Stuff You Should Know
Episodes
The Dyatlov Pass Mystery
26 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The incident at Dyatlov Pass is one of the more enduring wilderness mysteries of all time. Russian hikers found in various states of undress, frozen. ...
Recycling Update: How’s It Going?
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been about a decade since Josh and Chuck last checked in on recycling and since then a lot has changed. A global commodities market dealing in ...
SYSK Selects: How Foot Binding Worked
21 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Once in a while, all the necessary factors converge to produce a peculiar nationalized sexual fetish. In China, that fetish was foot binding and over ...
How Attorney-Client Privilege Works
19 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of the oldest protected forms of speech comes from when a lawyer speaks with their client. Over centuries, this legal privilege has been protected...
Jobs of Bygone Eras
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Join Josh and Chuck today as they take a fun look at some of the strange jobs that our ancestors did. It's a SYSK top 10, meaning there will only be e...
SYSK Selects: How Twinkies Work
14 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Twinkies have a reputation for being so processed that they can last for years and years, but they're not as hardy as you'd expect. Uncover the sweet ...
Gerrymandering: How to Stifle Democracy
12 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
No matter which side of the political spectrum you fall on, you should be outraged about the practice of gerrymandering. Redrawing voter district maps...
The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five
10 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 1978, five friends set out for home from a basketball game. The next day, their car was discovered in a lonely mountain road. The next spring, thei...
SYSK Selects: Did Reagan's Star Wars program win the Cold War?
07 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Putting lasers in space to blast Soviet missiles out of the air was a very real part of Ronald Reagan's defense policy. While his "Star Wars" program ...
How the Stanford Prison Experiment Worked
05 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The infamous Stanford Prison Experiment wasn't really much of an experiment as it turns out. It was more like a poorly thought out exercise conducted ...
How Diabetes Works
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Diabetes is one of the biggest killers of people on the planet. And yet, it also seems to be tied to diet and exercise, which makes it preventable. Le...
SYSK Selects: How Ponzi Schemes Work
30 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ponzi schemes. How do they work? And who's Ponzi? Join Josh and Chuck in this classic episode to discover how an Italian immigrant created a classic c...
Narwhals: Unicorns of the Sea
28 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Narwhals are the unicorns of the sea. They're also whales with tusks. The tusks are really long tooths. Are you confused? Let us guide you! Learn m...
Can Anarchism Work?
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Teenage punks going through a phase probably come to mind when you think of anarchists, but anarchism is a legitimate political philosophy based on th...
SYSK Selects: How Condoms Work
23 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The earliest depiction of a condom is found in a 15,000-year-old cave painting. Ever since humans realized sex led to children, we've been using condo...
Genghis Khan: Madman or Genius?
21 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Depending on who you talk to, Genghis Khan was either a sadistic madman or one of the great leaders in world history. One thing is sure, he was one of...
How The Pill Changed the World
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When the birth control pill hit the market in 1960 it landed like a social bomb. Almost overnight, women gained the ability to separate sex from pregn...
SYSK Selects: How Bullfighting Works
16 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When the Visigoths ruled Spain, they introduced the idea of battling bulls at festivals. Today matadors get paid $100,000 and perform in front of 50,0...
Skyscrapers: 'Scuse me while I kiss the sky
14 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Skyscrapers are much more than tall buildings. They're world wonders as far as we're concerned. From design to construction, these babies are beautifu...
How Tsunamis Work
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tsunamis are amazingly devastating natural disasters. They're miles tall and wide, travel as fast as a commercial airliner and can wipe out entire coa...
SYSK Selects: How The Hum Works
09 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There is a mysterious droning sound often described as like a diesel engine idling that is severely impacting the quality of life of 2 percent of peop...
Frida Kahlo: Painter, Icon, Genius
07 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Frida Kahlo was a painter who transcended her own work to became an icon. Learn all about her fascinating and inspiring life and work in today’s epi...
The Max Headroom Incident
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 1987, a very strange broadcast intrusion occurred in the city of Chicago. For just a couple of minutes, the odd TV character Max Headroom appeared ...
SYSK Selects: Was there a real King Arthur?
02 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The legend of King Arthur is very old and very established. By the time the king who saved Britain and united it was first written about, his story wa...
Is the Pied Piper About a Real Historic Tragedy?
