Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - Questions and Answers: Volume 18

Episode Date: May 2, 2024

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It's been said that April's showers bring May flowers. In reality, April's questions bring May's answers. So join me today as I shower you with answers to let your questions flower on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. What if your perceptions about the past were wrong? ThruLine is a podcast that takes you back in time to uncover the parts of the story that may have gone unnoticed. It effectively turned day into night.

and how it shaped the world now. Time travel with us every week on the Thuline podcast from NPR. I had another record month in terms of the number and quality of the questions that were submitted. So thank you, everybody. And let's get right into it. The first question comes from Tim Manchester, who asks, What are your top five favorite bridges in the world?

Okay, Tim, in no particular order, based on bridges that I have visited, the first would be the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It's a beautiful, iconic bridge. It was an important bridge in the history of engineering. And if you are ever in San Francisco, it's a great experience to walk across it and back. The second bridge is the Akashi Kikeyo Bridge in Kobe, Japan. I visited there back in 2007 when at the time it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. They have a very nice observation area on the bridge where you can experience the true scale of the bridge.

The third bridge would be the Vizcaya Bridge, which is located in the Basqueh country of Spain. The Vizcaya Bridge is often called a hanging bridge. Instead of a normal bridge where the deck covers the entire bridge and allows people to cross, a hanging bridge only has a small deck that is ferried back and forth by cables. It's sort of a combination of a cable car and a ferry. My fourth bridge would be the Starry Most Bridge in the town of Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is a historic bridge that was commissioned in 1557 by Suleyenne the Magnificent, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. My fifth bridge would have to be the Milau Vioduct in France.

This is the tallest bridge in the world having a structural height of 336.4 meters or 1,104 feet. It is a beautiful bridge, and driving across it was a really heavy experience given how high up in the era was. The next question comes from Jerry Gardner, who asks, Would you ever do a live show event, possibly narrating your podcast while showing your photography? The short answer is yes. Not only would I do it, but I've actually considered doing it. However, I think I'd have to do something a bit more interesting than just reading a podcast episode on stage.

It would need to be something different from what you would normally listen to online. What such a live show would be, I don't know, but yes, it is something I would consider doing. David Corbly asks, what's your favorite alcoholic drink after all? all your world travelers. Well, David, I have a very simple answer to that question. Cider from the boss country of Spain. I first had it when I visited a Cedaria in 2010. You can find it easily enough almost anywhere in Spain if you go into a bar,

but finding it outside of Spain can be very difficult. The cider has a very unique way of being poured, where the bottle is held as high as possible and the glass as low as possible. The cider is aerated when it pours into the water. glass which enhances the taste. I've tried looking for it everywhere in the United States and I could never find it. I eventually went to a local wine shop and asked them if they could order it. And it turns out they could as their distributor carried it. I bought an entire case of it and I still have several bottles today. Troy Price asks, what advice would you give someone who wanted to start

working in travel photography today? My honest advice would be to not try to go into it as a business. Travel photography is not a great business. Many travel publications have gone out of business and many of those who survived no longer pay for photography. Almost everyone I know who is still working as a travel photographer is making a living by teaching people photography or running photography tours. There are still a few people who are doing well, but there are very few of them and they've only been able to do it after years

and sometimes decades in the field. I always considered my son. a traveler first and a photographer second. If you want to make a living as a photographer, there's a lot more money to be made doing weddings. Mark Hyman asks, do you know Bob Christ, a freelance photographer and filmmaker? He's giving you some competition with a video course titled Fundamentals of Travel Photography. I certainly know of Bob, but I haven't actually met him in person. We are both members of the Society of American Travel Writers, and we have both won their Travel Photographer of the Year Award. Bob has been a travel photographer much longer than

myself and has had a much more accomplished career. Nonato Noni Ramirez asks, since you've traveled the world, do you recommend one of those around the world airplane tickets, or better yet, an episode on your personal worldwide travel for a given year? The answer is, it depends. I personally never purchased such a ticket, but I also had an open-ended schedule. There was nowhere I had to be, so I was never in any sort of rush. If you have a very set schedule and you know exactly where you want to go, then an around-the-world ticket actually might be a very good option. They do offer a great deal of flexibility,

