"For such a popular, well-known language, English is full of strange, seemingly arbitrary rules. Most people just accept these various idiosyncrasies... but Benjamin Franklin was not most people. In today's classic, listen as Ben and Noel explore Franklin's strange quest to revise the English language by cutting out old letters (and inventing new ones)."

"For such a popular, well-known language, English is full of strange, seemingly arbitrary rules. Most people just accept these various idiosyncrasies... but Benjamin Franklin was not most people. In today's classic, listen as Ben and Noel explore Franklin's strange quest to revise the English language by cutting out old letters (and inventing new ones)."

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

Ridiculous History

CLASSIC: Ben Franklin Tried To Reinvent the Alphabet

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/72ff0bbb-a8e4-4c6b-b6c1-b0b200eb0521/transcript

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If you're like most folks in the West, your laptop and phone use something called the QWERTY keyboard, named for the six letters at the upper left of the board. At first glance, this layout makes no sense. It's not in alphabetical order, and most of the typing is done by the left hand. So how did we end up with this thing? Join Ben, Noel and Max as they break down the strange story of the QWERTY keyboard -- and why it remains so commonplace today.

If you're like most folks in the West, your laptop and phone use something called the QWERTY keyboard, named for the six letters at the upper left of the board. At first glance, this layout makes no sense. It's not in alphabetical order, and most of the typing is done by the left hand. So how did we end up with this thing? Join Ben, Noel and Max as they break down the strange story of the QWERTY keyboard -- and why it remains so commonplace today.

The QWERTY Keyboard is Purposely Bad

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0503e9d9-1c2e-4739-bd5c-b172015720a3/transcript

We've all heard of auction houses. Nowadays, these are often best-known as specialized institutions catering to international institutions and a small percentage of the obscenely wealthy -- but how did they get started? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the ridiculous (and at times disturbing) history of auction houses.

We've all heard of auction houses. Nowadays, these are often best-known as specialized institutions catering to international institutions and a small percentage of the obscenely wealthy -- but how did they get started? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the ridiculous (and at times disturbing) history of auction houses.

Auction Houses: It's Not *All* Money Laundering

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ee28db5c-2c0c-4c02-a865-b16c011f6811/transcript

Donuts: they're sweet, delectable and dangerous. Nowadays they're best known as a sugary snack or a nice accompaniment to a cup of coffee, but this wasn't always the case. In fact, for a few years manufacturers tried to sell them as -- believe it or not -- a health food. Join Ben and Noel as they explore the strange rise and fall of the infamous vitamin donut in this week's Classic episode.

Donuts: they're sweet, delectable and dangerous. Nowadays they're best known as a sugary snack or a nice accompaniment to a cup of coffee, but this wasn't always the case. In fact, for a few years manufacturers tried to sell them as -- believe it or not -- a health food. Join Ben and Noel as they explore the strange rise and fall of the infamous vitamin donut in this week's Classic episode.

CLASSIC: "Vitamin Donuts" Were A Real Thing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fd83bfe1-95de-4a4e-9952-b16a014a331f/transcript

CLASSIC: Ben Franklin Tried To Reinvent the Alphabet

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