Let's be honest: the concept of writing stuff down is both brilliant and insane. Right now, all around the world, countless people are scrawling or typing messages that may last long after the writer has passed from this mortal plane - in a way, reading your favorite dead authors can be like communication from beyond the grave! Add to this, language itself is pretty ridiculous. In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max crack each other up with an exploration of how writing became a thing, tracing its prehistoric origins through the rise of English, all the way up to what we call "modern English" today.

The Ridiculously Adorable, Feminist History of Kewpie Dolls
33:59

CLASSIC: Agent Garbo: The Strange Tale of the Man Who Saved D-Day
40:41

The Most-hated Condiment? A Ridiculous History of Mayonnaise
47:23