Stuff You Should Know

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...

Short Stuff: Runner's High

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Listen in to today's short stuff to learn if a runner's high is really a thing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork....

What Causes Inflation?

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation seems super boring, but if you know how it works (important point: no one really does) you can exist as a functioning human being in a moder...

Selects: How Nitrous Oxide Works

29 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For about 175 years people have been huffing nitrous oxide for everything from vision quests to anesthetic to get plain old high. And after all that t...

Night Trap: The Video Game Failure that Changed the Industry

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 90s a video game was released that changed the industry, despite poor sales and bad game play. That game was Night Trap. This is that sto...

Short Stuff: Parachute Emergency!

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your parachute won’t open – now what?! Listen up to Josh and Chuck and you may make it out of this in one piece. Learn more about your ad-choices...

How Cleft Lips and Palates Work

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cleft lips and palates are common birth defects, but for the kids who have them (and their parents), its no small matter: Years of surgeries, therapy,...

Selects: How Hot Wheels Work

22 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you're an American who had a childhood, you probably have some nostalgia for Hot Wheels. Get your engines revved for this trip down memory lane as ...

Girl Scouts: More than cookie sellers

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We put our research to the test and it turns out the Girl Scouts is a great organization. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...

Short Stuff: Speed Reading

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Back in the 60s and 70s, a speed reading craze broke out. Tough luck that speed reading is bunk. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...

The Cleveland Torso Murders

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

During the depths of the Great Depression, Cleveland’s most vulnerable and destitute residents were prey for one of history’s most horrific serial...

Selects: How Limousines Work

15 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The first limousines weren’t even cars! Learn all about the history of limousines, how they’re made and some of the most creative and expensive am...

How Monster Trucks Work

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve never seen a huge truck with gigantic tires do backflips or roll backward perched only on its two front tires, you haven’t lived yet. Ch...

Short Stuff: Garter Snakes

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Garter snakes aren’t scary, they’re pretty great! Learn all the reasons why in this episode! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...

The Ivy League

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Ivy League is technically a sports conference, but it's much more than that. Enjoy this special 3D episode with your earbuds on and learn all abou...

Selects: How Snake Handlers Work

08 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Snake handling ranges from professional snake milkers for antivenin to religious handlers who tend to get bitten and sometimes die from it. Either way...

How Uranium Mining Works

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mining uranium is dangerous work. Not only does it involve mining, which is dangerous itself, uranium is also found alongside some very radioactive st...

Short Stuff: Squarer Than Wombat Poop

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of the cutest animals on the planet is also the only one that squeezes out cube-shaped poop. Find out why today. Learn more about your ad-choices...

The Appendix: No Respect

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The poor appendix. Despite findings that it serves a purpose, many people still cast it off as a second rate organ and the Rodney Dangerfield of organ...

Selects: How Cave Dwellers Work

01 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know the cavemen, a race of human cousins who lived exclusively in caves? They didn’t exist. Sure prehistoric hominids used caves sometimes but ...

How Corporate Taxes Work

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are lots of reasons to tax corporations: as a check on their power, to help pay for infrastructure, as a wealth tax. But the biggest reason econ...

Short Stuff: Ivar The Boneless

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Was Ivar the Boneless a real Viking warrior? Probably. Did he really have no bones? Probably not. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihe...

Truffles: Underground Treasures

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Truffles are rare, expensive and apparently delicious. Learn all about these earthy fungi today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...

Selects: How Profiling Works

24 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At its base, criminal profiling is a legitimate investigatory tool. The Supreme Court has drawn a clear line that bans profiling when it includes race...

How Stamp Collecting Works

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last two centuries philatelists – stamp collectors – have learned just about everything there is to know about every stamp ever printed. ...

Short Stuff: Madam C.J. Walker

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Join us today as we dive into the story of the first female self-made millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www...

Mechanical Bulls!

