Stuff You Should Know

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. So light a fire, pour up a comforting beverage and ...

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. Tune in today to learn what outside her "vicious...

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 prescient as we were led to believe. In truth, he wrote a ...

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 them and tell everyone what they found. That’s the...

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 in the deep South. Listen in and learn all about th...

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 thing any kid could possibly get – outside of a pony...

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 the most fascinating animals on planet Earth. Sad...

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. The suspect was a female serial killer who had left ...

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/listener for privacy information.

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 may have a fascinating – and often difficult –...

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 guess and hop on board this classic episode, aka the...

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 last few decades that everyone else stopped perse...

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 believe us? Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

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 interact with reality. And although we are so good at ...

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 Japan gained worldwide acceptance - and took off li...

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 bursts of popularity every few decades. Over the yea...

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 story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Typewriters: Mechanical Brilliance

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chuck loves typewriters because he loves mechanical brilliance. Dive into the cool history of these amazing machines today. See omnystudio.com/listen...

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 speech and should be protected, the floodgates of a...

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 anything to it? We'll dig in to this dense topic to fi...

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 anything else and as your obsession with yawning like...

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 cake. Learn all about these sordid affairs today.  ...

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 in a great many grown up places. Enter the murky l...

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 – nature’s greatest silent predator who (hooo) also l...

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 when that happened it caught an English couple’s a...

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 disadvantages. Let's all dive in and take at STARE DECISI...

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 vines. Basically, it's anything brought to a plac...

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 like it or not. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

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 your birth certificate that someone who wasn’t ...

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 casino and resort at Lake Tahoe. This kicked off 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 gets the most attention in this examination of how th...

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 creepy brew and gather the kids for a dramatic reading ...

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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 their family farm. Listen in to the Tale of the Bl...

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 any indication, “guys” is gender neutral. Liste...

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 fundamentalists are religious. And no matter what their bel...

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 thrust triumphantly skyward. Learn about these su...

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 to learn about some of these bogus burgs. See om...

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 Pompeii in 79 CE. But when the town was resurrecte...

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? Check. Years in prison? That too. Accused of assa...

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-known lines today!See omnystudio.com/listener for ...

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? You bet  there could!  See omnystudio.com/listener...

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 done. A new subgenre is spawned, new tropes are estab...

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 scaring horses and running down pedestrians. A cent...

Short Stuff: Scratching

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listen in today as we salute turntablism, aka, record scratching.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 to us. Dive in and learn all about the coolest mu...

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 around 1800 and ever since they have been getting s...

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 hundreds of psychiatric workers by planting perfectly...

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 used for, and when did people do this? Hit play a...

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 is a breeze, pain is minimal, and you can consider ...

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 known to humankind. Then he took a bike ride. Lea...

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 information.

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 engineer who invented them. But as much as people lik...

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 genre lives on with streaming services. Sitcom wi...

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 fascinating and inspiring life and work in this classic ...

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 most interesting gemstone today!See omnystudio.com...

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 science backs it up. Being hangry is a verifiable thi...

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 bizarre set of instructions (commandments?) that t...

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 – Neanderthals. About the same time our species showed up, ...

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. You can learn all of this and more by simply clicki...

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 solitary hero today.See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

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 mountain. He wanted to summit it so badly, he gave h...

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 business venture, doomed from the start, that only ...

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 lows of one of America's iconic rags.See omnystud...

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 pretty interesting.See omnystudio.com/listener for...

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 extracted, turned into plastics that contain products...

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 you can do with a knife is throw it. At a person mou...

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 think, both historically and today. Ewwww!See omnystud...

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 a while. And this episode explains it all.See omny...

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 (or neither). What really divides us is introversion...

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 the show. That's called gossip, folks and it can ...

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 end of this wild ride of an episode. All who make i...

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 know it's based in truth?See omnystudio.com/listene...

Mariachi: The Rodney Dangerfield of Music

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mariachi bands have a bad rap as nothing more than "restaurant music." But there is a rich and long cultural tradition many people are missing and the...

