Topic origins · Live from Brooklyn

Timeline

When it all started.

Every topic, book, film, brand and event from the show, plotted by when it first came into the world, not the Friday we talked about it.

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c. 2030 BCE: The Love Song for Shu-Sin — earliest known written love poem

Composed in ancient Sumer; the oldest surviving written record of romantic love as a subject Source

c. 1000 BCE (traditional attribution): Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd"

Patricia links 'no desires on the other side' to its opening line Source

c. 54 BCE: Cicero calls gratitude "the parent of all virtues"

Cicero's Pro Plancio — earliest well-documented philosophical treatment of gratitude as a virtue (source pending)

12th–13th c.: "This too shall pass" appears in Persian Sufi poetry (later attached to the King Solomon ring legend)

Brennen's running mantra; he said it was inscribed on King Solomon's ring. Source

1355 (legend): Cassoulet's legendary birth: the siege of Castelnaudary

Miguel named cassoulet his favorite dish and floated it as a future Cheating Gourmet. Source

late 14th c.: The word 'community' enters English

Taylor's note while Tyler defined community: 'common, public, shared by many'. Source

1462: First recorded ikebana: Senkei Ikenobo arranges flowers in Kyoto (the Ikenobo school's origin)

Flora Jaz's live ikebana segment; Jaz said the practice was also used by warriors as mindfulness. Source

mid-15th c.: Ikebana takes shape as a formal art in Japan

Jazz described her Ikebana classes and the kenzan in the bouquet segment. Source

1847: Helmholtz states the conservation of energy

Taylor: energy can't be added or removed, so where does our energy go when we die? Source

1847: Helmholtz states the conservation of energy

Taylor's 'energy can't be created or destroyed, only moved' theory on mediumship Source

c. 1850: First law of thermodynamics (conservation of energy) formulated

Taylor: energy can't be created or destroyed, only moved Source

1867: James Taylor plants the first commercial tea field in Ceylon (Loolecondera)

Ceylon leaf tea poured in the opening tea ritual Source

1869: Margarine ("oleomargarine") invented by Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès

Laura's mother's recipe calls for 'butter or oleo' Source

1872: Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals published

Source of the 'humor is a tickling of the mind' line Taylor opened the laughter segment with Source

1903: Willem Einthoven builds the first practical ECG

Taylor: hospitals already measure the body's electrical 'frequency' with EKGs. Source

Apr 23, 1910: Theodore Roosevelt's 'Man in the Arena' speech, Sorbonne, Paris

Taylor on 'getting into the arena', a DJ Price saying. Source

1914: Le Répertoire de la Cuisine published (Louis Saulnier)

Chef Paul's culinary-school book with no measurements Source

Jul 6, 1924: Hans Berger records the first human EEG

Same point: brain imaging picks up the body's electrical signals. Source

1924: Hans Berger records the first human EEG

Taylor: EEGs and EKGs show the body runs on measurable electrical energy Source

1929: Frigyes Karinthy's 'Chains' introduces six degrees of separation

Taylor: 'everyone's six degrees from everyone', so show up and make it happen Source

Nov 23, 1936: First issue of LIFE magazine

Miguel found the name 'Scandalous' in bound LIFE compilations. Source

1937: Pepperidge Farm founded by Margaret Rudkin

Jaz's family uses Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix as a shortcut Source

1946: Autobiography of a Yogi published

Paramahansa Yogananda — listed among the show's "mind-shattering" book recommendations Source

Aug 10, 1948: Allen Funt's Candid Camera debuts on TV

Patricia's 'smile, you're on Candid Camera' joke from the day she asked God for a sign Source

1950: Earliest Italian press mention of carbonara (La Stampa)

Taylor looked up the carbonara origin live: 'postwar Rome' Source

1952: First known written carbonara recipe, in Patricia Bronté's 'Vittles and Vice' (Chicago)

Read out on air during Jaz's carbonara (captions misheard the author's name) Source

1952: PG&E begins using chromium-6 at its Hinkley compressor station

Root of the Hinkley contamination behind the Erin Brockovich segment Source

1956: ¡Pura vida! film popularizes the phrase "pura vida"

