We’re back with part two of our string-tastic story of the banjo! In the last episode, musician Rhiannon Giddens helped tell the origin story of the banjo, an instrument many think of as American. But it actually comes from Africa.

Today, we’re focusing on how the banjo went from an instrument played mostly by enslaved people to one of the most popular instruments in the United States. The reason for this was a popular form of entertainment in the mid to late 1800s called minstrel shows. Later on, the banjo helped create the genre known as bluegrass. Now it's having a resurgence thanks to artists like Beyoncé.

Featured expert: Rhiannon Giddens is a Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer and instrumentalist. You can check out her website here!

This summer it’s the 2024 Olympic games! In honor of this sporty season, Forever Ago host Joy Dolo quizzes producers Rosie duPont and Anna Weggel all about Olympic games of the past.

Today’s episode has a lot of pluck! It’s all about the banjo. For over 100 years, the banjo has been associated with country and bluegrass music, two genres that over-index with white musicians. But, with the help of Rhiannon Giddens, we find out that this uniquely American instrument traveled from Africa. The banjo’s story is so rich, it can’t be contained in just one episode, so we decided to make two! We’re also going to string you along for an extra week to think about your answers to First Things First. The question comes in this episode, and the answer comes out in the next. No peeking!

Featured expert: Rhiannon Giddens is a Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer and instrumentalist. You can check out her website here!

Resources: REDLINING IN COUNTRY MUSIC: Representation in the Country Music Industry (2000-2020)

Uh oh! Joy picked up a free plant from a Buy Nothing group that can speak sign language and perform tricks. The bad news? It’s creating a jungle inside the Forever Ago studio!

Join Joy and co-host Cora as they get to know their new “totally normal” plant friend and explore the history of another truly amazing plant: the orchid! Orchids are some of the most stunning flowering plants on the planet. Their blossoms come in almost every color of the rainbow and tons of different shapes, from little ballerinas to smiling monkey faces. And around 200 years ago, orchids caused a wild craze in England – full of danger, tough guys, and lots and lots of money. All that, plus a new First Things First that’s truly unbeLEAFable!

The cat's out of the bag! We’re back with a brand new episode, and we didn’t cut any corners! This one is all about idioms, those funny expressions that don’t make sense until you know what they’re supposed to mean, like "steal my thunder" or "it's raining cats and dogs." Join Joy and co-host Zyah to learn all about the history behind some of the most common idioms in English. Plus, a brand new game where you'll get the chance to guess the meaning of an idiom in another language!

Less than a hundred years ago, wheelchairs were big clunky wooden chairs that couldn’t even fit through most doorways. But in the 1930s, a pair of engineers dreamed up a new kind of wheelchair that would change the lives of wheelchair-users dramatically. In fact, some of them invented a new sport that would become a worldwide sensation: wheelchair basketball. Join Joy and co-host Otis as they explore the history of this amazing sport and check out Otis’ wheelchair basketball practice! Plus, an all new First Things First!

Resources:
If you want to read more about the history of wheelchair basketball, check out this article by David Davis. Davis also wrote a book called Wheels of Courage that explores how World War II veterans invented wheelchair sports.

Joy is building a movie theater in the basement of Brains On! Headquarters. She’s got the popcorn, air conditioning, and comfy seats but is overwhelmed by all the cool but complicated technology that makes movies magical. Join Joy and Forever Ago producer Nico Gonzalez Wisler for a silver-screen edition of First Things First!

This week, we’ve got a very special episode from our besties at Smash Boom Best!

This debate is a tasty tussle between a chewy champion and a gummy grizzly. Grab your lunch boxes and protect your hair, because it’s Bubble Gum vs. Gummy Bears! Actor, improvisor, and creative extraordinaire Alsa Bruno is all in for glorious Gummy Bears and Forever Ago host Joy Dolo is here to hype the hubbub for team Bubble Gum! Which side will stick it out for the win? Gleeful Gummy Bears or beloved Bubble Gum?