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the German town of Hameln a tragedy that took place on a specific date in 1284 and befell specifically 130 children is commemorated every year. Asi...
How Drug Courts Work
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you aren't in the know, you may think drug courts are set up to quickly prosecute drug users and get them into prison in short order. Turns out it'...
SYSK Selects: How Pinball Works
26 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Pinball was actually illegal until the 1970s in NY and other cities, hidden in the backs of pornography shops. The game was finally legalized, thanks ...
How Occam's Razor Works
24 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You know the rule that says the simplest explanation is probably the correct one? That’s called a razor and it’s meant to guide logic. But over ti...
A List Of Games You Would Surely Lose to a Computer
22 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a time where computers can beat the best humans in the world at chess, checkers, poker and video games. But these games are really just dem...
SYSK Selects: Is brain size related to intelligence?
19 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The idea that the larger the brain, the higher the intelligence is an old one, but it's pretty much utterly false. Modern investigation into how the b...
The Collar Bomb Heist
18 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The collar bomb heist is the crime caper that keeps on giving. Every time the story seemed like it was figured out, another layer appeared. Tune in to...
What's a quinceañera anyway?
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A quinceañera is the celebration of a girl of Hispanic heritage becoming a young woman on her 15th birthday. It involves family, friends, music and a...
SYSK Selects: How Cremation Works
12 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cremation is a burial process practiced around the world, but how exactly does it work? Josh and Chuckers take a detailed look at cremation's history,...
How Drowning Works
10 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of thousands of people drown around the world every year, and yet it can be easily prevented and is widely misunderstood – like how you can...
PT Barnum: More Complicated Than You've Heard
08 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When your life is as outsized as the World’s Greatest Showman PT Barnum it’s pretty easy to - you know - gloss over the grimmer aspects when you t...
SYSK Selects: Are there undiscovered people?
05 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode, Josh and Chuck discuss whether there are any truly "undiscovered" groups of people left on the planet, the definition of undi...
North Korea: What's the Deal?
03 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For almost 70 years, North Korea has been the bane of South Korea, Japan and the US or has stood as the sole defenders of the Korean homeland from the...
Nepotism: When Hiring the Best Just Won't Do
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nepotism is something that is very hard to avoid, and very hard to resist, even if you know it may be the wrong thing to do. We all love helping out f...
SYSK Selects: Who killed JFK?
28 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Josh and Chuck delve into the killing, the investigations and th...
Does Pyromania Actually Exist?
26 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A fascination with fire is part of every kid’s childhood, but it’s meant to be passing. For some people, fire becomes the central focus of life, a...
Emojis: A New Language? Nah.
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Believe it or not, there's a lot more to Emojis than meets the eye. Turns out their history is pretty interesting stuff. Join Josh and Chuck today as ...
SYSK Selects: How Mirrors Work
21 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Whether using polished metal surfaces or clear glass, human beings have enjoyed admiring their reflections for centuries. In this episode, Josh and Ch...
Two Times In the 70s When People Buried Ferraris
19 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Not once, but twice in the 1970s people buried amazingly valuable Ferraris, arguably the greatest sports cars ever built. One was dug up after being s...
The Unabomber: Misguided to say the least
17 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Unabomber was one of the most notorious and longest lasting cases in the history of the FBI. Just because the manifesto reads like he was a fortun...
SYSK Selects: What happens in the brain during an orgasm?
14 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode, Chuck and Josh test the limits of their decorum as they explore the physiology of an orgasm. Learn all about this inexplicabl...
How Paramedics Work
12 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Paramedics are not EMTs. Or fire fighters. Or cops. But they do ride around in ambulances (and drive) to help to save lives. It's a stressful job and ...
Why Landmines Are The Deadliest Legacy Of War
10 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of the worst legacies of war are the millions of landmines left behind. They hide for decades after a conflict is over, exploding beneath unsuspec...
SYSK Selects: Sherpas: Warm, Friendly Living
07 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Pop quiz: What word denotes a nation of people, a last name and an occupation? If you guessed 'Sherpa,' then congratulations: You're correct. But what...
Project Azorian: The CIA's Super 70s Mission To Steal A Sunken Soviet Sub
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 1974 the CIA undertook one of its most brazen operations – secretly raising a sunken Soviet submarine lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean rig...