Taylor's Costa Rica saying during the sangria segment Source

1960s: Soviet scientists film and test Nina Kulagina's claimed psychokinesis

Background to Dr. Igor's USSR psychic-research story, teased at 0:56 but not told Source

1960: 'Psycho-Cybernetics' (Maxwell Maltz), source of the '21 days to form a habit' idea

Rob's 21-day breaking-patterns challenge. Source

1962: Cuba introduces the ration book (la libreta)

Miguel's memory of Cuban shelves holding only rice, in a talk about food costs and scarcity. Source

1965: The Rolling Stones release "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"

Played on Patricia's car radio while she wore Christian's Stones shirt Source

1967: Bob Hoffman starts the Hoffman Process, Oakland, California

Rob did the Hoffman Process a year or two ago. Source

Aug 8, 1969: Abbey Road cover shot, with Lennon in a white suit

Patricia's 'white suit' souls and her Lennon encounters Source

1969: Jimmy Dean Meat Company founded by country singer Jimmy Dean

The sausage Laura's mom always used in the stuffing Source

1971: John Denver releases "Sunshine on My Shoulders"

Patricia's song for Christian, which she heard the night he died Source

1971: Blue Ribbon Sports becomes Nike, named for the Greek goddess of victory

Tyler on Nike losing its community focus; 'isn't it the goddess of running or something?' Source

1972: US remote-viewing research begins at Stanford Research Institute (later the Stargate Project)

Taylor: 'America was also doing the same thing… in the 1970s' Source

1974: Cat Stevens releases "Oh Very Young"

An early sign song; it played outside a funeral home the day of the show Source

1976: Apple founded

Referenced discussing Steve Jobs and building something from nothing (source pending)

1976: Boston releases "Peace of Mind" (on their debut album)

On in Patricia's car the day she found Mystical World Source

1982: Papyrus typeface designed by Chris Costello

The font Patricia picked for her memorial tattoo Source

1982: Comedy Cellar opens in Greenwich Village

David's example of a low ceiling that keeps laughter in the room Source

1984: First MTV Video Music Awards

Rocco's first award show as a talent liaison was the VMAs Source

1986: First Burning Man, Baker Beach, San Francisco

Origin of the event Patrick's "Shitty Glitter" camp segment covered in depth Source

1989: Berk et al. publish the study on laughter and cortisol

Taylor: laughter is shown to lower cortisol Source

1990: Queensrÿche releases "Silent Lucidity"

Named by Dev as an early sign song Source

early 1990s: L.A. Gear 'L.A. Lights' light-up sneakers craze

Rob: his father's company put the lights in shoes. Source

1990: The Halal Guys start as a hot dog cart in Midtown Manhattan

Laura's 'best turkey ever was halal' story Source

1992: Clif Bar launches (Gary Erickson)

Sean Jagermann: Bold Bar should be 'the modern-day version of the Clif Bar'. Source

1993: Erin Brockovich begins the Hinkley, CA investigation

Start of the PG&E groundwater-contamination case central to the episode (source pending)

1993: Marsha Linehan publishes the DBT treatment manual

DBT's 'soft smile' (half-smile) skill came up in the science-of-smiling segment Source

1994: Nas releases Illmatic

Cited as an example of evolving from artist to businessman (source pending)

1995: Wicked (novel) published

Gregory Maguire — Rocco's story about meeting the author over coffee Source

1996: Erin Brockovich / PG&E case settles

$333M settlement — the case the 2000 film is based on (source pending)

1996: Jay-Z releases Reasonable Doubt

Cited alongside Nas as an artist-to-businessman example (source pending)

1996: Anatomy of the Spirit published

Caroline Myss — recommended-books segment Source

1997: The Four Agreements published

Don Miguel Ruiz — recommended-books segment Source

1997: Good Will Hunting released

Referenced by Dr. Igor Nazarov re: different kinds of intelligence Source

1997: Green Day releases "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

The lyric behind Patricia's 'but I didn't' moment Source

1997: The Moth founded by George Dawes Green, New York City

David's start in storytelling before stand-up Source

1998: Comedy Central Presents premieres

The show David watched every day after school growing up Source

1999: Masaru Emoto publishes Messages from Water, vol. 1 (Tokyo), source of the rice-jar experiment

