Do you ever feel like you and a friend are speaking past each other?

Or that you're not sure how to break out of a rut?

I'm Shankar Vedantam, host of the podcast Hidden Brain.

We explore questions that keep you up at night

and provide answers that are grounded in rigorous science.

Join us each week to explore your Hidden Brain.

Hello Smarty listeners, please take a moment and leave us a five-star Apple rating review.

It not only helps us grow the show, but we might also read your review on who's smarted.

So do it now. And don't forget, you can listen to who's smarted anywhere,

including Apple podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music,

including hands-free listening powered by Alexa on all Apple, Android, and Echo devices.

Hey, Smarty Pants, I've got a little riddle for you.

Ready? What comes in all the colors of the rainbow?

Has its own hit movie franchise and can make entire cities that fit inside your bedroom?

Did you say that sounds crazy?

Because it does. But if you said Lego, you'd be right.

Lego sets containing colorful, stackable, plastic bricks have been around for nearly 90 years.

And in that time, they've completely changed how kids and some adults play, build, create, and of course, destroy.

Because as fun as it is, building a giant Lego skyscraper, it's also fun toppling it over.

I'm a giant come to destroy your city!

Chances are, you've either built something yourself or seen something built from Lego bricks.

But how much do you really know about Lego? Who invented Lego?

...