Curious About Speed

PODCAST 112: CURIOUS ABOUT SPEED

RELEASE DATE:  NOVEMBER 22ND, 2020

CURIOUS KID PODCAST THEME MUSIC

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WE HAVE A SPECIAL LISTENER SUGGESTION THIS WEEK.  THIS WEEK’S TOPIC COMES FROM A LISTENER OF OURS THAT HAS BEEN LISTENING SINCE SEASON 1 ALL THE WAY FROM MANILA, IN THE PHILIPPINES.  

O:  MAILBAG!

D:  MAILBAG!

“HI, MY NAME IS THEO.  I AM NEARLY 9 AND MY BROTHER LOUIS IS 6.  WE ARE AUSTRALIAN BUT LIVE IN MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES.  WE JUST LISTENED TO THE EPISODE ON AIRPLANES AND LOVED IT.  I AM INTERESTED IN TRAINS AND LOUIS IS INTERESTED IN SPEED.  HE IS ALWAYS ASKING HOW FAST THINGS CAN GO.  CAN YOU DO FUTURE EPISODES ON THESE TOPICS?  THANKS FOR YOUR SHOW.  

-THEO”

O:  WE RECEIVED THIS E-MAIL A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO FINALLY GET CURIOUS ABOUT SPEED FOR THEO AND LOUIS.

D:  FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE INTERESTED IN TRAINS, WE GOT CURIOUS ABOUT TRAINS BACK IN EPISODE 50 OF THE PODCAST.  ALSO, IF YOU ARE A LOYAL LISTENER OF CURIOUS KID PODCAST, YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT OUR FRIEND THEO OF THE PHILIPPINES.  WE DID AN EPISODE ON EARTHQUAKES, EPISODE 53, AND THEO WAS KIND ENOUGH TO RECORD HIMSELF TELLING US ABOUT AN EARTHQUAKE HE EXPERIENCED.  WE WERE SO THANKFUL TO HEAR HIS STORY OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE IN AN EARTHQUAKE THAT WE RELEASED HIS AUDIO AS IT’S OWN SPECIAL MINI-EPISODE, SO CHECK IT OUT.  IF, LIKE THEO, YOU WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE ON CURIOUS KID PODCAST, YOU CAN LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AT ANY TIME JUST BY DIALING 856-425-2324.

O:  TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT SPEED AND SOME OF THE FASTEST THINGS IN THE WORLD.  READY, SET, LET’S GO!  

D:  WE ARE GOING TO BREAK THIS EPISODE DOWN INTO 4 PARTS.  FIRST, WE ARE GOING TO COVER 5 OF THE FASTEST ANIMALS, THEN 5 OF THE FASTEST VEHICLES, THEN 5 OF THE STRANGEST SPEED WORLD RECORDS WE WERE ABLE TO FIND, AND FINALLY 5 EATING WORLD RECORDS… YOU HEARD ME RIGHT, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT 5 RECORDS FOR EATING FOODS.  OLIVIA, WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS WHAT IS THE RECORD FOR MOST CHICKEN NUGGETS EATEN IN 5 MINUTES?

D:  THAT’S A FUN ONE TO GUESS.  WHILE YOU ARE THINKING OF THE ANSWER, LET’S START BY LEARNING ABOUT 5 RIDICULOUSLY FAST ANIMALS.

O:  THE FASTEST ANIMAL IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM IS THE PEREGRINE FALCON.

D:  THESE BIRDS DON’T USUALLY FLY VERY FAST, BUT WHEN THEY DIVE DOWN TO HUNT THEIR PREY, THEY CAN DIVE AT A SPEED OF OVER 200 MILES PER HOUR OR 320 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  THAT MAKES THEM THE FASTEST ANIMAL AROUND.  THEY ARE NOT CAPABLE OF REACHING THOSE SPEEDS WHEN THEY FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD.  NOT THAT I’M TRYING TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THEM THOUGH, BECAUSE THEIR MAX RECORDED SPEED WAS 242 MILES PER HOUR.

O:  THE FASTEST LAND ANIMAL IS THE CHEETAH.  WE LEARNED ALL ABOUT CHEETAHS IN EPISODE 95.

D:  CHEETAHS CAN GO FROM REST TO A 60 MILE PER HOUR SPRINT IN LESS THAN 3 SECONDS.  THEY DON’T HAVE THE ENDURANCE TO KEEP THAT PACE UP FOR MORE THAN A MINUTE.  THE FASTEST CHEETAH WAS RECORDED AT NEARLY 75 MILES PER HOUR, OR 120 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  

O:  THE FASTEST FISH IS THE BLACK MARLIN.  

