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. Lear...
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 men...
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 ...
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 inexpli...
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 radic...
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 ...
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, beca...
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 b...
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 tho...
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 am...
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 ...
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 Ambul...
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 r...
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 Washin...
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 famili...
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...
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 teena...
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 ...
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 ha...
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 accord...
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 sam...
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 magg...
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 unt...
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 h...
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 ...
Selects: How Blimps Work
23 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After newsreels captured the Hindenburg erupting in fire in 1937, the promising development of airsh...
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 R...
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 tur...
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 restau...
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 ...
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 soooo...
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 fin...
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...
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 ...
The Wright Brothers
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Orville and Wilbur Wright were not trained professionals, but they were rigorous experimenters who e...
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 yo...
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 highl...
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, Aut...
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 fe...
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 ...
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 instru...
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. Insanel...
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 ...
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 c...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 Prot...
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 e...
The Taliesin Massacre
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows who Frank Lloyd Wright is, but did you know there was a grisly massacre at his home i...
Short Stuff: Cramming
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cramming is no way to study. Learn why in today's short stuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
How Class Action Lawsuits Work
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Class action lawsuits seem a little odd – a bunch of people get together for a sue-fest against so...
SYSK Selects: How Chaos Theory Changed the Universe
05 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since the age of Descartes, science has put all of its eggs in the basket of determinism, the idea t...
John Lennon and the FBI
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that Richard Nixon had a FBI case file open on Beatle John Lennon? Well he did! Why? Li...
Short Stuff: Pimento Cheese!
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pimento cheese was originally nothing like it is now: It was mass produced, it was made from cream c...
Cabbage Patch Kids: Must-Have Toy of the Century
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Surprisingly, Cabbage Patch Kids have turned up on SYSK almost as much as the Nazis or Seinfeld. It’...
SYSK Selects: How Tea Works
28 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Legend has it that tea was discovered by a curious Chinese emperor after leaves blew into his boiled...
Gobble Gobble: Turkeys!
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Turkeys are a very interesting bird as it turns out. Which may be why many people are leaving it off...
Short Stuff: How Eyes In a Painting Follow You
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ever noticed how eyes in a painting sometimes follow you around the room? It’s weird! But it’s a...
Patty Hearst: Brainwashed or Bandit?
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Patty Hearst was a young heiress living a quiet life studying art history at college when one Monday...
SYSK Selects: Whatever happened to acid rain?
21 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Along with the hole in the ozone layer, acid rain was one of the first international environmental t...
The Great War of the Worlds Panic Myth
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On Halloween 1938 young radio star Orson Welles scared the pants off of America with a fictional new...
Short Stuff: Squirrel Nuts
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We know squirrels hide nuts. But it's actually more complex a system than you think. Learn more abo...
How Pain Works
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In recent decades we’ve come to understand that there’s a lot more to pain than: touch hot stove...
SYSK Selects: Who Gets to Name Continents?
14 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, right? Maybe not. And who named Australia? Find out the unu...
How Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Works
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For almost a century, Macy’s department store has kicked off the holidays in America with a grand ...
Short Stuff: Plastic Pink Flamingos
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Plastic flamingos started out as innocent yard art, transformed into folk art, and have become a (ki...
The Bay of Pigs Disaster
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Bay of Pigs is one of the blackest of eyes on American foreign policy. Learn all about this dark...
SYSK Selects: Geysers: Nature's Innuendo
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The spectacular eruptions of steam and water we call geysers are only the tip of the proverbial iceb...
All the Gold In Fort Knox: Meh
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When Fort Knox was built in the 1930s to house America’s gold supply, it was billed as an impenetr...
Short Stuff: Fruit Flies, Why?
04 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why we do so much scientific testing on fruit flies? Turns out they make bett...
The Amazing Roberto Clemente
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Roberto Clemente was what’s called a “complete” baseball player – he could hit, run and, man...
SYSK Selects: How Ghosts Work
31 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
According to a 2009 poll, more Americans believe in ghosts than don't. But what are ghosts exactly? ...
SYSK’s Scare Your Pants Off (and Back On) Halloween Spooktacular
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s that time of year again! So turn down the lights, pull the sheets over your eyes and prepare ...
Short Stuff: Poe Toaster
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For at least sixty years a mysterious person (or persons) showed up at Edgar Allen Poe’s grave to ...
A History of Nursing Homes
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In America, we've treated our senior citizens in very different ways over the years. Tune in to hear...
Chuck Bryant On The Why I’m Voting Podcast
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey, SYSK listeners! We wanted to make sure you heard Chuck on iHeartRadio’s Why I’m Voting podc...
SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works
24 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to control the masses, control what they read. After all, books are seeds that germinate...
Beavers: Tail Slapping Fun
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Beavers are in fact, very busy. They're builders and solid family members, husbands and wives. Learn...
Short Stuff: Haunted Real Estate
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have to disclose the notion that your house may be haunted upon sale? Listen in to find out. ...
10 Voter Suppression Methods
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Voter suppression in the USA is as old as voting itself. Listen in to hear about 10 ways we stifle t...
SYSK Selects: How Sushi Works
17 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sushi grew out of a way to ferment fish a couple thousand years ago and in the late 20th century beg...
Porcupines: Little Stabby Cutie Pies
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We love animals. A lot. Especially underrated ones like the darling porcupine. Listen in today to le...
Short Stuff: What is Latinx anyway?
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We love to keep up with the current terminology for groups of people. Learn about the origin of Lati...
Wind Tunnels: More Important Than You Realize
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Without wind tunnels we may not have airplanes right now. Early aviationists built them to puzzle ou...
SYSK Selects: How Bigfoot Works
10 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For centuries North American tribes have told stories of a hairy wild giant in the wilderness, and o...
Printing press? Big deal!
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Was the printing press a big deal? You bet it was. One of the biggest. Learn all about the early his...
Short Stuff: Lying in State
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After RBG passed away she had the honor of lying in state. Who decides this? Listen and you'll know....
What's the deal with swing states?
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Swing states are all the rage once again this election season, but the makeup has changed a bit. Lea...
SYSK Selects: How the Electoral College Works
03 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you vote in an American presidential election, you're not voting for your candidate - you're vo...
Fallout Shelters: Probably Useless (Let’s Never Find Out)
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The advent of nuclear weapons and the Cold War kicked off a craze in the US for building rec rooms w...
Short Stuff: That's A Head Scratcher
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s actually really strange that scratching your head is a widely understood sign that you’re p...
Conjugal Visits: Not exactly what you think
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After reaching their peak, conjugal prison visits are all but gone in the U.S. Learn all about these...
SYSK Selects: How Rabies Works
26 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rabies may have gotten a lot of attention in the U.S. in the 70s and 80s, but it's still an issue in...
At Long Last: Hawaiian Overthrow Episode
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
By longstanding listener request, we look at how Hawaii was basically stolen by the United States in...
Short Stuff: Petticoat Rulers
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petticoat rulers were women who ran the show long before anyone thought they could. We’re talking ...
How Sweepstakes Work
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sweepstakes were invented as marketing tools to drum up interest for a product or sales. But winning...
SYSK Selects: How White-collar Crime Works
19 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
White-collar crime often involves fraud and other nonviolent acts. For most people, the term "white-...
How Election Polling Works and Doesn't Work
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Election polling had a pretty good rep until 2016. But it turns out they weren't far off even then. ...