When Words Take on New Meanings
03 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Historical words often morph and change to take on new meanings. Today on the podcast, Josh and Chuck sit down and talk about a handful of them, their...
SYSK Selects: How Guide Dogs Work
31 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You know how when you see a guide dog leading a blind person to their destination and you think, "There goes a truly great dog?" It turns out you are ...
What are false positives?
29 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When getting a medical diagnosis, it's important to understand the terms. Negative is good, positive is bad, false positive is great in a way, but fal...
How Meals on Wheels Works
27 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Meals on Wheels is one of the great charitable organizations in the world, providing much-needed nutrition for elderly people in need. It also has a p...
SYSK Selects: Subways: HUH! What are they good for?
24 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As ubiquitous as they've become, it's easy to overlook the marvels of engineering that are subways. Chuck and Josh go boring as they explore these sys...
How the Framingham Heart Study Works
22 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1940s, a tiny town outside Boston volunteered to be test subjects in a study that would become one of the longest and broadest in the history o...
How the New England Vampire Panics Worked
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the 19th century, in isolated villages and godforsaken towns in rural New England, people began to suspect their deceased family members had become...
SYSK Selects: How Trickle-Down Economics Works
17 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The concept of trickle-down economics is tied to Ronald Reagan, but the idea's been around and in use since the 20s. It's simple: Give more money to t...
Is Vaping Really Bad For You?
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
E-cigs, vapes, whatever you call them they have been touted as a safer alternative to tobacco and even a way for people to quit smoking. But recent st...
The Huggable, Lovable Walrus
13 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to the animal kingdom, SYSK has covered a wide range. This week, the guys dive into the frigid waters of the Arctic to delight in everyt...
SYSK Selects: How Cockroaches Work
10 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You've seen them in your home and probably squealed in terror, but now it's time to learn all about cockroaches. From their ability to run incredibly ...
Why Do People Believe In Faith Healing?
08 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Since a 1906 revival in Los Angeles, people around the world say they’ve been cured by the Holy Spirit after preachers with the Gift of Healing laid...
The Strange Story of Sea Monkeys
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who ever picked up a comic book as a kid probably marveled at the ads for the mysterious Sea Monkeys. In reality, they are just brine shrimp, n...
SYSK Selects: Is there treasure on Oak Island?
03 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Off Nova Scotia, the tiny spit of land called Oak Island has been host to waves of treasure hunters for more than 200 years. Some of them lost their l...
SYSK Live: Back When Ford Pintos Were Flaming Deathtraps
01 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For this special live benefit episode recorded in Atlanta, Josh and Chuck go back to the 70s and look at the decidedly ungroovy course of events that ...
Knife Throwing: Super Cool
27 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sure knives can cut through a steak or slash through jungle vines, but probably the coolest thing you can do with a knife is throw it. At a person mou...
SYSK Selects: How the MPAA Works
24 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You may be surprised to learn those ubiquitous ratings, from G to NC-17, put on movies in America are actually handed down by anonymous employees of a...
Rosa Parks: Agent of Change
22 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rosa Parks finishes out our Black History Month episodes in grand fashion. While most know her from that fateful day on the Montgomery city bus, she a...
Are Feral Children Real?
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For millennia people have been amazed by legends of wild children found in the forest or jungle, sometimes raised by animals like wolves or apes. But ...
SYSK Selects: How the Underground Railroad Worked
17 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As early as 1786, groups assembled to help slaves escape lives of bondage. And, as the 19th century progressed, the emergent Underground Railroad grew...
The Harriet Tubman Story
15 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Harriet Tubman is a legendary figure in history, but the details of her life are even more remarkable than what you may have learned in school. Listen...
How Pompeii Worked
13 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What must be one of the most famous natural disasters in history took place when Mt Vesuvius buried Pompeii in 79 CE. But when the town was resurrecte...
SYSK Selects: How Narco States Work
10 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck discuss Narco States, places where illegal drugs are traded openly with government support --...
The Mystery of The Grand Canyon Newlyweds
08 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 1928 Bessie and Glen Hyde attempted to navigate their way through the belly of the Grand Canyon in a homemade boat. They disappeared without a trac...
What is a Mold-A-Rama?
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1960s, a very cool machine debuted at the Seattle World's Fair - the Mold-A-Rama. It made real plastic toys on-demand from melted plastic pelle...
