Stuff You Should Know

Short Stuff: Mayday!

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Say it three times and help may arrive. But where did "Mayday!" come from? Listen in to find out.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.i...

The Apache Wars

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

America’s longest-running war was between the US government and the loosely-confederated groups we know as the Apache. As their lands were encroache...

Selects: How Hoarding Works

20 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You may be familiar with compulsive hoarding from TV, but something that’s often missing from those shows and the news is the deep and overwhelming ...

Why Is DC Not A State?

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The residents of Washington, D.C., the capital of the oldest democracy in the world, are not allowed to pass their own laws without the federal govern...

Short Stuff: The Paper Dress Fad

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There was a brief period when it was highly on trend to wear a super short dress made out of paper. Learn why right now! Learn more about your ad-cho...

Hot Dog!(s)

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

No, there aren’t snouts and anuses in your hot dogs, so go ahead and chow down. There are, however, plenty of other things that may give you pause s...

Selects: How Feng Shui Works

13 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Feng Shui is an Asian concept that strives to unlock your chi by how your home or office is arranged. Or at least that's the simplified "Western" vers...

The Flannan Isles Mystery

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened ...

Short Stuff: Your Dirty Bed

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is your bed dirty? You bet it is. Are chimpanzee beds dirty? Not as dirty as yours! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...

What are blue laws?

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Blue laws are laws that restrict certain activities on certain days. Are they antiquated? Yes! Are they still around? In some places, yes! Learn more...

Selects: The Stories Behind A Few Food Fads

06 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

America loves to go nuts over new food trends and it turns out that the 20th century was a boon time for them. Revisit them with Josh and Chuck in thi...

The Rock Ampersand Roll Hall of Fame

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cleveland rocks! So said the city of Cleveland when they lobbied for the "Rock Hall" way back in 1985. Since then the museum has grown and evolved ami...

Short Stuff: Friendly Floatees

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1992 more than 28,000 rubber ducks got loose in the ocean and began a decades-long experiment in oceanography. Learn more about your ad-choices at...

How mRNA Vaccines Work

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The two mRNA Covid vaccines are the first vaccines to come out of a new field of immunology and represent such an amazing leap forward that they are t...

Selects: What is folklore?

30 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is folklore? Turns out it's just about anything you can think of that's shared by more than two people. Art, literature, stories, dance, music, t...

2021 Halloween Spooktacular!

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dim the lights and join Josh and Chuck for their annual spooky Halloween story reading.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...

Short Stuff: Most Haunted House in England

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1930s paranormal investigator declared Borley Rectory the “most haunted house in England” – and with good cause! Learn more about your a...

Salem Witchcraft Trials: More Bonkers Than You Know

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Looking back 300 years on, it’s easy to overgeneralize why the Salem Villagers decided to persecute (and execute) their neighbors. But as much as th...

Selects: Will We Find Evidence of Aliens by Their Engineering Projects?

23 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1960 physicist Freeman Dyson suggested that in the hunt for alien life, we should search for evidence of massive engineering projects that encapsul...

Harry Houdini: More than Magic

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Harry Houdini was a master magician. He was also a movie star. And an inventor. And an aviator. Listen and learn all about the late great illusionist....

Short Stuff: Bloody Mary

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this edition of Short Stuff we may accidentally conjure a deadly spirt, so look out! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...

Heat Waves!

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Heat waves are one of the easiest natural disasters to overlook yet they kill more people in the US than any other natural disaster (and maybe all oth...

Selects: Why is Venice so wet?

16 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Venice, Italy has a problem. It's sinking, and the water around it is rising. Thankfully, some engineers are working hard on the MOSE project - huge g...

Noise Pollution: Arrrgh!

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever found your blood pressure rising because some guy down the street doesn’t know how to keep the trigger on a leaf blower pulled all ...

Short Stuff: Jack O'Lanterns and Sleepy Hollow

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We launch our spooky October episodes with a little bit on Jack O' Lanterns and Sleepy Hollow. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...

