logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
42m 16s

The QWERTY Keyboard is Purposely Bad

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

If you're like most folks in the West, your laptop and phone use something called the QWERTY keyboard, named for the six letters at the upper left of the board. At first glance, this layout makes no sense. It's not in alphabetical order, and most of the typing is done by the left hand. So how did we end up with this thing? Join Ben, Noel and Max as they break down the strange story of the QWERTY keyboard -- and why it remains so commonplace today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Jul 10
A Ridiculous History of "Fad Diets"
Everyone in the developed world knows someone who's tried a 'fad diet' -- these are the so-called miracle practices that promise to help people lose weight and keep it off, through any number of potentially dubious methods. But where did they come from? In today's episode, Ben, N ... Show More
43m 40s
Jul 8
A Titanic Disaster: That Time An Entire Production Crew Tripped Off Bad Chowder
James Cameron's Titanic was, by all accounts, a blockbuster success. And, like so many other masterpieces, the story of its creation is a tale all its own. In today's episode, Ben and Noel dive deep into a little-known disaster that struck the already-tense production: someone la ... Show More
44m 30s
Jul 3
CLASSIC: Back When the Rich Ate Corpses
Nowadays it's safe to say that cannibalism isn't a widely-accepted practice, but not so long ago it was considered the bleeding edge (get it?) in medicine throughout Western Europe. Join Ben and Noel as they explore the odd practice of consuming human body parts in hopes of curri ... Show More
36m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Can't Quit the QWERTY Keyboard
The modern QWERTY keyboard has had pretty much the same layout for more than a century. Why do we still rely on keyboards (and the computer mouse as well)? We explore input devices and the longevity of the keyboard. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnet ... Show More
48m 6s
Mar 2023
Keyboards
The keyboard on the first ever commercially successful typewriter and the keyboard on your smartphone are separated by a gulf of time and technology. Yet their layout is essentially the same (plus or minus a few new buttons along the way). Who invented the QWERTY keyboard layout ... Show More
37m 48s
Apr 2019
QWERTY
The QWERTY keyboard layout has stood the test of time, from the clattering of early typewriters to the virtual keyboard on the screen of any smart-phone. Myths abound as to why keys are laid out this way – and whether there are much better alternatives languishing in obscurity. T ... Show More
8m 59s
Mar 2021
Pourquoi nous avons des claviers AZERTY ?
Vous voyez les ordis ? Certains sont pas mal, je sais. Mais vous voyez les premières touches là… ? A.Z.E.R.T.Y.U.I.O.P… Que s’est il passé dans la tête de celui qui a créé cette norme de clavier. Pourquoi il n’a pas fait ABCDEF ? Un truc normal quoi ? En gros, pourquoi nous avons ... Show More
3m 44s
Apr 2024
A better keyboard than QWERTY
Today on the flagship podcast of alternate keyboard layouts: 03:36 - The Verge’s David Pierce talks to Jonas Hietala about his ultra-custom keyboard he built from the ground up to fit his specific needs. Jonas Hietala: The T-34 keyboard layout 30:40 - The Verge’s Tom Warren expla ... Show More
1h 7m
Sep 2019
QWERTY Keyboard and the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō
John Green reviews the QWERTY keyboard layout and a bird species called the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō. 
22m 15s
Nov 2023
#276 My first computer and modern tech
>> Get my new course: The PRONUNCIATION Course 2024! Visit PronunciationCourse.com and get the course! 
12m 4s
Feb 2021
Why are there upper and lower case letters?
To put it briefly, it saved money. But I think that answer is a little short for us. Let’s look a little deeper into the nitty gritty of why that is. To begin with, you should know that writing dates back to approximately 3300 years BC. This is the period from which the first tra ... Show More
2m 10s
Jul 2019
🖮 KeyBoarding you to SLEEP 💤 ASMR • No Talking • Strobe Effect
Let's type the night away with these tingly keyboards ♥   01:06 Neon Keyboard 09:27 Typewriter Keyboard 15:04 Bamboo Keyboard 20:47 Rainbow Keyboard 28:28 Silicone Keyboard Thank you for being here! :) #ASMR #GentleWhispering #typing 7/1/19 
36m 38s
Aug 2023
L’invention de l’alphabet
L’invention de l’alphabet, une véritable révolution intellectuelle dans l’histoire de l’humanité. Mais qui a inventé l’alphabet ? Où et pourquoi ? C’est le sujet de ce nouveau numéro du Berceau de l’Histoire, avec Françoise Briquel-Chatonnet, historienne, et membre de l’Académie ... Show More
29 m