Psst. Hey, Smarty Pants, I'm glad you could join me.
I was just about to take a walk on this crisp fall day.
Uh -oh. Did you hear that?
Um, maybe it was just a truck or an airplane?
Nope, not a truck or a plane.
I think we're about to get a little rain.
Or a lot of rain. Quick, Smarty Pants, get out your bumbershoots.
You did remember to bring a bumbershoot, right?
After all, the forecast said there might be rain today.
What's that? You didn't bring a bumper chute?
Huh? Oh, you don't know what a bumper chute is?
That's understandable.
That word isn't used a lot these days.
How about your brawly?
Your gamb? Your paraplooey?
Oh, wait, I know. Open your umbrella.
Phew, that's better.
Thank goodness for your trusty umbrella.
Or your umbrella. Ella, Ella, if you're Rihanna.
But whatever you call it, when it's raining cats and dogs, it's certainly good to have one.
Right, Smarty Pants?
But who do you have to thank for the handy umbrella?
How did a gawky sun canopy manage to transform itself into a fashion accessory?
And why is it bad luck to open one indoors?
It's time for another whiff of science and history on...
The 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.
Hey there, smarty pants parents.
You love Who's Smarted because it makes learning fun for your kids.
But what about your brain?
I'm Jerry Kolber, the co -creator of Who Smarted, and yes, your very own trusty narrator.
And I've got something just for you.
It's called The Daily Brain, a quick 10 -minute podcast designed to help you think sharper, stress less, and boost your brain power with simple science -backed exercises.
From problem -solving hacks to memory tricks and focus boosters, The Daily Brain is like a mini -workout for your mind, no heavy lifting required.
So after Who Smarted, treat yourself to some brain -boosting fun.
Listen to The Daily Brain wherever you get your podcasts.
Okay, Smarty Pants.
Hopefully I've wet your appetite for a contraption that keeps you dry.
But clearly lots of people love umbrella -ella -ellas.
Did you know 33 million umbrellas were sold last year in the United States alone?
Which makes sense considering the average person loses at least four umbrellas during their lifetime.
And that can add up.
Here in the United States, the average umbrella costs $13, about the same as the riblet's platter at Applebee's, but wastes a lot less napkins.
No joke. Umbrellas are a $7 billion a year business.
Yep, that's billion with a B.
But why? Why is an umbrella such a must -have item?
Well, not only does it protect you from the rain, it provides shade from the sun and shelter from the elements.
And if you're a magical nanny, it lets you fly.
A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
But seriously, the umbrella might be one of the most useful and versatile gadgets that humans have invented.
Ever. So, grab your umbrella, and join me on a trip to the Umbrella Academy to find out more about umbrellas.
Well, not that Umbrella Academy.
I meant the Who Smarted Umbrella Academy, where I, the trusty narrator will teach you more about umbrellas.
First off, how long has the umbrella in any of its forms been around?
Is it 100 years? 1 ,000 years?
4 ,000 years? Or 10 ,000 years?
If you said 4 ,000 years, you're right.
But who invented it?
The answer is, nobody knows for sure.
But most experts do have an idea where it was invented Where do you think that was, smarty pants?
Here, I'll give you a hint This early civilization also invented the wheel Writing And the map Talk about overachievers It rhymes with Did you say Mesopotamia?
Of course, these super Sumerians and the Egyptians, who were also early to the umbrella game, didn't have much of a problem with rain given their particularly desert -y locale.
So why the need for umbrellas, Ellas, Ellas?
It's because of the sun.
The Egyptians may have worshipped a sun god, but that doesn't mean they liked getting sunburned.
Ow! Of course, like many things back then, umbrellas were mainly reserved for the upper class.
It is so hot, my sweat is sweating.
Why yes, the sun seems angry with us today.
I am literally melting.
There's going to be nothing left of me but a puddle in the sand.
If only I was rich and powerful enough to have one of those, whatchamacallits, that Pharaoh has.
Yes, that giant contraption he uses to block the sun's rays and stay cool How I wish I could afford one too Who even invented it?
No idea, but they definitely smarted Agreed Oh, well, I guess we'll just swelter, elter, elter Like the song The very first umbrellas were actually used as sun shelters Today, we call sun umbrellas parasols.
From the French word para, which means to protect against, and sol, which means sun.
Para, sol, protect against the sun.
Get it? Of course, I like to call it a sunbrella.
Ella, Ella. Early umbrellas were made of palm leaves, papyrus, and the feathers of a bird that's famous for its spectacularly colorful tail.
Do you know what bird I'm talking about, Smarty Pants?
That's right. They used peacock feathers.
Because why not give your personal protective canopy a bit of razzle -dazzle?
Oh, and the original umbrellas were heavy.
Like, really heavy.
So heavy, it took the strength of several people to hold one up over the rich and powerful...
The sun -blocking version of the umbrella was also used by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
In fact, the word umbrella comes from the Latin word umbra, which means shade.
And their umbrellas looked a lot like the ones you use today.
Later, in medieval China, sun umbrellas were made of bamboo sticks covered with leaves and feathers, which worked great, as long as you weren't near any pandas.
Hey, Panda! That bamboo is my umbrella, not your dinner.
Burp. Surprisingly, it wasn't until the 16th century that someone reinvented the umbrella game and figured out how to make one that protected you from...
what? Yep, you guessed it, smarty pants.
