Lateral with Tom Scott - 45: Mission to nowhere

Episode Date: August 18, 2023

Ruth Amos and Shawn Brown ('Kids Invent Stuff') and Dani Siller ('Escape This Podcast') face questions about bread balls, maligned musicals and profitable postage. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful answers, hosted by Tom Scott. For business enquiries, contestant appearances or question submissions, visit https://www.lateralcast.com. HOST: Tom Scott. QUESTION PRODUCER: David Bodycombe. RECORDED AT: The Podcast Studios, Dublin. EDITED BY: Julie Hassett. MUSIC: Karl-Ola Kjellholm ('Private Detective'/'Agrumes', courtesy of epidemicsound.com). ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS: Dani Siller, Francesco Cusimano, Ethan Uyeda. FORMAT: Pad 26 Limited/Labyrinth Games Ltd. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Bodycombe and Tom Scott. © Pad 26 Limited (https://www.pad26.com) / Labyrinth Games Ltd. 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do some pizza parlours give away a free dough ball with every pizza? The answer to that at the end of the show. My name's Tom Scott, and this is Lateral. On today's show, we are joined by three guests who have degrees in quick wit, and a master's in repartee, and PhDs in lightning-fast comebacks. And their student loans must not be worth it. We have, first of all, from Kids Invent Stuff, Ruth Amos. Hi, thanks for having me.

Welcome back to the show. It's good to have you back. How was it last time? You were a first-timer. How did it feel? It was great. I couldn't think straight because I was like, hang on a minute, where are we going with this? But yes, it was great and I loved it and I'm back for more. Thank you for being so enthusiastic there. Also joining from Kids Invent Stuff, the other half of the channel, Sean Brown. How are you feeling about it? Good, yeah. I enjoyed it last time. I didn't have any idea what to expect. In fact, I never even watched or listened to it, so I was going in blind. So now I didn't have any idea what to expect in fact I never even watched or listened to it um so I was

going in blind so now I at least have some a vague sense of um of what I've let myself in for um and yes I'm excited I feel less like a rookie now marginally well thank you very much for coming in despite all that you should also talk a little bit about kids invent stuff because I do like the format like what are you what are you working on between now and whenever this episode comes out so we're currently editing a video where we built um a kid's idea for a vegetable launcher so it's a cannon that fires fruits and vegetables um that we had a lot of fun testing recently my dog luna my labrador was particularly excited about the kind of games of chase involving um various root vegetables and things um so yeah, that's currently what we're working on. But yeah, bringing kids' inventions to life is our speciality.

Well, you and Ruth are now both old hands with the show. So thank you for coming back. Also joining us again is one of our regulars from Escape This Podcast, Dani Silla. And don't worry, Tom, I listen to the show. But Sean, on my whatever visit this is to the show, you still feel like a rookie the entire time. I still have no idea what I'm doing. But thank you for having me back, Tom. I appreciate it. Well, it's good to have you back.

It's good to have all of you back. Thank you very much. On this show, our questions take our guests on the scenic route around the foothills of Mount Logic. And sometimes I'm on the same journey too. Which is a worry, because I have forgotten my crampons. So before someone falls into the valley of despair, let's trek to question one. Which is…

An American inventor sells clocks that lose 39 minutes every day. Who is his most famous customer? One more time. An American inventor sells clocks that lose 39 minutes every day. Who is his most famous customer? 39 minutes per day. And this is very useful for,

it sounds like one person. Or one industry. Who benefits from the loss of time? Oh, well, that's a deeper philosophical question. Was this written in the present tense yes it was interesting the only thing i know about clocks like changing time is to do with when they like go into space or something and i'm like but i'm pretty sure it's not 39 minutes i'm pretty sure it's fractions of a second if you add up enough fractions of a second.

