Cash Debit or Credit: Which is best?
29 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck and Josh take a stab at answering the age old question of whether cash or plastic is the best ...
How Thoroughbred Horses Work
24 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's been just 300 years since the Thoroughbred breed has been around, but it has produced some of t...
Crossbows: They Look Cool
22 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, they look cool. It's as if someone put a bow and a rifle together, but in fact crossbows preda...
How Air Force One Works
17 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
As you might imagine, the President of the United States doesn't fly coach. But what exactly does he...
How Alcatraz Works
15 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, you've heard stories about Alcatraz. From high-profile escape attempts to tales of notorious i...
How Presidential Debates Work
10 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The first televised Presidential debate had some odd results: The radio audience tended to believe N...
How Gene Patents Work
08 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Should a company be able to own the rights to something found inside your own body? In this episode,...
What Saved the American Bison
03 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The pre-colonial range of the American bison stretched from Canada to Mexico. From 1820 to 1880, the...
How the Autobahn Works
01 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The autobahn has an international reputation, and people around the world love the notion of driving...
Berenice
27 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's Halloween again, and this year Chuck and Josh are ringing in the holiday with a special reading...
How Anti-matter Spacecraft Will Work
25 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
There may be a Bizarro World in our universe. Every particle has a mirror image with a reverse elect...
Do you lose the right to privacy when you die?
20 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
If you live in a place where privacy is protected, the legal system keeps prying eyes from your pers...
The Nile IS Just a River in Egypt
18 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The Nile River has been flowing south to north for about 30 million years, and the human race's crad...
The Wind Cries Typhoid Mary
13 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In the 19th century, typhoid was considered a disease of the lower classes. When an outbreak occurre...
A Podcast on Zoot Suits? Yes
11 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Few riots can be attributed to passing fashions, but zoot suits are top among them. After originatin...
How the Peace Corps Works
06 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Since its inception, the Peace Corps has sent 200,000 members to 193 countries to deliver aid and go...
How Silly Putty Works
04 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
When the Japanese invaded Southeast Asia in World War II, they cut off America's rubber supply. Luck...
How U.S. Marshals Work
29 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Thought Chuck and Josh had already covered every law enforcement agency? Think again. The Marshals S...
How Sword Swallowing Works
27 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Houdini suggested that sword swallowing was merely a trick. But there's no sleight of hand or throat...
How Family Crests Work
22 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
After 800 years of creating coats and crests, some meaning has been lost to history, but much has be...
How Acne Works
20 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Over the course of our lives, 80 percent of us will experience acne. Ultimately, acne comes down to ...
How the Moon Works
15 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that science still doesn't know the exact origin of the moon? Do you know how the moon ...
How Casinos Work
13 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Gambling predates the written word; dice made of bones have been discovered at prehistoric sites. To...
How the World Trade Center Memorial Works
08 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The World Trade Center was once a global symbol of progress. Since the attacks of Sept. 11, the area...
10 Scientists Who Were Their Own Guinea Pigs
06 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Over the centuries, some scientists have concluded that the best test subject is looking at them in ...
How Lie Detectors Work
01 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Instead of actually detecting lies, polygraph machines sense physiological variations, ostensibly br...
Cryonics: Hi, Frozen Body!
30 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In 1964 The Prospect of Immortality laid out a plan for placing humans in suspended animation. The f...
How Schizophrenia Works
23 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Up to 24 million people worldwide have schizophrenia. Despite the vast amounts of research, the diso...
How to Land on a Government Watch List
18 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. Government's Consolidated Terrorist Watch List keeps track of people who are known or suspe...
How Murphy's Law Works, the Redux
16 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Years back, Josh recorded this show without Chuck, and the old version's omitted facts bugged him. I...
Laughter: What's so funny about that?
11 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The response to humor starts with electrical activity, potentially translating to physical responses...
What's the future of the internet?
09 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's tough to predict the future. Instead, the future looks a lot like it does now: Faster data tran...
Ethnobotany: How to Get Drugs from Plants
04 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In 1820, most of the drugs listed in the American Pharmacopoeia were plant-based; by 1960, it was a ...