Origin of the claims behind the show's rice experiment (week-one check this episode) Source

2000: Erin Brockovich (film) released

Dir. Steven Soderbergh, starring Julia Roberts — trailer shown on air Source

Sep 11, 2001: September 11 attacks

Remembrance moment at the top of the show, which aired on the 25th anniversary Source

2002: SpaceX founded

Referenced discussing Elon Musk's ventures (source pending)

Jul 23, 2002: Freddie New writes his letter to his brother Harry

Read in full on air — written at 21, after losing both parents in a car accident (source pending)

2002: Thailand launches the Global Thai program

Paul explains why there are Thai restaurants everywhere Source

2002: First Bonnaroo festival, Manchester, Tennessee

Tyler saw Mumford & Sons on an early stage there. Source

2002: Sprouts Farmers Market founded (Chandler, Arizona)

The chain that put Bold Bar on shelves nationally the week of the show. Source

2003: Tesla Motors founded

Referenced discussing Elon Musk's ventures (source pending)

2003: "Through the Wire" — Kanye West's first video

Edited overnight at MTV by DJ Price's friend Chike — the video that launched Kanye Source

Oct 30, 2003: Wicked opens on Broadway

Rocco: the book went to Broadway first, then the movie Source

2003: Capsula Mundi tree-burial pod conceived

Taylor wants to be buried as part of a tree instead of a coffin. Source

2004: Larry Harvey writes Burning Man's 10 Principles

Patrick: read the 10 Principles before you come Source

2005: Dancing with the Stars premieres on ABC

Rocco's number-one goal Source

2006: Mindset (Carol Dweck) published

Growth-mindset studies behind the day's theme Source

2007: The Untethered Soul published

Michael A. Singer — recommended-books segment Source

2007: iPhone released

Referenced in the "they were dreaming decades early" Apple/Jobs discussion (source pending)

2008: Kevin Kelly publishes '1,000 True Fans'

Taylor and Tyler on rewarding your earliest fans. Source

2008: Rachel Antonoff launches her clothing label

Her team styled the crew; Taylor's Seafood Tower apron Source

2009: Jersey Shore premieres on MTV

Rocco met the cast and Snooki at his first VMAs Source

2011: Limitless released (Bradley Cooper)

Brennen compared running to the film's "Limitless pill". Source

2011: First Big's Backyard Ultra, Tennessee (Lazarus Lake) — the backyard-ultra format

Format behind Brennen's solo 4-mile-loop attempt and his next "last man standing" goal. Source

Dec 14, 2012: Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting

Context for Scarlett Lewis's story and the Choose Love Movement (source pending)

2013: Nurturing Healing Love published

Scarlett Lewis's book, written after losing her son Jesse Source

2013: Contagious published

Jonah Berger — recommended-books segment Source

2013: Ring (originally "Doorbot") founded

Cited as one of Nas's investments (source pending)

2013: Burner Express Bus starts running

Patrick's tip for newcomers: ride the Burner Express and free-camp Source

July 2013: Paul Graham publishes 'Do Things That Don't Scale'

Sean on doing in-store demos himself: 'do the things that don't scale'. Source

2013: RXBAR founded (Chicago)

One of the bars Sean said he was obsessed with in college. Source

Jul 16, 2015: The Superhuman World of Wim Hof, the Iceman airs (VICE)

Clips shown on air — confirmed original air date via TheTVDB Source

2016: Douyin launches in China (becomes TikTok abroad in 2017)

Luis Ruelas tells his version of TikTok's origin while explaining live shopping Source

2016: Bezos' one-way vs two-way doors (Amazon 2015 shareholder letter)

Tyler on leaving consulting as a one-way door. Source

2017: Dealt released

Documentary on card magician Richard Turner — recommended-docs segment Source

2017: Of Fathers and Sons released

Dir. Talal Derki — recommended-docs segment Source

2017: The Work released

Recommended-docs segment Source

2017: The idea for Scandalous Chocolates (on a flight home from Paris)

Miguel's origin story, told on air. Source

2018: Atomic Habits published

James Clear — brought up re: DJ Price's book picks, referenced again in Ep 02 Source