Yeah, but they lose 39 minutes across every day. Is that right? Yeah, that's right. Because if we're not talking bullet trains and relativity. We're not, but you're not starting far away from the answer here. So is it likely that travel is an important feature of this again though time zones where 39 minutes could be relevant oh my god ruth please you sound no i was i was literally oh and then i was like hang on a minute where is there a time zone that's that

like that small of a difference i mean like i don't know i was thinking like going from like the channel tunnel or something but then'm like, that's not 39 minutes. This isn't Einsteinian relativity either. I think I remember reading once that the amount of time that's different for a train driver or something like that over the course of their life is some tiny, tiny, tiny, almost unmeasurable fraction of a second. So yeah, not 39 minutes a day, but you're surprisingly close

with that sort of wild swing there, Ruth. Is it just some one poor individual somewhere who lives in a bizarre geographic place where for some reason, a journey they have to take of some sort or a task that they have to do, it would be convenient for them to have this happen? Oh, I'm keeping my mouth shut because you really...

Oh, by all means say yes. I have no follower. I'm hoping that someone does. Because I listen back to these episodes before they go out, just to double check everything. And sometimes I'm listening back and I hear someone say that. It's like, oh yeah, no, that's... In hindsight, that's going to sound like a bit of genius.

And I can't give you any feedback on it without giving it away. Oh, is it like, I don't know, I'm trying to think of things you do that might change time. So is it like something to do with diving? Like if you dive down or if you... Your first guess was a lot closer. Space. Space is better. Literally a lot closer. So we're is better. Literally a lot closer.

Hmm. So we're not talking, it's interesting, isn't it? Because we're talking about, we're talking about losing time rather than a time difference. Oh, yeah. Because I was going to say,

like, what's the time difference on, like, the space stations or something like that? Space station. I was like, what's it called? Yeah. But, oh, oh, Tom's pulling a funny face.

Yeah. That has some sort of near-Earth orbit. I assume it's time of doing a full rotation. I don't know how it works. I want to say, oh, yes, I imagine that would be closer to 39 minutes less per day. I couldn't tell you if that's true or not.

I'm really glad that I was the one who got given this question because I'm that sort of annoying space nerd who would have got that immediately, because I know how long it takes the International Space Station to orbit and it's about 90 minutes. So that's not quite right, but you are edging ever closer, quite literally in terms of where you're talking about, to the correct solutions. Some sort of satellite? Is it to do with, like, something like a clock that's needed to measure some sort of, like,

satellite GPS thing or something? I think what else is out there in space? I can't remember. I'm pretty sure there's no one that lives on the moon or Mars yet. I'm pretty sure we sort of have. Are the people that live on the moon? Is it the man in the moon's clock? Oh, you're getting really close.

You're getting really close. So I think you can probably solve who their customer is. NASA? Yes. Okay. These clocks are being sold by Brian Mumford of Mumford Microsystems to NASA. I believe they're also available to other folks, but NASA buys these clocks. Charging a fortune per clock to stay in business oh i can only imagine is it is it to do with like uh a moon a moon day are you

measuring a moon day it is that because isn't it the thing of hey an earth day is 24 hours and just it just so happens that the moon is basically the same so the rotations sort of rotate together. It's not the moon. It's... Mars. Mars. Absolutely right. So these sit in the control rooms for the Martian rover. Oh. Of course there's no people.

The robots are up there. Of course. I didn't think of the robot people. Robots... I didn't think of the robot people. Robots wasn't the answer last time we did one of these together. Why should it have been the answer this time? Let's just guess robots every time.

Okay. That's why when you said it's for some individual out there in space, I was like, oh, you're nearly there. You're so nearly there. I always forget about the robots, and that's the sound bite they'll use when they come and kill us all. So, yes, these clocks are manufactured for NASA so that they can keep in time with the rovers on Mars.

All of our guests have brought a question with them. Dani, this one's yours. It is very much mine because I wrote this one. Take an appropriate amount of time with it, guys, if you're players. Yeah. If we know the answer, let's leave it a bit longer just so

danny's like yes in their day the british musical pair gilbert and sullivan were wildly popular in the u.s with their work performed to packed audiences why weren't they happy about this one more time in their day the british musical pair gilbert and sullivan were wildly popular in the u.s with their work performed to packed audiences. Why weren't they happy about this? I have to back out of this question because 20 years ago, I don't know if it still does, my university had a Gilbert and Sullivan society.

I knew a couple of people who were in it and while I was never on stage performing myself, I know this story. So I am going to sit out. He knows the story and every word to the Pirate of Penzance. I have been in Pirate of Penzance. That's a good one. And it's, yeah, it's such a good one to sing.

