Short Stuff: Robert the Doll
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.
Oct 26, 2022•14 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 Tale of the Bloody Benders
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 Bloody Benders if you dare! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 25, 2022•48 min
Selects: 10ish Cases of Really Bad Luck
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. Listen to this classic episode as Chuck and Josh cover some instances of amazingly bad fortune, most of it true! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 22, 2022•50 min
Fundamentalism: Menace II Society
Fundamentalism is usually thought of as a problem religions have to deal with, but not all fundamentalists are religious. And no matter what their belief system, fundamentalism is inherently antisocial and a problem for everyone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 20, 2022•58 min
Short Stuff: Water Towers
Water towers are so ubiquitous you can look right past them, despite them being giant balls of water thrust triumphantly skyward. Learn about these surprisingly ingenious but simple inventions designed to keep you alive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 19, 2022•11 min
The History of Fake Towns.
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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 18, 2022•51 min
Selects: How Pompeii Worked
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 resurrected 1700 years later, a new chapter in its history was written. Learn all about it in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 15, 2022•50 min
10 Cases of Mistaken Identity
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 assassinating the head of Hamas? Why not. Learn about the travails of some unlucky saps in this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 13, 2022•43 min
Short Stuff: Blaschko's Lines
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 privacy information.
Oct 12, 2022•13 min
Doppelgängers: Hey you, you're me!
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 for privacy information.
Oct 11, 2022•48 min
Selects: Josh and Chuck's List of Horror Movies that Changed the Genre
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 established, and audiences are more terrified than ever. Hear about these pivotal works in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 08, 2022•59 min
How License Plates Work
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 century on, they continue to protect both. Plus they’ve accrued some interesting history along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 06, 2022•56 min
Short Stuff: Scratching
Listen in today as we salute turntablism, aka, record scratching. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 05, 2022•14 min
Vinyl Records: Black Magic at Work
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 music medium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 04, 2022•59 min
Selects: How Clowns Work
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 steadily creepier. Learn all about clowns in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 01, 2022•47 min
How The Rosenhan Experiment Worked
In 1973 a study was published in Science where psychologist David Rosenhan revealed he had duped hundreds of psychiatric workers by planting perfectly sane pseudopatients within their hospitals and every last one went unnoticed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 29, 2022•53 min
Short Stuff: Curse Tablets
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 and those answers shall be revealed! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 28, 2022•10 min
Vasectomies: Stop Being A Wimp
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 it a gift to your partner. Learn the real deal on vasectomies (and get 20% off with our code: STUFF). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 27, 2022•44 min
Selects: How LSD Works
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. Learn about the chemistry, neurology, history and cultural impact of LSD-25 in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 24, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Sitcoms Part II
Listen in now for part II of our homage to sitcoms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 22, 2022•37 min
Short Stuff: Laugh Tracks
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 like to hate laugh tracks most shows wouldn’t be at all funny without them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 21, 2022•16 min
Sitcoms Part I
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 will never go away completely. Join us for part I. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 20, 2022•31 min
Selects: Frida Kahlo: Painter, Icon, Genius
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 episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 17, 2022•48 min
Pearls: Second Best Thing About Oysters
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/listener for privacy information.
Sep 15, 2022•50 min
Short Stuff: Hangry?
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 thing, we’re just not quite sure yet what’s going on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 14, 2022•12 min
The Georgia Guidestones: The Elite Have a Laugh
In 1980 the “rural as rural can be” town of Elberton, Georgia erected a granite monument with a bizarre set of instructions (commandments?) that touched on eugenics, population control, and living in harmony with nature. Conspiracy theorists went wild. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 13, 2022•54 min
Selects: What Happened to the Neanderthals?
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, Neanderthals suddenly vanished. Just what happened to the other guys? Did our ancestors do something … bad? Find out in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 10, 2022•51 min
Everything We Know About Squids
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 clicking the play button right now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 08, 2022•43 min
Short Stuff: RIP Man of the Hole
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 privacy information.
Sep 07, 2022•12 min
Did Mallory Make it to the Top of Everest First?
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 his life trying. Since that fateful day in 1924, climbers have wondered – was Mallory the first to summit? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 06, 2022•52 min