Stuff You Should Know
Episodes
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...
A Dispassionate Review of Roe v Wade
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Given the landmark undoing of Roe v Wade, Chuck and Josh lay out all the relevant facts of the 1973 case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...
Short Stuff: What did we use before infant formula?
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's an infant formula shortage. But infant formula is relatively new. So what did we do before it was perfected? Listen in and learn already!See o...
How Alien Contact Might Work
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If we ever found evidence of intelligent alien life (or they found us) what would we say? Who would say it for us? These seemingly silly questions are...
Selects: Chiggers: The Phantom Menace
25 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chiggers are tiny little mites capable of making your life miserable. Worse than mosquitoes? Maybe. But they aren't insects - mites are actually part ...
What's up with bariatric surgery?
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bariatric surgery can also be called weight loss surgery. Some people think it's a highly underused tool to fight obesity. Others think it's a shortcu...
Short Stuff: Do Fish Get Thirsty?
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the greatest questions we’ve ever heard, answered (in a roundabout way).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Appalachian Trail: A Heckuva Hike
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A few short years after the hiking trails from Maine to Georgia were connected into the world’s longest hiking-only footpath, a WWII vet walked the ...
Selects: How Steadicams Work
18 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There have been many inventions that have advanced filmmaking, but maybe none as important as the steadicam. Invented in the mid-70s, it literally cha...
What were the IRA hunger strikes?
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 1980s, imprisoned IRA members went on a prolonged hunger strike, leading to the death of ten men. This is their story.See omnystudio.com/...
Short Stuff: HR8 Gun Legislation
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we dive into HR8, a gun bill supported by 90% of Americans that will likely never get through the Senate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
How Wind Works
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Beloved egghead Buckminster Fuller said the wind doesn’t blow, it sucks. And he was pretty much right, depending on your perspective. Find out h...
Selects: How Drowning Works
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of thousands of people drown around the world every year, and yet it can be easily prevented and is widely misunderstood – like how you...
The 4-minute Mile: Greatest Sports Story?
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody thought the 4-minute mile was humanly possible, until it was. The story of how it happened is remarkable. So sit back and take a listen.See omn...
Short Stuff: Cleveland’s Infamous 10-Cent Beer Night
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1974, the Cleveland (then Indians) baseball club held an unlimited 10 cent beer promotion to attract fans to the game. An actual riot broke out.See...
How Freedom of the Press Works
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Countries around the world – capitalist democracies to communist unitary states – guarantee a free press in their constitutions. It turns ...
Selects: How Satanism Works
04 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Satanism may be the most misunderstood "religion" in the world. Part of that is because there are, and have been, many offshoots of Satanism, from The...
Kidney Donation: You Could Be A Saint!
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kidneys are one of the few organs that you can donate while you’re alive. And the vast majority of donors experience no complications and their ...
Short Stuff: Happy Foods!
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some foods make you happy. But they aren't necessarily comfort foods. You know what they call that? SCIENCE!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
The Scintillating World of Interest Rates
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the Fed raises interest rates a half point, the world market reacts. But why does this tiny percentage make such a difference? Listen and learn!S...
Selects: Waterbeds: The Sexiest Bed?
28 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Waterbeds came and went pretty quickly in the United States, but despite their marketing as sex beds, they were actually invented to deliver a great n...
The Myth of Absinthe
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Absinthe makes you hallucinate and possibly even have a seizure, right? Nope. It's all a part of the myth of absinthe, which is really just a bitter t...
Short Stuff: Do people move in predictable directions?
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Depending on where you are in the world, you either have an instinct to go left or right when entering a place. Learn all about this today.See omnystu...
Cats: Invasive Species?
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Josh and Chuck wade into dangerous waters with the debate over just how destructive cats are for local ecosystems (turns out it’s pretty bad) an...
Selects: The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five
21 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1978, five friends set out for home from a basketball game. The next day, their car was discovered in a lonely mountain road. The next spring, thei...
What's in a surname?
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Surnames are way more interesting that you think, trust us. Just hit play and prepare to be wowed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Short Stuff: Artificial Banana Flavor
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the Watermelon episode, Chuck and Josh stumbled into a bit of little-known history about why artificial banana flavor doesn’t taste like bana...
Squirrels, Ahoy!
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Squirrels are rodents, sure, but they’re rodents with personalities the size of Las Vegas and Detroit put together. Get to know your bushy-taile...