Venus Flytraps: Plant or Monster?

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After looking into the Venus Flytrap, we quickly moved it to the top of our favorite plant list. Part plant, part monster? What's not to love? Learn ...

Selects: How X-Rays Work

09 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Like many huge discoveries, X-rays were accidentally stumbled upon. That serendipity led to a medical breakthrough still in use today. Learn about how...

The Tale of the Church of the SubGenius

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Church of the SubGenius is a religion, but really a parody of religion. Learn all about this group of weirdo outsiders in today's episode. Learn ...

Short Stuff: Dingoes!

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Are dingoes dogs? Not really? Then what are they? Listen in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee ...

Research Bias: Sort It Out, Science

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a sticky issue scientists have to deal with – science is carried out by humans. We humans have flaws (and how) and they can end up in our ...

Selects: How Empathy Works

02 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Empathy can often be confused with sympathy and regular old compassion. But it's not exactly either one of those. Some say a lack of empathy can indic...

All About Alligators

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here at SYSK, we love alligators? Why? Because they're basically living dinosaurs. Dive in (metaphorically) and swim with these beasts today! Learn m...

Short Stuff: Exploring Irish Monk

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a long-standing legend that an Irish monk was the first European to sail to America - in 500 CE! Is there any evidence? Learn more about yo...

How Numerology Works

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The premise of numerology - that numbers are responsible for our destinies and personalities - is plainly nuts, but the history and thinking behind it...

Selects: Planned Obsolescence: Engine of the Consumer Economy

25 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever heard an old timer gripe that things aren’t built like they used to be, that old timer was right! In this classic episode, learn ab...

The Statue of Liberty

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You've seen her there in NY Harbor, standing tall. But do you know the story of how she came to be? Learn all about the Statue of Liberty today. Lear...

Short Stuff: Lake Erie's Rights

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The good people of Toledo, OH are leading the environmental pack by giving legal rights to Lake Erie to fight off polluters. Learn more about your ad...

How Mail Order Marriages Work

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody knows mail order marriages are at best a last resort for jerks looking to boss a foreign spouse around or, at worst, a front for human traff...

Selects: How Free Speech Works

18 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Freedom of speech and the press are values vital to American democracy. But the First Amendment doesn't really define free speech, and plenty of expre...

What's the deal with crash testing?

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Crash testing has been around since the 1930s, but only got serious in the 1970s. Today we dive in and learn all about why companies and the U.S. gove...

Short Stuff: The Javelina

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pigs, hogs, boars and javelinas. What's the difference? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com...

How Embalming Works

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Death Suite continues! In this installment, Josh and Chuck go over what it takes to preserve a human body using chemicals and whether that’s suc...

Selects: Southerners Aren't Lazy and Dumb, They Just Had Hookworm

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There was a time when the lower classes of the American South were considered lazy and dimwitted, a stereotype that still somewhat survives today. But...

How the Magna Carta Worked

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1215 at Runnymede (doo dah, doo dah) the nobles and the king agreed to end a rebellion against the power of the English throne. While the treaty th...

Short Stuff: Chameleons

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In today's short stuff, we bust a few myths about cute little chameleons. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee...

The Creepy Legacy of the Hotel Cecil

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Hotel Cecil in downtown Los Angeles has had no less than 16 unnatural deaths, from suicides to murders and everything in between. Listen in to the...

Selects: How Temper Tantrums Work

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When your kid boils over in the grocery store, it can be tough to stay calm and ignore it, but that's precisely what experts prescribe parents do to d...

Criminal Records: No Thanks!

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

And you thought our crime and punishment suite was finished. Not yet it isn't! Not before we cover criminal records. Learn more about your ad-choices...

Short Stuff: Handwashing vs Dishwashers

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and Chuck finally put to rest the age old debate over which is better – and learn a little about themselves along the way. Learn more about yo...

How Trepanation Worked

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of the oldest medical procedures in human history is also one of the riskiest. For thousands of years humans carried a type of proto brain surgery...

