Video Podcast
In each episode of the REMORANDOM video podcast REMO founder Remo Giuffré and co-host Claudia Chan Shaw chat about a selection of topics. Episodes below.
You can also find this show on: YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
29: Hindenburg Disaster, Shaka Sign, Distracted Boyfriend, Stradivarius Violins
Greetings from Bondi. The end of winter in the southern hemisphere is nigh upon us. Spring is about to be sprung – on Monday in fact. Monday also marks the 30 day countdown to REMORANDOM 5 (publication date 1 October). Only one month to go! Advance copies are on their way to me from Hong Kong via DHL. Can’t wait. So, for the month of September, and in c…
Episode 28: The Birthday Paradox, Ned Kelly's Armour, Cloud Appreciation Society, Scissors Paper Rock
Greetings All. We’ve come to the end of another week of posting. I hope you are enjoying the selection of topics. I so enjoy choosing them for you. It’s my favourite task every week. In another month or two we’ll have RR5 a fifth book from which to chose topics. We could either push this video podcast post to Saturday morning AEST, freeing up Friday mor…
Episode 27: Juicy Salif, Canada's Maple Syrup Reserve, Stripey Things, Shoe Tossing
Alberto Alessi once called the "Juicy Salif", a citrus juicer designed by Philippe Starck, “the most controversial lemon juicer of the century”. Why was that? 📍 Canada has what’s referred to as a “Maple Syrup Reserve”. It’s also been called the “Fort Knox of Maple Syrup”. We’ll explain. 📍 The enduring popularity of "stripey things" is something that h…
Episode 26: Cheese Pull, Rolling Luggage, The Scorpion and The Frog, Peace Symbol
Even if you're not familiar with the term “cheese pull” – you've definitely seen more than one of them. It's an old advertising trick. We'll explain.📍 Rolling luggage is a mysteriously recent invention. Why did something so obvious take so long to come to our rescue? 📍 The scorpion and the frog is a fable that purports to teach us a lesson about the i…
Episode 25: Aeron Chair, Chanel No.5, Champawat Tiger, Esperanto
Remember the Aeron Chair during the tech boom of the late 1990s? It's hard to think of a piece of furniture that has been so closely associated with a particular period in time. Marilyn Monroe once declared to a reporter that she wore nothing to bed other than a few drops of Chanel No.5. Why was this perfume such a phenomenon? How does one animal manag…
Episode 24: Quicksand, The Girl with a Pearl Earring, Fosbury Flop, Toilegami
Whatever happened to death by quicksand? For a while there the culture was obsessed with quicksand, but it’s gone off the boil. We will explore. Once you look at Girl with a Pearl Earring, you can't take your eyes off her. There a reason for that, and it has much to do with brain science. Who was Fosbury … and what’s the Fosbury Flop? And finally in thi…
Episode 23: Canary in the Coal Mine, Gumby, Angostura Bitters, Signatures
Canary in the coal mine is not just an overused metaphor. It really was a thing. We'll explain what that was about. 📍 Gumby, the famous green claymation character with the triangular head has a connection to avant-garde filmmaking. What's that back story? 📍 And what about Angostura Bitters? The label is too big for the bottle. How did that happen? …
Episode 22: Mosquito Coils, Ghanaian Fantasy Coffins, Kayfabe, Serendipity
Who invented the mosquito coil, and what is it actually made of? 📍 There is a fantasy coffin tradition in Ghana. Don’t know what we’re talking about? We’ll explain. 📍 These days it’s an open secret that professional wrestlers are just faking it. There’s actually a special word for that. We’ll let you know what it is. 📍 And finally in this episode, we…
Video Treat | Remo Chats with Che-Wei Wang & Taylor Levy (CW&T, Brooklyn NY)
Let’s end the week with a treat. Yesterday I got to chat with Che-Wei Wang and Taylor Levy, charming co-founders of Brooklyn-based design studio CW&T. So, make yourself comfortable and check out a chat that explores the genesis and appeal of a few of their remarkably resolved and thoughtful products. Cheers.
