Stuff You Should Know

How Weather Modification Works

09 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

It began with old-timey guys dropping dry ice on clouds. Since then weather modification was used to keep the 2008 opening ceremonies dry and flood th...

How Willpower Works

07 Feb 2013

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 Garbage-powered Cars Could Work

05 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

We're not so far off from being able to power our cars using beer and banana peels, like Doc in Back to the Future. Rather than solving the energy cri...

How Gold Works

31 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Only 161,00 metric tons of gold has been mined in the entire history of the world. Considering about 85 percent of the precious mineral is recycled, t...

How Stuntmen (and -women) Work

29 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

They get blown up, shot, drowned and thrown out of windows on the silver screen - and we don't even know their names. Stuntpeople are the unsung heroe...

How Bees Work

26 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

With less than a million neurons in their tiny heads, bees shouldn't be able to do much more than eat, sleep and reproduce. And yet, bees are capable ...

How the Frick Fracking Works

22 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Fracking, the process of breaking trapped resources like natural gas and oil from shale, has led to a revolution in energy production in the U.S. It's...

Does the five-second rule work?

17 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

You know when you drop a piece of food and if you pick it up within five seconds it's still good to eat? Researchers have studied whether that's true ...

How Death Masks Work

15 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

One of the earliest civilizations we've detected, the Myceneans, kicked off the habit of creating a mask of a deceased person's face in deathly repose...

Can you outrun an alligator in a zig-zag?

08 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard the warning before: If you're being chased on land by an alligator, run in a zig-zag. Of course, the average person should be capable of ...

What was America's first terrorist threat?

03 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

From the moment it was established, the United States had headaches with terrorism of the pirate variety. For decades, the federal budget even include...

How Bigfoot Works

01 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries North American tribes have told stories of a hairy wild giant in the wilderness, and once Europeans arrived they claimed to see it, too....

How Dog Shows Work

27 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

You know those shows where people wearing sensible shoes jog dogs around in circles? They actually represent the pinnacle of a long and complex path t...

Josh and Chuck's Christmas Extravaganza 2012

21 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Kick back and raise a glass of eggnog to Josh and Chuck as they carry on a new holiday tradition of exploring the ins and outs of all things Christmas...

How Barbie Doll Works

20 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Josh and Chuck explore the history, cultural impact and feminist ire raised by the Barbie doll. The boys are joined by Gordon Javna, ...

Lab-grown meat: Order up!

18 Dec 2012

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 Condoms Work

13 Dec 2012

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...

Will we reach peak oil?

06 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A 2012 report showed that the U.S. may be energy-independent in just a few years, but not too long ago the specter of peak oil loomed large on the pol...

How Vampires Work

04 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Out of obligation, Chuck and Josh mention Twilight, but it is the longstanding vampire lore that gets the most attention in this examination of how th...

How Caving Works

29 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Entrances to the underworld have been places of wonder for eons, and humans have ventured into caves to sleep, hunt, create art and explore. Thanks to...

Why do leaves change colors in the fall?

27 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Ah, autumn - arguably the most beautiful time of the year, thanks to the vibrant colors trees put on display as they close up for the winter. Ever won...

Philanthropy: Humankind and Loving It

22 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Sure the fatcats get all the credit for donating millions, but did you know US households making $20,000 or less contribute the highest percentage of ...

Should we be designing our children?

20 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In 2009, a fertility clinic controversially offered parents the ability to customize their children. How will society take the idea of designing child...

How Meth Works

15 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

You know how when you do a lot of crystal methamphetamine you get meth mouth, where your teeth decay? Of course you don't! So check out this in-depth ...

How close are we to holographic environments?

13 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Star Trek was famous for its holodeck, a completely immersive holographic environment that could be any space a user wanted. Thanks to telemersion tec...

What will happen when we reach the Singularity?

08 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Futurists have unnervingly predicted an impending moment in human history: the Singularity, when a superhuman artificial intelligence is created. What...

Yakuza: From Samurai to Slot Machines

06 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The Yakuza trace their lineage back to the 18th century samurai, left masterless following political upheaval, who turned to lives of crime. After cen...

SYSK's Halloween Horror Fiction Winner!

30 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and Chuck have been planning this thing since spring and it's finally here! Tune in to hear which listener's scary story won the SYSK Halloween H...

Exoskeletons: How's it coming?

25 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Since the 1960s, the Pentagon has called for a suit that can make a soldier jump higher, run faster longer and generally be a badder dude. It's only n...

How Commercial Jingles Work

23 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

You probably can recite five right now. Commercial jingles are designed to hijack your working memory and implant a product or service and they really...

How Lion Taming Works

18 Oct 2012

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...

How Black Holes Work

16 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

It wasn't too long ago when black holes were strictly predictions in theoretical math. Over decades, astronomy has gotten better at uncovering these c...

How Pizza Works!

11 Oct 2012

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 bet you don't know the full history of that pizza (o...

How Rainforests Work

09 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

It's been called the world's lungs, the world's pharmacy and the world's air conditioner. It takes up only 6 percent of Earth's land, yet houses 50% o...

