Stuff You Should Know
Episodes
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 that’s so lifelike some say it’s actually a corp...
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,” then you’re dead wrong, friend. It covers 1 ...
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. Local reputations were ruined when accusations f...
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 amount of time. We get into all in the ins and ou...
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’re likelier to make a good one. But why should ...
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 art worth a king’s ransom that went missing in 19...
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 minutes, the odd TV character Max Headroom appeared ...
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 Las Vegas before Vegas was Vegas. Confused? Liste...
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 murdered her son and she was moved to fight back.See om...
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 learn…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
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 engage in without leaving Earth. Cave divers stay under...
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 are pretty great and very much misunderstood. By t...
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 shoeless. While the concept was around, it mushroome...
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 bees can't use and that's a lot of honey.See omnystud...
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 about these light bulb cooking, working ovens that end...
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, guess who saved the profession? Dogs!See omnystudio...
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 questions, and more, are answered in this week's ep.See ...
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 kind of weird that an overwhelming emotion can cau...
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 classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...
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’s true. It says that how your parents respond t...
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 privacy information.
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 time machine chassis. There is a lot to understand ...
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 show on game shows and their place in cultures aro...
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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 successful pirates and today you’ll learn about t...
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 from indigenous peoples. But it did transform the Un...
Selects: How Therapeutic Hypothermia Works
14 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Physicians noticed centuries ago that people exposed to cold temperatures often have amazing recoveries from serious medical emergencies. Now medicine...
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 feelings – plus the art is unbelievable. We cover th...
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 privacy information.
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 company. Its decline was breathtaking, and while it’...
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 been manipulating that for centuries with scents of ...
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 Spring of 1980. Listen in to the harrowing story today...
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? It’s true and you can learn how in this episode.S...
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 accident. Though the song makes an appearance.See o...
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 people have sighted the Loch Ness Monster and dozens o...
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.com/listener for privacy information.
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 to be sure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...
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 appreciation that SYSK plunges into the hot grease of fr...
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. What happened on the night of November 17, 1978 ...
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...