And now, it's time for Who's Smarted?
Psst! Hey, smarty pants!
I'm here at the home of my friend, Ding Dong Daryl.
Pretty crazy name, huh?
Everyone calls him that because he knows everything there is to know about...
You guessed it! Doorbells.
I just don't know why he's not answering the door.
Could I be early? Nope.
12 .38. Right on time.
Hello! Ding Dong Daryl!
It is I, the trusty narrator, right on time.
Ah, there you are. I was getting worried for a second.
Trusty, my man, what is your problem?
My problem? I was just worried when you didn't answer the doorbell.
That's because I was in the bathroom.
Can a person use the bathroom without some maniac ringing their doorbell over and over and over and over?
I didn't think it was that bad.
And over and over and over and over again, man.
Yeah, I guess I could see how that could be annoying.
Whoops, sorry about that.
It's cool. Oh, good, in that case.
Whoa, what are you doing?
What? I thought you loved the sound of doorbells.
You'd have to with a name like Ding Dong Daryl.
Yeah, yeah, I do enjoy a ding dong or two, but not a constant cacophony of dings and dongs.
I'm starting to wish I installed a chime instead of a bell.
But no, I just had to go with the classic ding -dong.
That's me, always a purist. Okay, okay, I'm sorry, Daryl.
I promise not to ring your doorbell again.
Instead, I really need to know more about doorbells.
Like, who invented the doorbell anyway?
And who decided on the ding -dong sound?
And what's the difference between a bell and a chime?
What do you say, Triple D?
Are you down to smart with us?
Of course, come on in.
I just opened a box of hostess ding -dongs.
Ooh, yummy. Well, Smarty Pants, looks like it's time to ring up another whiff of science and history on...
Who's Smarted? Who's Smarted?
Who's Smart? Is it you?
Is it me? Is it science?
Or history? Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun.
on who's smarted. Hi, Smarty Pants.
It's the trusty narrator, the host of Who's Smarted?
First, a big welcome to all our new listeners.
Welcome to the Smarty family.
Here's a nice five -star review from one of you.
Hi, trusty. This is my new favorite podcast. I listen in the car with my sister and even before bed.
I'm telling all my friends too.
Sean P. Ohio. Thanks, Sean.
And that's a great idea.
So Smarty fam, would you mind doing me a favor?
Tell one friend or another parent or an educator today about Who Smarted?
Because the only thing that's better than listening to Who Smarted is listening to Who Smarted with a friend.
Mmm, these ding -dongs are delicious, Daryl.
I can't get enough of this cream filling.
Of course, I have no idea why these little chocolate -coated cake snacks are called ding -dongs.
They look more like hockey pucks than doorbells.
And speaking of doorbells, who invented it and where was the first doorbell used?
As far as who invented the doorbell, there's no one person That's because a couple of people seem to invent it For example, one of the first residential doorbells we know of was invented in 1817 by a Scottish engineer named William Murdoch And he used it in his house Oh, did it make a ding -dong sound?
No, his doorbell produced sound using a series of pipes and compressed air.
It probably sounded more like this.
Yikes, I think I'd rather people just knock.
Yeah, it was a weird sound, but Murdoch's doorbell design was a bit of an anomaly.
Ah, smarty pants, in case you're wondering, the word anomaly means something outside the norm or what is considered common. So what were the common sounds for the original doorbells?
Well, you have to remember, early doorbells weren't electric.
They were mechanical, and there were two main types.
Let's see if your smarty pants can guess the two most common mechanical doorbells.
Were they A, twist -and -pull doorbells, B, squeeze -and -press doorbells, or C, crank -and -click doorbells?
If you said twist -and -pull, you're right.
Move over, door knocker Twist doorbells and pull doorbells Were all the rage in the 1800s But what were they exactly?
Have you ever watched an old TV show Or movie that takes place in olden times And a person in a fancy house Pulls a rope to call for the butler or maid?
Oh yeah, that rings a bell It sure does That's a pull style doorbell Or a bell pull Sometimes they were used inside the house but they were also used at the front door too.
They're pretty simple, really.
Just a cord on the outside of the house connected to a small bell on the inside wall just beyond the front door.
They sounded kinda like this.
Then there were twist bells.
Those were a bit more fun in my not -so -humble doorbell expert opinion.
You see, twist bells were actually attached to the middle of the front door.
The part you see on the outside of the door looked like a little key you'd find on a wind -up toy.
Oh, cool. I love those.
You just had to twist the key, and a bell attached to the other side would produce a bright, sharp ring.
Yeah, like that. The more you twisted, the more sound it made.
Enough. Anyhoo, the electric doorbell, very similar to what we use today, was invented in 1831 by an American scientist named Joseph Henry.