How Fire Works

04 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Creating fire was possibly the most important human discovery, but it's easy to take for granted. But. Josh and Chuck get to the bottom of the chemist...

How Whiskey Runners Worked

02 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Sure, Chuck and Josh have discussed it before, but it's worth revisiting: Running moonshine led to the creation of NASCAR. Chuck and Josh aren't even ...

Subways: HUH! What are they good for?

27 Sep 2012

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...

Q: Are we in the midst of cyberwar? A: Yes

25 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

There's a secret war going on around us, and it's happening on a daily basis. The Air Force recently launched a new unit specifically designed to carr...

Why does music provoke emotion?

20 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A well-crafted piece of music can bring us to incredible highs and crushing lows, sometimes within the same song. Why does music affect humans this wa...

Are we all Martians?

18 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

There's a very good question that no one has yet satisfactorily answered: Where did life on Earth come from? Some look to the Red Planet as the source...

How Book Banning Works

13 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to control the masses, control what they read. After all, books are seeds that germinate new points of view. As a result, the struggle aga...

How Asexuality Works

11 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

When Alfred Kinsey conducted his sex surveys he turned up, but ignored, a fourth sexual orientation: people who don't experience sexual attraction. It...

Bioluminescence: A Bright and Shiny Fish

06 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Science has a handle on fireflies and glowworms, but most bioluminescent animals live in the ocean and are tough to study. Today, researchers are stil...

Can you test a nuclear weapon without a fallout?

04 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Over the course of human existence, thousands of nuclear weapons have been exploded on Earth and in space. With all of those tests, one can't help but...

How Flesh-eating Bacteria Work

30 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Possibly the most horrifically-named disease anyone could contract, flesh-eating bacteria can lead quickly lead to amputations and death. Learn about ...

How the Electoral College Works

28 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

When you vote in an American presidential election, you're not voting for your candidate - you're voting for a group of people you hope will in turn v...

What happens to abandoned mines?

23 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know there are as many as 500,000 abandoned mines in the US, but the federal government knows where only 30,000 of them are? Learn about these...

Why You Probably Have a Criminal Record

21 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

If you're an American adult, there's a 1 in 4 chance you have a criminal record. While it's less likely you've committed any serious crime, there are ...

Did Reagan's Star Wars program win the Cold War?

16 Aug 2012

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 ...

The Shark Diaries

14 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of Stuff You Should Know, Chuck and Josh tip their hats to Shark Week with an old-fashioned radio play. Join the guys (and a f...

How Shark Attacks Work

09 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A shark attack is a terrifying experience for the victim -- but are sharks really man-eating monsters with a taste for human flesh? Join Josh and Chuc...

How Ramadan Works

07 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

It's the holiest month of the Muslim calendar, and for good reason. It was during the month of Ramadan that Mohammed began to issue the Koran. Learn a...

Can we build an elevator to space?

02 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

With the end of the shuttle program and an International Space Station still in need of supplies, the aerospace industry is working the kinks of out o...

How the Musketeers Worked

31 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

You know and love them as a fluffy chocolate nougat and maybe as a book and a movie, but musketeers were quite real and quite deadly. Visit with Josh ...

How Time Travel Works (Live at SD Comic-Con)

26 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How does time travel work? Could it ever cross the line from science fiction into science fact? Join Josh and Chuck -- along with a live audience at t...

How White-collar Crime Works

24 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

White-collar crime often involves fraud and other nonviolent acts. For most people, the term "white-collar crime" conjures up images of CEOs conniving...

How Lightning Works

12 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

You've seen lightning before, and maybe you're even afraid of it. You should be. The air is ripped apart and a sudden electrical discharge burning six...

Geysers: Nature's Innuendo

10 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The spectacular eruptions of steam and water we call geysers are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, the result of thousands of years of specific ...

How Tabloids Work

05 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Having started as an egalitarian answer to 19th-century newspapers, tabloids came to peddle shock and sleaze. They've cleaned up a bit, but they remai...

Is the Dead Sea dead?

03 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

An anomaly of geography, the shores of Dead Sea form the lowest dry spot on Earth. It's been visited by millions, including King Herod and Cleopatra, ...

What's the deal with Executive Orders?

28 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Depending on who's in office, they're either a presidential tradition or the acts of a despot. Executive orders are not spelled out in the Constitutio...

10 Accidental Inventions: By the Numbers

21 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Every once in a while Chuck and Josh do things by the numbers and here's a good example. Turns out a surprising amount of ubiquitous items in our ever...

How Icebergs Work (Very Cool)

19 Jun 2012

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 onl...

Whatever happened to acid rain?

14 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Along with the hole in the ozone layer, acid rain was one of the first international environmental threats. It's fallen to the wayside in the face of ...

Should we have a fat tax?

12 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The concept of fighting unhealthy behavior like overeating by taxing unhealthy food has been around since 1994. But as the debate over a fat tax rages...

Fractals: Whoa

07 Jun 2012

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 Moss Works

05 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Think you have moss figured out? You probably don't. Join Josh and Chuck as they explore some of the surprising aspects of these most ancient and impo...

