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No Such Thing As A Fish
No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As Musical Toads

September 10, 2026 • 56m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

A live episode of No Such Thing as a Fish recorded at the Lund Comedy Festival in Sweden, where the hosts share fascinating facts about Lund University's unfortunate name in Indian languages, a fashion designer who became a toad venom facilitator, traditional Icelandic turf houses where families slept with sheep for warmth, and extreme candy including a recalled product that contained actual toxic waste.

Lund University's Linguistic Problem

The podcast opens with the revelation that in Hindi and other Indian languages, Lund University translates to "Penis University," creating an awkward situation for prospective students. The university, established in 1666 and ranked among the top 100 globally, has had to deal with students being embarrassed to tell people where they study. The marketing team cleverly handles this by relying on word-of-mouth promotion, where the pronunciation differs from the written translation.

  • Lund University translates to 'Penis University' in Hindi and other Indian languages
  • The university was established in 1666 and is ranked among the top 100 universities globally
  • Students from India often feel embarrassed and avoid specifying which Swedish university they attend
  • The marketing team uses 'word of mouth' to handle the issue, as pronunciation differs from written translation
" We like to do it by word of mouth. "

Lund's Scientific Achievements and Quirky Attractions

Despite its unfortunate name, Lund University has produced impressive scientific achievements including five Nobel laureates and five Ig Nobel prizes. The city hosts the European Spallation Source, the world's largest microscope powered by a particle accelerator, which generates enough heat to warm 20,000 homes. The city also features unusual attractions like a monument to nothing and schools with hilariously unfortunate names.

  • Lund University produced its first in-house Nobel laureate in physics in 2023 (Anne Lulier)
  • The university has won at least five Ig Nobel Prizes for quirky research like studying how chimps and humans imitate each other
  • The European Spallation Source is the world's biggest microscope that heats 20,000 homes
  • There's a monument to nothing erected after administrative inability to decide on a statue
" This is the biggest microscope in the world. "

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