Exploring the Savory World of Ramen and Special Announcements

Extended Holiday Offer: Who Smarted Plus

In a delightful turn of events for listeners, the podcast has extended its "special happy birthday" promotion for the Who Smarted Plus subscription. Originally slated to end, the offer is now available through the end of November, coinciding with the Thanksgiving and Black Friday season. For a subscription fee of just $1.66 a month, subscribers gain access to an ad-free listening experience and an exclusive "subscriber only bonus episode" released every week. The host encourages listeners to visit their official website, whosmarted.com, and click "birthday subscribe" to support the show and provide the "gift of smarting" during the holiday season.

Trusty Trivia Thursday: The Science and History of Ramen

This week’s "Trusty Trivia Thursday" focused on the "steamy, satisfying world of ramen." The segment kicked off with a shout-out to Ellie from Exeter, New Hampshire, celebrating her "Who Smarted-themed birthday party" or "smart-abration."

The Origins and Meaning of Ramen

The trivia challenge highlighted several key facts regarding the dish:

• Popularization: Japan is the country most associated with popularizing ramen, known for its "regional varieties and toppings galore."
• Etymology: The word "ramen" originates from Chinese terms meaning "pulled noodles." This refers to the "traditional hand-pulling technique" that creates the noodle’s signature "springy, slurpable shape."
• Culinary Traditions: While toppings like "soft-boiled egg" and "sliced pork" are staples, the host jokingly noted that "gummy bears" are definitely not a traditional topping—at least not yet.

For those eager to dive deeper into the subject, the host recommended exploring the full "ramen episode" available in the Who Smarted archives.

Tech Spotlight: Building with Squarespace

The episode also featured a partnership with Squarespace, highlighting the ease of website creation. The host admitted to procrastinating on building a website for a new project until testing the platform's "Blueprint AI." This tool reportedly "built a custom website in minutes" after receiving just a few project details.

The functionality described includes:

• Scheduling guest interviews.
• Managing email campaigns.
• Selling merchandise.

All of these features are managed from a single dashboard, allowing users to stop "procrastinating and start building." Listeners are invited to visit squarespace.com/smarted for a free trial and can use the code "smarted" to receive a 10% discount on their first purchase of a website or domain, making it an accessible solution for anyone looking to launch a business site or a long-dreamed-of project.