Can it rain frogs?

31 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

If you've seen the movie Magnolia, you've seen what it looks like to rain frogs. While there are reports of frogs, fish and even squid raining down th...

Do video games produce real-life violence?

29 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The disturbing trend of school shootings around the world has dragged violence in video games into the hot seat. But are violent video games actually ...

Are we obsessed with goals?

24 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

We've all been brought up to keep our eyes on the prize and our pedal to the medal when we go for that brass ring, but does the Western interest in go...

How Labor Unions Work

22 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, it's true: Unions have a shady mob-related past and were originally championed by anarchists. Born from medieval trade guilds, these organization...

What is the future of Earth?

17 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

What will the Earth be like in 5,000 or 50,000 years? In this far-sighted episode, Josh and Chuck explore how Earth may change over time. Listen in to...

Interpol: World Police

15 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Interpol is an international police agency that helps other law-enforcement agencies track criminals who operate across national borders -- but how do...

What is a shotgun house?

10 May 2012

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? In...

Did the Dutch trade Manhattan for nutmeg?

08 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Today nutmeg is commonplace, but this wasn't always the case. In the 17th century, the Dutch and the British fought a trade war over nutmeg. Join Chuc...

How Bullfighting Works

03 May 2012

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...

How did language evolve?

01 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

" Sure animals talk in their own way, with chirps and grunts and the like, but only humans can form words. It is this, some evolutionary psychologists...

How Medical Marijuana Works

26 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Some quarters of the medical establishment endorse it, others abhor it. The DEA is cracking down on it, but the Veterans' Administration supports it a...

How Air Traffic Control Works

24 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

You know how when you fly in an airline you usually don't die? You can thank the battalion of air traffic control professionals who studiously track e...

Social Security Numbers: Less Boring Than You'd Think

19 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know that up until July 2011 an ambitious hacker with a good software program could deduce your social security number based on your date and p...

How Whaling Works

17 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Despite its embattled status as brutal and illegal, commercial whaling is a tradition that dates back 1,000 years and served as the economic engine of...

Body Odor: You Stink

11 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Chuck and Josh end up making reduxes of past episodes on things like sweating and deodorant in this all-new episode on the science beneath what makes ...

Was Atlantis a real place?

10 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

While the search for Atlantis has been pushed to the fringes since the 19th century, archaeologists have quietly pursued cities that may have inspired...

How Diamonds Work

03 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

There's no denying that diamonds are pretty -- but where do they come from, and why are they so expensive? Join Chuck and Josh as they explore everyth...

How Music Sampling Works

29 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Today music sampling is a common practice, especially in electronic or hip-hop music. But how does it work? After all, other artists made the original...

10 Big Cases of Revenge

27 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn't love a good story about comeuppance? Whether served cold or piping hot, revenge is an ancient idea -- and history is filled with acts of v...

How Tipping Works

22 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Tipping is commonly expected in some places, such as U.S. restaurants. Yet this practice varies across cultures. Join trivia gurus (and former waiters...

How Comic Books: Live from SXSW

20 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Although you might not be a fan of comic books, there's no denying that they have a fascinating place in American history. And -- as if that wasn't in...

How the Donner Party Worked

15 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Did they or didn't they? There is plenty of written evidence that the ill-fated Donner Party resorted to cannibalism - except there are no bones. Lear...

Should chimps be used for medical testing?

13 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

If you've got half a heart it's an easy question to answer. But if you're happy living without polio and hepatitis B you may want to question further....

How Noah's Ark Worked

08 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Stories of a great flood and a man who managed to stay afloat while the world drowned abound in ancient traditions. Join Josh and Chuck as they explor...

Duels: A guide to throwing down the gauntlet

06 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Pretty much everything you know about duels is true - it's a challenge to violence to defend honor. But did you know the U.S. Navy used to publish det...

How SETI Works

01 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

SETI stands for 'search for extraterrestrial intelligence,' and the term is used to describe both the SETI institute and the search for alien life in ...

How Crying Works

28 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

You probably did it around 70 times last year, yet you probably don't understand the psychological and physiological processes at work when you cried....

Fasting: deadly or what?

23 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Avoiding food for religious or health reasons has been around for millennia. But while God may appreciate the sacrifice, how does it affect the body? ...

How Autopsies Work

16 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In the 400th episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck take a trip through the morgue and look over the shoulders of the often controversial co...

How Zero Works

14 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Few numbers have as storied a past as zero. Even fewer have had as great an impact on our ability to understand our universe. Yet zero is a relatively...

How Coral Reefs Work

09 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Coral reefs are the largest organic structures on Earth, yet they're created through a symbiotic relationship between creatures about 3 millimeters lo...

Pickpockets: Artists or Crooks?

07 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

There aren't many criminal pursuits that are as storied as pickpocketing, and some people fondly reminisce over its heyday. Learn why some consider pi...

How Floods Work

26 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Floods happen when more water is introduced to an area than can be quickly removed. That's about it, but there's more to floods, what causes them and ...