Rain. The big breakthrough came when somebody discovered you could coat a sunbrella, or parasol, with wax and oil to keep water out.
Whoa, check it out!
A rainbrella, Ella, Ella.
Not only did umbrellas cut down on people getting wet.
They helped cut down on the need to take what type of transportation everywhere?
Smarty Pants, was it A, bicycles?
B, horse -drawn carriages?
Or C, the subway? Did you say horse -drawn carriages?
Correct! If you had an umbrella to keep you dry, you could walk and save money Which is good, because carriage fairs back then were pretty steep And I'm not horsing around That bad joke spooked the horses Anyway, what do you think they call this new rain umbrella?
Did you say a parapluie?
Of course you didn't.
But that's what they called it.
It's kind of like parasol, only they traded out the French word for sun, sol, for the French word for rain, ploui.
Para, ploui. Protection against the rain.
It was actually a French merchant named Jean Marius who designed a lightweight folding parapluie in 1710.
And let me tell you, his umbrella started a major fashion trend among the aristocrats of Paris.
And I mean, major. Like, we're talking the 18th century version of Crocs.
That's hot. In fact, the next time you're in a museum or just browsing the internet, check out some paintings from the 17 and 1800s.
You'll see umbrellas were everywhere.
It was an umbrella palooza.
Why do you think that is, smarty pants?
Is it because A, it rained more back then?
B, umbrellas became a status symbol?
Or C, umbrellas are super easy to paint?
If you said umbrellas became the new status symbol, nice.
Having an umbrella showed people you were wealthy, just like fancy diamond jewelry or an expensive sports car does today.
Soon umbrellas were a must -have fashion accessory with handles carved out of expensive materials like ebony and mahogany.
At first, it was mostly women flaunting umbrellas.
But it wasn't long until the fellas, ellas -ellas, got in on the act.
Umbrellas were so popular, people came up with cute nicknames for them like bumbershoots.
Bumber is a play on Umbra as an umbrella.
And an open umbrella resembles the canopy of an open parachute.
Hey, you know Penguin from Batman has all those tricked -out umbrellas?
Well, that's kind of based on reality.
What? No, you can't turn an umbrella into a rocket and fly away.
Or transform it into helicopter blades.
Or flip it upside down and ride it like a pogo stick.
Although, how fun would that be?
But it is true that once umbrellas got super popular, they started getting even crazier.
To find out just how crazy they got, stick around.
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Now back to Who Smarted.
You think an umbrella can only be used to block the sun and rain?
Think again. Umbrella makers started adding watches and lights to them, and some people even used them to hide weapons like swords and knives.
In 1978, a Soviet KGB spy eliminated an enemy spy by poking them with the tip of an umbrella.
Hey, you just poked me with your...
Unfortunately, the umbrella's tip was soaked in a poison called ricin.
My plans have gone kapooey, thanks to a para -pooey.
The materials used to make umbrellas also became more technologically advanced.
The frames of many early umbrellas were originally made with whale bones.
Thankfully, whalebone was replaced by wood then steel, then aluminum and eventually fiberglass which is cheaper and better for umbrellas, customers and of course, whales Meanwhile, the canvas used to make the umbrellas canopy was replaced by a man -made material called nylon Smarty Pants, do you know what they coated the nylon with to make umbrellas extra waterproof?
It's called Teflon.
True or false, the Teflon on umbrellas is the same coating used on frying pans so your eggs don't stick.
The answer is true.
So if anybody ever throws rotten eggs at you, just hold up your umbrella.
In 1969, Bradford Phillips, owner of the Totes Company, came up with a compact foldable umbrella.
You know, the kind that fits in your backpack and snaps open with the push of a button.
But the innovations didn't stop there.
There's the see -through umbrella, the inverted umbrella, a tiny umbrella you can stick in your pocket.
And in Japan, they recently unveiled an umbrella that projects images on the inside that you can scroll through by twisting the handle.
Whoa. Imagine the possibilities.
Imagine the umbrella selfies.
Imagine the cute pet photos that give its raining cats and dogs a whole new meaning.
But while the umbrella is clearly one of the niftiest inventions ever created, there's one thing you should never do with it.
Any guesses? Did you say, don't open it inside?
Or, at least, that's how the superstition goes.
But why is it bad luck to open an umbrella inside?
Well, it's not so much bad luck as a potentially bad outcome.
After all, a large umbrella opening suddenly in a small room could injure someone.
Ouch! Or cause breakage.
Yeah, you're much better off not chancing it and waiting until you're outside with lots of room before...
Ah, looks like the storm has passed.
I no longer need my bummer chute.
I mean, parapluing.
I mean, umbrella. Of course, now I have to carry it around with me.
Or I could just... A big shout -out to Super Smarty fan Isaac in Kent, Washington.
We hear you love learning with us on your way to school.
What a great way to start the day.
Keep up the smarting, pal.
This episode, Umbrellas, was written by Storming Steve Melcher and voiced by Brandon Bumbershoot Bayless, Adam Tex Davis, Gia, I lost my umbrella dad, Davis, Jenny Canopy Chan and Jerry Kolber Technical direction and sound design by Josh Parapluie Han Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios Our associate producer is Max the Gant Kamaski The theme song is by Brian Sunshade 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 Who Smarted Thanks, guys.