After the closing credits of this episode, there will be an entire sing-along of Modern Major General. Just to let you know, that's going to be tacked on to the end of this. I'm ready. It was in it nine years ago. Let's see if I remember. Just to let you know, that's going to be tacked on to the end of this. I'm ready. It's been nine years ago. Let's see if I remember.

Is it to do, how many Americans am I going to offend this episode, is the question. Is it to do with the caliber of audience or the caliber of performer? So basically trying to decide how much was it they didn't like Americans? Yes. I'll give you two plenty of time to talk about it's only it's just the two of you um is it a sound thing is it like that they did it ruin the acoustics having an like a really packed space i mean that seems like the opposite of what it would do but um does it was there was there like a practical musical problem with having lots of people there oh no it was packed audiences because

the music sounded wonderful they were very talented and as far as i know the theaters were built great was it the fact that they were really popular but they weren't the ones performing that feels like the sort of thing like a writer of their thing would i mean yeah they were upset by they were the music they were the creators so i i'm not aware if they were ever the performers on stage as well. That's not what I would have associated them with. I'm not going to claim I'm a Gilbert and Sullivan expert, but I'm pretty sure they didn't perform. No, I'm trying to think of whether it was like an ego thing of like, oh, they love it, but it's not our version. Did they change the words?

Because that really annoys us. Oh, have you ever looked at that? I know that they have it with Harry Potter books. I'm not sure how many other books they have this with. You can find a side-by-side version of all the changes that they made going to American things. And some of it is a little bit heartbreaking. Some of it is just baffling.

They change things and you go, I don't, I had no idea that apparently that was going to be a linguistic confusion. Those are just normal words. We get complaints at this podcast, whether I do the thing where I translate words for Americans or whether I don't. If I say a British word and then translate it for Americans, I get complaints. And also like it's North Americans. It's like it's the rest of the world. I get complaints if i

make that translation because i'm being patronizing i get complaints if i don't because they can't understand the questions so i suppose the question is is there like is there a little known gilbert sullivan track called like the color of aluminum or something that we don't know about and they didn't change it no but that does still scam to Pirates of Penzance. It does. That's true. They were not specifically annoyed that some lyrics got changed

or anything. Did they not get royalties? Did they not get paid for it? Is it to do with the fact that like their copyright or something, like they should have made a fortune

and they never did? That is exactly what was going on. Why? Why was this happening? Why weren't they making money even though they were packed audiences because copyright didn't you know copyright did exist then uh you're basically there well you're right copyright did exist back then international copyright a little bit more of an issue i see so it was it was protected in the UK, not in America. So the Americans are

like, great, we can make a fortune. Exactly. They got performed once in the UK. Somehow all of the music, all of the information just went straight across the ocean and hundreds of different theater groups were performing these things. And Gilbert and Sullivan themselves, not happy about it. And this was a common thing. There's a transcript somewhere of Charles Dickens complaining about this being a big problem. So it was not just them. It was all of the writing fields. Interesting.

So, yes, Gilbert and Sullivan, despite their wild popularity in the US, were not happy because they weren't getting any money. International copyright didn't exist yet. Next one's from me, sent in by Ethan Ueda. Thank you, Ethan. In the film Top Gun Maverick, a computer screen reveals that there is an enemy base at 48 degrees, 52.6 minutes south, 123 degrees, 23.6 minutes west.

Why was this specific location chosen? One more time. In the film Top Gun Maverick, a computer screen reveals that there is an enemy base at 48 degrees, 52.6 minutes south, 123 degrees, 23.6 minutes west. Why was this specific location chosen? All right. Are we thinking there is something special that's located there that would just be a funny, nice position to have an enemy? Or do you think there is some code hidden in the numbers that we should be trying to solve right now? Well, I didn't write them down, so hopefully someone else did. I'm on it.

Is it like, could it be like the phone numbers they have for TV that are like specific ones that are like used for TV or for films. So could it be that that is the middle of the ocean? So if someone was to just randomly bomb it because they saw it in the show, it wouldn't actually be a bit of land. Or it's the director's home address. He wants to be bombed. Here's the thing. One of

you two has just nailed that location. It is either the director's home address or the point in the middle of the ocean. Let's bomb them both and see what happens. Were they trying to be responsible or funny? This is what we're going with here.

