Toy Time! What’s the history behind yo-yos, hula hoops and slime?
For as long as there have been humans, there have been toys! But do you know the history behind some of your favorites? Join Joy and Evette...
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Forever Ago
Forever Ago is a history show for the whole family. Every episode explores the origin of one thing – like sandwiches, video games and clocks – while teaching listeners to think critically ab...
Episodes
20 of 115 episodesSneak peek: Hoax Hunters explain the Pokemon Shock
This is a sneak peek of a bonus episode available to Smarty Pass subscribers. It’s a follow up to the Forever Ago episode about the history...
Day in the Life: Ancient Rome
The Ancient Roman empire thrived over 2,000 years ago. You may have heard about gladiators, the Coliseum or leaders like Alexander the Great...
Who invented Pokémon?
Pokémon is a mega-smash hit around the world. There are TV shows, movies, card games, toys, and of course, video games. It all started with...
Forever Ago Season 9 starts August 5th!
Get ready to start historymaxxing because Forever Ago's latest season is back Wednesday, August 5th! We've got terrific new topics from Pizz...
How did soccer start?
Soccer is the most popular sport on the planet. But how did it get its start? And why do some people call it “soccer”, while others call it...
Bird poop facials and toilet masks: Skin care of the past
There are so many trends in skin care, from fun-shaped pimple patches to Korean sheet masks. They might seem like the latest fad, but did yo...
Why did it take so long for the U.S. to pick its national anthem?
It’s super common for a country to have a national anthem. That’s an official song that is sung at special events and is supposed to bring p...
From Skibidi to Slay: The stories behind slang
Skibidi, rizz and slay are examples of slang. Slang words are fun, zippy terms that usually spread from one small group of people, to the en...
The Titanic was called unsinkable, so why did it sink?
The Titanic sank only four days into its voyage. Even though the ship was lost to the ocean, the history and stories survived. Join Joy and...
Daylight Saving: The surprising story behind why we change our clocks
Twice a year, many countries move their clocks by an hour. But why? It turns out humans have been messing with minutes and hours for centuri...
From sickness to sweetness: the story of Candy Land
Candy Land is iconic. The cute characters, the simple rules, it’s the perfect game for kids of all ages. But it all started as a way to chee...
How diamonds became the symbol of love
Today, it’s almost cliche to give someone a diamond ring to prove your love. But 100 years ago, that wasn’t the case. Back then, diamonds we...
Why are they called Teddy Bears?
Do you have a favorite stuffed animal? Maybe it’s a unicorn, or an axolotl, or a classic stuffed bear. Whatever it is, you can thank a forme...
First Things First Spectacular
We’re so thrilled to be back that we’re celebrating with a very special episode. It’s a First Things First Spectacular! We’ll be playing thr...
Forever Ago Season 8 is coming!!!
Get ready to explore the before... some more! That's right, a brand new season of Forever Ago is around the corner. Tell your friends! Let y...
Forever Ago is coming back and we want your help
Woooohooooo and historical HUZZAH! We are coming back next spring and can't wait for you to hear all that we have planned. Now that Forever...
We’re back! Brains On Universe has a new headquarters
We’re back! We’ve officially moved into our new headquarters! Come unpack with us and get a tour while we fill you in on some big news. Plus...
A big update about Forever Ago and the Brains On Universe
We're moving the Brains On Universe Headquarters, and that means we have to stop putting out new episodes until we get settled. We know: not...
Where did school uniforms come from?
Our world is filled with uniforms. From mail carriers, to sports teams to students! This week, Joy, cohost Hannah and Articles of Interest’s...