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Little Fish: No Harm, No Foul

Apr 12, 202631 minSummary

In this episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, hosts Andrew Hunter Murray, Dan Schreiber, and James Harkin gather for their regular exchange of curious and obscure trivia. The conversation kicks off with a dive into the history of musical answer songs, highlighting tracks like Danny Aiello’s response to Madonna and unexpected connections involving John Lennon’s father. The hosts then shift gears to explore a variety of oddities, including the linguistic coincidences found in the names of football managers, the bizarre story of the 1985 Austrian wine poisoning scandal, and a surprising method for determining latitude using the bend of a specific pine tree. They also engage in playful banter about redundant acronyms, the confusing history of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the peculiar engineering feat that involved reversing the flow of the Chicago River. As is tradition, the episode concludes with the team acting as custodians for their listeners’ facts, bestowing titles upon supporters while recounting classic trivia about historical figures like Buzz Aldrin and the origins of the whoopee cushion. It is a dense, lighthearted exploration of the world’s most eccentric and overlooked realities.

No Such Thing As The God of Snooze Buttons

Apr 9, 202655 minSummary

In this episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, the team is joined by author Anne Miller, who discusses her new book, The Monster Diaries, a fresh retelling of the Cyclops myth that casts the misunderstood giant as the hero. Following this, the hosts dive into a selection of curious facts, starting with the literary history of Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur. They explore how an awkwardly worded dedication caused readers to believe his wife had died, leading to a strange wave of sympathy and unwanted marriage proposals. The conversation highlights Wallace’s incredibly diverse life—from his time as a Civil War general and diplomat to his habit of inventing practical gadgets, including a fishing reel. The discussion then shifts to the world of Greek mythology, specifically focusing on the obscure god of beans, Chiamatis. This leads to a wider exploration of the complex, often contradictory family trees of the Olympian gods, their strange "junior" deities, and the modern-day resurgence of ancient Greek religious practice. Finally, the group touches upon the discovery of a vast treasure trove of original American comic strips.

The Body Of A Young Paul Newman

Apr 5, 202628 minSummary

In this episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, the hosts explore an eclectic collection of trivia submitted by listeners. The conversation kicks off with the artist behind the iconic Dogs Playing Poker paintings, who was also responsible for popularizing the classic seaside photo cutouts where people insert their faces into painted figures. The team jokes about their own potential as future cutouts before moving on to the curious literary history of Michael Field, a poet who turned out to be two women—an aunt and her niece—writing under a single pseudonym. The discussion shifts to historical oddities, including Roald Amundsen’s surprisingly well-planned polar expedition, which left the participants heavier than when they started, and the bizarre habit of Olympic athletes naming their plants after fictional characters. Other highlights include the story of an 18th-century woman who requested only water for her final meal, the massive mathematical absurdity of how many peacocks it would take to destroy the Earth, and the surprising history of the Roman Colosseum being used as an apartment complex for centuries.

No Such Thing As Elizabeth I's Burnt Umber

Apr 2, 202658 minSummary

In this episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, the regular hosts are joined by comedian Angela Barnes to explore a fascinating collection of trivia. The discussion kicks off with Barnes sharing her experience as a synesthete, specifically detailing her graphene-color synesthesia, where letters, numbers, and abstract concepts evoke specific colors and personalities. She explains the neurological connection between hyper-connectivity in the brain and how it can trigger sensory experiences, such as the involuntary perception of color or even taste when hearing certain words. The group also dives into the phenomenon of mirror-touch synesthesia, where individuals physically feel the sensations they observe in others. The conversation then shifts to historical royal protocols, inspired by a fact about Queen Elizabeth I. The hosts discuss the strict regulations surrounding the royal person, including the role of the Master of the Horse, who was once the only person permitted to touch the monarch to assist with mounting. This leads to a lighthearted exploration of royal encounters, past monarchs’ habits, and the eccentricities of royal life throughout history.

Little Fish: The Cat Is Banging On The Door

Mar 29, 202629 minSummary

In this bonus episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, the hosts dive into a fascinating collection of listener-submitted facts. The conversation begins with a correction regarding Stonehenge, noting that while often associated with the A303, the monument and the road share an ancient connection that challenges modern perceptions of historical geography. The hosts then explore a variety of curious topics, ranging from the unique tradition of Canadian "storm chips" to the surprising news that a Portuguese plane was once grounded for four days due to the escape of over one hundred hamsters in the cargo hold. The team also discusses the bizarre 1988 incident involving a falling poodle in Buenos Aires and the linguistic confusion that led American politician Marco Rubio to mistake a journalist named German Dam for a piece of infrastructure. Throughout the episode, the hosts maintain their signature blend of humor and intellectual curiosity, culminating in a ceremony where they assign historical facts to members of their community, covering subjects as diverse as turkey biology, the composer of Jingle Bells, and the peculiar history of early homeopathic treatments.