The only things you need to work this out, just to help the folks listening at home, the only things you need are the 48 degrees south, 123 degrees west. So based on geography, which of those do you think it is? That's very far west. The 48 south, probably. 48 south, 123 west.

Anyone have a good idea on their own coordinates as a starting point? Nope. No idea where I am in the world. I barely know what time it is. Just take a punt. 48 degrees south of the equator, 123 degrees west of Greenwich. Middle of the ocean or director's house? Sean, pick one.

Middle of the ocean. Ruth. Director's house. Dami. This is horrible. Middle of the ocean. Middle of the ocean's correct. It is actually Point Nemo.

It is the position furthest from any land. Well, actually, the director lives on a boat, and that's where his boat currently is. Yeah, I plumped with a guess that the director was probably a Northern Hemisphere person, so that's why I went with ocean. But I didn't consider the boat problem. So that's the point identified.

It's Point Nemo. But the question is, why was that specific location chosen? Is it some Easter egg to do with like, either the rest of the film or the series or like some sort of, I don't know. Were they going all Taylor Swift and they're dropping them Easter eggs in the films

for all those like diehard fans? It's Top Gun, not diehard. Sorry. Oh, yeah, sorry. Sorry. I saw an open goal i'm just like i might as well might as well tap that one in you've got to take the openings you've got to take them the one thing i know about top gun maverick is that apparently they were very vague about who this the enemy was so i wonder if they were both being as locationally vague, as far away from any

real location that an enemy might live as possible. So they don't offend anyone. Yep. It's the point furthest from land, the point furthest from where there could be any enemy bases. So they just decided, you know what? We're going to have the graphics there. So we deliberately keep the enemy as vague as possible, even for the nerds who are freeze framing sean the next question is yours over to you okay so this is a listener question that's been sent in by francesco cusimano um and the question is that in 2023 protesters against an unpopular reform graffiti the numbers 64 the numbers 64, 62 and 60 in specific locations around Paris. Where were these numbers seen?

So in 2023, protesters against an unpopular reform graffitied the numbers 64, 62 and 60 in specific locations around Paris. Where were these numbers seen? We have a lot of questions on the show that start with in and a year because they're normally historical. So I was all ready for a historical question there and then you said 2023. Now, does that make you feel good or does that make you panic? Where do you lie on the current events, historical events spectrum? So I think I know what the protests would have been. And that is the French pension

age protests. You're nodding along there, Dani. Yeah, they just raised their retirement age to 67 or something like that, didn't they? And it was not, people were not happy about it. But the question is, where can it be seen from, right? Oh, yeah. Again, this is good starting information. I've no idea where it goes. So you hit the nail on the head with those numbers representing ages and the relationship there to France's retirement age.

I think it's actually going up from 60 to 64, isn't it? Because the French retirement age is far below Britain's, mostly because any time they try and raise raise it there are massive protests and strikes so that would make sense with like the 60 62 64 right if it was going from 60 to 60 it makes sense you could well be right yeah yeah so um so yeah you've you've sort of firmly hitting the nail on the head there. So it used to be 60. In 2010, they changed it to 62. And then in 2023, this year, they are trying to raise it to a bit further to 64. But where?

Where were these numbers seen? French stereotype on a guillotine. But I was going to say, if I was going to protest, the only number I'd want to survive is 60, because you probably want to push it back to 60, right? So where is there somewhere where you could, I mean, you could destroy the 62,

64? That's my thinking. It's like, if I was going to protest, I would want the numbers 62 and 64 to dramatically, I don't know, like explode or something. But it's not my protest to dramatically i don't know like explode or something but it's not my protest so i don't know it's a good way of thinking though you're thinking about like them being located in sort of strategic places where it would have like a visual impact um you're definitely on the bit late to put them on notre dame that's a few years old now um sorry a notre dame fire joke

there so just you know casual casual joke about disasters in Paris. Men, a lot of these are, I don't want to say more cheerful. I feel like I went in the morbid direction for it. I went straight to, oh, they went to cemeteries and they found all the records of like average lifespan and they went, oh, you want to raise our retirement age to 64? Look at the average lifespan only being 62 just a couple of decades ago.