SYSK Selects: How Lion Taming Works
03 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bossing a lion around in front of a crowd at a circus has been an attraction for 200 years, but exactly how lion tamers get their captive wild animals...
Marijuana Vs. Alcohol: Which Is Worse For You?
01 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's been the subject of teenage conversation for decades already, but now you can join Josh and Chuck as they dive into the science of how pot and bo...
The Manson Family Murders Part II
30 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Listen in today for the conclusion of the story of the Manson Family Murders. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co...
SYSK Selects: Prisons - Not as Fun as You'd Think
27 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Most people have a basic understanding of how prisons work, but it's often heavily influenced by fiction. What's it really like behind those bars? In ...
The Manson Family Murders Part I
25 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The '60s ended with a lot of turbulence, not the least of which was the Manson Family Murders. What made Charles Manson so alluring to his family? Wha...
How Hoarding Works
23 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You may be familiar with compulsive hoarding from TV, but something that’s often missing from those shows and the news is the deep and overwhelming ...
SYSK Selects: Lab-grown meat: Order up!
20 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Since Winston Churchill predicted we'd grow meat in a lab by 1981, researchers have considered doing just that. And thanks to the current work of abou...
How Hang Gliding Works
18 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a super 70s thing, sure, but hang gliding is a thrill ride for the ages. So strap in with Josh and Chuck and learn all about the earliest metho...
How Removing Public Monuments Work
16 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Public monuments can be removed for a variety of reasons, from public sentiment changing, to governments being overthrown, to just being downright ugl...
SYSK Selects: The Wind Cries Typhoid Mary
13 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the 19th century, typhoid was considered a disease of the lower classes. When an outbreak occurred in wealthy Oyster Bay, New York, a mystery was a...
What is an invasive species?
11 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Invasive species can mean a lot of things, from fungus to feral pigs and European starlings to kudzu vines. Basically, it's anything brought to a plac...
The Mystery of the Mary Celeste
09 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When the Mary Celeste was discovered floating and abandoned in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean one day in 1872, the legend of the ghost ship was born...
SYSK Selects: What Makes a One-hit Wonder?
06 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The term "one-hit wonder" gets thrown around a lot, and - yes - you probably are using it correctly, but Chuck Bryant went to the trouble to really de...
How Impeachment Works
04 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Impeachment is does not necessarily mean a president is removed from office. But it could. It's a fascinating procedure that has been crafted and shap...
How Orchids Work
02 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ever since Victorian orchid hunters ravaged the tropics in search of unique specimens to sell for ludicrous amounts of money, the West has been grippe...
SYSK Selects: How Willpower Works
30 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You use it every day to overcome your lower self (which wants you to eat cake until your vision blurs) in pursuit of the goals of your higher self (wh...
How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Works, Part II
28 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We finish our tour of the best sights of the ancient world when we get deep into the history of a lighthouse that stood for 1200 years, an unsettling ...
How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Works, Part I
26 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Long before slide rulers and pocket protectors, civilizations across the world used their noggins to build some impressive structures. Almost all have...
SYSK Selects: The Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978
23 Dec 2017
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 ...
The 2017 SYSK Christmas Extravaganza!
21 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It's the most wonderful episode of the year! Join Josh and Chuck as they ride their sleigh through the debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas mov...
Narcissism: But what about me?
19 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week Josh and Chuck dive into the world of narcissism, one of the most perplexing and disturbing disorders humans can have. Learn all you ever ca...
SYSK Selects: How Population Works
16 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Population may not seem like the most scintillating topic in the world, but Josh and Chuck beg to differ. Join them as they explore how population wor...
How the Globe of Death Works
14 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Globe of Death – el Globo de la Muerte to our Spanish-speaking friends – is perhaps the greatest of all the circus arts. It requires no smoke,...
The Deal With Doulas
12 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The word doula in Ancient Greek might mean "female servant" but it's really not a great description of the 21st century job. Doulas are birth coaches ...
SYSK Selects: How much money is there in the world?
09 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are few things more futile than trying to count all of the money in the world. Even many governments have no idea how much currency they have is...
How Flight Attendants Work
07 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Flight attendants have come a long way. From having to put up with rampant sexism, to the current incarnation as your first line of defense in case of...