Can you sweat colors?
02 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A condition known as chromhidrosis can be jarring: The sufferer excretes colored sweat from the eccr...
How SPAM Works
28 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
SPAM is a canned meat product made from pork shoulder and ham. First introduced in 1937, this iconic...
How Wildfires Work
26 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Wildfires consume an annual average of 5 million acres in the US. But what causes wildfires? How do ...
How Karma Works
21 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
While it's kind of perverted in the West, the concept of karma is a central tenet of several Eastern...
Does smiling make you happy?
19 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
You smile because you're happy, yet happiness research suggests the opposite can also hold true. Smi...
Stuff You Should Know July 4th Extravaganza, Part 2: Baseball and Apple Pie
14 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
What makes America unique? In the second segment of this special two-part episode, Josh and Chuck jo...
Stuff You Should Know July 4th Extravaganza, Part 1: Mom
12 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
What makes America unique? In the first segment of this special two-part episode, Josh and Chuck joi...
How Human Cannonballs Work
07 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
There's no question that human cannonballs are daredevils. They pack themselves into the confines of...
How Hate Works
05 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Hate is generally defined as an extreme hostility to something or someone, usually stemming from fea...
Who was America's first murderer?
30 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
John Billington didn't just sign the Mayflower Compact -- he was also the colony's first criminal, a...
How Asteroid Mining Could Work
28 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
There may be trillions of dollars' worth of resources in asteroids, and some scientists believe we c...
How Suicide Bombers Work
21 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It 1981 the first modern suicide bomber blew himself up. But this was by no means the first suicide ...
How Curiosity Works
16 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Alternately hailed a crucial part of the human condition or accused of killing cats, curiosity remai...
How Military Snipers Work
14 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Military snipers always work in pairs, and they're called force multipliers because of the profound ...
Was Malthus right about carrying capacity?
09 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Malthus concluded that humanity is bound to outgrow Earth's carrying capacity. The prediction...
How the Underground Railroad Worked
07 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
As early as 1786, groups assembled to help slaves escape lives of bondage. And, as the 19th century ...
How Fear Works
02 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Fear results from your brain's reaction to a stressful stimulus, and -- though it may be unpleasant ...
How Nicotine Works
31 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, nicotine doesn't cause cancer, but it does rearrange the brain's reward system. Humans have be...
How do I start my own country?
26 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Whether through revolution, colonization or other means, every country has its start somewhere. But ...
What is terror management theory?
24 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Terror management theory isn't about mid-level bureaucrats in Al-Qaeda -- so what exactly is it, and...
What is parallel evolution?
19 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In the process of parallel evolution, two seemingly unrelated species living in isolation can evolve...
Can the sun kill you?
17 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Could the sun, typically known for providing light and warmth, kill us? The Apollo 17 mission almost...
How Con Artists Work
12 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
They say you can't con an honest man, and that's key to thwarting cons; if it sounds too good to be ...
What is mountaintop removal mining?
10 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Mountaintop removal mining is (to say the least) a controversial practice. But what exactly is it, h...
A Podcast to Remember (How Memory Works)
05 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
How does memory work? How is internet access changing the function of the human brain? In this podca...
How Parkour Works
03 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The art of parkour is an astonishing combination of agility and physical strength pursued across the...
How Rollercoasters Work, Minus the Fun
28 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're a rollercoaster fan or avoid them like the plague, there's no denying that these cont...
How Wills Work
21 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Whether it's oral, scrawled in blood or signed on a deathbed everyone should have a will. But how do...
Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me
19 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Flies: They're disgusting, disease-spreading flying machines. They're also really fascinating. Flies...
How Molecular Gastronomy Works
12 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
After botching a particularly tricky dish, molecular chemist Herve This decided to figure out why hi...
Does oil speculation increase gas prices?
07 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In an uncertain economy, investors often flock to commodities like oil, trading oil futures in a der...
Sherpas: Warm, Friendly Living
05 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Pop quiz: What word denotes a nation of people, a last name and an occupation? If you guessed 'Sherp...
SYSK Live from SXSW: How UFOs Work
31 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Josh and Chuck ditch the studio and head west -- south by southwest, in fact -- to ...
How Igloos Work
29 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Igloos were traditionally used by Inuit Indians as temporary shelter while on hunting and fishing tr...
That Dang-old Goat Fell Over
24 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Due to a condition known as Thomsen's disease, the muscles of fainting goats tense up whenever the a...
How a Nuclear Meltdown Works
22 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The recent disaster in Japan has caused massive damage and killed thousands -- but that's not all: T...
Why's that dude in that dumpster?
17 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Freegans prefer scavenging, volunteering and squatting to the more mainstream consumer practices of ...
How Mummies Work
15 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A mummy is a human being whose soft tissue has been preserved after death, and there are mummies aro...
Is it legal to sterilize addicts?
10 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's a controversial idea, to say the least: If evidence shows that addicts tend to be irresponsible...
Cults: Who is this "The Leader?"
08 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Cults are conventionally understood to be unestablished, non-mainstream religious groups that follow...
How Fossils Work
03 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A fossil is a piece of once-living organic material that has undergone a transition from an organic ...
Were U.S. citizens in Japanese internment camps?
01 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
During World War II, the U.S. interned more than 100,000 Japanese and Japanese-American citizens. In...
What is stagflation?
24 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
When high inflation, slow growth and high employment combine, they result in an unfortunate economic...
How Tickling Works
22 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
What's the deal with tickling? Why does it make people laugh, and what's the science behind the reac...
How Crime Scene Photography Works
17 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Crime scene photography is a crucial aspect of forensic investigation, but it's by no means a new pa...
How Blood Pattern Analysis Works
15 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Numerous television shows feature blood pattern analysis -- but how do these fictional portrayals me...
How the Black Death Worked
10 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The Black Death was gruesome: Symptoms included tumors, purple splotches, fevers and vomiting. But h...
How Bartering Works
08 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Bartering is an ancient practice. With the emergence of money-based transactions, it's no wonder tha...
How Munchausen Syndrome Works
01 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Why would someone fake an illness? Here's an even better question: Why would someone repeatedly make...
How to Control a Riot
27 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that people in crowds will behave differently than they would if they were alone. In ...
What has the world's deadliest venom?
25 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Venom isn't unique to snakes -- animals like scorpions, spiders, jellyfish and even platypuses can a...
Can oceans power the world?
20 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Oceans cover more than 70 percent of Earth's surface. But could the kinetic power of the tides or th...
How the Mafia Works
18 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Many people are familiar with depictions of the Mafia in film, but what's the real story? Join Chuck...
Does acupuncture work?
13 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice rooted in the precepts of Taoism, and for thousands of ye...
Little, Fluffy Clouds
11 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Today every schoolkid learns a fair share of facts about clouds and the water cycle, but this wasn't...
How Antiques Work
06 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
At what point does something become an antique? Could that old piece of furniture in the attic be wo...
Should you not eat gluten?
04 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Since gluten is found in rye, wheat and barley grains, it's a near-ubiquitous part of many diets. So...
How Volcanoes Work
30 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Volcanic eruptions are destructive and often newsworthy events, but why do they occur? What are volc...
How Immigration Works
28 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Immigration systems regulate the flow of foreign immigrants into any given country. But why is immig...
How Homelessness Works
23 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Today, millions of people around the world are homeless. In this episode, Josh and Chuck take a look...
How Migraines Work
16 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Most people know what a migraine headache is -- some from painful experience -- but there's a lot mo...
How Agritourism Works
14 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Agritourism marries farming and tourism, but why do people pay to pick apples or work on a farm? And...
How Hanukkah Works
09 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday, but what's it all about? And why do some people think of it...
Green Renovation and Construction
07 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Demolition and construction creates a lot of waste, so renovating your house is generally a "greener...
How the Rules of War Work
02 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The rules of war are agreed-upon rules that are intended to govern international wars and conflicts....
How Circumcision Works
30 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Circumcision is a common practice in which the foreskin of a male's penis is removed, typically as a...
How Dreadlocks Work
25 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Dreadlocks are matted coils of hair that form a very distinctive (and often misunderstood) hairstyle...