Why Is English One of the Only Languages That Has Spelling Bees?

Like many young kids I was fascinated by dinosaurs growing up. The idea of these massive creatures roaming the Earth filled me with wonder and excitement. Stegosaurus was always my favorite personally. But for anyone disappointed that dinosaurs are no longer around I have some good news ... they are. They have just taken a very different form these days. A form that tastes great with barbeque sauce or honey mustard. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo make a monthly contribution as a subscriber to this podcast, head to https://www.storytellerentertainment.co/subscriptions

If you enjoy a nice cocktail and astronomy, than this is the episode for you. Now before you listen I will admit, I am stretching the definition of rum a bit. But please forgive me because like most episodes of this series I'm excited for the chance to share a random fact that takes us on so many wonderful tangents from the atomic orbitals of electrons to how raspberries get their flavor. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo make a monthly contribution as a subscriber to this podcast, head to https://www.storytellerentertainment.co/subscriptions

There's nothing quite as satisfying as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, no matter what your age. And as such a common treat, you might think we should spend an episode discussing the person who invented peanut butter. I thought it was invented by George Washington Carver, but I was wrong, and reading about him led me down an interesting journey about education, agriculture, and the healing powers of legumes. So take a listen to an episode about a man who cared so much about education, he made a classroom on wheels so he could travel and teach ... I have a feeling he would have loved the internet. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo make a monthly contribution as a subscriber to this podcast, head to https://www.storytellerentertainment.co/subscriptions

Do you ever mix up there, their, and they're? Or perhaps like me you forget when to use its as opposed to it's. Or perhaps you've wondered why cough doesn't rhyme with rough, or though, or through. Well, English is a messy language. It is so confusing that spelling words correctly is an accomplishment, so we host spelling bees to show off that skill. But English is unique in hosting spelling bees, most cultures of other languages don't have any need to test spelling. That begs the question, how did English become so messed up? This episode will guide you through the thousands of years of history that led to the language we know today. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo make a monthly contribution as a subscriber to this podcast, head to https://www.storytellerentertainment.co/subscriptions

Fireflies, sea jellies, and ... humans? Seriously, all of them can glow? It's true. But before you look down at your hands and say to yourself these aren't glowing so clearly this episode was made by a crazy person ... give his episode a listen. We take a deep dive into bioluminescence, the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, and free radicals to explain it all. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo see more of what Storyteller Entertainment has to offer, head to our website: https://www.storytellerentertainment.co

From an early age we're taught that 98.6 degrees Farhenheit (or 37 degrees Celsius if you live a country that uses a better measurement system) is the average body temperature for a human being. But it turns out that one of the most basic facts of human anatomy is wrong. Find out how a German physician with the greatest name first decided to figure out how hot humans are and why his conclusion no longer applies. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo see more of what Storyteller Entertainment has to offer, head to our website: https://www.storytellerentertainment.co

This is not a typical episode and deals with very heavy subject matter. This episodes discusses the common features of fascism, the riser of fascism in Europe and draws parallels to Trump's version of Conservativism in the United States today. It is not light-hearted and I take no offense to you deciding to skip this episode. Or disagreeing with some of the opinions I put forth. But this is an important conversation to have in the United States right now as nationalism and extremism are on the rise around the world, and this is my submission to the conversation. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo see more of what Storyteller Entertainment has to offer, head to our website: https://www.storytellerentertainment.co

It is such a series of strange events that lead to Mary Shelley and her friends being cooped up for a summer with nothing better to do than tell scary stories. No one could have predicted that a volcano eruption in the South Pacific would so drastically change the weather in Europe that no one could go out that summer due to the cold. But something about the story of friends who are stuck inside trying to come up with new ways to entertain each other certainly seems apropos at the moment, and I am one of those that consider the novel Frankenstein to be the birth of the science fiction genre. So let's take a deep dive into how his novel came to be. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo see more of what Storyteller Entertainment has to offer, head to our website: https://www.storytellerentertainment.co

How many hands have you shaken in your lifetime? Well after this episode, you might want to shake fewer hands in the future. From Ancient Babylon to Medieval Europe to rural America, we'll trace the history of this gesture and why its not a good idea during a pandemic. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo see more of what Storyteller Entertainment has to offer, head to our website: https://www.storytellerentertainment.co

If dogs are man's best friend, what are cats? Our begrudging roommates? Whatever they are, they hold a unique place in the genetic experiments we call domestication. While goats and sheep looked tasty and wolves were helpful on the hunt, cats were just kind of handy to have around. But they were free to come and go as they please for most of the historical interaction between homo sapiens and felis silvestris ... and that works just fine for cats. Host - Michael Rainey - https://twitter.com/raineymichaelvTo see more of what Storyteller Entertainment has to offer, head to our website: https://www.storytellerentertainment.coFor questions, comments, or business inquiries email us at [email protected]