Stuff You Should Know
Episodes
Short Stuff: Figs & Wasps
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today Chuck and Josh look at the interesting relationship between figs and wasps.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Plant-Based Diets
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You don’t have to be a hardcore vegan to eat a plant-based diet (although you can be). There’s a whole variety of degrees people adopt pha...
Selects: How Ice Cream Works
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all scream for ice cream, sure, but did you know we're all technically screaming about a colloidal foam? As you hit play on this classic episode, p...
We Got to Sesame Street
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the longest-running television shows in history is also one of the best. Sesame Street was conceived as a radical idea – to give disadvan...
Short Stuff: Drop Bears
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia is home to all sorts of things that can kill you, but perhaps the deadliest is the drop bear, a vicious cousin of the koala.See omnystudio.c...
Fentanyl: Actually As Dangerous As They Say
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Around 2013 heroin users in the US and other countries suddenly started dying from overdose in previously-unseen numbers. The culprit turned out to be...
Selects: Muzak: Easy Listening Goodness
03 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Muzak got a bad reputation as bland garbage music. In this classic episode, we aim to set the record straight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...
What we know about MI6
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
MI6 is The UK's version of the CIA. Except they came first and provided the model. But there's still a lot we don't know about this notoriously tight-...
Short Stuff: Trovants
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rocks that grow baby rocks – wut?!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chinese Food: Best Food?
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on SYSK, the fellas get down to business with plenty of mouth-watering information on what Chuck dubs "the best food."See omnystudio.com/listene...
Selects: How Jim Henson Worked
26 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've already recorded an episode on The Muppets, but Jim Henson was such a neat guy we delved into him even further. Learn all about the man behind t...
Give My Regards to the Broadway Episode!
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Broadway is a street in NYC, but more than that it's a term for the NY theater district. They say the neon lights are bright there. Who knows?See omny...
Short Stuff: Alternative Libraries
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we highlight and celebrate a couple of alternative libraries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Richard III: Good Guy or Evil Putz?
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever since Shakespeare wrote his tragedy on Richard III the world has thought of him as an evil king with a shriveled soul. But is that actually unjus...
Selects: Adidas v. Puma: A Sibling Rivalry
19 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Josh and Chuck in this classic episode as they go down the sport shoe rabbit hole, detailing the strange tail of the brothers who brought Puma an...
What Makes Disaster Films Great
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Disaster films are surprisingly tough to define. What makes them different from an action movie or a monster movie? Who cares? They’re great! Es...
Short Stuff: Tick tock goes the Doomsday Clock
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Doomsday Clock is closer too midnight than it's ever been, which is not awesome. But what does this metaphorical clock even indicate?See omnystudi...
Kim Philby: Greatest Liar of All Time?
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
British MI6 agent Kim Philby was a spy for the Soviet Union and one of the great liars in human history, right up until his retirement in Moscow where...
Selects: Cake: So Great. So, So Great
12 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cake has been around for a long time, but mostly less than great forms. It took the Industrial Revolution, the advent of plentiful sugar, and some goo...
Behavioral Priming: Buy, Robot Human!
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the late 90s, a large chunk of the field of social psychology started dedicating itself to figuring out ways to subtly persuade and influence peopl...
Short Stuff: Colorful Noises
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all heard of white noise, that static sound the TV makes when poltergeists arrive. There are other colored noise too that mimic natural so...
Editorial Cartoons: Art as Satire
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Editorial, or political cartoons, have a rich history in the United States and abroad. And though the Golden Age may have passed, the use of images to...
Selects: Agatha Christie: Queen of the Murder Mystery
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Agatha Christie was a great writer of murder mystery novels and is probably the best selling author of all time. Listen in this classic episode to lea...
The Pinkerton Detective Agency
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Pinkertons became the most famous detective company in the U.S. But were they noble or notorious? We get to the bottom of it all in today's episod...
Short Stuff: Tulipmania
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world experienced its first economic bubble when the Dutch went bonkers for tulips in the 1630s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...