Episode 20: Dagen H, Murphy Bed, Mise en Place, The War of the Worlds
Dagen H, the 3rd of September 1967 was the day that Sweden switched from driving on the left hand side to the right. How did that go for them? 📍Murphy Beds aren't limited to madcap films starring Abbott and Costello, or the Marx brothers. Who invented them and why?📍 Mise en Place is a French culinary practice that can also be applied in home kitchen…
Episode 19: Special Guest | Tucker Viemeister
In this episode Remo speaks with iconic American industrial designer Tucker Viemeister about: his famous toothpaste collection [RR1:84], odd ball motor cars, industrial design, AI and other interesting things. It’s a fun chat. Tucker is possibly best known for his work on OXO Good Grips kitchen tools at Smart Design, a company he helped found in 1979. H…
Episode 18: Astro Lava Lamp, Smiley Face, Marilyn Monroe's Billowing Dress, Diners Club Credit Card
What does a lava lamp have to do with internet security?📍 The yellow smiley face became a symbol of the countercultural movement during the 1970s. Where did it come from?📍 You know that film scene where Marilyn Monroe's dress billows up thanks to the updraft from the subway. As you will soon discover, a lot happened during and after that shoot.📍And …
Episode 17: The Caganer, Slinky Toy, The Truth About Icebergs, Yawning
The Caganer is a Catalan tradition that involves a clay figurine of a peasant squatting with his pants around his ankles … taking a shit. Confused? We'll try to explain.📍 What's the origin of the Slinky toy? 📍People who draw diagrams of icebergs have been getting it all wrong, and we'll explain why.📍 And finally, in this episode … we look at yawning.…
Episode 16: Upside Down Pineapple, Jigsaw Puzzles, WD-40, Chinese Finger Trap
Someone passes you in the supermarket and you notice that their pineapple is upside down. What does that mean? The demand for jigsaw puzzles soared globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. Where did jigsaw puzzles come from originally? WD-40’s versatility has given it fame as a jack of all trades. Who invented it and why? And finally, in this episode … we…
Episode 15: Dunbar's Number, Comic Sans, Froebel's Gifts, Scrabble
The number 150 is also known as Dunbar's Number. What is it and what's its relevance to your circle of friends? Comic Sans has been called the most hated font in history. Who hates it, and for what reasons? Many modernist architects and artists share a couple of things in common: where they went to kindergarten and something called “Froebel’s Gifts”. Wh…
Episode 14: Ikigai, Cuisenaire Rods, Purple, Houdini
The Japanese concept of Ikigai is often misunderstood. What does it really mean? A set of colourful wooden rods has helped millions of children with their arithmetic. What were they called and how did they come to be? The colour purple is not just a Hollywood movie. We tell the story of the colour itself. And finally, for this episode … Harry Houdini wa…
Episode 13: Rock of Eye, Dancing Mania, Flying Spaghetti Monster, Fugu
Tailors use a term “rock of eye”. What does it mean and why is it a rare and good thing to have? Back in the 17th century, what was “dancing mania” and why on earth was it a thing? “Pastafarians” worship the “Flying Spaghetti Monster” What's the backstory there? And finally, in this episode … we look at the Japanese delicacy
Episode 12: Voorpret, Rorschach Test, Segway, The Scream
It has been called the most hyped tech product of the early 21st century, predicted to completely transform our cities. What was that product and why did it fail? The Rorschach inkblot test has shaped our view of human personality. How has it been used over the years?