and usually the only requirement is that you have to go in a set amount of time to use all the tickets, and you have to generally go in one direction around the world. I preferred the freedom to go wherever I wanted when I wanted. However, if you prefer a much more structured itinerary, then it very well may be a good option. Chris Harris asks, have you tried ethnic foods in countries

other than their country of origin? Have you had tacos in Tokyo, pizza in Prague, or Bonn Mee in Brazil? If so, how was it compared to the U.S. or to its country of origin? The answer is, absolutely. If you're on a short vacation,

then I understand that you may want to only eat the local cuisine. However, when you're traveling long-term over a period of years, sometimes you just want to go get Chinese or go get a pizza, regardless of where you may be at the time. I used to go to a Mexican restaurant in Bangkok all the time to work because they had cheap margaritas and they would always bring chips to your table. I've been to Indian and Chinese restaurants likewise all over the world. Most large urban areas around the world will have a multitude of dining options. I've had a few

bad experiences, but for the most part, the food is always fine. Michaela Clark asks, the word curry can describe many different dishes, sauces, and spices around the world. Do you have a favorite type and can you recall the best curry you've eaten on your travels? Maybe curry is worth its own episode. First off, Michaela, you are absolutely correct that curry would make for a great episode. You are also correct that the word curry can describe many different dishes, all of which pretty much originate in South Asia. My go-to meal when I go to an Indian restaurant is lamb masala, usually with a side of doll and some plain non. My favorite curry experience was probably at a very affordable restaurant in Singapore that

catered to Indian workers. All the meals were served on banana leaves, and there were no utensils. And of course, we cannot forget, curry worst that's found in Germany. Terry Lorry asks, My daughters are going on vacation in England and Scotland at Christmas time. Any hints on driving on the opposite side of the road that would help them out? Our most rental cars automatic drive. Thank you. Love what you do, and I'm a member of the Michigan chapter of the Completionist Club.

Terry, the idea of driving on the other side of the road, no matter which side of the road you are used to driving on, can be terrifying if you've never done it. If you are an experienced driver, much of your driving is simply instinctual. The first time I ever drove on the other side of the road was in 2007 in New Zealand. I rented a camper van that I was going to stay in for two weeks driving around the country. However, I had to pick up the van in the middle of Auckland. When I got to the van, I turned off the radio to avoid all distractions, put both hands on the wheel, and just focused. Once you spend an hour or two doing it, you get the hang of it. One of the things I do not think of is in terms of right and left, but rather having myself, the driver, on the middle of the road.

No matter if you're driving on the right or the left, the driver's position is always going to be near the meridian. Almost all rental cars in North America have automatic transmissions. There are many more manual transmission cars in Europe, however, but automatic transmission cars are usually available, even if they are at a slightly higher price. If you do drive a manual transmission, the way you shift, however, is going to be the same. So when you are in a left-hand drive car,

like you are in the United States or most of the world, you increase your gear by moving away from you where you're sitting. But when you're driving in a right-hand drive car, it goes the same way, except now you're shifting with your other hand and you're shifting inward. Basically, it's doable, but you just need to be very focused when you do it for the first time. Moray Milby asks, what are your must-see sites in Scandinavia or Nordic countries? And what's the difference between Scandinavian and Nordic? Well, first, let me address the easy question. There are five Nordic countries, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland.

Three of those countries, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark are definitely Scandinavian. Their languages are all very similar. Finland is a Nordic country, but not a Scandinavian country, because its language is not Scandinavian. Iceland is usually not considered to be a Scandinavian country due to geography, but it is sometimes considered to be Scandinavian due to language. As for what to see, I think the entire Nordic region would be an ambitious trip. I certainly visit the capital cities.

I'd go to see the Vasa in Stockholm, on which I've done a previous episode. You can see the northern lights, depending on the time of year you're there. And there are stunning castles in Denmark. You can drive the golden circle in Iceland and see many of the waterfalls outside of Reykjavik. It all really depends on what you're interested in and where you're going to be. Jesus Chan asks, if there are millions of vehicles on our roads and highways, why aren't there piles of rubber from all the worn tires on the sides of the

the road. Where does all the rubber go? Hey, Zeus? That is a really good question, and the answer is something you will probably find disturbing. You may have heard of something called microplastics. Microplastics are, as the name would suggest, microscopic pieces of plastic or rubber.