D:  ACCORDING TO ONE INCIDENT, A BLACK MARLIN WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL AT A SPEED OF 82 MILES PER HOUR, OR 132 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  THERE IS GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT BLACK MARLINS DON’T USUALLY TRAVEL AT SPEEDS THAT FAST OR ANYTHING CLOSE TO THAT FAST, BUT THAT SPEED IS AMAZING NEVERTHELESS.

O:  THE FASTEST REPTILE IS THE CENTRAL BEARDED DRAGON.  THEY CAN RUN UP TO 25 MILES PER HOUR.  

D:  THAT’S AMAZING.  OVER 40 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  IT’S HARD TO EVEN IMAGINE THAT BEARDED DRAGONS CAN RUN THAT FAST.  

O:  THE FASTEST INVERTEBRATE IS THE HORSEFLY.

D:  INVERTEBRATES ARE JUST ANIMALS THAT DON’T HAVE A SPINE.  HORSEFLIES CAN FLY UP TO 90 MILES PER HOUR OR 145 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  THAT’S SOME SERIOUS SPEED.  IN ADDITION TO BEING REALLY FAST, HORSEFLIES ALSO BITE.  I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT A HORSEFLY WAS UNTIL I WAS ON A VACATION WITH MY FAMILY YEARS AGO IN PENNSYLVANIA AND FELT A SHARP PAIN FROM A BITE THAT MY WIFE TOLD ME CAME FROM A HORSEFLY.  IT WASN’T PLEASANT.  I THINK THAT’S A GOOD PLACE TO WRAP UP THE FASTEST ANIMALS AROUND.  LET’S START LEARNING ABOUT THE FASTEST VEHICLES.

O:  THE FASTEST AIRCRAFT IS THE LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD.

D:  IN 1976, THE LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD REACHED A SPEED OF 2,193 MILES PER HOUR, OR 3,530 MILES PER HOUR.    

O:  I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE ONE IN PERSON.  IT LOOKS LIKE A PLANE FROM THE FUTURE.

D:  IT IS INCREDIBLE TO SEE.  WE VISITED THE STEVEN F. UDVAR-HAZY CENTER IN CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA LAST YEAR AND THEY HAVE AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF AIRCRAFTS, INCLUDING THE LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD AND THE AMAZING SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY.  WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE UDVAR HAZY CENTER TO ANY AIRCRAFT LOVERS THAT LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA.      

O:  THE RECORD FOR LAND SPEED GOES TO THRUST SSC.  

D:  THRUST SSC IS A BRITISH JET CAR, WHICH IS A CAR PROPELLED BY A JET ENGINE.  IN 1997, IT SET THE RECORD FOR LAND SPEED AT AN UNBELIEVABLE 760 MILES PER HOUR OR 1,224 KILOMETERS PER HOUR, BECOMING THE FIRST LAND VEHICLE TO BREAK THE SPEED OF SOUND.     

O:  THE FASTEST TRAIN IN THE WORLD IS THE MAGLEV TRAIN IN JAPAN.  

D:  THIS TRAIN WAS CLOCKED AT 375 MILES PER HOUR OR 603 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  IT USES A MAGNETIC LEVITATION TRACK, MEANING THAT THE TRAIN IS ACTUALLY SUSPENDED ABOVE THE TRACK AND ONLY MAGNETIC FORCES ARE USED TO MOVE THE TRAIN.  CRAZY STUFF.  

O:  THE FASTEST CAR IS THE KOENIGSEGG AGERA.  

D:  IT IS A SWEDISH CAR AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL.  THE RECORD SPEED IT REACHED WAS 278 MILES OR 447 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  IF YOU WANT A KOENIGSEGG AGERA FOR YOURSELF, ALL YOU NEED IS $2.5 MILLION.  AND GOOD LUCK GETTING YOUR HANDS ON ONE EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE NECESSARY MONEY.  ONLY 25 WERE INITIALLY BUILT AND THEY SOLD OUT QUICKLY.     

O:  THE FASTEST SPEED ON A BICYCLE WAS ACHIEVED BY TODD REICHERT.

D:  IN 2016, HE WAS ABLE TO RIDE A BIKE AT 90 MILES OR 144 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  WHEN HE DID THAT, HE BROKE HIS OWN RECORD THAT HE HAD SET THE YEAR BEFORE.  TALK ABOUT DETERMINATION.  IT’S TIME TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST BIZARRE SPEED WORLD RECORDS.  CHECK THESE OUT:

O:  HOW ABOUT THE FASTEST TIME FOR A DOG TO POP 100 BALLOONS?

