Honey: Nature's Wonder Sugar
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Honey is an amazing thing. Just ask any bee. They make a ton of it. So much that humans get what bee...
Selects: How Easy Bake Ovens Work
04 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Easy Bake Ovens are as iconic as a toy can get, as American as apple pie or baseball. Learn all abou...
The Largely Equine History of Veterinary Medicine
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Vets have been around for a long time, but mainly to care for horses. When horse travel went away, g...
Short Stuff: Bird Migration
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Where are all those birds flying anyway? How do they decide? When do they do it? All of these questi...
Must We Suffer Emotional Pain?
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s part of the human condition, to feel the pain of sorrow, loss, embarrassment. But isn’t it ...
Selects: Elephants: The Best Animals?
28 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elephants are pretty much the best. Why? Josh and Chuck will let you know in great detail in this cl...
How Attachment Theory Works
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A theory in the field of psychology has become so pervasive, it’s generally taken on faith that it...
Short Stuff: Adam's Apples and Throat Lumps
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week's short stuff is all about throat lumps and Adam's apples.See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
Let's Talk About John DeLorean
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John DeLorean: visionary, car maker extraordinaire, buyer of large amounts of cocaine, provider of t...
Selects: How Game Shows Work
21 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Josh and Chuck and a whole bunch of great people at the Gothic Theatre in Denver for this live ...
Toast: As in browned bread
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Toast is bread that has been browned by heat. It's delicious. This is our ode to toast.See omnystudi...
Short Stuff: Women Pirates
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Golden Age of Pirates didn’t have just men floating on the high seas. Some women became very s...
The Louisiana Purchase: Not a Purchase
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Turns out the Louisiana Purchase was not so much a purchase, but the right to (steal) purchase it fr...
Selects: How Therapeutic Hypothermia Works
14 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Physicians noticed centuries ago that people exposed to cold temperatures often have amazing recover...
How Tarot Works?
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is not a hit piece! Tarot helps plenty of people navigate their lives and reflect on their feel...
Short Stuff: Forest Lawn Memorial Park
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Forest Lawn is no ordinary cemetery. Why? Listen in and find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
How Enron Fooled the World
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Until the 2007, the largest single corporate bankruptcy was Enron, a $67 billion energy trading comp...
Selects: How Perfume Works
07 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Women consistently rate scent as the most important factor in a man's attractiveness and men have be...
When Mount St. Helens Blew Its Top
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mount St. Helen's is a lovely sight to behold, but was a pretty scary thing to be around in the Spri...
Short Stuff: Dangers of Nose Picking
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You don’t have to lie - everybody picks their nose. But did you know it can be life-threatening? I...
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (not the song)
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today Josh and Chuck delve into the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Not the song, but the maritime a...
Selects: Could There Be A Loch Ness Monster?
31 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
People have believed something strange lives in Loch Ness for at least 3500 years. Thousands of peop...
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Podcast Episode
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This one goes out to the SYSK Army as a special request. Let's do the time warp again!See omnystudio...
Short Stuff: Mesas: Flat
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mesas, buttes and plateaus are all very similar. We'll break down the differences in each one just t...
Juicy: The Fried Chicken Story
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fried chicken is Chuck’s favorite food, and Josh sure doesn’t dislike it. It is with this apprec...
Selects: Star Wars Holiday Spectacular
24 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, George Lucas allowed the Star Wars Holiday Special to be made...
2022 Holiday Spectacular!
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Another year comes to a close here at SYSK, which means our annual Holiday Spectacular is at hand. S...
Short Stuff: Snow Globes
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who was Dorothy Parker, really?
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
She was known for her quick wit and sharp tongue. But she was also a poet, screenwriter and activist...
Selects: Nostradamus: Predictor of the future? Not so much.
17 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nostradamus delighted us all in grade school, but it turns out the real guy wasn't quite as prescien...
Interesting Origins of Everyday Phrases
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We don’t think about the words and phrases we use all the time - until Josh and Chuck look into th...
Short Stuff: The Atlanta Washer Woman Strike
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the very first union strikes in US history was mounted by a group of African American women i...
How the Nintendo Entertainment System Changed Gaming Forever
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the holidays in 1986 (and ’87) (and ’88) the most stupendous, most wanted, most amazing thin...