Oh, that is morbid. Yeah, right? I mean, what we're learning from this episode is they should hire us to do their campaigns because we're coming up with some great ideas. Because we'll graffiti gravestones. Yeah, if anyone wants to talk, yeah, Danny and I are ready for a little bit of consultation on how you should rebel. There's just not enough marketing in cemeteries these days.

Okay, where would these numbers be good? Speed limits? That could be a 60. Ooh. Ooh. Like on the roads. Ooh, you're very warm there. I'll give you that.

Okay. What is the national speed limit in France? I should know that. I've driven there. In cities, it's going to be lower. In cities, it's going to be something like 50. But like next to roads, road signs, some sort of infrastructure. Because they're kilometers, right? Yeah. Oh, they are? Okay. Yeah, they're kilometers. Everywhere that is not Britain or America is kilometres. But you could easily change a 50 kilometre sign to read 60, 62 or 64, right?

Yeah, but you want them to get destroyed somehow. I mean, do you? I mean, that might not be true. I'm just thinking if I was going to do it as a statement, I would want them to get destroyed. So you're super warm. I'm going to give you a little clue in that it only works because there's exactly three numbers.

That's a little clue for you. But you're obviously on the right track. It's not speed limits. Oh, was it traffic lights? Green 60 is okay. 62, oh, I don't know about that. Yeah, absolutely hit the nail on the head um so um it is indeed traffic lights so protesters wrote numbers on local traffic lights of 60 in green 62 in amber and 64 in red um which is a brilliant bit of data visualization using public infrastructure i mean data visualization

using public infrastructure is basically my dream YouTube channel there. You've summed up what I do, so thank you for that. Protesters make the best performance art and street art, don't they? Yeah, they really do. My next question then. Iga is famous for supplying breadsticks and bagels.

She can give a maximum of two per person, usually to women. She once gave a breadstick and a bagel to Madison, but she was not best pleased. So one more time. Eager is famous for supplying breadsticks and bagels. She can give a maximum of two per person, usually to women. She once gave a breadstick and a bagel to Madison, but she was not best pleased about it. Why? Because she's allergic to gluten, like me and Matt.

That's what we bond over, the lack of gluten in our food. I mean, I think we're missing the obvious here, which is that Madison was a robot. The answer to everything. Robots are always the answer, right? That's what we've decided. Robots are always the answer. And I would not be happy about someone giving away my bread to everything. Robots are always the answer, right? That's what we've decided. Robots are always the answer.

And I would not be happy about someone giving away my bread to robots. I feel like that is the real serious step in the uprising. Was Madison upset because the small print wasn't specific and she was expecting two breadsticks and two bagels, not just one breadstick and one bagel? I think she'd have been less happy with more breadsticks and bagels there. Is Madison a thing that is allergic to it in the sense of, like, not a person? Like, are there animals that are allergic

to breadsticks and bagels? I'm going to let you all talk about this for a little while first. You don't want to let me talk too much about this because I hear breadsticks and bagels being sold mostly to women and I'm going straight to the erotic bakery. Oh my God, okay.

No, I don't want you to continue talking about this. I need clarification on the existence of the erotic bakery. Is this a thing? I could tell you stories for days, but apparently it'll have to wait till we're off the air. That sound you can hear is the sound of the section cutting the cutting room floor at speed.

This is our protest, Annie. Just carry on. This is our formal protest. We just said protest is the most creative form of expression. So right now, I want you to tell me

in excruciating detail about the Erotic Bakery. I promise you all of my information is, once again, from the Simpsons episode about it. That makes perfect sense.

I'll try and drag this back. Madison and Eager are real people. I wondered. Those were very specific names to have chosen. They are, aren't they? They really are. And are we talking about actual bread and bagels, or is this like another thing?

And that's the question I was hoping someone was going to ask. Oh, no. Where are not real or metaphorical bread and bagels found? Is it like a code name for something else? Interesting. You can have two of one. I didn't make notes. Yeah, what were these products?

How closely should we have paid attention to exactly what the products were and the numbers? The numbers are less important. The products are very significant. Breadstick and bagel. But you don't want them. You don't want breadstick and bagel. No, you wouldn't want those. But you can give two to a person, right?

Is that what it said in the question? Yeah. Is it relevant that a breadstick and a bagel look like ones and zeros? Oh, that's very relevant, Danny. Oh, boy. So you can give out two things, and this person got a one and a zero, and that stinks.