D:  THAT RECORD GOES TO TOBY, THE WHIPPET, WHO POPPED 100 BALLOONS IN JUST 28.22 SECONDS.  CAN YOU IMAGINE ALL OF THE BALLOONS THAT THEY MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH TO TRAIN FOR THIS RECORD?

O:  HOW ABOUT THE MOST TOILET SEATS BROKEN BY THE HEAD IN ONE MINUTE?

D:  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?  THIS RECORD GOES TO KEVIN SHELLEY, WHO BROKE 46 TOILET SEATS IN A SINGLE MINUTE BACK IN 2007.  

O:  HOW ABOUT THE FASTEST TIME TO WRITE THE ENTIRE ENGLISH ALPHABET?

D:  JAYESH OF INDIA WROTE OUT THE ENGLISH ALPHABET IN JUST 7.44 SECONDS IN 2017.  THAT TO ME SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT IT’S NOT BECAUSE I SAW THE VIDEO.   

O:  HOW ABOUT THE MOST JUMPING JACKS WHILE LISTENING TO THE SONG “EYE OF THE TIGER”?

D:  THIS IS ONE OF OLIVIA’S NEW FAVORITE SONGS.  IT’S A GREAT SONG TO GET YOU PUMPED UP AND READY TO EXERCISE.  PAVOL DURDIK WAS REALLY FEELING THE SONG WHEN HE COMPLETED 336 JUMPING JACKS WHILE LISTENING TO THE SONG IN 2015.

O:  HOW ABOUT THE FASTEST TIME TO SPELL THE WORD “SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS”?

D:  NICE JOB SAYING THAT WORD.  JONATHAN OF OCALA FLORIDA WAS ABLE TO SPELL SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS IN ONLY 3.18 SECONDS.  I DON’T KNOW IF I EVEN SAY IT THAT FAST, LET ALONE SPELL IT THAT FAST.  IT’S TIME FOR SOME AMAZING FOOD RECORDS.  

O:  JOEY CHESTNUT HAS THE HOT DOG RECORD.  HE ATE 74 HOT DOGS IN 10 MINUTES.  

D:  HE DID THAT DURING THE NATHAN’S FAMOUS HOT DOG EATING CONTEST 2 YEARS AGO.  

O:  HE ALSO HAS THE RECORD FOR DONUTS.  HE ATE 55 GLAZED DONUTS IN 8 MINUTES.

D:  HE ALSO HOLDS THE RECORD FOR MOST EGGS WITH 141 HARD BOILED EGGS IN 8 MINUTES.  WHEN I’M REALLY HUNGRY, SOMETIMES I GO FOR A 3 EGG OMELET, BUT 141 EGGS?  THAT’S CRAZINESS.  

O:  THE RECORD FOR PEEPS IS 255 PEEPS IN 5 MINUTES.

D:  THAT RECORD WAS SET BY MATT STONIE 3 YEARS AGO.  IT’S TIME TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK AND FIGURE OUT HOW MANY CHICKEN NUGGETS WERE EATEN IN 5 MINUTES BY SONYA THOMAS.  WHAT IS THE WORLD RECORD FOR CHICKEN NUGGETS EATEN IN 5 MINUTES?

O:  SHE ATE 80 CHICKEN NUGGETS IN 5 MINUTES.  THAT’S CRAZY.  I EAT 5 OR 6 AND I’M FULL.

D:  BEING FULL DOESN’T STOP COMPETITIVE EATERS.  I’M EXHAUSTED JUST LEARNING ABOUT ALL THESE SPEED RECORDS FOR THE LAST 15 MINUTES OR SO.  THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  112 - SPEED.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB LOUIS AND THEO FOR THE GREAT SUGGESTION.  LEARNING ABOUT SPEED WAS LOTS OF FUN.  THE HOLIDAYS ARE APPROACHING AND WE HAVE SOME AWESOME MERCHANDISE YOU CAN BUY IF YOU VISIT OUR MERCH STORE AT TEEPUBLIC.COM.  DON’T BOTHER REMEMBERING THE WEBSITE ADDRESS BECAUSE YOU CAN SIMPLY CLICK ON THE LINK IN THE SHOW NOTES.  YOU CAN GET ANY OF THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST LOGOS PUT ON SHIRTS, NOTEBOOKS, PILLOWS, TOTE BAGS, STICKERS, AND MORE.  SO MANY DIFFERENT COLORS AND SIZES, SO CHECK IT OUT IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FUN TO GET YOUR CURIOUS KID.  ANY PURCHASES HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW.  NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BE BACK TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT BREAD FOR LISTENERS IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.