Short Stuff: The Number 23
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There are people out there who believe that there’s something special about the number 23. Exactly...
Michael Dillon: Trans Pioneer
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Dillon was a lot of things - author, doctor, and most importantly, trans pioneer. Learn all ...
SYSK Selects: How Zero Works
27 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Few numbers have as storied a past as zero. Even fewer have had as great an impact on our ability to...
What Were Human Zoos?
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of the off-putting byproducts of 19th century European colonialism were human zoos, living diora...
Short Stuff: Fear of Public Speaking
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Speaking in public is frequently cited as people’s number one fear, even more fearful than death. ...
Is birth order important?
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There have been a lot of studies over the years regarding birth order. Some conclude that it's a big...
SYSK Selects: How Marijuana Works
20 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For millennia people used marijuana for fun and medicine. Not until the 20th century that was it vil...
How the Hoover Dam Works, Part II
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
And now for something completely different. Just kidding – tune in to hear the thrilling conclusio...
Short Stuff: Emu Wars
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Did Australians really wage war on a group of emus? YES. Learn all about it in today's short stuff. ...
How the Hoover Dam Works, Part I
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s one of America’s biggest accomplishments in the 20th century, a slab of concrete holding ba...
SYSK Selects: How Yo-Yos Work
13 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You may have played with a yo-yo before -- perhaps you've even walked the dog -- but do you know abo...
How the Electric Chair Works
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The electric chair is an all-American invention. It spread almost nowhere else in the world as a cap...
Short Stuff: Lake Peigneur
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1980 something catastrophic happened to the quiet town of New Iberia, Louisiana. Their wide, shal...
How Free Range Parenting Works
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Free range parenting is all about giving your child the freedom to play and explore life on their ow...
SYSK Selects: How Pollen Works
06 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For about 375 million years, plants have been using pollen (aka plant sperm) to propagate their spec...
Were Nazis Drug-Fueled Crankheads?
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nazis were bad people. And it turns out a lot of them were high as kites on speed. Was this a recipe...
Short Stuff: Unspent Campaign Money
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what happens to all those campaign donations when a political campaign goes b...
How Rape Kits Work
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rape kits are simple forensic evidence collection kits used when someone is sexually assaulted. But ...
SYSK Selects: How Immigration Works
30 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Immigration systems regulate the flow of foreign immigrants into any given country. But why is immig...
Etch A Sketch!
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Etch A Sketch is yet another classic toy that Josh and Chuck love and respect. Learn all about t...
Short Stuff: When Elvis Met Nixon
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Elvis really did meet with Richard Nixon. Because Elvis wanted to help fight the drug trade. True st...
How Druids Worked
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who likes Led Zeppelin, plays Dungeons & Dragons, or worships the rising sun at Stoneheng...
SYSK Selects: How Sign Language Works
23 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It wasn't until the was developed and despite its co-existence alongside English, a user would be ha...
How Disgust Works
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Disgust is an odd thing. It makes sense that we would feel a sense of revulsion at the thought of pu...
Short Stuff: The Sandman
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream! But who is the sandman? We'll tell you in today's edition of short st...
Desert Survival: Josh and Chuck Save Your Tookus
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The chances are pretty low that you’ll find yourself lost in the desert, but on the off chance you...
SYSK Selects: Was Atlantis A Real Place?
16 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
While the search for Atlantis has been pushed to the fringes since the 19th century, archaeologists ...
The Great Stink: The Stench So Bad They Gave It A Name
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the summer of 1858, a heatwave dried up the Thames River to a trickle in London. As centuries’ ...
Short Stuff: Bedbugs
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We eradicated bedbugs so thoroughly in the 50s that generations who came later suspected they weren’...
The Case of Sacco and Vanzetti
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, two anarchists accused of murder, was one of the first "crimes of t...
SYSK Selects: How Wildfires Work
09 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Wildfires consume an annual average of 5 million acres in the US. But what causes wildfires? How do ...
How Dyslexia Works
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For a learning disability that everyone seems to know about, dyslexia is maybe the most commonly mis...
Short Stuff: Wigs in English Court
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What's the deal with the wigs in the English court system? Learn all about it in today's short stuff...
What's the deal with ASMR?
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
ASMR is soothing to some, maddening to others. Learn all about these whisper tones in today's episod...
SYSK Selects: How the Panama Canal Works
02 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's on more than one list of the Seven Wonders of the World and for good reason - the Panama Canal ...