They have been found everywhere, and by everywhere, I mean everywhere. They have been found in Antarctica, in the deep ocean, in the rain, in the air, in our food, and in our bodies. Microplastics have been found in human blood as well as in our lungs. The subject of microplastics is probably something for a future episode. However, it should be noted, the biggest source of microplastics by at least two orders of magnitude comes from automobile tires.

So the reason you don't see piles of rubber on the side of the road is because it gets spread everywhere. Josh Crawford asks, who is your favorite packer of all time and most despised rival player? My favorite packers are Ray Nitchke and Reggie White, and my least favorite players

from rival teams would be Randy Moss and Dick Butkus. Elizabeth Noble's asks, how do earthquakes occur in the middle of a continent? I get subduction zones, but a random fault line in Illinois, I don't quite get it. Again, that's a really good question, Elizabeth.

what you are describing are known as intra-plate earthquakes, and they are much more rare than earthquakes on the edges of tectonic plates. The most famous is the New Madrid seismic zone, which is in Southern Missouri and Northwest Tennessee. It's believed that these may come from ancient fault lines that existed back when all the continental plates were merged together to form the supercontinent of Pangaea. These ancient faults can slowly fill up with liquids and can cause earthquakes. But the truth is, geologists aren't totally sure what causes them because they are so rare and so difficult to study. Anno Dominic asks, do you consider the Eastern Roman-Slas Byzantine Empire a direct and literal

continuation of the Roman Empire? And I mean right up until 1453, as they consider themselves Roman and the term Byzantine only came about centuries later. How do you feel about the designation Byzantine? Well, Ano, yes, I do consider them the continuation of the Roman Empire because, you know, they quite literally were. And if you go back, this topic was literally the very first episode of this podcast. Granted, their language and customs changed dramatically over the centuries, but there is a very straight line that can be drawn. As for the word Byzantine, I have no

problem with it. While the Byzantines were the direct continuation of Rome, they were different than classical Rome, which was based in the city of Rome. And having a different word to describe them simply helps clarify things. Kevin Werner asks, is Wisconsin just like Ireland? Well, Kevin, Wisconsin is absolutely nothing like Ireland. It rarely snows in Ireland, for starters, and Ireland has a coastal climate with very few trees. Wisconsin is in the middle of a continent. In the south, you have prairies, in the middle you have deciduous forests,

and up in the north you have an area that was once covered in glaciers and is now heavily forested with thousands of lakes. My final question this month comes from La Jolla Smit, who asks, Do you have a favorite Roman history podcast or book? Everything Everywhere has really piqued my curiosity about everything Roman, and I'd love to learn more. The book I would recommend to get started with Roman history would be SPQR by Mary Beard. It is a great introductory book that will give you a starting point from which you can dive deeper into other topics.

As for a podcast, I have to recommend the History of Rome by Mike Duncan. The podcast ended over 12 years ago, but it remains one of the best Roman history podcasts. It's just a linear telling of the history of Rome from its founding to the fall of the Western Empire. I would like to thank everyone for their questions. There truly were a lot of very good questions I wasn't able to get to this month, and I might answer some of them in a week or two in a special episode just for Patreon members. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Ben Long and Cameron Kiefer.

I have a special announcement for everyone. I have a brand new podcast. Sort of. My friend Bobby Fleshman, a former NASA astrophysicist and his wife, Alison McCoy, a professor of physical chemistry, opened a brewery in my hometown. In addition to making incredible beer in wide varieties, they have a very interesting scientific take on beer and brewing. So we recently launched the Respective.

The Beer Podcast, a podcast about the science, culture, history, and economics of beer and brewing. Now, I'm just the host of this podcast. The Real Talent is Bobby Allison and the guests that we have on the show every week. If you're interested in a higher-level take on beer and brewing, then definitely check out the show. You can listen to Respecting the Beer wherever you listen to this podcast, and you can find a link to it in the show notes.