2018: In Praise of Wasting Time published (Alan Lightman, TED Books)

Taylor's recommendation after Brennen described driving in silence. Source

2019: Fantastic Fungi released

Recommended-docs segment; also the basis for the never-aired Wood Wide Web segment Source

May 2019: Time Out Market New York opens in Dumbo

Home of The Rogue Panda (Chef Paul) and DJ Price's set that night Source

Dec 2019: Whatnot founded

Named as a live-shopping 'behemoth' Source

2020: Breath published

James Nestor — the show's most-cited book, referenced in multiple episodes Source

Jun 17, 2020: The Last Call published

DJ Price's NYC-nightlife photo book, shown on air Source

2020: Superman's Not Coming published

Erin Brockovich's own book, cited alongside the 2000 film Source

2020: Graza olive oil founded (Andrew Benin, Brooklyn)

The olive oil used on set Source

2022: jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy released

Referred to on air as "Yeezys" — best match based on directors Coodie & Chike Source

2022: Cory Doctorow coins 'enshittification'

Tyler on how companies decay at scale. Source

Jan 30, 2023: SEEK, LLC — first federal trademark filed

Filed for "dietary and nutritional supplements"; the coffee-specific trademark followed on Mar 24, 2025. Earliest confirmed formal registration for Seek — found via USPTO trademark records, not the company's own site (source pending)

Sep 2023: Rain floods Black Rock City ('Mud Burn')

Patrick's camp sheltered ~100 people for 3–4 days Source

Nov 8, 2023: FDA approves Zepbound (tirzepatide) for weight management

Rob showed his Zepbound pen. Source

Jan 4, 2024: Rocco on the Rocks podcast launches

Episode 1: "The Happiest Half Hour" — confirmed launch date via podcast directory records Source

Sep 9, 2024: The Telepathy Tapes podcast launches

Ky Dickens (called "Kai" on air) — extended discussion of nonverbal telepathy Source

Nov 22, 2024: Wicked film released

Maguire told Rocco he didn't think he'd live to see the movie, ~29 years after the novel Source

Jul 2024: JAMA Ophthalmology study links semaglutide to NAION vision loss

Taylor's 'Ozempic and vision loss' news. Source

Feb 18, 2025: Coherence breathwork app launches

Nick & Jack Sweeney's app — used for the show's 10am daily breath sync Source

Nov 2025: World Frequency Day first observed

Announced at the United Nations the year prior — 11/11, now marked yearly Source

2025: Energy resistance principle published (Picard & Murugan, Cell Metabolism)

Taylor tied Picard's idea to Brennen's voice-journaling and "clear signal" energy flow. Source

2025: Hover starts as matcha pop-ups in the East Village and Bushwick

Taylor told the Hover origin story while tasting it on air. Source

2025: Playboi Carti releases "Evil J0rdan"

The song a creator played to rice that turned dark, shown during the rice check-in. Source

May 14, 2026: Hover gets its first trade-press coverage

BevNET review of the Lemon Yuzu flavor — earliest confirmed public mention found; no founding date is published, so this is Hover's earliest documented public appearance, not necessarily its launch Source

Aug 7, 2026: Rice experiment jars sealed (Love / Hate / Ignore)

Results shown 42 days later in Ep 08. (source pending)

Aug 28, 2026: Deep partial lunar eclipse

Patricia's 'eclipse full moon weekend' fear lesson Source

Sep 28, 2026: Bold Bar lands on Sprouts shelves nationwide

Sean: the bars hit Sprouts' Forager Finds section 'on Monday', four days before the show. Source

Oct 3, 2026: Brett Olson posts 'AI stole my joke and my outfit'

Played on air: an AI account ('Tiffany Sloan') copied his joke and his outfit Source

ANCESTRAL: Makawalu (Hawaiian concept of "seven perspectives")

Traditional Hawaiian teaching — no single origin date, passed down through oral tradition (source pending)

NOT FOUND: Comedy Social — founding date

Checked the brand's own site, Instagram, and business/event databases (Luma, etc.) — no founding date is publicly listed anywhere. Earliest confirmed public event: the Aug 23, 2026 Cape Cod show mentioned on air (source pending)