Selects: How Polar Bears Work
10 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Polar bears are more than just lovable creatures that roam the ice in search of food. They're one of...
True Crime: The Phantom of Heilbronn
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After the murder of a cop in southwest Germany in 2007 a massive hunt was launched across Europe. Th...
Short Stuff: Birthday Paradox
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Birthday Paradox involves math, so you know this one will go perfectly.See omnystudio.com/listen...
How Face Blindness Works
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not that the person who can never remember meeting you is snobby or even absent-minded; they ...
Selects: The Rubik's Cube Episode
03 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rubik's Cubes. Ronald Reagan. Jerry Falwell. Just Say No. One of these things was awesome. Take a gu...
How Down Syndrome Works
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
People with Down syndrome lead rich, complex lives like any other human, but it’s only been in the...
Short Stuff: Goosebumps
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Goosebumps are a pretty cool evolutionary holdover from our earlier days as furry beasts. Don't beli...
Peripersonal Space: Humans’ Got Talent
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The space around you that you can reach with your arms is a very special place. It’s where we inte...
Selects: How Umami Works!
26 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For millennia humans have recognized four tastes, but in the 1980s a fifth taste first isolated in J...
Roller Skating: Fun and Cool
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Victorians were the first to go bonkers for roller skating and since then the pastime has had bu...
Short Stuff: Liquid Paper
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Correction fluid goes by many names, but the OG was Liquid Paper. And it has a pretty cool origin st...
Typewriters: Mechanical Brilliance
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck loves typewriters because he loves mechanical brilliance. Dive into the cool history of these ...
Selects: How Dark Money Works
19 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since the Supreme Court ruled in 2010 in the Citizens United case that political contributions are s...
Did Shakespeare really write all that stuff?
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The question of Shakespeare's authorship has been around since at least the mid-1800s. Is there anyt...
Short Stuff: Incomplete Yawns
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is there anything – anything – worse than a yawn you can’t finish? It’s hard to think of any...
The Sordid History of Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to pre-wedding festivities, bachelor and bachelorette parties take the penis-shaped ca...
Selects: Finders Keepers: Real Law
12 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You know that heartbreak of the schoolyard – finders keepers, losers weepers? That’s actual law ...
How Owls Work
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another great animal episode and in this one we swoop into the world of owls – nat...
Short Stuff: Dodleston Messages
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not everyday that a message from the 16th century appears on a computer from the 1980s, so wh...
What's so important about legal precedent?
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Legal precedent is an odd thing. It matters, but it isn't codified. There are advantages and disadva...
Selects: What is an invasive species?
05 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Invasive species can mean a lot of things, from fungus to feral pigs and European starlings to kudzu...
Vaudeville: Step Right Up!
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about vaudeville, whether you ...
Short Stuff: Birth Certificate Access
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s unjust but true – if you are an adoptee in the US you may not have the same right to access...
The Harvey's Casino Bombing of 1980
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In August of 1980 a bomb containing 1,000 pounds of dynamite was quietly delivered to Harvey’s, a ...
Selects: How Vampires Work
29 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Out of obligation, Chuck and Josh mention Twilight, but it is the longstanding vampire lore that get...
The 13th Annual Halloween Spooktacular!
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard to believe, but this is our 13th edition of the Halloween Spooktacular! So pour up a creep...
Short Stuff: Robert the Doll
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Robert the Doll is decidedly creepy. So is his story. Listen in to this spooky tale right now!See om...
The Tale of the Bloody Benders
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Long before we knew what serial killers were, a family in remote Kansas was disposing of victims at ...
Selects: 10ish Cases of Really Bad Luck
22 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some guys have all the luck, some guys have all the pain. So said Rod Stewart. And if this list is a...
Fundamentalism: Menace II Society
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fundamentalism is usually thought of as a problem religions have to deal with, but not all fundament...
Short Stuff: Water Towers
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Water towers are so ubiquitous you can look right past them, despite them being giant balls of water...
The History of Fake Towns.
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There have been a lot of fake towns built throughout history for a lot of different reasons. Tune in...
Selects: How Pompeii Worked
15 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What must be one of the most famous natural disasters in history took place when Mt Vesuvius buried ...