No Such Thing As Doing A Solzhenitsyn

Mar 26, 202657 minSummary

In this episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, hosts Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, and Andrew Hunter Murray are joined by comedian and writer Daliso Chaponda. The conversation kicks off with a fascinating dive into the history of high-stakes smuggling, specifically focusing on the 1981 operation where over one million Bibles were transported into China by sea. The panel explores the clandestine methods used, including the creation of submersible vessels and the involvement of individuals like Andrew van der Bijle, who gained fame as a global book smuggler. The discussion transitions into the peculiar world of prohibited literature, touching upon books like The Moon Is Down and the Anarchist Cookbook, and the unintended curiosity that banning a title often sparks. The group also shares amusing anecdotes about prison inmates using their writing as a way to negotiate reduced sentences, leading to some bizarre academic publications. Finally, the podcast shifts to Lake Malawi, exploring its massive size, its unique ecosystem containing over a thousand species of cichlid fish, and the strange history of the first naval engagement of the First World War, which occurred between two drinking buddies on the lake.

Little Fish: The Rat Ticklers Need Me

Mar 22, 202629 minSummary

In this episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, hosts Andrew Hunter Murray, Dan Schreiber, and James Harkin dive into an eclectic collection of obscure facts. The discussion begins with an unusual tradition in Gothenburg, Sweden, involving the public creation and removal of large snow sculptures, before shifting to the discovery of life on Earth via the Galileo spacecraft and the surprising role of boneless chicken in protecting planes at the Indian Republic Day Parade. The hosts also explore the humorous history of a golf ball misidentified as a rare fungus at Kew Gardens and the bizarre origins of the band The Postal Service. A segment on the Cold War reveals how French scientists reportedly deciphered nuclear technology through a sophisticated game of twenty questions with their American counterparts. The episode concludes with a series of listener-submitted facts, covering topics ranging from the Roman origins of gaudy sweaters to the surprising cocktail Charles Dickens consumed before his public performances. Throughout the show, the hosts maintain their signature blend of wit and curiosity, celebrating the eccentricities of science, history, and human behavior.

No Such Thing As A Shakespeare Burger

Mar 19, 20261h 0mSummary

In this episode of No Such Thing as a Fish, the hosts are joined by the comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti to delve into a collection of eclectic and amusing facts. The conversation kicks off with a fascinating exploration of ventriloquism, tracing its history from ancient Incan religious practices, where priests supposedly used voice projection to mimic spirits, to the art’s evolution in popular culture. Conti provides unique insights into the technical skill required for the craft, including the hidden movements of the tongue and soft palate, while the team discusses the psychological phenomenon that leads audiences to perceive sound as originating from puppets rather than the performer. The episode also pivots to the life of Princess Margaret, uncovering her surprising connection to the rise of the horoscope in British journalism. Through the lens of Craig Brown’s biographical writing, the hosts discuss the royal family’s rigid traditions, Margaret’s personal rebellions, and the odd, often prickly family dynamics she navigated. The discussion weaves together historical trivia, the quirks of celebrity culture, and the unexpected ways that individual lives have shaped modern social customs.

Little Fish: Release The Naughty List

Mar 15, 202628 minSummary

In this episode of No Such Thing As A Fish, the hosts gather to discuss an eclectic collection of listener-submitted facts. The conversation kicks off with a clarification regarding Santa Claus: while many assume he is a mythical figure, they introduce the story of Thomas O'Connor, a man in North Pole, Alaska, who legally changed his name to Santa Claus and became a local council member. The discussion moves into the film industry, covering the quirky Golden Trailer Awards and their prestigious Golden Fleece honor for the best trailer of an objectively bad movie. The hosts then transition to historical trivia, highlighting the incredible story of Judith Love Cohen, who worked on the Apollo 13 abort guidance system while in labor, and the bizarre tale of a Jewish baby chosen by the Nazis as an example of the "Aryan ideal" for a magazine cover. Other topics include the idiosyncrasies of London Underground stations, the confusion caused by multiple professional football players sharing the same name, and the secret, prolific journalism career of Australia’s second Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin. The episode concludes with the customary bestowal of fact-custodianships to members of their community.

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