Tuskegee Airmen: American Heroes
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Tuskegee Airmen braved racism and brutally tough training in order to secure their spot in Ameri...
Short Stuff: Black Loyalists
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Black Loyalists were a group of Colonial slaves who fought for their freedom alongside the Briti...
The Science of Break-Ups
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Breaking up is hard to do. Your brain might even think you're getting over a cocaine addiction. Lear...
SYSK Selects: How Lewis and Clark Worked
23 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
They may be the most famous explorers in U.S. history, but there are plenty of interesting details t...
How Galaxies Work
21 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the universe things tend to cluster. This means there’s a coherent structure to the universe an...
Short Stuff: Turbulence
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever had a bumpy airplane ride, you know it’s nothing fun. But have you ever noticed t...
Yeti: The Asian Bigfoot
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We've covered Nessie and Bigfoot, so why not tackle the Yeti? Listen in today and Josh and Chuck cov...
SYSK Selects: Interpol: World Police
16 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Interpol is an international police agency that helps other law-enforcement agencies track criminals...
Elephants: The Best Animals?
14 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Elephants are pretty much the best. Why? Josh and Chuck will let you know in great detail in today's...
Short Stuff: War of Jenkins' Ear
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the 18th century, Spain and England fought each other in the colonies of Georgia and Florida, a w...
Could There Be A Loch Ness Monster?
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
People have believed something strange lives in Loch Ness for at least 3500 years. Thousands of peop...
SYSK Selects: How Coral Reefs Work
09 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Coral reefs are the largest organic structures on Earth, yet they're created through a symbiotic rel...
The True Story of BlacKkKlansman
07 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 2018, director Spike Lee brought the story of Ron Stallworth to the big screen to great effect. T...
Short Stuff: Ellen Richards
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Who is Ellen Richards? One of the most unsung scientists of all time, that's who. Her contribution? ...
The Insidious Abuse of Stalking
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Stalking has only recently been recognized for what it is – a profound form of psychological abuse...
SYSK Selects: Saunas: More Interesting Than You Think!
02 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Although they seem pretty mundane, saunas are surprisingly fascinating inventions. Josh and Chuck br...
How Central Park Works
31 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Central Park in Manhattan was America’s first landscaped public park, built at a time when New Yor...
Short Stuff: Johnny Appleseed
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Johnny Appleseed was real! And he was about as amazing as the legend paints him. He really did plant...
How Ping Pong Works
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
While Asia is well-known for being cuckoo for Ping Pong, the game was actually invented by bored Bri...
SYSK Selects: Bioluminescence: A Bright and Shiny Fish
26 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Science has a handle on fireflies and glowworms, but most bioluminescent animals live in the ocean a...
The Legend of Betsy Ross
24 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Betsy Ross is an American icon to many, the seamstress who sewed the first U.S. flag because of a pe...
Short Stuff: Thread Count
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is thread count all it's cracked up to be? Listen in and find out in today's edition of Short Stuff!...
SYSK Live: The Kellogg Brothers’ Wacky World of Health
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There’s no way you haven’t had one of their breakfast cereals, but we bet you don’t know the s...
SYSK Selects: How Lobotomies Work
19 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lobotomies -- brain surgeries to relieve psychiatric problems -- are rarely performed today, but the...
The July 20th Plot to Assassinate Hitler
17 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of people in Hitler's inner circle wanted him dead toward the end of the war. But he proved im...
Short Stuff: Olestra
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the 90s a fat free miracle food came out that promised we could eat all we wanted and not gain we...
How Airbags Work
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It turns out that the inflatable bag of air that shoots out of your steering wheel or dashboard is t...
SYSK Selects: How Schizophrenia Works
12 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Up to 24 million people worldwide have schizophrenia. Despite the vast amounts of research, the diso...
The Great Finger in the Wendy’s Chili Caper
10 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 2005 a woman named Anna Alaya discovered a length of human finger – nail and all – in her Wen...
Short Stuff: How Often Do You Need To Change Your Oil?
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First things, first: Take that oil change reminder sticker off your windshield and throw it away for...
How the Spanish Flu Worked
08 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Spanish Flu killed anywhere from 20-100 million or more people over 1918/1919. All of this playe...
SYSK Selects: How Munchausen Syndrome Works
05 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why would someone fake an illness? Here's an even better question: Why would someone repeatedly make...
What was the Tunguska event?
