00:00 The episode is titled "How Slinky Works" and discusses the popularity and enjoyment of the classic toy.

05:09 The inventor of the Slinky, Richard Thompson James, was a mechanically-oriented kid who went on to study mechanical engineering in college.

09:56 The inventor of the Slinky, Richard Thompson James, accidentally discovered the toy when he knocked over a spring and observed its graceful movement, leading him to spend a year refining the tension, shape, and size of the coils to create the perfect slinky.

14:52 The inventor's wife named the toy "Slinky" after finding the word in the dictionary, and after testing it with neighborhood kids, they realized it was a hit and went on to become one of the top 10 toys in history.

19:44 The inventor, Richard James, received a $500 loan from a friend to start his company and made 400 Slinkies out of high-grade Swedish steel, with the only design change being to crimp the ends for safety, and despite initial skepticism from toy stores, Gimbles in Philadelphia agreed to put the Slinkies in their Christmas display.

24:59 The Slinky initially struggled to sell, but after a demonstration by Richard James, it quickly became a hit, selling 400 units in 90 minutes and 20,000 by the end of Christmas, eventually making the equivalent of a billion dollars in the first two years.

29:57 Richard James set up his own machine shop in Albany, New York to make slinkies at a faster rate, selling 100 million slinkies in the first two years, and later expanded the line to include slinky dog, slinky train, and other toys, as well as licensing the slinky patent for other uses such as antennas and gutter protectors.

35:05 Richard James and his family were living a wealthy lifestyle in the mid-1950s, but their personal lives were strained due to Richard's infidelity, leading Betty to choose to stay with him for the sake of their children, causing a shift in their relationship and Richard's increased involvement in church.

40:42 Richard James becomes increasingly isolated from society and his family, eventually revealing that they are in significant debt due to his funneling of money to religious groups, leading him to abruptly leave for Bolivia and leaving his ex-wife Betty with the choice to liquidate the company or take over, which she chooses to do and successfully brings the struggling Slinky company back to life.

45:59 The Slinky jingle, written by Johnny McCullough, Homer Fessberman, and Charles Weigley, is the most successful commercial jingle of all time, with 89.8% of Americans being familiar with it.

51:18 Betty James sold Slinky to Poof Products in 1998 for a boatload of money, lived to the age of 90, and was recognized by the Toy Industry Association's Hall of Fame.

56:10 Humpback whales can be aged by examining their earwax, which forms rings like a tree, and researchers use this method to gather information about the whales.