the easy clean scrubbable stuff we know today, and in the industrial era, it got really dirty.  It turns out that the beloved kid's toy Play-doh was originally made as a wallpaper cleaner.  In this episode learn about Play-doh's long journey from cleaning supply to worldwide toy sensation.

Episode 20 is is a bit shorter than the typical Episode of Hang Your Hat, and covers only one topic (most shows cover 3 or more related topics).  Why the change?  Between my full-time job, kids and wanting to have a life, I am finding it hard to find enough time to do as much research for the show as I would like.  So this week I am experimenting with a shorter show format.  If you have an opinion on the length of the show or its frequency, I would like to know about it.  Please fill out the survey below.

Sources:

• http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/11/play-doh-was-originally-wallpaper-cleaner/
• http://www.businesspundit.com/10-accidental-discoveries-that-generated-great-wealth/
• https://www.thoughtco.com/who-invented-play-doh-1992323
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play-Doh
• http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/w/health-and-cleanliness/
• http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Wallpaper.html

Episode 17: See You In September

It is time to head back to school, but why now, as opposed to any other time of the year?  In this episode, I explore why kids go back to school in the fall (hint:  it probably isn't what you think), the US educational system, ways to ease the transition back to school and the oldest educational institutional institutions in the world.

This Episode's Music is by

Sources:

• https://www.americanboard.org/blog/?p=97
• https://www.raceforward.org/research/reports/historical-timeline-public-education-us
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/welcome-back-a-brief-hist_b_8098916.html
• http://people.howstuffworks.com/public-schools2.htm
• http://learninglab.legacy.wbur.org/2015/08/27/why-does-school-start-in-september-hint-its-not-the-crops/ 
• http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/living/school-start-dates-august-parents-feat/index.html
• http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/debunking-myth-summer-vacation/
• https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/08/education-eden-the-calendar/497687/
• http://www.statisticbrain.com/average-cost-of-college-tuition/
• https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/how-much-does-it-cost-study-us
• http://www.gideonmathandreading.com/10-tips-for-an-easy-back-to-school-transition/
• http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/back-to-school/transition/
• https://articles.niche.com/the-25-oldest-colleges-in-america/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_universities_in_continuous_operation#Founded_before_1500
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Al_Quaraouiyine