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mechanical bulls are kind of weird, but they have certainly made a place in American pop culture over the years. Largely due to one movie, Urban Cowbo...

Selects: How Tupperware Works

17 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tupperware won immediate design acclaim when it was released in 1947, but it took a pioneering female executive to make a line of plastic food storage...

Hair Loss: The Pits

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Losing your hair is a situation that seems to be universally considered to absolutely stink. Unsurprisingly, humans have been trying all sorts of weir...

Short Stuff: Palindromes

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Chuck loves palindromes. So much that his very name is one. Oh wait... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee om...

How the Electrical Grid Works

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The electrical grid that provides power to the US is one of those things you don’t give a second thought to until it stops working – then it’s t...

Selects: The Unsolved Mystery Disappearance of the Sodder Children

10 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1945 a house fire took the lives of five children - except that their bodies were never found. In this classic episode, dive into the longstanding ...

Muzak: Easy Listening Goodness

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Muzak got a bad reputation as bland garbage music. We aim to set the record straight. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...

Short Stuff: Venus de Milo

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Step into today's short stuff to learn all about the armless wonder! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omny...

Havana Syndrome: ¿Qué Diablos?

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2016, diplomats at the American embassy in Cuba began suffering weird neurological symptoms after hearing strange noises. Some say it was a sonic a...

Selects: How Circus Families Work

03 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Don't be confused - this one is about actual circus acts made of family members, not the controversial comic strip. Step right up to this classic epis...

How the Titanic Worked: Part Two

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After the Titanic sank recriminations and blame followed, sometimes ruining careers unjustifiably. As the decades wore on and she was found almost 2.5...

Short Stuff: What's the oldest book?

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In order to figure out what the oldest book is, one has to define what a book actually is. Listen in as we discuss this debatable topic. Learn more a...

How the Titanic Worked: Part One

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When the Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage in April 1912, the world was divided into two types of people: those who considered her unsinkable and ...

Selects: What was the Philadelphia Experiment?

27 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Philadelphia Experiment is a bad movie from the 1980s, and also the conpiracy theory that refuses to die, despite virtually zero evidence of its o...

Space Junk, Ahoy!

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The orbits hundreds to thousands of miles above Earth are littered with garbage. Space garbage, sure, but it’s still garbage. Littering in space is ...

Short Stuff: Cellphones on Airplanes

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Are we finally at the place where we can make cell phone calls on airplanes? PLEASE NO! Listen in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht...

What is biophilic design?

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Biophilic design is all about bringing the outside in. But it's also much more than that. Open your windows and have a listen! Learn more about your ...

Selects: How Lighthouses Work

20 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

People have been burning fires on cliffs as long as other people have used boats, but after the Age of Exploration, lighthouses took their unmistakabl...

The Texas City Disaster of 1947

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1947 the port town of Texas City, Texas became the site of the largest industrial disaster in American history. An enormous explosion blew ships ou...

Short Stuff: Brazilian Jars

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1970s big news was made when some underwater artifacts were found in a bay by Rio de Janeiro that would have rewritten history. Then it just ki...

The Parrot Episode

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you think parrots are simply mimics that fly, you're wrong. Tune in and learn about these colorful friends today. Learn more about your ad-choices...

Selects: Please Listen to How Plasma Waste Convertors Work

13 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There is a way to not only sustainably get rid of our household waste, but also produce enough energy from it to power the process and even create ele...

Karaoke: Tuesday Night Fever

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Listen in and learn all about the fascinating history of everybody's favorite pastime... karaoke! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihe...

Short Stuff: Tooth Fairy: Not Real

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we break down the history of everyone's favorite home invader, the tooth fairy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...

Dragons: As Real as Mermaids

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dragons are like mermaids in that they're not real. And that's about where the comparison ends. Learn all about dragons today. Learn more about your ...

Selects: Mermaids: Not a real thing

06 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mermaids aren't real. That much we know. But the history and lore of these magical and sometimes menacing creatures of the sea is pretty interesting s...