03 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1908, the most powerful meteoroid explosion in recorded history happened over a remote area of Si...
Short Stuff: Khipu
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Listen in to learn all about the fascinating "language" of the Incan khipu knotted ropes. Learn m...
Rockettes: Still Kicking After All These Years
01 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tune in today to learn all about the legendary NYC Rockettes, who actually got their start in Missou...
SYSK Selects: How Fossils Work
29 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A fossil is a piece of once-living organic material that has undergone a transition from an organic ...
Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
27 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Seuss is loose in this episode about legendary children's book author Ted Geisel. The funny thin...
Short Stuff: The Brain-Bladder Connection
26 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How much do you know about the brain-bladder connection? In about 15 minutes, it'll be a lot more. ...
SYSK Live Christmas Spectacular!
25 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Josh and Chuck go live for their annual Christmas Spectacular. Recorded from the Center S...
SYSK Selects: The Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978
22 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, George Lucas allowed the Star Wars Holiday Special to be made...
E.T.: Is It Really the Worst Video Game of All Time?
20 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you play video games you probably have an easy answer to worst game of all time: ET. But it turns...
Short Stuff: Unique Snowflakes
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Amazingly, it turns out that every snowflake truly is unique. Math backs it up. Learn more about ...
Geodesic Domes: The Wave of the Future That Wasn't
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes a good idea doesn’t pan out in real life. Take Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome: It ...
SYSK Selects: How Igloos Work
15 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Igloos were traditionally used by Inuit Indians as temporary shelter while on hunting and fishing tr...
Are good samaritan laws effective?
13 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Good samaritan laws have been around for many years, helping to provide legal protections for people...
Short Stuff: Laughing Buddha
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that the friendly, smiling Buddha we all know from bars and restaurants isn't really Bu...
How Ayahuasca Works
11 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One day in the Amazon Basin, a shaman put together a plant containing DMT with a vine that allows th...
SYSK Selects: That Dang-old Goat Fell Over
08 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Due to a condition known as Thomsen's disease, the muscles of fainting goats tense up whenever the a...
Was the PMRC censorship in disguise?
06 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Parents Music Resource Center in the 1980s was really just censorship in disguise. But it kind o...
Short Stuff: Dolphin Detectors
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
They don’t actually disarm mines, but navies around the world use dolphins to find and tag sea min...
How Search and Rescue Dogs Work
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
All dogs are great, but some dogs work harder than others. Or play harder, depending on your view. L...
SYSK Selects: Can Your Grandfather's Diet Shorten Your Life?
01 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Epigenetics is a fascinating field of genetics that studies how the epigenome and environmental, nut...
Adidas v. Puma: A Sibling Rivalry
29 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Join Josh and Chuck today as they go down the sport shoe rabbit hole, detailing the strange tail of ...
Short Stuff: iSmell
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Two men once had a dream - to add smell to the internet. And they almost gave it to us. Learn more ...
How the Navajo Code Talkers Worked
27 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In WWII the US Marines devised an unbreakable code-within-a-code made from Navajo, one of the most l...
SYSK Selects: How Black Friday Works
24 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On the day after Thanksgiving, Americans go kind of crazy for the deep discount sales that kick off ...
Fire twucks! Fire twucks! (sic)
22 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Who doesn't love fire engines? We certainly do. So much that we geeked out on this one in a big way....
Short Stuff: Safety Pins
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Safety pins are so ubiquitous, we take them for granted. But that’s the genius of their design –...
Finders Keepers: Real Law
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You know that heartbreak of the schoolyard – finders keepers, losers weepers? That’s actual law ...
SYSK Selects: How Kleptomania Works
17 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck discuss kleptomania, a disorder in which pe...
Olive Oil: Mother Nature's Gift
15 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Olive oil is one of Mother Nature's greatest gifts to humanity. Learn everything you ever wanted to ...
Short Stuff: Lemonade
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder where lemonade came from? Let’s up the stakes a little, what about pink lemonade? Well...
Pando: Earth’s Oldest, Hugest Organism Is Trees!
13 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In Utah, lives a 106-acre stand of Quaking Aspen trees that are all genetically identical because th...
SYSK Selects: How Pizza Works
10 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sure it's everywhere and there's a more-than-90-percent chance you eat it once a month. But we'll be...
Is yogurt a miracle food?
08 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Yogurt has been touted as a health food, but is it? Maybe. If you eat it every day. We get into the ...