Forever Ago

Everybody loves a nice dip in the pool when it’s hot outside... but if you never learned to swim, that pool can be pretty scary. Host Joy Dolo and co-host Brooklyn take us on a personal journey this week, exploring Joy’s own history with swimming, along with why many African-Americans aren’t comfortable in the water. (Hint: it’s about colonialism.) We’ll look at the history of swimming around the world, some of the misguided beliefs that led some people to think there was only one right way to swim. We’ll also meet someone who’s working to make sure more Black kids know how to get around in the water. Plus, there’s a new First Things First! What came first: swim caps, swim fins, or swim goggles?

This episode was sponsored by:

Outschool (outschool.com/foreverago to save $15 on your child’s first class)

As times change, so do jobs, and careers that once were common can go extinct! Join Joy and co-host Amirah as they head to the world famous “This Used to be a Career Fair.” There, you’ll hear about knocker uppers, switchboard operators, ornamental hermits and other unique jobs that have gone away as technology and culture have changed. Plus, listeners share their ideas for new jobs that will exist in the future, and we play a brand new game of First Things First!

This episode was sponsored by:
Wondery - Follow 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast and unlock weekly Christmas mystery bonus content and listen to every episode ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

You might think macaroni and cheese is just a quick and easy meal, or a special dish that comes to the holiday table. But Joy and her co-host Buddy are here to tell you that macaroni and cheese is actually a pair of SUPERHEROES!

We’ll trace the history of the dish back to ancient Rome, through the Elizabethan Age, and all the way to America by way of James Hemings, an enslaved chef who cooked for Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.

The modern history of mac & cheese continues with the invention of powdered cheese. And you’ll get a chance to guess the historical order of shelf-stable foods including peanut butter, powdered milk, and instant ramen noodles. Spoons up!

The first skateboards didn’t come from a store. Kids had to make them from scratch! And they made for a bumpy ride... Joy Dolo and twelve-year-old pro skater Minna kickflip their way through history with reporter Chris Greenspon. We’ll get the scoop on low-tech early skateboards and the skaters who innovated their way to a smoother ride. Plus, we’ll talk with a skater who wants to change the world with four wheels and a deck. You can support Brains On and Forever Ago at brainson.org/donate.

Whenever you go to a big pool or a public beach, you’ll always see lifeguards around: a person whose job it is to stand by the water and make sure everybody is safe. It’s a cool job, but did you ever wonder how it got started? Joy and co-host Brooklyn want to learn how to be lifeguards, and they learn from a couple of robots programmed to be like Hawaiian surfing legends Duke Kahanamoku and George Freeth, who are part of the early history of lifeguarding in the United States. And on First Things First, you’ll guess which came first: seatbelts, fire extinguishers, or CPR.
Also, we have a favor to ask of you! We want to know a little bit more about our listeners and it will help us a lot if you’d head to foreverago.org/survey and complete a short, anonymous survey. It takes less than 5 minutes and you’ll be doing all of us at Forever Ago a huge favor by filling it out. Again, that’s foreverago.org/survey. Thanks so much!