Why is the Equal Rights Amendment still not ratified?

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The United States is one of only 28 countries in the world that doesn’t have equal protection for women under the law enshrined in its constitution....

Short Stuff: Dog Suicide Bridge

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A bridge at the town of Dumbarton in Scotland has a terrible reputation as a site where dogs inexplicably leap to their death on the rocks 50 feet bel...

Is the Free Radical Theory of Aging Wrong?

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1990s we thought we’d identified the root cause of aging: nasty molecules called free radicals that wreaked havoc on our cells. Even better, ...

Selects: Bridges: Nature Abhors Them

27 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From prehistoric logs across streams to the 102-mile Kunshan Grand Bridge, nature works ceaselessly to take down spans. In this classic episode, learn...

How Bruce Lee Worked

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bruce Lee may have introduced more Westerners to Asian culture than any person in history. And, because he died young just as he became an internation...

Short Stuff: The Body in the Cylinder

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1945, residents of a Liverpool neighborhood found a desiccated body in a long cylinder they’d been using for years using as a bench. It launched ...

What Will Farming 4.0 Look Like?

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The human population is expected to increase by a couple billion people in the next 30 years and those who are paying attention are wondering exactly ...

Selects: How Chili Peppers Work

20 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Born and raised in South America, chilis were the earliest crop domesticated in the continent and among the first items brought back to Europe by Colu...

How Blue Holes Work

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Geologists and biologists have recently realized that the planet’s oceans and coasts are littered with a unique type of ecosystem called blue holes,...

Short Stuff: Freedom House Ambulance Services

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As part of Black History Month, we wanted to share the little known story of the Freedom House Ambulance Service. Listen in to learn all about this se...

The Disappearance of Lars Mittank

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2014, a young German man walked into an airport in Bulgaria with a flight booked, then suddenly ran out leaving all his posessions behind, never to...

Selects: Why Are So Many Disembodied Feet Washing Ashore In British Columbia?

13 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Between 2007 and 2016, 17 disembodied feet - still wearing shoes - have washed ashore between Washington and British Columbia. What's behind the sudde...

How Housing Discrimination Works

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Owning a home in the US is a way to pass wealth down from one generation to the next and lift families into a comfortable life down the road. But ther...

Short Stuff: How California Got Its Name

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

California is a pretty cool name. And the story about where it came from is even cooler. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...

Sacagawea: Impressive Teen

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sacagawea was only 16 when she joined the Corps of Discovery. That is one seriously impressive teenager. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...

Selects: Earwax: Live With It

06 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Despite tons of people using cotton swabs each day to clean the earwax from their ears, cerumen (as earwax is clinically known) is actually quite bene...

The NAACP

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The NAACP has long been one of the most robust and effective non-profits in the USA. And while it has faded a bit from its glory days, it still remain...

Short Stuff: Balloonfest

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1986 Cleveland released more than a million helium balloons at once! It didn’t go at all according to plan! Learn more about your ad-choices at ...

How Groundhog Day Works

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know Groundhog Day – the holiday on February 2 when you wake up and have to go through the same day over and over again. It turns out the holida...

Selects: Maggots: Good For Healing Wounds, Turns Out

30 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cultures around the world over the years have been inspired by, then repulsed, then inspired by maggots' ability to heal persistent wounds. We are in ...

How Hydropower Works

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have been stealing energy from flowing water for at least two thousand years. It wasn’t until the advent of electricity that things really go...

Short Stuff: Vantablack

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How black is vantablack? About as black as you could imagine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio....

The KKK: Loathsome Cosplay Rednecks

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The history of the KKK is rooted in hatred and racism, and it still is today. Learn all about these loathsome rednecks today. Learn more about your a...

Selects: How Blimps Work

23 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After newsreels captured the Hindenburg erupting in fire in 1937, the promising development of airship aviation was cut short. Today companies and mil...

