Stuff You Should Know

SYSK Selects: How the Placebo Effect Works

18 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, doctors have prescribed drugs they knew weren't real – but that still somehow worked. It wasn't until the 1980s that the placebo effe...

The Tulsa 'Race Riots'

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In reality, the Tulsa "race riots" of 1921 was more like a massacre. Yet it was almost lost to history until 1997, and still not widely known outside ...

Short Stuff: The Mona Lisa

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Mona Lisa is a captivating work of art. But why? We'll try and figure it out in today's short stuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...

Transdermal Implants: Body Art or Nightmare Fuel?

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Transdermal implants are just one in a number of procedures under the banner of extreme body modification. We don't like to yuk yums, so we'll offer a...

SYSK Selects: Jellyfish - Even Cooler Than Octopi?

11 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jellyfish are among the most adaptable, competitive organisms on the planet. They can grow back into their juvenile stage when resources are scarce, r...

The Disappearance of Flight MH370, Part II

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the absence of an official explanation of why flight MH 370 disappeared in 2014, conjecture and conspiracy theories have filled the vacuum. Learn ...

Short Stuff: Corduroy

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Learn 12 minutes worth of stuff about corduroy today! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/list...

The Disappearance of Flight MH370, Part I

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2014, a Boeing 777 airliner disappeared. Despite two full years of searching an area of ocean covering more than 120,000 square kilometers, it has ...

SYSK Selects: Will Computers Replace Doctors?

04 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With savvy and health-conscious people taking control of their wellbeing through apps and sites, technology is meeting the desire for individuals' res...

How Safecracking Works

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Burglars have come up with a whole range of ways to get into a safe. There’s lock manipulation – methodically testing the dial to coax the combina...

Short Stuff: Why Does Time Speed Up As You Age?

01 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not just you – time really does seem to pass faster for people as we age. But exactly why remains a mystery, though some of the theories for ...

Are broken arrows a problem?

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Are broken arrows are a problem? After all, they are incidents and accidents involving nuclear warheads. Like, sometimes they go missing. But it hasn'...

SYSK Selects: How Wine Fraud Works

28 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Wine fraud may be a case of rich con artists tricking wealthy people into parting with money, but it's still a crime. Learn all about this weird, wide...

SYSK Live: Andre the Giant

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Andre the Giant was a giant both figuratively and literally. Sure he was a wrestler, but more than that he was a human being who left a great legacy b...

Short Stuff: The Santa Claus Association

25 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If a con man manages to make needy Christmas wishes come true is he still a con man? (Also, Merry Christmas!) Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...

The SYSK Holiday Spectacular

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's an annual treat, folks. Our holiday special is back and better than ever, and as always, brought to you ad-free. It's the least we can do.  Lea...

SYSK Selects: The Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978

21 Dec 2019

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 ...

Cave Diving: Totally Nuts

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There are extreme sports and then there is cave diving, the most extreme activity a person can engage in without leaving Earth. Cave divers stay under...

Short Stuff: Obituaries

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Learn everything we know about obituaries in 12 minutes! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/l...

MC Escher and His Trippy Art

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We love us some MC Escher. Turns out his story is pretty fascinating too. Tune in today.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...

SYSK Selects: How Currency Works

14 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Even if you entirely eschew the concept of money, we'll bet you'd be hard pressed not to trade in some form of currency. Learn how everything from cow...

How Anorexia and Bulimia Work

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Anorexia and bulimia - those twin eating disorders that seem so common and maybe even just a phase for a teenage girl – are actually the deadliest m...

Short Stuff: Whisky or Bourbon?

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between whisky and bourbon? We'll tell you if you care to listen. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gin

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If there's one thing we've learned about Chuck over the years it's that he loves his gin. And he loves it even more now that understands it. Pour your...

SYSK Selects: How Amnesia Works

07 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Those movies where someone gets hit on the head and can't remember who they are anymore? They're actually not too far off from the reality of amnesia....

What's a gap year anyway?

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chuck thought a gap year was post college. Turns out, it's a post high school year off from academics, where you travel the world, help others, and fi...

