Summary
Overview
No Such Thing As A Fish welcomes children's TV science presenter Maddie Moate to discuss fascinating facts about cereal box toys, astronomical discoveries, geothermal energy, and stingless bees with legal rights. The hosts explore everything from radioactive cereal prizes to how Edwin Hubble expanded our understanding of the universe, innovative renewable energy solutions, and bizarre laws protecting animals.
The Wild History of Cereal Box Toys
Maddie Moate introduces the story of Kellogg's recalling 30 million flutes from cereal boxes in 1988 due to choking hazards, sparking a discussion about the golden age of cereal box prizes. The hosts explore how these toys evolved from simple china bowls to radioactive atomic bomb rings containing polonium-210, revealing the surprisingly dangerous nature of early promotional items. They discuss the Brazil nut effect that influenced toy weight, the eventual decline of cereal prizes due to health concerns, and the surprising collectible market for vintage cereal toys.
- Kellogg's recalled 30 million 'cool flutes' from Corn Pops in 1988 because they were choking hazards
- The Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring contained radioactive polonium-210 and was given away in cereal boxes for 15 cents
- Toy makers had to design prizes to a specific weight to prevent the Brazil nut effect from pushing them to the top or bottom of cereal boxes
- Quaker Oats bought 19 acres in the Yukon and divided it into 21 million square inches, giving away property deeds for one square inch with each box top
- Cereal companies stopped including toys partly due to voluntary pledges about marketing less nutritious foods to children
" It was the Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring, genuinely. And you would get this inside Kix cereal which you could get for 15 cents in the U.S. It was a gold adjustable ring there was a little removable cap at the back a little red cap that you could take off and that's where you could hide secret messages but then it contained something called now I think I'm saying this right but a spinthariscope. "
" One boy who got one sent in four toothpicks and some string and he said, can you fence my inch off, please? "
Edwin Hubble Proves the Universe is Bigger Than We Thought
Andy shares how Harvard astronomer Harlow Shapley spent years publicly arguing that the Milky Way was the only galaxy in the universe, only to be proven wrong by Edwin Hubble's discoveries. This revelation led to a complete paradigm shift in astronomy, with Shapley himself going on to map 76,000 galaxies. The discussion explores the Great Debate between Shapley and Curtis, how measurements of star brightness revolutionized our understanding of cosmic distances, and the fascinating legacy of Hubble, who had no funeral and whose remains' location was never disclosed.
- Until the 1920s, most astronomers believed the Milky Way was the only galaxy in the universe
- Harlow Shapley famously said Edwin Hubble's letter 'destroyed my universe' when presented with proof of other galaxies
- Edwin Hubble also proved Einstein wrong about the universe being static, showing it was actually expanding
- Henrietta Swan-Levitt developed the method to measure cosmic distances by studying the luminosity of pulsing stars, which Hubble later used
- The star V1 in Andromeda, discovered by Hubble, is considered the second most important star in the universe for establishing cosmic distances
- 50 billion stars in our galaxy arrived 8 billion years ago when it collided with the Sausage Galaxy
" This is completely destroyed my universe. "
" The stars will not be of much good to us if we do not preserve the minds with which to comprehend them. "
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