I assume it's the zero that's the problem, or is it the combination? What do we think? Neither of them are very good. Oh. I wonder what would be a good option. All I can think of is code or binary when we're talking about ones and zeros, and I'm trying to work out why giving someone code would be bad.

I think more people would take up careers in computing. The best possible option would be a six. I'll tell you this is not about computing. I'll tell you this is not about computing We have perhaps picked three not particularly good folks for this question to get aimed at How dare you

The best option would be a 6 Is this in a game? Yes Oh, we've already made clear that we don't gamble enough haven't we? Oh yeah, are we gambling or are we like D&Ding? Where are we on the scale is this about magic the gathering i i love that we've got you three here for this question

because because again you have immediately gone to completely the wrong things out of the world out of that trivial pursuit thing that is sports and leisure, you have gone for entirely the wrong part of that pie. Yes. Is it a sport thing? Yes, it's a sport thing. Is it like, I don't know, what has weird names for things like golf, cricket? I don't know. Tennis?

What else has got a weird thing? Oh, 1-0. Keep going. Like tennis is like one. Oh. Oh, 1-0. Keep going. Like tennis is like one more. Oh, okay. And the best option there is a six. You know what's so frustrating?

What? I just went, we think these are real people. Eager. I only know one Eager. Eager Swiatek. And, well, that's not going to be relevant at all. Yeah, that is very, very relevant. Who is Eager Swiatek. And well, that's not going to be relevant at all. Yeah, that is very, very relevant. Who is Iga Swiatek? I'm not very good with my nationalities, but I believe she's a pretty top tennis player.

And the Madison, maybe Madison Keys, the American? Madison Keys. Yep. This is a sports question. Sorry. Oh, no. We don't do that. What is Iga's bakery? And why do people not like getting breadsticks and bagels from it? Does this mean like how many points you can score against her? Yep. A 6-0 score in a set of tennis is called a bagel. A 6-1 score is a breadstick.

And Eager is famous. I got that wrong in a trivia a month ago. I mean, I was thinking like food. I was thinking coding. I was like, why have you given us the sports? Yeah, I can even tell you the game. This was 16th of March, 2022. She beat Keyes 6-1, 6-0 at Indian Wells.

Is it 6-0 or 6-love when you're on set? Honestly, I don't know. We've got a load of non-sport people and I got the sports question to give you. So sorry for that, folks. But yes, this is Iga's Bakery because Iga Svantec is known for giving out breadsticks and bagels, ones and zeros to her opponents. It's phenomenal just the effect that sports can have on trivia people.

Tennis is the only sport that I do pay attention to. And I watched the Australian Open. I know some of these people. Apparently, I haven't learned the language, though. It's also amazing the effect that conversation about breadsticks and bagels can have on my stomach. I'm starving now. Honestly, if you hear growling, that is my stomach.

That started up during that question. Ruth, it's over to you what's your question okay so on the 8th of january 1993 stamp collectors posted items bearing a popular stamp to incorrect addresses hoping that something highly appropriate would add value to it. What was it? On the 8th of January, 1993, stamp collectors posted items bearing a popular stamp to incorrect addresses,

hoping that something highly appropriate would add value to it. What was it? I think I know this one. I'm going to sit out. I'm going to sit out, and if I'm wrong, you can all shame me for it later, but one. I'm going to sit out. I'm going to sit out. And if I'm wrong, you can all shame me for it later, but I think I'm going to sit out. So we can narrow it down by something that Tom Scott might know.

I mean, that really narrows it down, doesn't it? All right. So what happens when you send something to a wrong address? My first thought here, you would write not at this address on the envelope but then i thought there's also return to sender and that sounds more like a cool phrase that people would know about is there something that would fit if you put return to sender on it you're you're heading in the right direction what um so you would have to be something specifically that only happens when it gets returned because otherwise you would just post it to your mate and then they give it to you so it needs to be something that is specific to um specific to getting it sent back so is there some kind of stamp some kind of like rubber stamp ink stamp i don't know what those sorts of stamps would look like but they sound useful

we still get old people who own this apartment's mail. You're heading in the right direction. 8th of January, 1993. Yeah. 8th of January, 1993. I don't think you need any more help. I feel like you're heading in the right direction. If you like, if you talk it out, I think you'll probably get it. All right. Well, that date I'm sure was important, but that wouldn't have been written somewhere on the envelope, would it? They don't do that on envelopes anywhere, right? They do, don't they, in the postmark? We'll often have the date, won't you? Ah, interesting. So was there something, what happened on that date?