Selects: Desert Survival: Josh and Chuck Save Your Tookus

13 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The chances are pretty low that you’ll find yourself lost in the desert, but on the off chance you do you’ll thank yourself that you listened to t...

The Origins of Breakfast Foods

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn't love breakfast? But do you know where most of the typical breakfast foods come from? Well listen in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listene...

Short Stuff: The Berners Street Hoax

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A full 200 years on, we're still talking about one of the most sweeping hoaxes of all time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the deal with energy drinks?

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chuck hates them, Josh has flirted with them. Energy drinks. Listen in to learn all about this canned speed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...

Selects: How Droughts Work

06 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Droughts can be an inevitable feature of a local climate or a catastrophic result of human meddling. In this classic episode, learn the ins and outs o...

Thrill to the Stunning Bicameral Mind Hypothesis

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Psychologist Julian Jaynes came up with a stunning hypothesis in 1976, that human consciousness only developed in the last 3000 years. And he seemed t...

Short Stuff: Divorcing Your Parents

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It really happens! But most people call it emancipation of a minor. Either way, there's some interesting legal stuff in here.See omnystudio.com/listen...

Silly String: Disaster in a Can

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a while since we tackled a classic toy, so here we go with all you ever wanted to know about Silly String.See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Selects: Some Movies That Changed Filmmaking

30 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An estimated 50,000 films were made worldwide in 2009 alone. Many are surely clunkers, but in this episode Chuck and Josh talk about the ones that eme...

How Menstruation Works

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Two dudes talking about menstruation? You bet! And there’s no way you could be any more nervous to listen than we were to record it. But give it a l...

Short Stuff: The Mars Rock with Signs of Life?

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1996, real-deal NASA scientists announced they had discovered signs of ancient microbial life in a rock that had broken off Mars and landed on Anta...

Where Did Human Intelligence Come From?

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We humans are smart, to be sure, but if we’re so smart then how come we can’t figure how we got so smart in the first place? Think about that! We ...

Selects: What's the misery index?

23 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Economists love their data because somewhere in the numbers lies the answer to the ills of the country. They also love to frame data in a way people c...

Googie: The Architecture of the Space Age

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You may not have heard of it, but you’ve definitely seen it before – 50s buildings with bright, loud colors, roofs at crazy angles, and space-age ...

Short Stuff: Death from Astral Projection

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1975, yoga enthusiast Robert Antoszczyk retired to his room in a group house in Ann Arbor, MI to try a meditation technique that would allow him to...

Supernovae: Best Around, Case Closed

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Face it, supernovae are the most interesting phenomena in the universe. Black holes are cool, but did you know they sprout from a supernova? What coul...

Selects: What Happens When the Government Thinks You're Dead?

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s bad enough when the government knows you’re alive – there are taxes to pay, laws to be followed, all sorts of boring and unpleasant things....

Why Bowling is Awesome

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bowling is awesome. It just is. And if you don't think so, maybe take a listen to today's episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Short Stuff: Catatumbo Lightning

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Catatumbo lightning is one of nature's most amazing displays of showiness, with strikes occurring 28 times per minute for nine hours a day, 300 days a...

Mangroves: Nature's Best Tree?

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mangroves are incredible survivors and adapters. They're also amazing at lessening the impact of tropical storms and climate change. And heck, they're...

Selects: How Ayahuasca Works

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One day in the Amazon Basin, a shaman put together a plant containing DMT with a vine that allows the body to absorb DMT. The combination, a foul-tast...

The Maya Civilization

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After inspiration from Chuck's recent trip to the Yucatan, the fellas dive into the Maya Civilization. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Short Stuff: Alligator Gar

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The alligator gar is one scary looking fish. Learn all about these monsters in today's episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Ultraprocessed Foods Work

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ultraprocessed is a new term for junk food, but it means much more than that – it’s also a cautionary tale for the way we’re supposed to cook an...

Selects: How Freak Shows Worked

02 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Not too long ago, people would pay money to gawk and stare at a performer with a physical disformity. They were called freak shows and they began in l...