Episode 11: Thumb Wrestling, Nosey Bob, Urinal Flies, The Rotor
The American writer Norman Mailer was said to be passionate about, of all things, thumb wrestling. In fact, it was his favourite sport. Who invented it? Who was Nosey Bob and what was his very unpopular job? What's so unusual about the men's room urinals at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam? And finally, in this episode … what amusement park attraction de…
Episode 10: Anchoring and Adjustment Bias, Rosie the Riveter, Lawnchair Larry, Lunch Atop a Skyscraper
In a negotiation, why is it always better to start out by making an ambitious offer? Who was Rosie the Riveter and how did she become such a legendary symbol? Who was Lawn Chair Larry, and what did he do with 42 helium filled weather balloons? And finally, in this episode … we tell the story of
Episode 9: E.W. Cole, Fortune Cookies, Jantelagen, Winged Keel
In the 19th century, there was a bookshop that became the cultural center of Melbourne. Why was it so extraordinary? Who writes the fortunes that live inside fortune cookies? Jantelagen is a Swedish behavioural norm that the younger generations are pushing back on. What is Jantelagen? And finally, in this episode … we relive the glory of the 1983 Amer…
Episode 8: Bondi Mermaids, Karaoke, Swiss Railway Clock, Hollywood Sign
There's a big rock at the north end of Bondi Beach called, naturally enough, Big Rock. Why is it also called Mermaid Rock? Why should you never sing Frank Sinatra's "My Way" as your karaoke song in Thailand and Malaysia? The second hand on a Swiss railway clock only takes 58 and a half seconds to complete a full revolution. Why is that? And finally in…
Episode 7: IKEA FRAKTA Bag, Phobias, Doing a Bradbury, Chopin's Heart
What's the story with the iconic blue IKEA FRAKTA tote – surely the world's most functional and hardworking bag? Turophobia is the fear of cheese. What are some of the more unusual phobias? What does it mean to be “Doing a Bradbury”? And finally, in this episode … why did the Polish composer Frederick Chopin ask for his heart to be removed from his…
Episode 6: Grand Central Station Oyster Bar, Hell Bank Notes, Apple Macintosh Launch, Croquembouche
The Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station in New York has what is called a whispering gallery. What's that? How did Chinese hell bank notes get that name? What TV commercial is considered to be the greatest and most Creatively disruptive ad in history. And finally, in this episode … what iconic French dessert has as much to do with architecture as it …
Episode 5: Abracadabra, Goodnight Moon, Anatomy of Cool, Paper Sizes
What does the incantation abracadabra have to do with malaria? Goodnight Moon is a highly acclaimed and much loved bedtime story, but why was it banned by the New York Public Library for 25 years? What's cool, what's daggy, and who decides? And finally for this episode … did you know that the foolscap paper size was actually named after a fool's cap?
Episode 4: Special Guest | David Hershkovits
In this episode Remo and Claudia are joined by a special guest – David Hershkovits the co-founder of New York’s iconic PAPER magazine to chat about "Break the Internet", the chapter from RR3 that tells the story of the 2014 PAPER magazine cover featuring Kim Kardashian in her oiled nakedness. The cover went viral and “broke” the Internet, or at least th…
Episode 3: Good Morning Towels, Etch-A-Sketch, Nigerian Prince Scam, BIC® 4-color™ Pen
In Hong Kong, there's only one towel that's allowed to be used by prison inmates. What towel is that? Who invented the Etch-a-Sketch and how? Why do scammers, who are not actually Nigerian, continue to claim that they are from Nigeria? And finally in this episode … why are those four colour BIC pens so popular with students and nurses?
Episode 2: Interesting Etymologies, Knocker-Uppers, Typhoid Mary, Casio F-91W Watch
Where does the word avocado come from? Before there were alarm clocks, there were people called “knocker-uppers”. How did that work? Who was Typhoid Mary, and why might it be a good idea to steer clear of her ice cream with peaches? And finally, in this episode … what does the world's best selling watch have to do with terrorism?
Episode 1: Barber Poll, I'm Spartacus, ACME Whistles and the D-Day Clicker
What’s the story with the barber pole? Why is it striped, and what does it have to do with bloodied bandages? What does the classic “I’m Spartacus” scene have to do with communism? And finally, in this episode … did you know that the most interesting Acme whistle was not actually a whistle at all?