Stuff You Should Know

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...

Short Stuff: Flower Power

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What we equate with acid, hippies, and garish polyester prints actually began as a theatrical way of protesting bans on free speech and the Vietnam Wa...

The Shadow Biosphere: Is There Other Life on Earth?

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As far as we know life evolved once in the universe – here on Earth in the form of life as we know it. Could life have originated in other condition...

Selects: Rosa Parks: Agent of Change

28 Sep 2024

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...

The Judas Priest Suicide Trial

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A greatest hit of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s came when the metal band Judas Priest was put on trial for the suicides of two teens. While the case ...

Short Stuff: The SS Ourang Medang

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We love our ghost ships here at SYSK and this is one of the better ones. But did it really even exist? Not likely. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Four Eyes Good: The History of Glasses

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Glasses as we know them have only been around for a few hundred years. So what did people do before this? And how did things change once spectacles we...

Selects: How Government Shutdowns Work

21 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every year Congress decides how the federal government will spend money. Simple enough, but in practice politics tend to mess it up. Sometimes it gets...

Tom Slick: Not the Cartoon

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There's a good chance that if you don't live in San Antonio, Texas, you may not know who scientist/adventurer Tom Slick is. Today we tackle the story ...

Short Stuff: The Killing Stone

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Killing Stone looms large in Japanese folklore, so when it split in half in March 2022, people were worried it would bring devastating effects in ...

Would A Love Drug Be Ethical?

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if science could create a drug that made you connect with people more deeply, let your emotions flow more openly, and sparked love and attachment...

Selects: The Manson Family Murders Part 2

14 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Listen in to this classic episode for the conclusion of the story of the Manson Family Murders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celebration Florida: The Story of a Utopia that Never Was

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The town of Celebration, Florida was supposed to be a utopia. What it ended up as is a mediocre neighborhood on the outskirts of Disney World. See om...

Short Stuff: Uncle Sam Wants YOU!

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Who is Uncle Sam anyway? Was it a real person or just a marketing exercise? And why does he refuse to go away? Listen in to find out.See omnystudio.co...

Henry Ford: The Good, Bad and Ugly

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Henry Ford was an odd guy, but one who had a vision for America that centered around a populist, affordable and reliable automobile. He was also a not...

Selects: How Futurology Works

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Science fiction writers have made some amazingly accurate predictions over the years, but in 1945 the pace of technological change created a field tha...

Ludwig II: The Only Real King of the 19th Century

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Outside of Germany, King Ludwig II is relatively unknown. And, yet, he is one of history’s most tragic and romantic kings. He was a gay icon and a r...

Short Stuff: Rescuing Mistreated Pets

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You – yes, you! – can be a hero to neglected and abused animals. But there’s a right way to do it, and that does not involve sneaking onto a nei...

The History of Streaming Music

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Napster reared its head in 1999, it marked the beginning of the end of the compact disc era. Today, we trace the history of the slowly evolving d...

Selects: The Manson Family Murders Part 1

31 Aug 2024

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 Bomb Disposal Works

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Out of all the jobs a person can have, few are as overtly dangerous as making sure bombs don’t go off and if they do, making sure they’re away fro...

Short Stuff: Skid Row (not the band)

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How did a large section of downtown Los Angeles become a permanent fixture of unhoused individuals? Will it always be this way? Listen in to learn all...

The Strange Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Olympic marathon of 1904 is an incredible story filled with wacky characters, cheating, heat and humidity, dust and dirt, and oh yeah, a few actua...

Selects: Hummingbirds: Ornery Helicopters of the Animal Kingdom

24 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you didn’t already know how amazing hummingbirds are, prepare to learn. Not only do they count among their numbers the smallest bird species, the...

The Luddites: Misunderstood Working Class Heroes

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we think of Luddites as people who don’t know how to use technology or are maybe even afraid of it. That’s pretty far from what the original...

Short Stuff: Chupacabra

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What in the world is a chupacabra? Is it even real or is it the stuff of legend? Listen in to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

True Mysteries of the Internet

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is A LOT of made-up stuff on the internet that gets passed off as true. But once in a while something truly odd comes along. Here are three stor...

Selects: Body Language!

17 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Body language is how you communicate without words. Some say it bears more impact in communication than speaking words. In this classic episode, learn...

The Cher Episode

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cher is an icon, with hits spanning an unbelievable SEVEN decades. So kick back as we laud the singer/actress/legend. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Short Stuff: Tarring and Feathering

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Being tarred and feathered is an old trope in America, but the actuality of it was pretty brutal, not the least of which included burning skin. Let's ...

Minecraft! Minecraft! Minecraft!

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s so simple, yet so compelling: you mine blocks and cut down trees to put things together to make cool new stuff. There isn’t really a point an...

Selects: Genghis Khan: Madman or Genius?

10 Aug 2024

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...

The Call of the Void: Don’t Pick Up!

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us have experienced the odd sensation that we shouldn’t trust ourselves not to simply jump from a high place for no reason. Some even feel a...

Short Stuff: Pruney Skin

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We know how our skin prunes, but we don't know for sure why. Chuck likes the leading theory, Josh does not. WHO WILL WIN? (nobody)See omnystudio.com/l...