{"podcast":{"title":"The Stupid History Minute","slug":"the-stupid-history-minute-4049187","podcast_index_feed_id":4049187,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/4965707/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-stupid-history-minute","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/18875e53f7c5089bf3fd2f8c03f7abf3.jpg","author":"Keb Pound","episode_count":1000,"summary":"Most people take everyday things for granted — but what if you could actually know the weird, surprising, and often hilarious stories behind them? I’m Keb Pound, and this is The Stupid History Minute — the most binge-able podcast in the world. One minute at a time, I break down the overlooked, the ordinary, and the absolutely ridiculous parts of everyday life. From the history of paperclips to why we say “bless you” after a sneeze, each episode delivers a fast, funny fact you’ll actually remember. Whether you're a trivia nerd, a podcast junkie, or just someone who loves learning weird stuff quickly, you’ll walk away a little smarter (and maybe a little more sarcastic). Don’t stay stupid — give me a minute. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute--4965707/support .","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T14:17:31.460766+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187"},"episode":{"title":"The Button","slug":"the-button","published_at":"2026-04-16T07:00:03+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/the-button","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-button--71024962","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71024962/the_button.mp3","summary":"Reddit's 2015 April Fool's prank, 'The Button,' demonstrated how a simple, time-sensitive mechanic can trigger mass psychological obsession. The experiment turned a single click into a platform for social tribalism and judgment.","meta_description":"Explore the psychological chaos of Reddit's 2015 'The Button' April Fool's prank and how a simple timer created intense online social divisions.","key_points":["Main idea: Reddit's 2015 April Fool's prank used a 60-second timer to drive extreme user engagement","Psychological driver: The simplicity of the mechanic triggered widespread digital obsession","Social consequence: Users formed tribal groups based on their specific timing of the button press","Failure mode: The experiment turned a joke into a source of social judgment and community friction","Practical takeaway: Minimalist interfaces can maximize user-driven chaos and social stratification"],"chapters":[{"start_ms":0,"title":"The 2015 Reddit Experiment","summary":"An introduction to the launch of 'The Button' and its initial impact."},{"start_ms":10000,"title":"Mechanics of Addiction","summary":"How a 60-second countdown created a sense of urgency and psychological chaos."},{"start_ms":30000,"title":"Digital Tribalism","summary":"How users formed social hierarchies and judged others based on their interaction with the button."},{"start_ms":50000,"title":"Conclusion","summary":"Final thoughts on the impact of the prank."}],"topics":["Reddit","April Fool's Day","Internet Culture","Psychology","Social Media Experiments","Digital Tribalism","User Engagement"],"duration_seconds":72,"processing_state":"processed","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/episodes/the-button/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/the-button.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}