Short Stuff: History of OK
Is OK the best word? It's certainly one of the most versatile. Check the interesting history of this weird contraction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 06, 2023•15 min
Stuff You Should Know
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
The Made-up Disease of Syndrome K
In WWII, Italy went through its own Jewish Holocaust, terrible at first then horrific as the Nazis took over the country. In Rome, a group of doctors hid Jewish refugees in plain sight in their hospital by giving them a highly contagious, highly fictitious disease. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 05, 2023•41 min
Selects: Body Odor: You Stink
Chuck and Josh end up making reduxes of past episodes on things like sweating and deodorant in this all-new episode on the science beneath what makes people smell. Learn all about your odor in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 02, 2023•47 min
Laurens Hammond: The Non-Musical Genius Who Changed Popular Music
Laurens Hammond invented the Hammond organ and in the process changed music history. But he was much more than that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 31, 2023•50 min
Short Stuff: Evil Eye
You've seen the evil eye. Many Middle Eastern cultures have a long history with it. Learn how to thwart this curse today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 30, 2023•11 min
Fordlandia: Brazil Isn't Michigan
Henry Ford tried to build a Midwestern American town in the Amazon rainforest in the 1920s. It's true. And yes, Chuck will say this should be a movie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 29, 2023•47 min
Selects: How Toy Testing Works
It's every kid's dream - a job playing with toys that pays in toys. It's a real thing and has been around for a long time. Then there's the other side of the testing process, companies who ensure that toys are safe. It takes both of these testing techniques to successfully bring a toy to market these days. Dive into the ball pit with us today and learn all about toy testing in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 26, 2023•47 min
Plant Migration
Climate change is having sweeping effects on our climate and this is changing the world, not just for humans and other animals, but plants too. Will the Earth’s flora manage to find safe refuge in time? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 24, 2023•45 min
Short Stuff: Saturn's Rings
Friends, treasure Saturn’s rings while they are young. They won’t be around forever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 23, 2023•12 min
Farmer's Almanac: Literature to Poop To
The Farmer's Almanac has a long rich history that is more than just moon phases and long-term weather patterns. Tune in to learn all about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 22, 2023•48 min
Selects: How Music Sampling Works
Today music sampling is a common practice, especially in electronic or hip-hop music. But how does it work? After all, other artists made the original music, and most of them would presumably like to be paid. Tune in to this classic episode to learn more about music sampling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 19, 2023•44 min
The Mysterious Disappearance of the Franklin Expedition
One of the great Arctic mysteries was the disappearance of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition in search of a northwest passage between the Atlantic and Pacific. Not one man survived the trip, and they left precious little behind in the way of clues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 17, 2023•50 min
Short Stuff: Edward Mordake
In the 19th century news spread of an unfortunate man who was born with an evil second face on the back of his head that spoke to him. The real story is that people keep falling for it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 16, 2023•13 min
How We’re Learning to Talk to Animals
If we could talk with the animals, grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals, what would we say? We’d better start thinking of something good because researchers are learning to speak sperm whale, prairie dog, and a bunch of other species' languages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 15, 2023•54 min
Selects: How Magnets Work
You can stick them to the fridge or use them to transpose sound to tape, whatever they are used for magnets are surprisingly interesting. And knowing just exactly how and why magnets work will make you more interesting, which is why you should listen to this classic episode of SYSK. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 12, 2023•36 min
Xenobiotics
Science is just realizing the extent of the tiny pollutants that have entered ecosystems across Earth and inside all humans. We call them xenobiotics – substances foreign to our bodies – and what effects they have on us we’re only starting to learn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 10, 2023•45 min
Short Stuff: History of English
Who spoke English first and what was it like? Nothing like it is today. Listen in to learn all about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 09, 2023•12 min
Dear Diary...
Diaries have been around for a long time. There are many famous ones, and tens of millions that will never see the light of day. Learn about the history and benefits of journaling today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 08, 2023•48 min
Selects: Rainbows: Delighting humanity since forever
Rainbows seem to defy nature, but they're really pretty simple when it comes down to it. Turns out it's just light reacting to water droplets in the air. But they sure do look cool. Learn all about how rainbows are formed in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 05, 2023•30 min
The Last Meal Ritual
The last meal of the executed is a longstanding tradition. Listen in today to learn about the dark history and modern practice of this culinary curiosity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 03, 2023•50 min
Short Stuff: NATO Alphabet
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie. This is the NATO alphabet. But where did it come from? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 02, 2023•13 min
BPD: The Worst Disorder or Not a Disorder at All?
Borderline Personality Disorder has been described as emotional “third degree burns over ninety percent of your body.” It’s as close to a curse as a personality disorder can be: deep fear of being abandoned creates behaviors that end up driving people off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 01, 2023•51 min
Selects: What's the deal with Stradivarius violins?
The Strad violin is noted for its tonal qualities and superior craftsmanship. And for its price tag. There are many theories why the Strad sounds so great, from the wood to the lacquer, to the simple fact that Antonio Stradivari was really good at what he did. Rosin up your bow and take a listen to this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 29, 2023•41 min
MAD Magazine: A Tribute
Chuck and Josh grew up on MAD Magazine and we hope you did too. What started out as a comic book that spoofed comic books grew into the foundation of American satire and cultivated a healthy skepticism in generations of kids. Hail to the clods at MAD! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 27, 2023•1 hr
Short Stuff: Blue Highway Signs
In the US those ubiquitous blue highway signs that tell you which direction you’ll find a Burger King have an interesting backstory. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 26, 2023•14 min
Learning a Foreign Language
Today, Chuck and Josh dive into the ins and outs of language learning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 25, 2023•47 min
Selects: Nirvana: Not The Band
Hinduism and Buddhism are closely related in a number of ways, including their vision of what comes after we exit this mortal coil. Learn about the religions' interesting interpretation of the state of existence outside space-time, in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 22, 2023•33 min
Magic Eye Illusions
What became the Magic Eye illusion fad of the 1990s was born by way of the stereogram of the 1950s (and even before that). It's a winding story that you'll love! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 20, 2023•47 min
Short Stuff: Pie-In-The-Face Gag
Throwing a pie in someone’s face was groundbreaking comedy once upon a time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 19, 2023•13 min
Insomnia: Why you can't sleep
Insomnia is rough stuff. Listen in and learn all about why you can't fall asleep and what you can do about that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 18, 2023•50 min