Finding the Fenn Treasure

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2010 an eccentric art dealer hid a treasure chest with $2 million in valuables somewhere in the Rocky Mountains and published a poem with clues on ...

Short Stuff: Necco

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you think Necco Wafers are the most disgusting candy on the planet, you are not alone. But it turns out there’s a rich history behind those chalk...

What does a tire company know about food?

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Michelin Guide is an institution. But why does the famous tire manufacturer even put this restaurant guide out? Listen in to find out. Learn more...

Selects: What Was the Deal With the Hatfields and McCoys?

16 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was America's most famous family feud, but the history of the Hatfields vs the McCoys is fraught with bias and inaccuracies. Dig into a disagreemen...

The Science of Cute

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you took our advice and looked up baby beavers a few episodes back, you probably found them sooooo cute you couldn’t stand it. Or you just wanted...

Short Stuff: Silverfish

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Should you be afraid of these creepy little creatures you find in your basement? Only one way to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...

Hell! Hell! Hell!

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Hell? It's complicated and depends on which religion you're talking about. We dive into this fiery mess and do our best to explain it. Learn ...

Selects: How Skateboarding Works

09 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Skateboarding started out as something bored surfers did when the waves weren't breaking, but after a few improvements to the design, it took off like...

The Wright Brothers

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Orville and Wilbur Wright were not trained professionals, but they were rigorous experimenters who ended up changing the world. Learn more about your...

Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever noticed sometimes theaters – we mean, theatres – oh, forget it – places where you see movies or plays – are sometimes spelled tw...

Space Weather - What's That?!

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know space has weather? It’s true! In our solar system, tons – literal tons – of highly charged gas and magnetized particles spew from t...

Selects: How Auto-Tune Works

02 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What began as a challenge to an oil engineer to make a terrible singer into a pitch-perfect one, Auto-Tune has become a ubiquitous (and, to many, obno...

La Dame de Fer (Eiffel Tower)

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Eiffel Tower is one of the top destinations on Planet Earth. It turns out to be a pretty cool feat of engineering as well. Learn more about your ...

Short Stuff: Ig-pay Atin-lay (Sorry)

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Turns out we have little kids from the 19th century, the Three Stooges, and an odd musical composer named Arthur Fields to thank for pig latin. Learn...

Theremins: World's First Electronic Music

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 1919 a brilliant Russian scientist accidentally stumbled onto the first electronic musical instrument in history – the theremin – which you pla...

SYSK Selects: Sugar: It Powers the Earth

26 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since sugar spread from Polynesia a few thousand years ago, the world has been crazy for it. Insanely high prices, wars and even slavery couldn't undo...

The SYSK 2020 Holly Jolly Extravaganza!

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's here again! Our annual ad-free holiday spectacular. So pour up a hot toddy, throw a log on the fire and listen with the whole family! Learn more...

Short Stuff: Chinese Food on Christmas

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What started out as a tradition among Jewish people on the Lower East Side at the turn of the last century has become a full-blown American holiday cu...

How Buffets Work

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Buffets are every kid’s dream – until they grow up enough to realize how gross communal spreads of food shared with strangers actually are. Then t...

SYSK Selects: The Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978

19 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, George Lucas allowed the Star Wars Holiday Special to be made. What happened on the night of November 17, 1978 ...

Aspirin: The Wonder Drug

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have been using a form of aspirin for pain relief since at least the Sumerians. But in recent years we’ve come to learn the wonder drug is in...

Short Stuff: Modern Funerals

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The way we deal with our dead has changed a lot over the past 50 years. Learn all about it in 12-15 minutes right here. Learn more about your ad-choi...

Joseph Merrick, aka "The Elephant Man"

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Joseph Merrick was known as The Elephant Man because of his suffering from what we now know was Proteus Synrome. Learn all about this brave man in tod...

SYSK Selects: What is a hangover, really?

12 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a night of heavy boozing, many partygoers find themselves the victim of a hangover. But what exactly is a hangover, and what causes it? Join Chu...