BPD: The Worst Disorder or Not a Disorder at All?
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Borderline Personality Disorder has been described as emotional “third degree burns over ninety pe...
Selects: What's the deal with Stradivarius violins?
29 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Strad violin is noted for its tonal qualities and superior craftsmanship. And for its price tag....
MAD Magazine: A Tribute
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck and Josh grew up on MAD Magazine and we hope you did too. What started out as a comic book tha...
Short Stuff: Blue Highway Signs
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the US those ubiquitous blue highway signs that tell you which direction you’ll find a Burger K...
Learning a Foreign Language
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Chuck and Josh dive into the ins and outs of language learning. See omnystudio.com/listener ...
Selects: Nirvana: Not The Band
22 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hinduism and Buddhism are closely related in a number of ways, including their vision of what comes ...
Magic Eye Illusions
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What became the Magic Eye illusion fad of the 1990s was born by way of the stereogram of the 1950s (...
Short Stuff: Pie-In-The-Face Gag
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Throwing a pie in someone’s face was groundbreaking comedy once upon a time.See omnystudio.com/lis...
Insomnia: Why you can't sleep
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Insomnia is rough stuff. Listen in and learn all about why you can't fall asleep and what you can do...
Selects: How Police Lineups Work
15 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Police lineups are something most people have never had any firsthand experience with. What you see ...
How PCP Works
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is probably no drug more mythologized than PCP. It drives users insane and has the unfortunate...
Short Stuff: Père-Lachaise Cemetery
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The most famous cemetery in Paris has some of the most famous people in the world buried there. And ...
Birth Order: So nice, we did it twice
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a very special episode, the first one we've ever fully recorded a second time and decided to...
Selects: How Bats Work
08 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They are creepy, sure, but they are also useful, cute and in great danger of extinction. Get a new l...
James Beard: Food Legend
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
James Beard is well-known now for the annual awards named in his honor. But he used to be the most f...
Short Stuff: Hollywood Sign
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Hollywood sign is an iconic landmark that started out as a real estate billboard. Can you believ...
How Trucking Works
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If truckers suddenly vanished the global economy would come to a grinding halt in a couple days. But...
Selects: What Makes Lead So Poisonous?
01 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The people of Flint, MI were horrified to find their drinking water was poisoned with lead. As we le...
Butterflies: Caterpillars with Wings!
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you thought caterpillars were awesome, just wait until you see them with colorful, iridescent win...
Short Stuff: Fahrenheit or Celsius
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fahrenheit or Celsius? Why not both? If they can agree - exactly at -40 degrees - then it seems li...
Caterpillars: Nature's Magicians
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Caterpillars are simply the best. Don't think so? Well listen in and you'll soon agreeSee omnystudio...
Selects: How Ocean Currents Work
24 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's easy to overlook the importance of ocean currents - they move along out at sea, while we stay m...
How Afrofuturism Works
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Black sci-fi writers were shut out of their genre in the 20th century so they created their own visi...
Short Stuff: Chia Pet
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It has arrived, the most important podcast episode in the history of the world. See omnystudio.com/...
Large Language Models and You
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is a good chance that in March of 2023, humans crossed a threshold into a transformative new e...
Selects: SYSK Live: Back When Ford Pintos Were Flaming Deathtraps
17 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For this special live benefit episode recorded in Atlanta, Josh and Chuck go back to the 70s and loo...
How Alumin(i)um Works
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humans made it through the Bronze Age and Iron Age, then we dabbled in steel, and now we are living ...
Short Stuff: Suicide Forest
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The suicide forest in Japan is a beautiful place with a checkered reputation. Trigger Warning: This ...
The Stinky History of Human Hygiene
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered when and why people started caring about body odors and cleanliness? Well look no furt...
Selects: How Audience Testing Works
10 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know some of our most beloved movies originally had different, sometimes better, endings? Th...
Is Reality Real?
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Philosophers have been wondering whether we experience reality as it is for millennia now. They’ve...
Short Stuff: DNA Data Storage
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the more futuristic things around right now on Earth is research into encoding data into stri...
Why Manners?
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keeping your elbows off the table, keeping your fingers out of the gravy boat – at some point thes...
Selects: Pterosaurs: Not Flying Dinosaurs
03 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Almost everything you know about pterosaurs is wrong. They weren't birds, they weren't flying dinosa...