Henry. Oh, I was also the first ever secretary of the Smithsonian Museums. Uh, was that Joseph Henry's ghost?
Yeah, he shows up whenever I mention him.
Anyway, even though Joseph Henry invented the electric doorbell in 1831, it didn't become widely used in homes until 1913.
That's because initially it relied on batteries, which were expensive to replace but after 1913 electric transformers were commonplace in residences so the doorbells could run on the same system that powered the lights uh slow down a minute ding dong daryl did you say transformer no not those transformers an electric transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another in simple terms you're taking electricity from the power grid and transferring it to a way lower voltage that's more appropriate for, say, powering the light in your living room, or in this case,
your doorbell. Gotcha.
Wow. Smarty pants. Who knew you could learn so many different things talking about doorbells?
Okay, so I'm guessing after 1913, every house on the block was digging and donging with doorbells, right?
Not exactly. I'd say every house on the block was a buzz.
A buzz? I don't follow.
Those first electric electric doorbells didn't make a ding -dong sound.
Nope. Most of them made a buzzer sound.
Oh, my. That's not very pleasing to my ear.
That's almost as annoying as Murdoch's.
My thoughts exactly.
So when did the dinging and donging happen?
And how did these electric bells work anyway?
Those are great questions, Trusty.
The answer is... Coming right up after this quick break and a word from our sponsors.
This episode is brought to you by Squarespace.
Summer is the perfect time to finally take a few hours and launch that business.
Seriously, if you've been sitting on an idea, Squarespace makes it feel not just doable, but exciting.
I used it to build a site for one of our projects, and what really surprised me was Blueprint, their AI -powered site builder.
You type in a few details about what you're creating, and boom, you've got a beautiful, full personalized website layout in minutes.
Plus, if you're offering services like coaching or teaching or consulting, Squarespace has tools built right in.
Online payments, scheduling, even branded invoices.
You can literally go from idea to income without ever leaving the platform.
So if you've been waiting for the right moment, this is it.
No more, if only I knew how to build a site or if I only had the time.
Now you've got both, thanks to Squarespace and at a price that's right for any small business.
So head to squarespace .com smarted for a free trial.
And when you're ready to launch, use code SMARTED to save 10 % off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Hey guys, it's Trusty.
Summer break is here and while the kids are thrilled, a lot of parents are quietly wondering, how do we keep their brains from going totally mush?
That's where IXL comes in.
IXL is an award -winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into to your homeschool routine or your summer rhythm.
Whether your child is catching up, staying sharp or getting a head start, IXL makes learning feel natural and fun, not like more school.
What I love most is that it's flexible and personalized.
Whether your kid is brushing up on third grade math or diving into middle school reading, IXL meets them right where they are and lets them move at their own pace.
It also saves you time.
Everything's organized by grade and subject with real -time feedback, progress tracking, and step -by -step video tutorials that explain mistakes without judgment, just growth.
So make an impact on your child's learning, even when school's not in session.
Get iXL now and Who Smarted listeners get an exclusive 20 % off iXL when you sign up today at iXL .com slash smarted.
That's iXL .com slash smarted.
Psst, hey, Smarty Pants, you know how much we love sharing super cool facts here on Who Smarted, right?
Well, I've got another super cool fact for you.
The podcast Snoop & Sniffy is absolutely awesome.
Now get this, Snoop & Sniffy are these brilliant dog detectives who help kids like you level up your sleuthing skills.
We're talking problem solving, deductive reasoning, the whole nine yards, and they do it by going on the most hilarious crime -solving adventures you've ever heard. One day, they're meeting magic cockapoos.
Magic cockapoos, smarty pants.
The next, they're rumbling with something called the Barking Bandit.
They explore ghost trains.
They time travel. I mean, there is never a dull mystery with these two furry detectives.
So here's what I want you to do.
Help everyone's favorite dog detectives crack their cases each week by listening to Snoop and Sniffy.
You can find them on Apple, Spotify, at GoKidGo .com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Trust me on this one, smarty pants.
your brain is going to love the workout on Snoop and Sniffy.
Now back to Who Smarted?
Excuse me, that's the Amazon delivery person with my package.
Ah, it's nice to have a doorbell to alert you when someone is at the door.
Before doorbells, people had to pound on the door.
Or just yell. Hello?
Anyone home? I've got a package for you.
Hello? But, as it turns out, Smarty Pants, the original doorbells didn't ding -dong.
They buzzed. Oof. Not fun.
So, when did ding -donging doorbells become a thing, and how do they work?
Ding -dong Daryl, care to explain?
It took a while for the ding -dong to grace us with its dulcet tones, but the way electric doorbells work is fairly straightforward. There's just a few components to them.
There's the actual doorbell button you press, some wiring, the transformer we mentioned before that converts electricity to a lower voltage, and the bell or chime that produces the sound.