Selects: Composting: Nature's Most Interesting Process

28 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You may think composting is just a bunch of old banana peels rotting away into dirt but, friend, you're not looking closely enough. Inside that compos...

Les Paul & Leo Fender Part II

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we continue the story of Les Paul and Leo Fender, inventors, innovators and rivals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...

Short Stuff: Jackalope

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jackalopes aren’t real, right? Wouldn’t you like to know, city slicker. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comS...

Les Paul & Leo Fender Part I

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The story of Les Paul and Leo Fender defines rock and roll music. Listen in to part one of the tale of these two musical rivals.  Learn more about y...

Selects: How Pet Psychics Work

21 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 21st century a trend of people who claim to be able to telepathically and clairvoyantly communicate with animals has grown. Today, the co...

Y2K: Much Ado About Something

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Y2K was a special time when we all thought nothing bad would really happen at the stroke of midnight, but secretly worried the world would end. Turns ...

Short Stuff: 5 Lazarus Species

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lazarus species were thought to be gone, but had something else in mind. Today we talk about 5 of them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...

How MRI Works

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At long last Chuck and Josh dive into the nuts and bolts of what makes the Wonder Machine so wondrous and find it actually lives up to the years-long ...

Selects: How Animal Domestication Works

14 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's strange to hear, but the transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture, including the domestication of wild animals, is the single biggest thi...

How Fireflies and Lightning Bugs Work

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Whether called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glow worms, the tiny, bioluminescent bugs that light up the evening are universally beloved. Which makes ...

Short Stuff: Humpty Dumpty

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Humpty Dumpty is not a good nursery rhyme. And what was Humpty anyway? Listen in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp...

Child Labor: Not Funny

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Child labor is no laughing matter. Even though we've taken care of it in the USA (mostly), it's still an issue around the globe. Listen and learn! Le...

Selects: How Landslides Work

07 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Landslides are a form of mass movement of the Earth, and with the amount of death and destruction they wreak on the people and towns they cover, their...

How Transcendentalism Works

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every teenager in America knows the transcendentalists were a handful of goofy 19th century philosophers who were into walking in the woods, but they ...

Short Stuff: Calamity Jane

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Calamity Jane is group with the legends of the Wild West. Who was she really? A tough woman who made her way in a tough world from the age of 12. Lea...

The Three Christs of Ypsilanti Experiment

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 1960s, one of the most unethical experiments in psychology’s history was quietly conducted in a state hospital in Michigan. It sought t...

Selects: How Police Interrogation Works

31 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, police across the U.S. get thousands of criminals to confess to their crimes. The trouble is, the procedure that almost all departments us...

How Sarcasm Works

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we get to the bottom of why people sometimes talk like jerks some and how sarcasm isn’t all bad. Stand back everybody, this one is ...

Short Stuff: Space Hurricanes

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Space hurricanes are officially a thing. What does that mean for us here on Earth? Probably not much. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www...

Conservatorships: #freebritney

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Britney Spears has made a lot of noise lately in her bid to nullify her conservatorship. But what are they even? Listen in to find out! Learn more ab...

Selects: How Mars Works

24 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sure today Mars would kill you with its thin, toxic atmosphere and cold desert temperature swings of 100 degrees,but early on it and Earth were practi...

The Origins of Some Everyday Superstitions

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why exactly do we avoid walking under a ladder? Why is stepping on a crack in the sidewalk such a big deal? What kind of monster carries a rabbit’s ...

Short Stuff: RICO Act

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re even passingly interested in mobsters you’ve heard of the RICO Act, but most people don’t know how it actually works. Make your Goodfe...

Stranger Danger!

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you grew up in the 1980s, you thought you had a 50% chance of getting kidnapped every time you left your house. But like with the Satanic Panic and...

Selects: How Ketchup Works

17 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Little-known fact: Ketchup, possibly the most all-American of condiments, evolved from fermented fish sauce people in Southeast Asia have been making ...