What's the deal with intermittent fasting?
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could eating at only certain times of the day lead to weight loss? Possibly! See omnystudio.com/lis...
Short Stuff: Rube Goldberg
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows what a Rube Goldberg machine is, but what do you know about the cartoonist who they'r...
The Saga of Milli Vanilli
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For a moment Milli Vanilli was the hottest musical act in the world. Then came the news that it was ...
Selects: How Color Works
27 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Science doesn't have a good explanation for why we sense color, yet it is everywhere and affecting u...
The Semi-Recent History of Exercise
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humans exercising for better health has not been around that long. Today we dive into this fun histo...
Short Stuff: Pollen Count
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you watch the news and hear the pollen count is high for some particular type of plant then it’...
What is the Bechdel Test?
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Bechdel Test is a is a measure of the representation of women in film. You'd be surprised how ma...
Selects: How Dog Shows Work
20 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You know those shows where people wearing sensible shoes jog dogs around in circles? They actually r...
How Juries Work
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s totally bonkers that in the US and other countries, the job of determining the guilt or innoc...
Short Stuff: Mood Rings
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mood Rings were all the rage in the 1970s. Then they went away, and fast. What's your color today?Se...
The Inflammation Theory of Disease
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Not too long ago we thought that germs were the cause of most diseases, leading to germ theory. But ...
Selects: How Slinky Works
13 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It has been called a "glorified spring", but Slinky is one of the best selling toys of all time. Fro...
How TV Weathercasters Work
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TV weather people can seem corny and maybe a little nerdy, but beneath that toothsome exterior lies ...
Short Stuff: Frances Kelsey: Hero of the FDA
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who is Frances Kelsey? Well, she's a semi-unsung hero of the FDA whose work helped save a lot of kid...
The Colosseum
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's funny how similar The Colosseum in Rome is to modern day arenas. They really had it figured out...
Selects: Does the body replace itself?
06 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Does the human body really replace itself every few years? The answer is yes, but different parts of...
Introducing Smell-O-Vision!
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Smell-O-Vision was a post-war movie theater gimmick that delivered well-timed scents to the noses of...
Short Stuff: Dunbar's Number
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a theory that all of us have a maximum number of friendships that we can maintain – 150,...
Nerf!
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Another classic toys edition is at your collective feet. Today, we dive into the soft, padded world ...
Selects: How Manhunts Work
29 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When a suspect or prisoner goes on the lam there are plenty of ways to hide: in plain sight, in the ...
Carbon Monoxide: Please Just Listen Anyway
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It might not be the sexiest topic we’ve ever covered (and by “might”, we mean “definitely”...
Short Stuff: Botox Brain
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Botox can chase away the lines on your face, apparently it can chase away your depression, borderlin...
Why does everyone love Dolly Parton?
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we dive in to celebrate the international treasure that is Dolly Parton. Why is she nearly uni...
Selects: Was There A Real Robin Hood?
22 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is it true that Robin Hood hung out in Sherwood Forest and stole from the rich to give to the poor? ...
METI: Existential Threat? Probably Yes
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We've wanted to contact extraterrestrials for as long as we've suspected they're out there. But as w...
Short Stuff: Routines
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Routines are a key part of a successful life. Ask anybody about theirs and they'll be happy to share...
Should Rich Countries Cancel Poor Countries’ Debt?
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It sounds controversial, but there are persuasive arguments for the wealthy Global North to write of...
Selects: How Coffins Work
15 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, you've probably laid in one at the store or a funeral home, but how much do you know about rec...
John Brinkley: The Quackiest Quack in History?
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Brinkley was perhaps the biggest quack who ever claimed to be practicing medicine. Learn all ab...
Short Stuff: Red Snow
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to green algae, there's such a thing as red snow. And we've recently found it can accelerate ...
How Skydiving Works
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At 13,000 feet the ground is nothing but far-away squares of land, and you can even see some clouds ...
Selects: Some Nutso Fan Theories
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It turns out that the characters in your favorite TV shows and the like are actually dead, dreaming,...
Playing Cards? You Got That Right!
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever wanted to learn more about playing cards, now is your big chance. See omnystudio.com...