Short Stuff: Macadamia Nuts

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Macadamia nuts aren't nuts! They're seeds! And they are delicious. And good for you in the right amount. Learn all about them today. Learn more about...

Did Climate Cause the Collapse of the Maya?

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After millennia of development, the Maya culture suddenly collapsed at its peak. Why is one of the biggest mysteries of history. One theory says catas...

SYSK Selects: Fractals - Whoa

30 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1980s, IBM mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot gazed for the first time upon his famous fractal. What resulted was a revolution in math and geometr...

How Conversion Therapy Doesn't Work

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Conversion therapy is a misguided attempt by religious zealots to convert people from gay to straight. News flash - it doesn't work. Learn all about t...

Short Stuff: Niagara Falls Dewatered

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1969, the Army Corps of Engineers turned off one of the main waterfalls at Niagara Falls to see what could be done to preserve it. They found two c...

How Carbon-14 Dating Works

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the carbon dioxide in your body is radioactive! Don’t worry, it won’t harm you (not sure why we used an exclamation point there). Instead,...

SYSK Selects: Have all the good ideas already been discovered?

23 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that human beings have an obsession with innovation -- but has our species already found every good idea? As Josh and Chuck break down ...

What Makes a Must-Have Christmas Toy?

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ever since Cabbage Patch Kids came along in 1983, there’s been an annual holiday frenzy around one particular toy – the must-have Christmas toy of...

Short Stuff: Backyard Burials

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Time was that you’d bury a deceased relative in your yard; now it’s just weird. But it’s still legal – and if you want to do it, here’s how!...

The Murder Mystery of Ötzi the Iceman

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

About 5,300 years ago a Copper Age shepherd was murdered. He just happened to die in a place where his body was so well preserved that gave researcher...

SYSK Selects: How Salt Works

16 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A Roman senator once said, "Mankind can live without gold, but not without salt." Right he was. The human body needs salt so much we have developed a ...

NYC Water: An Engineering Marvel

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Getting the rain and melted snow from upstate NY into the taps of every NYC resident and business is one of the great feats of engineering. Does it ta...

Short Stuff: The Conch Republic

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Back in 1982, Key West seceded from the United States. Don’t believe us? It’s true! Just listen to the episode, will you? Learn more about your a...

Augmented Reality: Coming Soon?

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Augmented reality adds a digital layer over the real world and soon it will revolutionize how we live. Ultra-tailored information will be everywhere w...

SYSK Selects: Can you Treat Mental Illness with Psychedelics?

09 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hallucinogenic drugs are currently illegal, but they were once commonly used in psychological treatment. In this classic episode, Josh and Chuck discu...

Cockney Rhyming Slang: Beautiful Gibberish

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is Cockney Rhyming Slang? It's complicated and its origins are unclear. Learn everything we know about it today.  Learn more about your ad-choi...

How Ironman Triathlons Work

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sure, you could train for months to finish a marathon, but why not make things interesting? Ironman triathlons add a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike...

Short Stuff: The History of Paternity Testing

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paternity testing. It wasn't science for many years, yet they still tried to do it. Learn all about it in 12 minutes. Learn more about your ad-choice...

SYSK Selects: Halitosis - Worst Smell Ever?

02 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Occasional bad breath is one thing, halitosis is another. Or is it? From its odd origins as a marketing ploy to modern weight loss diets that can indu...

SYSK’s Scare Your Socks Off Halloween Spooktacular 2019

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and Chuck chose a truly unsettling story by one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time – Philip K Dick. Join the boys as they read...

Short Stuff: Our Shortie Halloween Spooktacular

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join us today as we read three short horror selections from Ambrose Bierce.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co...

Where Did Trick-Or-Treating Come From?

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We aren’t exactly sure who invented trick-or-treating – kids who realized they could extort adults for candy, or adults who bought off kids in exc...

SYSK Selects: How Haunted House Attractions Work

26 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ever since the Egyptians, humans have been evolving toward haunted house attractions. The level of sophistication in the scares and gore effects conti...

How Historic Districts Work

24 Oct 2019

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...

Short Stuff: The Toxic Death of Gloria Ramirez

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1994 the body of a woman who died in a California ER somehow became toxic and sickened 24 people. To this day, no one is sure what happened. Learn...

