Stuff You Should Know

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...

Short Stuff: The Gaslighting of Martha Mitchell

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Martha Mitchell, the wife of Nixon's Attorney General, was well-known to spread a juicy rumor. That's why when Watergate unfolded, she was held captiv...

The Saga of Silk Road

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The US government took a thumb in the eye with the creation of the Silk Road website. Right there on the internet you could anonymously buy drugs and ...

Selects: The Cleveland Torso Murders

16 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the depths of the Great Depression, Cleveland’s most vulnerable and destitute residents were prey for one of history’s most horrific serial...

The Fascinating History of Dandelions

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dandelions are way more interesting than you think. Trust us and click play. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The wAve

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a thrill to stand and, raise your arms, maybe give a woo! then sit down again, especially if you’re in a sports stadium. And especially if yo...

Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A surprising number of Nobel Prize winners credit their childhood chemistry set for sparking their interest in science. But most kids just used them t...

Selects: What's a quinceañera anyway?

09 Nov 2024

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...

ADHD pt 2

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, the conclusion of the two-part episode on ADHD.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Tornado Alley

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

North America gets as many as 1400 tornadoes a year. The place with the next highest is the UK at 33. So the spot with the most tornadoes in the US is...

ADHD pt 1

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Josh and Chuck dive into part one of their two-part suite on ADHD.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: The Strange Story of Sea Monkeys

02 Nov 2024

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...

15th Annual SYSK Halloween Spooktacular!

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Buckle up folks, it's time for another of our favorite traditions, the SYSK Halloween Spooktacular! So sit down, dim the lights and get ready for some...

Short Stuff: Two Scary True Shorties!

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and Chuck dive into two spooky true stories in today's Short Stuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mystery of the Skeletons of Roopkund Lake

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the greatest unsolved historic mysteries is found in a lake atop a mountain glacier high up in the Indian Himalayas. The skeletons of as many a...

Selects: Why Landmines Are The Deadliest Legacy Of War

26 Oct 2024

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...

Spend Some Time with Fairies

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most people think of Tinkerbell when we think of fairies, but the Disney versions capture only the last century or so of what we’ve conceived fairie...

Short Stuff: The Story of Spirit Halloween

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every August, abandoned storefronts across America are filled with the spirit of Halloween, by way of the store, Spirit Halloween. Learn all about thi...

Q Anon: When Wild Conspiracy Went (sort of) Mainstream

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Q Anon believes many things, including that Tom Hanks is a Satan-worshipping, child-eating pedophile. Yeah. We'll just leave our "drop" right here for...

Selects: Porcupines: Little Stabby Cutie Pies

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We love animals. A lot. Especially underrated ones like the darling porcupine. Listen in to this classic episode to learn all about these stabby littl...

Kudzu: The Vine That Just Won't Stop

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you're from the American South, then kudzu is something that cannot be avoided. But how did this invasive species get here and why does it love to ...

Short Stuff: Redacted!

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The process of redacting sensitive information is long and storied. But are there even any rules that apply to when and how it's done? See omnystudio...

The Anarchist Cookbook: Funny but Dangerous

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You might have owned the Anarchist Cookbook once, but you probably didn’t use it to turn a shotgun into a grenade launcher or build a bomb. Unfortun...

Selects: How Paramedics Work

12 Oct 2024

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 ...

Swatches!

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The story of the Swatch is super cool and one of the great retail successes. Listen in today to find out just why a country known for the finest craft...

Short Stuff: Mystery of the Sarah Jo

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In another chapter of our continuing mysteries of the sea theme, we deliver a truly baffling mystery involving a ship that was lost and found, which b...

Gobekli Tepe

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gobekli Tepe is a profoundly ancient spiritual site that shouldn’t exist, according to conventional wisdom. The massive site of columns and pictogra...

Selects: How the Escape from Alcatraz Worked

05 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1962, three ordinary criminals transcended into folk heroes when they crawled out of their cells in Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary took to the water...

The Strange Story of Lysol

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Lysol we know now is sold as disinfectant only. But at one time it was also marketed as a means of birth control. Listen in today to the twisted h...