Stuff You Should Know - podcast cover

Stuff You Should Know

iHeartPodcastswww.iheart.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Episodes

Anacondas: Not Like in the Movie

Are anacondas big? For sure. Are they able to crush and consume a human? Maybe, but thankfully they don't really do that. Don't believe everything you see in the movies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 12, 202542 min

Short Stuff: Andrew Jackson's Inauguration

Wild stories about a crazy party after Andrew Jackson's inauguration have been around since the weeks after it went down. But how wild was it really? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 11, 202511 min

How Styrofoam Works

All those to-go cups and food containers aren’t actually Styrofoam but those cups and Styrofoam are both forms of foam polystyrene, one of the rare materials that isn’t biodegradable. Which is a problem, because we make – and throw away – so much of it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 10, 202547 min

Selects: How Dementia Works

The number of people suffering from dementia is expected to explode in the coming decades and, in a pleasant surprise, countries around the world are taking steps to plan for the increase in friendly, caring ways. Find out all about this devastating disease and what's being done to prepare in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 07, 202548 min

Impression Management

We all in some way care about what other people think of us. At our core we all have a fear of saying something dumb or embarrassing ourselves somehow. One sociological theory says that our effort to prevent those embarrassments is the basis of society. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 05, 202555 min

Short Stuff: Can You Not Have A Name?

Is it legal to live without a name? Is it even possible? Find out today in this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 04, 202511 min

Pagans, Neo-Pagans, Wiccans – Let’s Sort It Out!

Paganism was the set of original ancient religions around the world. They all had plenty of gods, loved nature, sometimes sacrificed things, and so on. Then the Big Three religions came along and took over. But today paganism has come roaring back! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 03, 202549 min

Selects: Yeti: The Asian Bigfoot

We've covered Nessie and Bigfoot, so why not tackle the Yeti? Listen to this classic episode and hear Josh and Chuck cover what used to be known as the Abominable Snowman. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 31, 202546 min

The Rosenbergs

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for espionage in 1953. Whether or not they were both guilty remains unclear, though most historians believe that at least Ethel was innocent. Learn all about this historical stain in today's episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 29, 202550 min

Short Stuff: Genetic Mutations

All sorts of exotic and often terrible stuff runs through our heads when we think of genetic mutations, but the vast majority of them are caught before they happen thanks to the crack teams replicating our DNA in our cells. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 28, 202513 min

The Group of Seven

Today Chuck and Josh celebrate Canada and their art through the lens of the Group of Seven. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 27, 202548 min

Selects: How Publicists Work

Some people call them flacks. Other people call them liars. But if you're in the public eye and suddenly have an image problem, you'll call them your best friend. Learn all about them in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 24, 202543 min

Popcorn: Who doesn't love it?

We love popcorn and suspect that most people do too. But do you know why it even pops? Or if it's healthy? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 22, 202546 min

Faking Your Own Death: We All Do It, But Why?

Face it, when things get desperate we all consider faking our death as an easy way out. But what they don’t tell you in school is that it’s much harder than it looks, it’s way less glamorous, and you have to pull it off perfectly to not get caught. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 20, 202550 min

The Cliffs Notes on Cliffs Notes

When a man named Cliff packaged book summaries in yellow and black booklets he changed the way kids learned. But was he just creating a cheat code? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 15, 202544 min

Short Stuff: Figs & Wasps

Today Chuck and Josh look at the interesting relationship between figs and wasps. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 14, 20259 min

Plant-Based Diets

You don’t have to be a hardcore vegan to eat a plant-based diet (although you can be). There’s a whole variety of degrees people adopt phasing out meat from their plates. One kind is even called flexitarian for goodness sake. Seems pretty welcoming to us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 13, 202553 min

Selects: How Ice Cream Works

We all scream for ice cream, sure, but did you know we're all technically screaming about a colloidal foam? As you hit play on this classic episode, prepare for deep cravings that will surely emerge as you learn the history of ice cream, how to make it yourself and lots more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 10, 202543 min

We Got to Sesame Street

One of the longest-running television shows in history is also one of the best. Sesame Street was conceived as a radical idea – to give disadvantaged preschoolers a leg up in getting ready for school. It ended up becoming a beloved institution worldwide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 08, 202552 min

Short Stuff: Drop Bears

Australia is home to all sorts of things that can kill you, but perhaps the deadliest is the drop bear, a vicious cousin of the koala. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 07, 202512 min

Fentanyl: Actually As Dangerous As They Say

Around 2013 heroin users in the US and other countries suddenly started dying from overdose in previously-unseen numbers. The culprit turned out to be the incredibly potent drug fentanyl and it soon created a massive new wave in the opioid epidemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 06, 202550 min

Selects: Muzak: Easy Listening Goodness

Muzak got a bad reputation as bland garbage music. In this classic episode, we aim to set the record straight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 03, 202551 min

What we know about MI6

MI6 is The UK's version of the CIA. Except they came first and provided the model. But there's still a lot we don't know about this notoriously tight-lipped organization. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 01, 202550 min

Short Stuff: Trovants

Rocks that grow baby rocks – wut?! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 30, 202511 min

Chinese Food: Best Food?

Today on SYSK, the fellas get down to business with plenty of mouth-watering information on what Chuck dubs "the best food." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 29, 202551 min

Selects: How Jim Henson Worked

We've already recorded an episode on The Muppets, but Jim Henson was such a neat guy we delved into him even further. Learn all about the man behind the Muppets who was so much more than just a master puppeteer in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 26, 202542 min

Give My Regards to the Broadway Episode!

Broadway is a street in NYC, but more than that it's a term for the NY theater district. They say the neon lights are bright there. Who knows? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 24, 202547 min

Short Stuff: Alternative Libraries

Today we highlight and celebrate a couple of alternative libraries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 23, 202512 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast