Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch.
Psst. Hey, smartypants, today's show is about something I'm willing to bet you take for granted.
Meat! No caveman, not meat.
Meatcake! Definitely not meatcake.
Meat! No, I already said it wasn't meat.
No! Me have meat right here.
Ah, I can see. And smell it.
Ah, where is meat? Meat here, Marge.
Good. Cook meat with fire.
What took you so long?
Feet hurt. Pain from shoes.
Must walk slow. Ouch.
Ah ha! Here we are at a big moment in history.
Huh? Do your feet hurt too?
Uh, no. My feet are fine.
I have idea. Um, stuff shoes with grass.
Grass? Yes. Soft grass make feet feel better.
Use leaves, too. Now put shoes back on.
Ooh. Much better. But now feet itchy.
Poison ivy. D 'oh! Smartypants, historians believe that early humans, like Oog and Marge here, helped change footwear forever.
When Stone Age people used grass to make shoes more comfortable and less sweaty, they created something that does the same thing as a piece of clothing that you might be wearing right now.
Can you guess what it is?
Did you say socks? Socks?
Yes, like these things on my feet.
Ooh, those look comfy.
Me want socks, too.
Ah, but these socks come long after your time.
Smartypants, how did we go from stuffing grass in shoes to wearing comfy socks?
Why did early versions look like they were made for aliens?
And what causes socks to mysteriously disappear?
Could your dog be eating them?
It's time for 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?
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So, Smartypants, the cave people of the Stone Age realized early on that they needed something besides shoes to protect their feet as they walked.
Grass was fine, but it wasn't always the best solution.
When grass dries out, it falls out of shoe!
Right, plus it's not very warm in the winter.
So, what do you think the Stone Age people tried next?
Was it a.) Animal skins, b.) Squishy fruit, or c.) Cotton socks.
Mmm, socks! Me want socks!
I'm sorry, still no socks for you, caveman.
The answer is a.) Animal skins.
Anthropologists believe cavemen and cavewomen wrapped the skins around their feet and tied them at their ankles, keeping their feet warm when the weather got cold.
As you can imagine, these were not the comfy socks we have today.
About 2800 years ago, Ancient Greeks tried something better, making socks for matted animal hairs.
The Ancient Romans also made their own version of socks with pieces of fabric sewn together.
The earliest known knitted socks, closer to what we have today, were found at the site of an Ancient Greek colony by the Nile River in central Egypt.
They are believed to be more than 1 ,600 years old, and they look very...
unusual. Smarty Pants, can you guess why?
Is it a.) They were bright red, b.) They were extra long and narrow, or c.) They looked like something a space alien would wear.
You might be surprised to learn all those answers are correct.
The Ancient Socks, on display at Britain's Victoria and Albert Museum, have a split in the middle, making them look like they were designed for creatures with two giant toes on each foot.
Take me to your footwear!
But despite their crazy appearance, these socks were not worn by aliens, as far as we know.
So why do they split in the middle?
Any guesses, Smarty Pants?
Did the split A happen by mistake?
B.) Give toes more air?
Or C.) Allow people to wear them with sandals?
Researchers believe the answer is C.) The split provided a space for the strap that you find on most sandals.
Which means, according to historians, Ancient Romans and Greeks wore socks with sandals!
Cool! In fact, the word sock might actually come from Ancient Greek and Latin words, referring to light or thin shoes.
Me don't want shoes!
Me want socks! Yes, well, unfortunately, socks weren't easy to get in ancient days or in the centuries that came after.
Early socks were made with a knitting technique that used only one needle instead of the two used today.
Which means it took a looooong time to make just one sock.
Because socks were rather difficult to create, not everyone could have them.
And by the year 1000, they became a luxury item for the rich and powerful!
Many would wear big, silky socks just to show off how fabulously wealthy they were.
Darling, how do you like my new socks?
Don't they look magnificent with my golden dress and suede crown?
I'll say. And they're so silky too!
Watch me slide across our fancy marble floor.
Woohoo! Very impressive, my dear.
Just watch out for the fine china.
Woohoo! And the rare vases.
Woohoo! And that cave man.
Socks! Me want socks!
Ooh, who let a cave man in here?
Watch out for the stairs, dear.
Oops, sorry! Unfortunately, no money and no power meant no socks.
Unless you received them as a gift!
Historians believe the tradition of giving socks to loved ones at Christmas time originated back when socks were fashion symbols.
Unlike today when socks are not exactly your favorite gift to receive.
Seriously? Socks? Again?
Back then, socks were considered a very generous gift one people wanted to get.
Socks! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
It's what me always wanted!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You're quite welcome.
Eventually, socks also found their way onto the feet of the not -so -rich -and -famous, especially after the late 1500s, when an invention by William Lee, an English clergyman, made socks easier to knit.
He created a machine that could knit socks eight times faster than knitting by hand.
Thanks to this invention, socks began appearing on feet everywhere around the world.
Ah, me like socks! So comfy!
Yes, but comfort and warmth are not the only reasons for wearing socks.
Huh? Smarty pants, tell me.
What might happen to your feet if you don't wear socks?
Here's a hint. Close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose.
While you're sniffing, imagine a pair of hot, sweaty feet that have been crammed sockless inside shoes all day.
Is that a pleasant thought?
Nah, you're probably thinking, those feet are gonna stink.
P .U. Socks made of certain wools, cottons, and other knits are designed to absorb the large amount of sweat your feet produce, drying your feet and giving them a chance to breathe.
Ah. Without socks, your feet can become home to lots of tiny organisms called bacteria, which love dark, damp places and can cause your feet to stink.
Sweaty feet can also attract another critter called a fungus, which causes a condition known as athlete's foot.
This can make your feet itchy and very uncomfortable.
Good socks can help prevent that, too.
That's why me always wear these...
Where'd me socks go?
Right. Socks these days are practically everywhere except when you need them.
Quite often, one or both of your favorite socks may mysteriously disappear.
Believe it or not, people spend a lot of money replacing lost socks every year.
So, what causes socks to disappear?
Could a sock -stealing caveman be to blame?
Who? Me? Never! Okay, what about your dog?
We'll look into the mystery of the disappearing sock right after this quick break.
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Now back to Who Smarted.
Okay, smarty pants, say you receive a nice pair of socks like my cave pal over here.
Ooh, me love socks!
Much better than grass and poison ivy.
But then, one or both of your socks goes missing.
Has this ever happened to you?
Yep, me too. Why? Where did you go, sock?
It happens all the time.
One study claims the average person loses at least one sock every month.
And that lost socks can cost a family as much as $300 a year.
Whoa. That is the price of a Nintendo Switch.
So, if you're hoping to get a new gaming system during the holidays, you might want to keep track of your socks.
Or else. Seriously, socks, again?
Lost socks have become such a problem.
There's actually an unofficial holiday set aside for them.
May 9th is National Lost Sock Memorial Day, a day for people to remember all the socks that are no longer with us.
But where do all these socks go?
Believe it or not, scientists have investigated the matter, and they believe they found an answer.
Smarty Pants, where do you think most socks go missing?
Is it A in the washing machine, B under your bed, C in the sock drawer, or D aboard alien spaceships?
What happened to the socks with two toes?
These new socks don't fit my feet.
The Earthlings must pay.
No, aliens are not to blame.
Nor is it your bed or sock drawer.
Nope. Researchers say the culprit is the washing machine.
There are gaps in washing machines that socks can easily slip through, and people often find lost ones whenever they remove a side of their machine for a repair or a cleaning.
Me find it! The type of sock can be a factor, too.
Smarty Pants, what kind of sock do you think goes missing more often?
White socks or colored socks?
If you said colored socks, you're right!
Researchers say 55 % of missing socks are colorful.
Pets can also cause problems for your socks, especially if they like to eat them.
Not long ago a family in Oregon noticed their 3 -year -old Great Dane wasn't feeling very well and wasn't eating his food.
So, they brought their pup to the vet, and X -ray showed exactly why he was no longer eating.
He was already full of socks!
Obviously, a dog's stomach is not designed to digest socks.
In fact, socks can stay in their digestive system for months.
So surgery was needed to remove the socks.
When the veterinarian safely opened up the dog's stomach, she found not 10, not 20, but 43 and a half socks.
Fortunately, the dog was fine after surgery and went home the next day.
Socks are good for feet, not for eat!
That's right, caveman!
Speaking of eating, any meat left?
No, sorry. Oh, but there's still plenty of meat cake!
A super shout out to Super Smarty fan Jacob in Fremont, California, who loves listening and learning to Who Smarted with his brother.
Thanks for smarting with us, Jacob.
We're so glad to have you and your brother as part of our smarty family.
This episode, Socks, was written by Dave Bodry and voiced by Adam Tex Davis, Gia Davis, Charlotte Cohen, Jason Williams, and Jerry Kolber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn.
Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Kamasky.
The theme song is by Brian Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Kolber.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment Production.