Short Stuff: Beethoven’s DNA
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been all over the news, Beethoven's DNA has revealed some interesting things about his health.S...
What Caused the Late Bronze Age Collapse?
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humans’ first attempt at civilization went pretty well for the first thousand years. Important stu...
Selects: How Jet Lag Works
01 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was only since 1958 that the Jet Age began, and jet lag became a real condition. Also known as de...
What's the deal with dowsing?
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dowsing, aka water-witching has been around a long time. And you might be surprised that's still a t...
Short Stuff: Theme Park Cremations
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a little-discussed trend you might run into at your favorite theme park – people scatter...
The First Road Trip
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Back when cars were a brand new thing, before people even knew they'd stick around, two men and a do...
Selects: Is The Uncanny Valley Real?
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1970, roboticist Masahiro Mori wrote an essay that said the closer robots come to lifelike, the m...
An Interesting, Vastly Incomplete Look at Baseball Cards
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the all-stars of the hobby world is collecting baseball cards. Over time it’s gone from a k...
Short Stuff: Semantic Satiation
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You know when you read a word over and over it starts to lose its meaning? There’s a term for that...
The Tragic Tale of Floyd Collins
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Floyd Collins was a natural-born caver who met a terrible fate, becoming stuck underground where no ...
Selects: Do People Really Run Off to Join the French Foreign Legion?
18 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who knows anything about Jean-Claude Van Damme knows he played a French legionnaire in the mo...
Arcades: Nostalgia Abounds
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck and Josh were around during the Golden Age of the arcade. And look how they turned out! Join t...
Short Stuff: John Cage's 639 Year Concert
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Cage was a unique artist to say the least. Learn all about this avant-garde composer today.See ...
That's Amaro!
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amaro is a delicious traditional liqueur, usually from Italy, that has delighted diners and drinkers...
Selects: The Time Nazis Invaded Florida
11 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During World War II, Nazis invaded the United States with saboteurs bent on fomenting chaos. Three t...
Woodstock: The Festival for Stardust, Golden Hippies
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard your parents or – gasp – grandparents prattle on about how amazing the origin...
Short Stuff: Paprika
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paprika is more than a smoky Hungarian spice. Actually, that's not true, that's exactly what it is. ...
Noncompete Agreements, Come On
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A noncompete agreement, a pledge not to work for a competitor for a set amount of time, makes sense ...
Selects: Live From San Francisco: How Malls Work
04 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic show recorded live on January 5, 2017 at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, Josh and ...
Crosswords episode, perhaps?
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Crossword puzzles have an interesting history and are a lot of fun to do. Dive in today to learn abo...
Short Stuff: La Pascualita
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a bridal shop in Chihuahua, Mexico a mannequin has been standing in the window since the 1930s th...
The Awe-Inspiring, Absolutely Crucial Amazon
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever thought, “What’s the Amazon rainforest ever done for me? Nothin, that’s what,...
Selects: Who Committed the 1912 Villisca Ax Murders?
25 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a small town in Iowa in 1912 eight people were murdered in the grisliest of ways while they slept...
Naps: Chuck's Secret Talent
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Naps are great if you can manage to find the space to take them. The trick is to do it for the right...
Short Stuff: Sleeping On It
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s pretty well known that if you wait to make a big decision until after you get some sleep, you...
The Mystery of the Lost Amber Room
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck and Josh turn into the Hardy Boys for one of the great unsolved mysteries of WWII, a work of a...
Selects: The Max Headroom Affair
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1987, a very strange broadcast intrusion occurred in the city of Chicago. For just a couple of mi...
The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club was not in Los Angeles, but Kentucky. Which happened to be...
Short Stuff: Beulah Mae Donald
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1981 a Mobile mother of six was forced into the role of civil rights activist when the Klan murde...
The Glorious Flamingo
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Flamingos are much more than just pretty pink birds. They are in fact, quite remarkable! Listen and ...
Selects: Cave Diving: Totally Nuts
11 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are extreme sports and then there is cave diving, the most extreme activity a person can engag...
How (O)possums Work
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh and Chuck take a listener’s suggestion – many, many suggestions – and learn that possums ...
Short Stuff: No Shirt, No Shoes, WTF
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You can thank your parents and grandparents for the longstanding ban against dining shirtless and sh...