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 ...
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...
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 mor...
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 a...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 th...
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 wondrou...
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 domest...
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...
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...
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 stil...
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 th...
How Transcendentalism Works
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every teenager in America knows the transcendentalists were a handful of goofy 19th century philosop...
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...
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 cond...
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 troubl...
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 i...
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...
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 ar...
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...
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 bi...
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 do...
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 le...
Selects: How Ketchup Works
17 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Little-known fact: Ketchup, possibly the most all-American of condiments, evolved from fermented fis...
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? Sci...
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...
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, ...
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 histo...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 abou...
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, evi...
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 t...
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 count...
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 m...
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 stor...
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 ...
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 c...
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 t...
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 ...
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 – ...
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 cr...
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,...
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...
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 woo...
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, a...
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...
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 yo...
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...
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 anes...
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 gam...
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 th...
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),...
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...
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 mor...
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. Le...
The Cleveland Torso Murders
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
During the depths of the Great Depression, Cleveland’s most vulnerable and destitute residents wer...
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 m...
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 o...
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! Le...
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 ...
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 t...
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, uraniu...
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. Fin...
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 sec...
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. S...
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 infrastruc...
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. L...
Truffles: Underground Treasures
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Truffles are rare, expensive and apparently delicious. Learn all about these earthy fungi today. Le...
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 cl...
How Stamp Collecting Works
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last two centuries philatelists – stamp collectors – have learned just about everything...
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...
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 ove...
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 femal...
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. Unsurpr...
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-cho...
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 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...
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 ab...
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-choic...
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...
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 controversi...
How the Titanic Worked: Part Two
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After the Titanic sank recriminations and blame followed, sometimes ruining careers unjustifiably. A...
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...
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 o...
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 refuse...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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 Ame...
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 ...
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 colorfu...
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 energ...
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! L...
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 ab...