The Story of the Nuclear Boy Scout
David Hahn was a kid who was really into science. So much that he built a nuclear reactor in his mother's potting shed. And it worked. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 22, 2024•41 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: Benin Bronzes
One of the world’s cultural treasure troves were created in West Africa. But for over a century they’ve been held in museums outside of Africa. In fact, an estimated 95 percent of Africa’s cultural heritage is kept in museums overseas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 21, 2024•15 min
Ray and Charles Eames: More than Chairs
Charles and Ray Eames were superstar designers who dreamed up some of the most iconic pieces of furniture ever made. And they did much more than that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 20, 2024•57 min
Selects: Geodesic Domes: The Wave of the Future That Wasn't
Sometimes a good idea doesn’t pan out in real life. Take Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome: It requires less energy to heat and cool, it’s cheap, and it’s durable enough to withstand a hurricane – but it’s also godawful ugly and that was its undoing. Learn more with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 17, 2024•50 min
Like, here's the episode on "like"
Like is a very divisive word. Purists think it's like, a filler word born in the 80s that's like, destroying the English language. Turns out none of these are like, true. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 15, 2024•39 min
Short Stuff: The Original Snake Oil Salesman
There’s a great origin story behind snake oil salesmen, and it has to do with just one guy who singlehandedly gave it a bad name. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 14, 2024•11 min
What Americans Ate When There Were No Food Laws
There was a brief period in America’s history – after people left the farm to work in the city and before the government started regulating it – when there was a total, lawless free-for-all in the food industry. Things were bad. Really, really bad. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 13, 2024•48 min
Selects: The Unabomber: Misguided to say the least
The Unabomber was one of the most notorious and longest lasting cases in the history of the FBI. Just because the manifesto reads like he was a fortune teller doesn't make his actions any less deplorable. Learn all about this fascinating case in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 10, 2024•45 min
What's the Pygmalion Effect?
Do teachers and managers give special treatment to those who they're told have great academic or professional promise? Does this create a self-fulfilling prophecy, regardless of the truth? That's just part of the fascinating Pygmalion Effect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 08, 2024•47 min
Short Stuff: School Bus Yellow
Why are all school buses the same color? Because one man made it so. This is that story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 07, 2024•12 min
Clue(do): Third Best Board Game Ever
Whether you know it as Clue or Cluedo, the whodunnit mystery board game is one of the best of all time. Learn all about the history behind the game’s development, and strategies on how to crush your fellow players as soundly as Chuck’s wife crushes him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 06, 2024•49 min
Selects: How Disgust Works
Disgust is an odd thing. It makes sense that we would feel a sense of revulsion at the thought of putting rotten meat in our mouths – that’s pure evolution. But why would we feel the same emotion at the thought of weird sex or from hearing a racist rant? Find out more in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 03, 2024•55 min
The History of Las Vegas
How did the sleepy Nevada town of Las Vegas become LAS VEGAS? Well, we'll let you know over the course of about 45 minutes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 01, 2024•50 min
Short Stuff: Wainscoting: When Half a Wall is Enough
Wainscoting is a beloved and time-tested decorative way to spruce up your walls. But what is it anyway? Listen in to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 31, 2024•12 min
The Harrowing Story of the North Hollywood Shootout
Tune in today to listen to the story of when North Hollywood became a war zone after a brazen bank robbery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 30, 2024•52 min
Selects: A List Of Games You Would Surely Lose to a Computer
We live in a time where computers can beat the best humans in the world at chess, checkers, poker and video games. But these games are really just demonstrations of how intelligent our machines are growing. They’re growing more intelligent by the hour. This classic episode features a special guest, Tech Stuff's Jonathan Strickland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 27, 2024•56 min
Esperanto: Tre Mojosa
One thing you could do is create your own language. Some people do and for lots of different reasons. LL Zamenhof created Esperanto to try to bring about world peace. It worked, but on a less-than-global scale. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 25, 2024•48 min
Short Stuff: Hot Cold Plunge
Jumping into a cold pool after a long sauna or hot tub can be pretty great. Saunas have proven health benefits like lowering blood pressure; cold plunges are shown to reduce inflammation. Why not combine them? A bunch of safety reasons, bucko, that’s why. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 24, 2024•14 min
The Strange Unsolved Murder of Ken McElroy
The murder of Ken McElroy comes off like a story from a cheap paperback book you’d get to read on a plane. But this is a true crime story, set in Missouri in the early 80s. And boy does it pack a punch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 23, 2024•46 min
Selects: Is yogurt a miracle food?
Yogurt has been touted as a health food, but is it? Maybe. If you eat it every day. We get into the rich and creamy history of this supposed miracle food in today's episode. Get an earful of the stuff in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 20, 2024•46 min
Jonestown
We all know what happened at Jonestown, but who was Jim Jones before the tragedy at the People's Temple? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 18, 2024•58 min
Short Stuff: Frozen Dead Guy
Back in 1994, Nederland, Colorado found out it had a resident it hadn’t accounted for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 17, 2024•13 min
Dry Cleaning: Not Really Dry(!)
Dry cleaning is one of those things that we’re all familiar with but don’t actually know much about. That will hold true no more! Learn about all the ins and outs of the dry cleaning biz, some of its toxic secrets, and some spot removal tips too! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 16, 2024•52 min
Selects: History's Greatest Traitors
The annals of history hold a special place for people who have carried out treachery and betrayed their own. Thousands of years later, their names are still synonymous with being a scoundrel around the world. From Marcus Brutus to Vidkun Quisling and more, in this classic episode Josh and Chuck examine some of the bigger turncoats to live -- and exonerate others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 13, 2024•44 min
How Cranes Work
You’ve probably seen cranes moving elegantly in the sky, but did you know what an important role they play in their surroundings? Learn all about cranes in this episode on cranes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 11, 2024•51 min
Short Stuff: NYT Bestseller List
What kind of black magic goes into deciding who makes the NYT Bestseller List? Well you probably don't know the whole story unless you work there. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 10, 2024•14 min
Kenton Grua: Grand Canyon Legend
Tune in today to listen to the amazing story of Colorado River guide Kenton Grua's wild 277 mile record-breaking speed run down the center of the Grand Canyon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 09, 2024•51 min
Selects: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Seuss is loose in this episode about legendary children's book author Ted Geisel. The funny thing is, he didn't ever want children of his own, and his past work was a bit problematic. Explore his entire legacy in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 06, 2024•52 min
The 2000 Presidential Election: A Real Cluster
When George W Bush and Al Gore ran against one another, most pundits predicted a tight race. Absolutely zero of them predicted the election would come down to a few hundred votes. Today, we still don’t know who won. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 04, 2024•53 min
Short Stuff: Blueprints
The story of why blueprints were blue is more involved than you think. It involves a chemical process and the Prussian Army. Yeah you heard me right. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 03, 2024•12 min