10 Cases of Mistaken Identity
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a lot that can go wrong when your identity is at question. Charged with abandoning a baby?...
Short Stuff: Blaschko's Lines
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know you have stripes? It’s true, you just can’t see them. Learn all about these little-...
Doppelgängers: Hey you, you're me!
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Seeing your near twin is probably pretty weird. But could there be a genetic commonality as well? Yo...
Selects: Josh and Chuck's List of Horror Movies that Changed the Genre
08 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once in a while a movie comes along that's so forward-thinking it changes the way that horror is don...
How License Plates Work
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The first tags were required just a few years after the firs cars debuted, as a way to catch jerks s...
Short Stuff: Scratching
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listen in today as we salute turntablism, aka, record scratching.See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Vinyl Records: Black Magic at Work
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite reading all about how vinyl records are recorded and made, it's still a bit like black magic...
Selects: How Clowns Work
01 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jesters of some sort have been around since ancient Egypt and China. Our modern clown was invented a...
How The Rosenhan Experiment Worked
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1973 a study was published in Science where psychologist David Rosenhan revealed he had duped hun...
Short Stuff: Curse Tablets
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Curse tablets are exactly what you think - tablets with curses inscribed on them. But what were they...
Vasectomies: Stop Being A Wimp
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can uncross your legs you big babies. Getting a vasectomy isn’t bad at all – recovery time i...
Selects: How LSD Works
24 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1943 Swiss chemist Albert Hofman discovered he'd created what may be the most potent hallucinogen...
Sitcoms Part II
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listen in now for part II of our homage to sitcoms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
Short Stuff: Laugh Tracks
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Laugh tracks have been around since the early 1950s and it’s all thanks to one (reviled) sound eng...
Sitcoms Part I
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Traditional multi-camera sitcoms have fallen out of style in recent years, but the golden age of the...
Selects: Frida Kahlo: Painter, Icon, Genius
17 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Frida Kahlo was a painter who transcended her own work to became an icon. Learn all about her fascin...
Pearls: Second Best Thing About Oysters
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pearls are super cool. And humans figuring out how to make them is even cooler. Learn all about the ...
Short Stuff: Hangry?
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you’re hungry, you’re not yourself. So say the good people at Snickers and it turns out sci...
The Georgia Guidestones: The Elite Have a Laugh
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1980 the “rural as rural can be” town of Elberton, Georgia erected a granite monument with a ...
Selects: What Happened to the Neanderthals?
10 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As recently as 40,000 years ago we lived among humans from an entirely different species – Neander...
Everything We Know About Squids
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Squids are very closely related to our old friend the octopus, but there are some key differences. Y...
Short Stuff: RIP Man of the Hole
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Man of the Hole has died and we're pretty sad to hear it. Listen in to our tribute to this solit...
Did Mallory Make it to the Top of Everest First?
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
George Mallory was a member of the first three European expeditions to Everest, world’s tallest mo...
Selects: How the Pony Express Worked
03 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For as long a shadow as it casts across the history of the Old West, the Pony Express was a failed b...
Rolling Stone Magazine
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part celebration and part take down, this episode on Rolling Stone magazine dives into the highs and...
Short Stuff: Mason-Dixon Line
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The dividing line between the North and South is purely political. But the story of its creation is ...
We Need More Sustainable Packaging, Like, Yesterday
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since the advent of single-use plastics, we’ve become awash in waste. Barrels of petroleum are ext...
Selects: Knife Throwing: Super Cool
27 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sure knives can cut through a steak or slash through jungle vines, but probably the coolest thing yo...
Kissing Cousins: A History of Marrying Family
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the overall creepiness of it, marrying family members is way more common than you might thin...
Short Stuff: Marrying Up
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The idea of "marrying up" is as old as the hills, but things are, and have been, changing for quite ...
Introvert or Extravert: Which are you? (Probably both)
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world isn’t divided into cat people and dog people, or Beatles fans and Rolling Stones fans (o...
Selects: How Gossip Works
20 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You know what I heard? That Josh and Chuck hate each other and they're just faking being friends for...
How Enemas Work
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you think about it, enemas are kind of gross. And if you don’t now you definitely will by the e...
Short Stuff: Selling the Brooklyn Bridge
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You've heard the phrase "If you believe that I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you." But did you k...