So what you're saying is, when a Smarty Pants goes to visit a friend or relative, and they press the doorbell button, the electric current flows through the transformer and activates the bell, which produces the sound.
Except it wasn't initially a...
It was a... Yes, and afraid so.
Smarty pants, when do you think the world finally went from buzzing to dinging and donging?
Was it A, the 1920s, B, the 1930s, or C, the 1940s?
If you said C, I'm afraid you're wrong.
But if you said B, the 1930s, you're right.
Yep, the 1930s became a far more musical time for doorbells.
But who came up with the ding -dong?
That I have to know.
Well, no one really came up with it.
It's kind of just a function of how most doorbells work.
What? Yep. You see, it's all thanks to these little things called solenoids.
Solenoids are electromagnets.
Picture a tightly coiled copper wire wrapped around a little metal bar, like a Tootsie Roll.
Except the wrapper is made of copper coils.
That's a solenoid. Okay.
With you so far. Well, most doorbells have these solenoids inside them, and the electric current flows through the solenoid.
So when you press a doorbell button, the current flowing through the solenoid causes it to move and hit a chime, producing a ding sound.
Then, as soon as you let go of the button, the current stops flowing, causing the solenoid to snap back and hit another chime, making the dong sound.
Cool. Smarty pants.
True or false? if you press a doorbell and just hold it it will only make a ding sound and the dong won't happen until you let go of the button the answer is true whoa that is so cool I don't think I've ever done that I'm gonna go try it you should too smarty pants let's see let's see which one should I press your house is full of doorbells ding -dong Daryl I'm gonna go with this one holding holding and now Well, it worked!
I want to try again.
Hmm, this one. Uh, okay, that's kind of a fun tune, but it didn't follow the ding -dong rule.
It played the whole jingle as soon as I pressed it.
That's because this doorbell is a wireless doorbell.
Instead of a solenoid hitting a bell, doorbells like these are battery -powered and have radio transmitters built in.
When the receiver picks up the radio signal, it plays a chime.
In this case, the chime sequence you heard is called Westminster Quarters, and it's one of the most popular non -ding -dong sounds for doorbells.
I see. So earlier when I showed up at your house and kept pressing your doorbell, that's what you meant when you said you wish you had a chime instead of a bell.
Because you can't just keep pressing this type of bell like you can the ding -dong kind.
Exactly. It's so much less annoying.
Really? Because I can just press it again as soon as the chime stops.
Aight, enough. Congratulations.
You proved you can be annoying, trustee.
Hey, it's not my fault you're an expert in something so noisy.
Speaking of, what's the deal with smart doorbells?
How do those work? And what makes them so smart?
As you and the Smarty Pants are proudly aware, smart doorbells are all the rage these days.
And while they're not as fun as a twist doorbell, they do have many more features.
So how exactly would you define a smart doorbell?
Well, it's a doorbell that works with your smartphone.
It connects to the internet and has a corresponding app on your phone.
And smart doorbells aren't just bells.
They also have cameras.
That means when someone rings your doorbell, you can see them on your smartphone and let them in, even if you're not home.
Cool, but wait. Why would I want to let someone into my house if I wasn't home?
Well, what if it was me and I surprised you by dropping off a box of Ding Dongs?
Oh yeah, I'd definitely let you in then.
Just don't let my cat out.
Meow. Smart doorbells also have sensors so they can alert you if someone is creeping around on your front porch. And some smart doorbells are so smart, their cameras can even tell the difference between people, pets, and packages.
Sweet. Yep, we've come a long way from William Murdoch's pipe and air contraption.
We've plowed through the unpleasant era of buzzer sounds.
We welcomed in all sorts of fun chimes.
And now doorbells can even sense when a raccoon shows up at your door.
That's great, Daryl.
But I do have one more very important question.
If I get a fancy smart doorbell that recognizes my cat and stuff, Can it still make a classic ding -dong sound?
Oh, most definitely.
Whew, you can't go wrong with a classic.
Hey, what sound does this doorbell make?
Uh -oh, um, uh, it won't stop.
Yeah, that's because it's broken.
Did you not see the Do Not Press sign next to it?
Sorry, I didn't. Ah, I can be such a ding -dong sometimes.
Oh, well, gotta go.
A super shout out to super smarty fan Nolan in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Thanks so much for smarting with us, and we're so glad to hear you love to listen and learn while you fall asleep.
Here's to waking up smarter every day, Nolan.
This episode, Doorbells, was written by Phil Jeremy and voiced by Chris Okawa, Adam Knox -Davis, Kim Ding -Dong -Davis, and Jerry Ding -Dong -Cherry Colber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Nobody's Home Han.
Our associate producer is Max Chimes Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Short Circuit Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex -Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex -Davis and Jerry Colber.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