What's the deal with subpoenas?

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Subpoenas are all the rage. But what do they even mean if someone can just ignore it? Learn this and a lot more in today's episode.  Learn more abou...

SYSK Selects: The 'Satanic Panic' of the 1980s

19 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 1980s, the United States experienced a "Satanic Panic," leading parents to fear for the safety of their children. But were there any real ...

How Project Blue Book Worked, Pt II

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A rash of UFO sightings kicks off a new spike in America’s UFO fever and new headaches for the Air Force, which continues to reluctantly investigate...

Short Stuff: The Disappearance of Ambrose Bierce

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ambrose Bierce was a journalist and writer of short stories. He also disappeared rather mysteriously. Listen in and learn of the various theories on w...

How Project Blue Book Worked, Pt I

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK Selects: How Black Boxes Work

12 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Black boxes are designed to be the only survivor of plane crashes so they can live to tell the tale of what went wrong to prevent future accidents. Si...

The Ins and Outs of Beekeeping

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Who wants fresh honey? We do! Learn all about the ancient art of beekeeping today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwo...

Short Stuff: The Devil's Den

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Devil's Den is the sight of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Is it haunted? Nope. But still creepy.  Learn more about your ad-choi...

How Environmental Psychology Works

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the 60s, psychology expanded from exploring inside the mind to exploring the inside of buildings. Environmental psychology looks at how our spaces ...

SYSK Selects: How Pez Works

05 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

PEZ began in Vienna as a mint meant to help people quit smoking. But once American kids got ahold of it, the candy took off and a symbol of childhood ...

What were the Freedom Schools?

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Freedom Schools were set up in Mississippi in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, with the aim of giving young black school children agency and a ...

Short Stuff: Fish n' Chips

02 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How did these two wonderful strangers meet up and become best friends? The answers lie within today's short stuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices...

Guardian Angels: Behind the Red Beret

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you grew up in the 1980s, then you know who the Guardian Angels are. If you don't then you're in for quite a story. Listen in!  Learn more about ...

SYSK Selects: What Happened at Kent State?

28 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On May 4, 1970, four days of anti-war protests at Kent State University in Ohio culminated in the unthinkable when Ohio guardsmen opened fire on prote...

What are paraphilias?

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and Chuck dive into the world of paraphilias so you can get the skinny in 45 minutes or less.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www....

Short Stuff: Dare Stones

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What happened to the Lost Colonists who disappeared from Roanoke Island in the 1580s remains a mystery to this day. But it’s possible a carved stone...

We Are Running Out of Sand and That Actually Matters

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sand, we’re beginning to realize, is a non-renewable resource - and we are consuming it at a voracious pace. We use it in every construction project...

SYSK Selects: Could You Live Without a Refrigerator?

21 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know that hulking refrigerator in your kitchen emits CO2 thanks to the electricity it uses each year? It's a comparatively small amount, in tru...

How the US Interstate System Works

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Wait! This is actually a good episode! It turns out that America’s 48,000 miles of superhighways – possibly the largest civil works project in the...

Short Stuff: Scurvy

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Scurvy seems like a terrible way to go: Your gums swell so you can’t eat, your teeth fall out and your brain and/or heart hemorrhages. Fortunately, ...

The Skinny on Lyme Disease

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you live in the Northeastern U.S. then you may know someone who has had Lyme disease. But it's spreading all over the country and parts of the worl...

SYSK Selects: How Wills Work

14 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Whether it's oral, scrawled in blood or signed on a deathbed everyone should have a will. But how do they actually work? Join Chuck and Josh as they e...

Special Effects: A Short History

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Special effects have been around since the first movies. In fact, the techniques the earliest filmmakers created are still around today, we just use c...

Short Stuff: Papasan Chairs

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Oh, the papasan. What a chair! But where did it come from? And what does the name mean? The answers lie within. Learn more about your ad-choices at h...

How Government Shutdowns Work

10 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Every year Congress decides how the federal government will spend money. Simple enough, but in practice politics tend to mess it up. Sometimes it gets...

SYSK Selects: How Ouija Boards Work

07 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Although most people who've used Ouija boards don't think they're communicating with the beyond, there is something mysterious about how it works. Lea...

