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....
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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/listene...
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 ...
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...
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. ...
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....
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...
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 o...
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'...
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 ...
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 un...
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. ...
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 myste...
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 vorac...
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 ea...
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 –...
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 ...
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 sp...
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...
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 filmma...
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 ...
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 pract...
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, the...
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 ...
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 a...
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 ...
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 m...
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 gu...
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 w...
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 al...
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...
How Ventriloquism Works
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ventriloquism – where a skilled performer “throws” their voice, making it seem like a dummy on...
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. R...
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 safe...
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 un...
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 Morriso...
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 ou...
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 a...
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 art...
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...
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 htt...
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 ...
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 h...
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 jour...
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...
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 realisti...
SYSK Selects: How Human Cannonballs Work
27 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There's no question that human cannonballs are daredevils. They pack themselves into the confines of...
How Eyewitness Testimony Works(?)
25 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Few things are more compelling than a witness pointing out a defendant in the courtroom as the perpe...
Short Stuff: Aristides de Sousa Mendes
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week we highlight another little known historical hero. In this case, a Portuguese diplomat who...
MOVE: Or When the Philly Police Dropped a Bomb on a Residential Neighborhood
23 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Believe it or not, in 1985 the Philadelphia Police Department dropped a bomb from a helicopter onto ...
SYSK Selects: How Crack Works
20 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Back in the mid-1980s a new and extremely potent drug hit the scene: crack cocaine. In short order, ...
Sand Dunes: They Are What You Think They Are
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sand dunes are exactly what you think they are. But still pretty interesting. Learn all about them r...
Short Stuff: Yellow Rain
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After the Vietnam War, the Hmong people told the world a toxic weapon was being used on them. Thus b...
How Going to the Moon Works
16 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fifty years ago, the first humans stepped onto the moon. After going back a few more times, humanity...
SYSK Selects: Duels - A Guide to Throwing Down the Gauntlet
13 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Pretty much everything you know about duels is true - it's a challenge to violence to defend honor. ...
How Sloths Work
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows sloths are super slow, but do you know they’re slow because their bodies produce an...
Short Stuff: The Coconut Cult
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why we love short stuff - because we can tell stories like this one. A man goes to an island to star...
Cleopatra: Ms. Understood
09 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of the great misunderstood figures in history was the last pharaoh of Egypt. Cleopatra’s story...
SYSK Selects: What Makes us Yawn?
06 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What is it that makes us suddenly draw in a deep breath through a wide-open mouth? The beautiful thi...
How the Fairness Doctrine Worked
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Back in the day, broadcasters were bound by law to provide contrasting opinions on political matters...
Short Stuff: Mitsuye Endo
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In today's short stuff, we look at another amazing woman who has all but been ignored by history. Th...
Is photographic memory a real thing?
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Photographic memory is the stuff of movies and TV, but is it real? Sort of. But not really. But kind...
SYSK Selects: What Makes a One-hit Wonder?
29 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The term "one-hit wonder" gets thrown around a lot, and - yes - you probably are using it correctly,...
What is the Civil Air Patrol?
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Civil Air Patrol is a civilian group of pilots and plane enthusiasts who do a lot of things, nam...
Short Stuff: Prison Food
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Prison food is kind of a joke, like airplane food. But there are real consequences involved. Let's g...
Planned Obsolescence: Engine of the Consumer Economy
25 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever heard an old timer gripe that things aren’t built like they used to be, that old ...
SYSK Selects: How the Donner Party Worked
22 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Did they or didn't they? There is plenty of written evidence that the ill-fated Donner Party resorte...
What happened to the Neanderthals?
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As recently as 40,000 years ago we lived among humans from an entirely different species – Neander...
Short Stuff: Emperor Norton
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After a San Francisco real estate mogul went bankrupt, he reinvented himself as the Emperor of the U...
How the Hygiene Hypothesis Works
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 90s, a new study that found that kids who are exposed to more germs early in life are l...
SYSK Selects: What's the Deal with Crop Circles?
15 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For a while in the 1980s, people were fascinated and confused about what exactly crop circles were. ...
How Area 51 Works
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The secret military base Area 51 is inextricably linked to every secret, shady project the US govern...
Short Stuff: Smoke Signals
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Were smoke signals real or a Hollywood invention? Turns out, they were indeed a thing and invented b...
What's the gig economy?
11 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The gig economy is not new, but it's bigger than ever. Is that a good thing? We'll discuss that toda...
SYSK Selects: How Capgras Syndrome Works
08 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There is an extremely rare condition where the sufferer is convinced that everyone around him is an ...
What is perfect pitch?
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Perfect pitch, or absolute pitch, is when you can sing a note with no reference from other notes, pe...
Short Stuff: Robert Johnson and the Devil
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Did the legendary blues singer really sell his soul to the devil in exchange for amazing musical ski...
How Barcodes Work
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Barcodes are everywhere. Those little lines and numbers that make up one of the most recognizable ba...
SYSK Selects: How TV Ratings Work
01 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder why some great shows go off the air after a season or less? Blame it on the Nielsen comp...
The Tylenol Murders, Part II
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panic that began in Chicago spreads and begins to change the world. The investigation into the m...
Short Stuff: Look-Alike Old Couples
29 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You know how some older married couples (sorry, senior adult married couples) start to look alike ov...
The Tylenol Murders, Part I
28 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On one terrible day in Chicago in 1982, seven people died suddenly and mysteriously. In just a matte...
SYSK Selects: How Acne Works
25 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Over the course of our lives, 80 percent of us will experience acne. Ultimately, acne comes down to ...
What was Tin Pan Alley?
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tin Pan Alley was an area of New York around the beginning of the 20th Century that served as ground...
Short Stuff: James Polk, Disinterred
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that former president James Polk had his final resting place moved twice? It's true! An...
How Crystals Work
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In a new age shop or on display at the Smithsonian, there are varying interpretations of what crysta...
SYSK Selects: How Dying Works
18 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck and Josh have covered just about every aspect of death except dying itself. Here, they fulfill...
10ish Cases of Really Bad Luck
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Some guys have all the luck, some guys have all the pain. So said Rod Stewart. And if this list is a...
Short Stuff: Honorary Degrees
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Honorary degrees are not real degrees. They are marketing opportunities for universities. They make ...
How Trampolines Work
14 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s loved trampolines since they were invented by a pair of acrobats in Iowa in the 30s –...
SYSK Selects: How Lie Detectors Work
11 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Instead of actually detecting lies, polygraph machines sense physiological variations, ostensibly br...
Do Dietary Supplements Work?
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The world takes $40 billion of dietary supplements – from vitamin A to yohimbe bark – every year...
Short Stuff: Nicknames
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What's in a nickname? Sometimes they make sense, sometimes they don't. Let's get our shorty on and f...
Remembering Live Aid
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Live Aid was a revolutionary concert event in two countries in 1985 that spanned the world via satel...
SYSK Selects: How Does a Diving Bell Work?
04 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
About 2,400 years ago Aristotle mentions the use of diving bells, apparatuses that convey divers to ...
What Happens When the Government Thinks You're Dead?
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s bad enough when the government knows you’re alive – there are taxes to pay, laws to be fo...