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HTDE: One-Liners and Free Throws

December 10, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • A practical, albeit visually awkward, method for sleeping comfortably on airplanes involves using a two-foot section of a pool noodle as a chin pedestal. 
  • A listener undergoing chemotherapy sought humorous one-liners to address her baldness with clients, leading to suggestions involving real estate metaphors and pop culture references. 
  • The trajectory of a free throw in basketball is highly unlikely to be affected by the collective breath of spectators due to air's low density over distance, though close-range, forceful exhalations (like sneezing) from nearby players might have a minor effect. 

Segments

Peter’s Airplane Sleep Hack
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(00:00:20)
  • Key Takeaway: A two-foot section of a pool noodle, placed vertically under the chin and secured inside a jacket, acts as a pedestal to prevent the head from falling forward during sleep on airplanes.
  • Summary: Peter Sagal learned a method for sleeping on planes from a woman who carried a pool noodle in her backpack. The noodle is positioned under the chin to provide structural support, preventing the sleeper from waking up when their head drops. Sagal confirmed that this method worked brilliantly for him during a flight, despite looking foolish.
Humorous Baldness One-Liners
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(00:04:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Comedians offered Kelly, who lost her hair due to chemo, several humorous one-liners to diffuse awkward social interactions, including referencing Professor X and hairstyling mishaps.
  • Summary: Kelly, a real estate agent undergoing chemo, requested light-hearted ways to address her new baldness with clients. Suggestions included joking about looking like Cynthia Arrivo, pretending Professor X is selling the house, or claiming she started trimming her eyebrows and couldn’t stop. Tig Notaro suggested saying she asked the stylist for a very short cut and asking, “What do you think?”
Physics of Blowing at Free Throws
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(00:22:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The air expelled by a crowd blowing at a free throw is too diffuse and slow by the time it reaches the ball to affect its trajectory, but forceful, close-range expulsion like a sneeze from nearby players could potentially alter the shot.
  • Summary: A listener asked if a coordinated effort by fans blowing air could disrupt a basketball free throw. An expert in fluid mechanics explained that air jets lose velocity quickly due to surrounding stationary air, meaning distant fans cannot impact the ball. However, a concentrated, high-speed expulsion, like a sneeze from a defender standing inches away, might generate enough force to slightly deviate the ball’s path.
Episode Wrap-up and Break
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(00:28:43)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts concluded the season finale by suggesting that eating a baguette while sleeping on a plane might be less embarrassing than using a pool noodle.
  • Summary: Ian reflected on learning the pool noodle trick, suggesting that using a baguette instead might offer a more socially acceptable excuse for falling asleep while resting one’s chin on it. The hosts announced they are taking a break but encouraged listeners to continue sending questions to howto@npr.org or by calling the voicemail line 1-888-GAGAX5.