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.
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Episodes

Short Stuff: Women Pirates

The Golden Age of Pirates didn’t have just men floating on the high seas. Some women became very successful pirates and today you’ll learn about two of them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 18, 202316 min

The Louisiana Purchase: Not a Purchase

Turns out the Louisiana Purchase was not so much a purchase, but the right to (steal) purchase it from indigenous peoples. But it did transform the United States as we know it. Listen and learn! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 17, 202347 min

Selects: How Therapeutic Hypothermia Works

Physicians noticed centuries ago that people exposed to cold temperatures often have amazing recoveries from serious medical emergencies. Now medicine is learning how to purposefully induce hypothermia in order to buy time to fix otherwise fatal trauma. Find out all about it in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 14, 202349 min

How Tarot Works?

This is not a hit piece! Tarot helps plenty of people navigate their lives and reflect on their feelings – plus the art is unbelievable. We cover the backstory, real and imagined, and lure the innocent into tarot’s grip, er, offer basic tips for beginners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 12, 202343 min

How Enron Fooled the World

Until the 2007, the largest single corporate bankruptcy was Enron, a $67 billion energy trading company. Its decline was breathtaking, and while it’s a fascinating story of corporate malfeasance and greed, it’s also about the lives of ruined workers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 10, 202359 min

Selects: How Perfume Works

Women consistently rate scent as the most important factor in a man's attractiveness and men have been manipulating that for centuries with scents of all sorts. Learn about the fascinating history -- and, well, art -- of making perfumes in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 07, 202358 min

When Mount St. Helens Blew Its Top

Mount St. Helen's is a lovely sight to behold, but was a pretty scary thing to be around in the Spring of 1980. Listen in to the harrowing story today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 05, 202348 min

Short Stuff: Dangers of Nose Picking

You don’t have to lie - everybody picks their nose. But did you know it can be life-threatening? It’s true and you can learn how in this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 04, 202316 min

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (not the song)

Today Josh and Chuck delve into the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Not the song, but the maritime accident. Though the song makes an appearance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 03, 202355 min

Selects: Could There Be A Loch Ness Monster?

People have believed something strange lives in Loch Ness for at least 3500 years. Thousands of people have sighted the Loch Ness Monster and dozens of expeditions have been launched. But does the fact that nothing’s been found mean it’s not real? Find out in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 31, 20221 hr 3 min

Short Stuff: Mesas: Flat

Mesas, buttes and plateaus are all very similar. We'll break down the differences in each one just to be sure. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 28, 202212 min

Juicy: The Fried Chicken Story

Fried chicken is Chuck’s favorite food, and Josh sure doesn’t dislike it. It is with this appreciation that SYSK plunges into the hot grease of fried chicken history – and there’s a lot to it! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 27, 202253 min

Selects: Star Wars Holiday Spectacular

Long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, George Lucas allowed the Star Wars Holiday Special to be made. What happened on the night of November 17, 1978 can never be fully explained, but we make our best effort in our annual special edition of SYSK. May the force be with us all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 24, 202254 min

2022 Holiday Spectacular!

Another year comes to a close here at SYSK, which means our annual Holiday Spectacular is at hand. So light a fire, pour up a comforting beverage and gather the family for some good cheer! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 22, 202249 min

Who was Dorothy Parker, really?

She was known for her quick wit and sharp tongue. But she was also a poet, screenwriter and activist. Tune in today to learn what outside her "vicious circle." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 20, 202248 min

Selects: Nostradamus: Predictor of the future? Not so much.

Nostradamus delighted us all in grade school, but it turns out the real guy wasn't quite as prescient as we were led to believe. In truth, he wrote a lot of purposefully confusing riddles that people have twisted into meaning exactly what they want them to mean. Learn all about Nostradamus in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 17, 202239 min

Interesting Origins of Everyday Phrases

We don’t think about the words and phrases we use all the time - until Josh and Chuck look into them and tell everyone what they found. That’s the gist of this episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 15, 202249 min

Short Stuff: The Atlanta Washer Woman Strike

One of the very first union strikes in US history was mounted by a group of African American women in the deep South. Listen in and learn all about this little known slice of history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 14, 202214 min

How the Nintendo Entertainment System Changed Gaming Forever

For the holidays in 1986 (and ’87) (and ’88) the most stupendous, most wanted, most amazing thing any kid could possibly get – outside of a pony, *maybe* – was the NES. That year, video games came back from the dead and changed forever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 13, 202258 min

Selects: How Polar Bears Work

Polar bears are more than just lovable creatures that roam the ice in search of food. They're one of the most fascinating animals on planet Earth. Sadly, as ice shrinks, so does their habitat. Learn all about these huggable beasts in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 10, 202246 min

True Crime: The Phantom of Heilbronn

After the murder of a cop in southwest Germany in 2007 a massive hunt was launched across Europe. The suspect was a female serial killer who had left DNA behind during a number of crimes. She was so slippery, she was known as The Phantom of Heilbronn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 08, 202243 min

Short Stuff: Birthday Paradox

The Birthday Paradox involves math, so you know this one will go perfectly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 07, 202212 min

How Face Blindness Works

It’s not that the person who can never remember meeting you is snobby or even absent-minded; they may have a fascinating – and often difficult – neurological condition called prosopagnosia, known more commonly as face blindness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 06, 202248 min

Selects: The Rubik's Cube Episode

Rubik's Cubes. Ronald Reagan. Jerry Falwell. Just Say No. One of these things was awesome. Take a guess and hop on board this classic episode, aka the 80s train. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 03, 202248 min

How Down Syndrome Works

People with Down syndrome lead rich, complex lives like any other human, but it’s only been in the last few decades that everyone else stopped persecuting them long enough to notice this. As a result, both their IQ and their life expectancy skyrocketed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 01, 202257 min

Short Stuff: Goosebumps

Goosebumps are a pretty cool evolutionary holdover from our earlier days as furry beasts. Don't believe us? Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 30, 202215 min

Peripersonal Space: Humans’ Got Talent

The space around you that you can reach with your arms is a very special place. It’s where we interact with reality. And although we are so good at using it we don’t give it a second thought, our ability to use it is one our most amazing abilities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 29, 202254 min
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