What was going on in 1993? Again, as a two-year-old, a bit of a blind spot of mine. I don't have much on you of my extra year as a three-year-old. I wasn't blind spot of mine i don't have much on you of my extra year my as a three-year-old i wasn't really kind of really up on current affairs so the stamping question was for someone's birthday so it's not so much about the date but what was someone's birthday on that date which probably actually doesn't help you really so there we go i mean i guess what i suppose the things the obvious things aren't there i suppose like it's who's on a stamp it's a normal stamp so it's it's it's the queen isn't it so was it the queen's birthday is it a normal stamp didn't they say it wasn't it was a fairly ordinary stamp and they said it was

a popular stamp a popular okay not just just any old stamp don't assume that this is a british stamp oh that narrows it i was wondering because again not an area that i would have known now here our stamps are changing all the time so i don't have a consistent image to rely upon so what would have been popular to put on a stamp design in 1993 is it just going to be another person is it something pop culturey did someone die is there a link so you've already spoken about like what people might be doing by sending it to an incorrect address is there a way that those things like might be entwined do people have a return to sender stamp or something along those lines was that a song return to sender is there a return

to sender stamp and was it elvis yeah oh okay that's who did the song is it correct so stamp collectors hoped that the u.s postal service would rubber stamp the item return to sender and they have a lovely like red with a little point thing um which is the title obviously of elvis's famous hit and then they get returned to them and a first day cover so this was this was a stamp to release to mark his 58th birthday and a first day cover bearing the elvis stamp and a return to sender return to sender rubber mark went on sale on ebay for 90 dollars which is back in 1993 i think that's yeah that's a significant amount of money so yeah so they they sent them out hoping that they get stamped with return to sender

and they would become worth a lot more money. Sport followed by music. Well played. What got me was the look on your face, Daniel. Oh, that's who did the songs. Okay, that's the key bit. Did my impression not kind of yield that already? Didn't you already know from me just loosely saying the lyrics in a vaguely musical way?

Here's the thing. There won't be a performance of Return to Sender after the credits on this one because we don't have the copyright to that. Gilbert and Sullivan, out of copyright, we can do that. One last thing then. At the start of the show, I asked why some pizza parlours give away a free dough ball with every pizza. Before I give the answer, does anyone want to take a quick guess at that? I have one guess for it, and it relates to how much my dog loves empty pizza boxes.

Does that feel related? It's something to do with the box. Is it to do with if it's on the top of the pizza, it stops the pizza getting squashed? Yep, it is a replacement for that little plastic pizza table that a load of pizza parlours put in the middle of the pizza in order to stop the box crushing it. Absolutely right. With that, thank you very much to our players.

Let's find out what's going on in your lives. We'll start with Ruth. Hey, yeah, if you want to watch crazy invention ideas that have been designed by kids, brought to life, then check us out over on Kids Invent Stuff. And you know what? I'm going to go in a completely illogical order. Dani.

So I make podcasts, versions of escape rooms, and we actually have an itch page where we give away all of those notes to you so that you can play them yourself with friends at home. And that's at consumethismedia.itch.io. And Sean. So Ruth said about our videos, which people can watch, And that's it. or just find out more, you can do that at lateralcast.com. There are video highlights every week at youtube.com slash lateralcast and we are at lateralcast pretty much everywhere. With that, thank you very much to Sean Brown.

Amazing to be here. Ruth Amos. Thanks for having me. And Danny Siller. Thank you so much. It's wonderful. I've been Tom Scott and that's been Lateral. Oh, hell. I am the very model of a modern major general.

I have information, vegetable, animal, and mineral. I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical from Marathon to Waterloo in order categorical. I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical. I understand equations both as simple and order categorical. I'm very well acquainted too with matters mathematical. I understand equations both as simple and quadratical. About binomial theorem I am teeming with a lot of news. With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse. With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.

With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse. Many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse. Oh, that's where I run out. That's where I run out. Sorry. You were doing so well. So well. Smashed it.