J. Edgar Hoover: Evil G-Man Pt. 2
In the exciting conclusion of our two-part episode on Hoover, we come in at the Cold War and end on a strange note. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 23, 2024•46 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
Short Stuff: Hobo Signs
By definition hobos are people who travel from town to town taking odd jobs as they go. But some towns are friendlier than others, and hobos developed a system of symbols they left one another to know what to expect from a town. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 22, 2024•15 min
J. Edgar Hoover: Evil G-Man Pt. 1
It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that J. Edgar Hoover was perhaps the most powerful American of the 20th century. By the time he established the FBI as America’s police force, presidents were afraid of him. Just exactly how did he get to be so puissant? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 21, 2024•40 min
Selects: The Great War of the Worlds Panic Myth
On Halloween 1938 young radio star Orson Welles scared the pants off of America with a fictional news bulletin claiming Martians had landed and were destroying the country. People across the nation ran wild with panic in the streets – or did they? Listen to this classic episode to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 18, 2024•47 min
The Silurian Hypothesis
The idea that we aren’t the first advanced civilization to live on Earth sounds like a fringe theory, but it raises a good question: How can we be so sure that a civilization didn’t arise and die on Earth so long ago that any trace of it has been erased? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 16, 2024•49 min
Short Stuff: Zambonis!
Even the dullest hockey game is worth seeing when the Zamboni comes out to resurface the ice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 15, 2024•13 min
NYC Trash: A study in persistence
Taking care of 12,000 tons of residential trash every day is a hard job. But how does that even work? Listen in to marvel at the NYC sanitation system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 14, 2024•50 min
Selects: How Stuttering Works
Despite as much as one percent of the adult population having the condition, science doesn't actually know how stuttering works. The best it's come up with so far: there seems to be an issue between the physical process of speaking and the thought process that underlies it. Find out what science means by this in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 11, 2024•51 min
10 - Yes, 10! - Dumb Criminals
Sometimes you just have to turn it off for a while – all the thinking, and overthinking, analyzing, and figuring out. Sometimes it’s nice to just breathe through your mouth and talk about dumb things criminals do for an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 09, 2024•46 min
Short Stuff: Titanic Survivors!
We all know the story of the Titanic and the tragedy of lives lost. So hey, let's talk about the survivors for a change! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 08, 2024•16 min
Misophonia: More Than an Annoyance
Misophonia is a condition in which certain sounds trigger people in very negative ways that can really disrupt someone's life. Listen in today to learn all about this fairly recently recognized condition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 07, 2024•48 min
Selects: The Legends of Lost Nazi Gold
As if being murdering SOBs weren’t enough, the Nazis were also thieving rats. During WWII, they stole billons in gold from countries they overran and moved it to Germany. But at the end of the war, only part of it was recovered. Where’s the rest? Find out the extent of our knowledge in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 04, 2024•47 min
Atomic Clocks, Ahoy!
The only thing more complicated than an atomic clock is researching how they work and then figuring out how to explain it to other people. But believe us, they are fascinating. Even if you don’t care about clocks or atoms you’ll still like this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 02, 2024•52 min
Short Stuff: Getting Winded
Getting the wind knocked out of you is scary, but passes quickly. Learn exactly what's happening with all that today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 01, 2024•12 min
The Village People Episode
The Village People were a smash hit singing group that came and went in under two years. Then other people performed under that name for several decades. This is their story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 30, 2024•54 min
Selects: How the Beagle Brigade Works
If you've ever been to an international airport, you've probably seen one of the keenest spotters of illegal contraband - The Beagle Brigade! These cute dogs aren't after drugs or bombs, they're carefully trained to sniff out agricultural products. Learn all about this furry group of crime stoppers in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 27, 2024•49 min
The Awful Crimes of Georgia Tann
Georgia Tann was a bad human. We feel safe in saying that because she kidnapped babies from poor families to sell to wealthy ones. Listen in if you can stomach it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 25, 2024•47 min
Short Stuff: The Sad, Strange Tale of Margaret Schilling
Not too much is known about Margaret Schilling. She was the kind of person whose memory might have been lost to time had she not left behind an indelible reminder of her. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 24, 2024•13 min
The Power of the Wind
You probably know wind energy projects have been around since the 90s, but did you know they now provide 10% of America’s energy, and more than that in other countries? Learn about what’s ahead for wind and what it’ll need to become a real star like coal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 23, 2024•52 min
Selects: Special Effects: A Short History
Special effects have been around since the first movies. In fact, the techniques the earliest filmmakers created are still around today, we just use computers to do them faster and cheaper. Hit play on this classic episode and then put on your beret and get ready for SYSK film class. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 20, 2024•55 min
Hitchhiking: Two thumbs out!
Today we go down the road a bit, thumbs out, to explore the rich history of hitchhiking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 18, 2024•51 min
Short Stuff: The Amazing Tale of Juliane Koepcke
Few people have been more qualified to survive a plane crash alone in the Amazon for almost two weeks than Juliane Koepcke. Let’s hear her story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 17, 2024•13 min
The Dubious Science of Arson Investigation
Arson investigation has changed a lot over the years. There is actual science available now, but the word still hasn't totally gotten out. Listen in today, and don't play with matches! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 16, 2024•47 min
Selects: How Famines Work
It's common knowledge that famines are usually caused by major droughts: Rain doesn't fall, crops don't grow, and people go hungry. But recent research suggests that while weather may trigger famines, they may actually be more of a human-made catastrophe. Find out more in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 13, 2024•49 min
Testosterone and Estrogen: Wondrous Hormones
We think of estrogen and testosterone as the female and male sex hormones and they may seem kind of gross (is that just Josh?), but that simple understanding is way off. A magical biochemical dance between the two creates everything from bones to moods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 11, 2024•49 min
Short Stuff: Straitjackets
Straitjackets aren't really a thing anymore unless you're watching a movie or TV show. Or in prison. That's the sad truth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 10, 2024•13 min
The 1977 Women's Conference That Changed America
The 70s were the decade of the woman in the US. America finally was coming around to the understanding women and men are equals and the government sponsored a conference to advance women’s rights. The opposition that arose changed the fabric of America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 09, 2024•50 min
Selects: All the Gold In Fort Knox: Meh
When Fort Knox was built in the 1930s to house America’s gold supply, it was billed as an impenetrable, impregnable, don’t-even-think-of-trying vault. But as the world has moved further away from gold, the stockpile’s lost a bit of its luster. Learn all about it in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 06, 2024•52 min
The Everglades: Wowee
One of America’s most important ecosystems takes up more than half the state of Florida. It’s a river of grass, a cactus desert, and a saltwater bay all rolled into one. And there are alligators and crocodiles. And that’s just the beginning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 04, 2024•54 min
Short Stuff: Knock on Wood
What's the deal with knocking on wood? It's an action one takes to ensure good luck. Which doesn't exist. Yet we do it. Humans are funny that way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 03, 2024•11 min