How Climate Migration Works
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We move for all sorts of reasons – new job, new grandkid – but moving because it’s just too darn hot? That’s a new one. But it...
Selects: The Deal With Doulas
29 Mar 2025
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 ...
The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Part II
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A manhunt is launched for MLK’s killer, James Earl Ray. After his capture he pleads guilty. With no trial the world won’t hear the facts o...
Short Stuff: Poutine: Canada's Pride
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Poutine is just one of those comforting dishes that's a must have when visiting the great nation of Canada. Is it good for you? Nope. But who cares ri...
The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Part I
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When he was murdered by an assassin’s bullet, MLK was going through a hard time in his life and many close to him say that he knew the end was n...
Selects: Seven - No, Wait, Five - Mysteries of the Art World
22 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you get a bunch of artistic types together into a community – aka, the art world – some intrigue and mystery are bound to arise. List...
The Highway of Tears (And Maybe Hope)
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Indigenous women in Canada have always been vulnerable, but there’s a stretch of remote road that’s such a hotspot for disappearances, ass...
Short Stuff: All About Egg Colors
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows brown eggs are more natural than white eggs right? Except that's not true. In reality there is zero difference because it's just a gene...
The Chelsea Hotel
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Chelsea Hotel is one of New York City's landmarks for good reason. It's served as housing for bohemian creatives and addicts, and been through sev...
Selects: How the Flu Works
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year the flu virus makes the rounds, laying up young and old alike for days before moving on to another hapless victim. But flu viruses can muta...
How Antidepressants Work
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The good news is that we know antidepressants can treat major depression, helping millions of people live healthier lives. The bad news is that we don...
Short Stuff: Morganna the Kissing Bandit
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pete Rose said she was “bigger than any one player” in baseball during the 70s and 80s. Morganna the Kissing Bandit became a legend in spo...
The Scribble on Scrabble
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scrabble is a game that neither of us plays with regularity. And maybe that's good for this episode. We're all learning, right?See omnystudio.com/list...
Selects: How Electricity Works
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It is literally all around you (and even inside you) - electricity makes up the basis of modern life. But what exactly is electricity and how does it ...
Why is Chinese art being stolen?
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The market for Chinese art used to be very small and is now a billion dollar annual industry. What changed? And how is this all tied to a string of he...
Short Stuff: Outlawry
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A request by our producer Dave C, we explore how totally on your own you were in Medieval England when the court declared you an outlaw. See omn...
Switchboards: Please Hold While We Connect You
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The telephone switchboard was a real wonder of technology and laid the groundwork for the next generation of connectivity. Learn how these things work...
Selects: Are crickets the future of food?
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Crickets are part of a larger insect-based diet enjoyed in most parts of the world. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and protein, and green to boot, cri...
How GPS Works
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a tribute to the late founder of HowStuffWorks Marshall Brain, we chose one of his great articles. Learn all about how your phone knows how to get ...
Short Stuff: Fanta - Nazi Favorite?
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fanta has its roots in Germany during WWII, so the Nazi association is something that's tough to deny. Dive in and hear all about how this beloved sod...
Who Put Bella In the Wych Elm?
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the more famous unsolved true crime cases concerns a woman found stuffed into a tree in a woods outside Worcestershire during WWII. Despite an ...
Selects: How the Negro Leagues Worked
22 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A decade before the U.S. officially segregated in 1896, baseball banned black players. A decade before the US integrated, baseball broke the color bar...
Inner Dialogues, Monologues and Stone Cold Silence
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Does everyone have an inner monologue? What purpose do they serve? What if you don't have one? Listen in to find out these answers and MORE.See omnyst...
Short Stuff: Waffle House Index
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 24/7 short order restaurant Waffle House is known for staying open during natural disasters, so much so that federal agencies gauge where to start...
Harry Belafonte: The Real Deal
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Harry Belafonte is most famous for introducing America to calypso music, with hits like Day-O and Jump In the Line. But he was also one of the most ea...
Selects: The Collar Bomb Heist
15 Feb 2025
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...
D'oh! Operation Flagship
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Operation Flagship was undertaken at a time when the U.S. Marshals performed their jobs with a lot of flair. What other agency would throw a football ...
Short Stuff: Yakhchāls - Ancient Fridges
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you lived in ancient Persia, you could do a lot worse in trying to cool things down than by building a yakhchāl. Today we break down how the early...
The History of Refrigeration
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Keeping things cold with electricity changed the world as we know it. In more ways than you might expect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
Selects: Robber Barons!
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The robber barons were not a group of evil super villains. OR WERE THEY? Learn all about these titans of industry from the Gilded Age in this classic ...
The Tragedy of the Commons
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since it was introduced in the 60s, the Tragedy of the Commons, the idea that humans will inevitably ruin any resource we all share, has had sweeping ...
Short Stuff: The Death of Charles Morgan
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the lesser-known cases of American true crime is also a very sad one. Meet Charles Morgan, a man who got in over his head with organized crime....
The Catacombs of Paris
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Beneath Paris lies the bones of more than 6 million people. And you can walk among them for 31 euros. These are the Paris catacombs. See omnystud...
Selects: How Itching Works
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was only in the last few decades that science became aware that itches aren't just low-level pain. And in that time, the mystery of how we itch and...
10ish Instances of People Doing Things Out Of Spite
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You want payback don’t you? Sure, we all do. We all want it so bad. So bad. Sometimes people do things to get payback against someone who’...
Short Stuff: The Guinness Widget
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guiness beer is famous for its smooth and creamy texture, thanks in part to nitrogen, and also a simplistically brilliant little device called the Gui...
The Gullibility Episode
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Being gullible is a weird thing. But are you born with it? Is it learned? Can you be trusting and not gullible? Listen in to find out. See omnyst...
Selects: When Mount St. Helens Blew Its Top
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mount St. Helen's is a lovely sight to behold, but was a pretty scary thing to be around in the Spring of 1980. Listen in to the harrowing story in th...
How Automats Worked
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Once upon a time no visit to New York was complete without eating at an automat. Putting a nickel in a slot and pulling your own ham sandwich from a l...
Short Stuff: The Best Episode Since Sliced Bread
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bread is about 30,000 years old. Sliced bread is less than 100. What gives? Listen in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Ballad of High Times Magazine
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you’re 20.5 or 50, if you love pot then High Times was the magazine for you. With ton of photos of marijuana, tips for how to grow it yo...
Selects: How Foreign Accent Syndrome Works
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Foreign accent syndrome isn't when your mom talks funny when she goes abroad. It's an actual condition where people wake up one day with an entirely d...
The Barkley Marathons
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every Spring in northeastern Tennessee, roughly 40 people compete in a marathon they are very unlikely to finish. This is the Barkley Marathons. ...
Short Stuff: Bourgeoisie
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bourgeoisie is more than a word. It means something different depending on when and where it's being used.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...
WWII Sabotage Spotlight: Operation Gunnerside
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During WWII a perfectly-executed sabotage operation by British Special Operations and the Norwegian Resistance put a dent in the Nazi’s quest fo...
Selects: How Mindfulness Works
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What has become a buzz word for corporate retreats and a way to get a discount on your health insurance is, at its core, a powerful, centuries-old Bud...
The Mysterious Story of Larry Bader
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Larry Bader disappeared in 1957 and reappeared a few days later with a new identity. Was it a brain injury or a scam? To this day, nobody knows. ...
Short Stuff: The Mad Trapper of Rat River
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us today to learn the story of The Mad Trapper of Rat River, Canada's largest and most intense manhunt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
GONG: The Chuck Barris Story
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck Barris was a TV visionary, developing shows in the 70s that were decades ahead of their time. But was he also a covert assassin for the CIA?&nbs...
Selects: The Quinoa Revolution!
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Quinoa is a trendy food, right alongside kale and anything else farm to table. But it's really an ancient grain. Although it's not exactly a grain at ...
How Saturn Works
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Saturn is the fanciest planet thanks to its prominent rings, cocked jauntily to the side. But this showy gem of the solar system has a lot of substanc...
Short Stuff: Watch Night
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Watch Night has been observed on New Year’s Eve by African-American Methodists in the US since 1862, to mark the passage of the Emancipation Act. Bu...
The Filthy Magic of Studio 54
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Studio 54 was a nightclub, but really much more than that. It became a symbol of the times as much as anything else in the 1970s. Strap on your platfo...
Selects: The Three Christs of Ypsilanti Experiment
28 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 1960s, one of the most unethical experiments in psychology’s history was quietly conducted in a state hospital in Michigan. It sought t...
Forensic Dentistry
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've all heard it - local news reports identifying a body from dental records. But how does this work? Well, that's our job!See omnystudio.com/listen...
Short Stuff: Captain Santa
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Herman Scheunemann wasn’t the only captain carrying Christmas trees across Lake Michigan to Chicago at the turn of the last century, but he was the ...
The 2024 SYSK Christmas Extravaganza!
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the end of 2024 and our annual Christmas Extravaganza episode, brought to you ad-free for you listening pleasure. Please pour a hot toddy a...
Selects: Frances Perkins: Influential and Unknown
21 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Frances Perkins was an incredibly influential American yet is virtually unknown. What did she do? A lot! For instance, Social Security was her brainch...
The Trivial Pursuit Trivia Edition
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For our annual pre-Holiday-Special-holiday-episode-about-a-holiday-toy we are jumping into one of the greatest games of all time, Trivial Pursuit (and...
Short Stuff: Feed A Cold, Starve a Fever
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You know that old adage that you should feed a cold but starve a fever? It’s an ancient idea and what’s surprising is that it’s kind of correct....
Taylorism: Work Faster!
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever lost your job thanks to a management consultant coming through your company or been timed for how fast you work, you can thank Freder...
Selects: The Texas City Disaster of 1947
14 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1947 the port town of Texas City, Texas became the site of the largest industrial disaster in American history. An enormous explosion blew ships ou...
Tugboats: Pushing Their Way Around Since 1803
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tugboats are amazing because they do the dirty work without much recognition. Well that's changing today - ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY TUG!See omnystudio.com/...
Short Stuff: Joro Spiders
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
These invasive spiders are everywhere these days. But how did they get to the USA and are they harmful?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
Ba-Gawk! How Peacocks Work
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever wanted to know why peacocks have such amazing feathers, why they’re not all called peacocks, and plenty of other neat stuff about p...
Selects: How The Pill Changed the World
07 Dec 2024
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...
The Ruby Ridge Standoff
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Ruby Ridge standoff still lingers after more than 30 years. But who was at fault for the lives lost? Listen in today to learn all about this dark ...
Short Stuff: Franca Viola
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world’s unsung heroes – at least outside of Italy – is a brave woman who stood up to an insidious and longstanding custom and made he...
Solipsism: This Is All In My Mind?
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the philosophical holds, there’s a chance you don’t exist, that not only you, but this episode, the podcast, and the entire universe are only p...
Selects: Star Wars Holiday Spectacular
30 Nov 2024
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 ...
LIVE: Minneapolis - The Madd Gasser of Mattoon
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Please enjoy our 2024 live show about the wild tale of the Madd Gasser of Mattoon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Short Stuff: Erfurt Latrine Disaster
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A terrible thing happened in Germany in the summer of 1184.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Wild History of Tetris
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tetris is an iconic game with a fascinating history. Dive in today to learn all about this classic puzzle game.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
Selects: How the Stanford Prison Experiment Worked
23 Nov 2024
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 ...
The Story of Tavern on the Green
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tavern on the Green is a legendary NY eatery that has never rated particularly well with food critics. Despite that, it's been a NYC mainstay for deca...