Hello, friends! Join us today for our annual live show release, recorded in beautiful Nashville. On the docket? The Biosphere II Experiment! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The nuclear waste we produce will be dangerous for a very long time. We’ve figured out how to safely store it in the earth until it’s no longer a biohazard. Now we just have to figure out how to warn humans 10,000 years in the future to stay away from it. Find out about our best ideas in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s all fun and games to think about how backwards and misguided some things people did in the past were until you realize we’ll be “the past” one day. What do we do now that will seem primitive then and how will they be better in the future? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can you imagine a color so alluring that even though you know it’s toxic you’d still use it to your heart’s content? The Victorians certainly could. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
They seem gross and bothersome at first, but once you get down to ground level and get to know snails, we’ll bet you’ll grow quite fond of them. They are living in a whole world we’re largely unaware of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
They are dirty, harmful to your health, bad for the environment and utterly charming. Wood-burning fireplaces have been with us for centuries and, despite their many drawbacks, are sticking around. Learn more than you thought possible about the fireplace, in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Happy Holidays, friends! Tune in today to listen to our annual ad-free holiday extravaganza. There will be talk of merriment and joy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Just three years after the lightbulb was invented a compadre of Thomas Edison thought to use them to decorate his Christmas tree. It set off a sensation that’s gotten more popular each year since. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The world has seen a lot of weird investment bubbles in its time, but few of them rival the fever that gripped the world in the 90s after Beanie Babies took off. Let’s visit this strange chapter in toy history together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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.
There are many types of dictators, from so called "benevolent" ones to the kind who rule with an iron fist. There are also many ways they can come into power, and they don't all include violence. Learn all about dictators past and present in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Skeleton Army was a rowdy group of folks in England who battled, sometimes violently, with the Salvation Army - largely against their efforts to keep people from drinking and having a rowdy good time. Listen in today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Josh loves pickles but hates cucumbers. Chuck loves cucumbers but hates pickles. WHO WILL WIN? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Matewan Massacre was a pivotal moment for the US mining industry and the labor movement as a whole. Learn about what happened in this sleepy West Virginia town today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Freedom Schools were set up in Mississippi in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, with the aim of giving young black school children agency and a future. They remain one of the more inspiring and progressive programs in American History, yet so few know about them. We're hoping to change that. Learn all about them in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On December 8th, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York City, by Mark David Chapman. Music history was altered forever. Listen in to this tragic story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Boba tea is bubble tea. But what are the bubbles? Tapioca pearls! Listen in today to learn about the disputed history of this trendy beverage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
J.D. Salinger was a complicated and problematic human who stopped publishing soon after creating one of the great works of literature. Listen in today to learn the good, bad and ugly sides of the man who got famous, then dropped out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Beavers are in fact, very busy. They're builders and solid family members, husbands and wives. Learn all about N America's largest rodent in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The story of the Oxford English Dictionary is really something. From its origin to its crowd-sourced literary quotations. Dive in today to learn all about the best dictionary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When you switch lanes on the highway after noticing that the lane you’re in is ending up ahead, you are literally ruining the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s time to get jazzed about Earth science again. It’s only been 60 or so years since we’ve known the continents move around and we’re still figuring out exactly how they do. But one thing is for sure, that super-slow movement is super important. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Getting the rain and melted snow from upstate NY into the taps of every NYC resident and business is one of the great feats of engineering. Does it taste great and make perfect bagels and pizza crust? Sources say yes! Learn all about it in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s astounding that with the exceptional navigational equipment aboard a cruise ship can run aground in the 21st century, and 32 passengers and crew can lose their lives within a thousand feet of land. Such is the power of incompetence and cowardice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everyone once in a while, say a few hundred thousand years or so, the north and south poles of Earth’s magnetic field switch places. The result: Dogs and cats living together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you’ve ever wanted to listen to two totally untrained, non-chemists who are fully unqualified to explain how the periodic table works nervously explain how the periodic table works, then this episode is for you. Chemistry majors, be warned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you play video games you probably have an easy answer to worst game of all time: ET. But it turns out there are no easy answers, especially when you’re talking about a game so terrible it’s blamed for bringing the entire video game industry with it. Find out more in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Diners may just be the most American establishment there is. They were born in the USA, thanks to European immigrants, and they only exist in the USA, unless it's a kitschy homage. So break open that 12-page menu and order up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The story of the Liberty Bell is far more confusing than we imagined. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Natalie Wood was Hollywood royalty who tragically drowned after a long night of partying with her husband, Robert Wagner, and actor Christopher Walken. Over the last 40 plus years, stories have changed and the investigation has moved from closed to open. Listen in to learn this tragic story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