How Reverse Osmosis Will Save the World

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Can we save the future of the human race with some thin membranes riddled with ultra-tiny holes? Science says yes! Thanks to reverse osmosis filtratio...

Short Stuff: Hanged, Drawn and Quartered

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The words "hanged, drawn and quartered" are an accurate description of the grizzly execution process. They're just not in the right order. Learn more...

The Radium Girls

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Radium Girls painted watched with glow-in-the-dark radium in the 1920s and '30s. Most got sick, many died. This is their story.  Learn more abou...

Selects: How Historic Districts Work

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A fascinating thing about Americans is that we can disagree on anything. Such is the case with historic districts – areas of historic importance pro...

SYSK Live: Koko, the Gorilla Who Talked

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded live before the pandemic in January 2020 at the Castro Theatre for San Francisco Sketchfest, Josh and Chuck explore the 70s movement that att...

Short Stuff: Sulfanilamide Disaster

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1920s, before the era of consumer protection, a poison entered the medicine supply and killed more than 100 people before the pubic health disa...

The Sad Story of William James Sidis

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Are geniuses made or born? Listen in today to the story of child prodigy William James Sidis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp...

Selects: Are good samaritan laws effective?

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Good samaritan laws have been around for many years, helping to provide legal protections for people who try to help other people. But do they work? L...

The Grand Ole Opry Cast

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and Chuck take a virtual walk through country music's legendary music venue.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...

Short Stuff: Beast of Gevaudan

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The first truly international news story covered a beast that terrorized the French countryside, eviscerating dozens of villagers for three years in t...

Poison Control Centers: A Good Thing

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Poison control centers are one of those things you don’t think about until you need it. With all the poisons in our homes you very well may someday....

Selects: How Royalty Works

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In some nations royals are so ingrained in the national fabric they are considered part of the country. In this classic episode, Josh and Chuck take a...

How Faraday Cages Work

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Faraday cages are one of those peculiar miracles of nature that we can actually explain – not to mention, they save us from potentially fatal electr...

Short Stuff: Chastity Belts

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Were chastity belts real? Sort of. But not in the way you might think. Tune in to hear the real story. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://ww...

The Mystery of Damascus Steel

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Damascus steel and the recipe behind it remained a mystery for many years. But it turns out the key was a bygone ingredient. Listen in to this medieva...

Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corpse Fooled the Nazis

19 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In World War II, a secret department of British ‘corkscrew thinkers’ hatched a plan to use the cadaver of an unclaimed homeless man to turn the ti...

How Venus Works

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Venus is so hot lead would melt on the planet’s surface. It spins backwards. Its year is shorter than its day. Venus is amazingly awesome.  Learn ...

Short Stuff: Mojave Megaphone

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Mojave Megaphone? Well, nobody really knows. Listen in today to learn about this desert mystery. Learn more about your ad-choices at http...

Seven - No, Wait, Five - Mysteries of the Art World

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you get a bunch of artistic types together into a community – aka, the art world – some intrigue and mystery are bound to arise. List...

Selects: How Sea Monsters Work

12 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Legends of sea monsters are as old as humanity, and some ancient cultures even credited them with creating the universe. Learn more about humanity's a...

POGs: The 90s in a Bottle Cap

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Chuck and Josh go down a 90s rabbit hole with another in their classic toy series. This time, they tackle the odd sensation that was POGs. Lea...

Short Stuff: Chinatowns

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you live in a major city in the USA, you probably have a Chinatown. Listen in and learn all about these unique cultural staples today. Learn more...

Slime Mold: 0% Mold, 100% Amazing

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever wandered past what looked like a pile of dog barf on a log during a hike in the woods, you’d just seen slime mold - one of the most...

Selects: Who was America's first murderer?

05 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Billington didn't just sign the Mayflower Compact -- he was also the colony's first criminal, and had the dubious honor of being the first Europe...

John Muir: Outdoor Enthusiast

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Muir loved being outside. So much so that he dedicated his life to helping preserve it, but not without some controversy. Listen in to this decid...