What's the deal with MSG?

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

MSG got a bad rap in the 70s and 80s. But what is it exactly and how bad is it for you? The answers to those questions lie within.  Learn more about...

Short Stuff: Barbed Wire

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Barbed wire changed the Western US as much as the railroad and the six-shooter. Before barbed wire arrived, the West was free and open; after, the Wes...

Ed Gein: The Serial Killer's Serial Killer

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Any movie featuring a deranged killer who’s perversely devoted to his mother and makes things out of human skin has a real-life person named Ed Gein...

SYSK Selects: How Icebergs Work

31 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Icebergs: floating chunks of ice. True, but whoa there. Scientists are learning that there's a lot more to icebergs. Appropriately enough, we've only ...

The Rubik's Cube Episode

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Rubik's Cubes. Ronald Reagan. Jerry Falwell. Just Say No. One of these things was awesome. Take a guess and hop on board the 80s train.  Learn more ...

Short Stuff: Dead Bodies and Airline Codes

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know there are airline codes for pilots and flight attendants? And some of them have to do with dead bodies on board? Learn all about it today...

A Brief Overview of Punk Rock

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Punk rock really needs about 10 episodes to do it justice, but we'll try and tackle anyway. Learn all about this movement right now.  Learn more abo...

SYSK Selects: How Sleepwalking Works

24 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sleep behaviors are pretty fascinating. Some people snore, some grind their teeth -- and some take a little stroll, or perhaps a drive. In this classi...

How Ventriloquism Works

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ventriloquism – where a skilled performer “throws” their voice, making it seem like a dummy on their knee is talking – has taken a long, circu...

Short Stuff: Horseshoe Crab Blood

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Perhaps the most expensive liquid on the planet is the blue blood that comes from horseshoe crabs. Researchers realized that horseshoe crab blood coul...

Nuclear Semiotics: How to Talk to Future Humans

20 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The nuclear waste we produce will be dangerous for a very long time. We’ve figured out how to safely store it in the earth until it’s no longer a ...

SYSK Selects: Are We in a Cyberwar?

17 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's a secret war going on around us, and it's happening on a daily basis. The Air Force has a unit specifically designed to carry out and defend a...

How Peyote Works

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and Chuck have tackled a lot of drugs on the show, but peyote has loomed like a bad Jim Morrison poem. Learn all about this plant today.  Learn...

Short Stuff: Petrichor

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You know that amazing smell when it rains? Kind of clean, kind of earthy, one of a kind? It turns out that a miracle of nature produces it. Learn mor...

Solar Power: The Future or What?

13 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve been promised solar energy for a while now – where is it? Turns out, it’s been quietly and steadily growing across the world. And with a f...

SYSK Selects: What Is a Shotgun House?

10 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Shotgun houses are iconic pieces of American architecture: they're long, narrow, and filled with artistic flourishes. But where did they come from? Jo...

Iran-Contra Affair: Shady in the 80s, Part 2

08 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the operation expands it also begins to unravel. Word starts to leak out of the illegal stuff the Reagan administration was up to, Congress and the...

Short Stuff: Time Zones

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Time zones are a pain. Let's get rid of them! Can we? Sure! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.co...

Iran-Contra Affair: Shady in the 80s, Part 1

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When Ronald Reagan was president, America got involved in some deeply shady stuff, not the least of which was the Iran-Contra scandal – a convoluted...

SYSK Selects: How the Black Death Worked

03 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Black Death was gruesome: Symptoms included tumors, purple splotches, fevers and vomiting. But how did this disease manage to spread from the Gobi...

What Were the BONE WARS?

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A pair of old timey fossil hunters had a rootin’ tootin’ rivalry that spilled from academic journals into the American Wild West - where fossils w...

Short Stuff: The Man Who Didn’t Eat for a Year

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1965, a 456-pound man walked into a hospital in Scotland and asked for help with a fast. That was the last day he ate for more than a year. Learn a...

Will Deepfakes Ruin the World?

30 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Very recently, thanks to a new type of AI, it’s gotten much easier to create convincingly realistic videos of people saying and doing things they’...