Stuff You Should Know - podcast cover

Stuff You Should Know

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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

The Ballad of High Times Magazine

Whether you’re 20.5 or 50, if you love pot then High Times was the magazine for you. With ton of photos of marijuana, tips for how to grow it yourself, and other illegal stuff, High Times hung in there long enough to go from outlaw to mainstream. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 21, 202551 min

Selects: How Foreign Accent Syndrome Works

Foreign accent syndrome isn't when your mom talks funny when she goes abroad. It's an actual condition where people wake up one day with an entirely different accent, usually from some kind of head trauma. Learn all about this decidedly rare affliction in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 18, 202547 min

The Barkley Marathons

Every Spring in northeastern Tennessee, roughly 40 people compete in a marathon they are very unlikely to finish. This is the Barkley Marathons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 16, 202551 min

Short Stuff: Bourgeoisie

Bourgeoisie is more than a word. It means something different depending on when and where it's being used. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 15, 202511 min

WWII Sabotage Spotlight: Operation Gunnerside

During WWII a perfectly-executed sabotage operation by British Special Operations and the Norwegian Resistance put a dent in the Nazi’s quest for an atomic bomb. Today, it’s unclear how effective it really was, but it’s still a heckuva story! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 14, 202550 min

Selects: How Mindfulness Works

What has become a buzz word for corporate retreats and a way to get a discount on your health insurance is, at its core, a powerful, centuries-old Buddhist method of moving through life and dealing with the suffering that inevitably comes along with it. Learn all about it in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 11, 202553 min

The Mysterious Story of Larry Bader

Larry Bader disappeared in 1957 and reappeared a few days later with a new identity. Was it a brain injury or a scam? To this day, nobody knows. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 09, 202544 min

Short Stuff: The Mad Trapper of Rat River

Join us today to learn the story of The Mad Trapper of Rat River, Canada's largest and most intense manhunt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 08, 202516 min

GONG: The Chuck Barris Story

Chuck Barris was a TV visionary, developing shows in the 70s that were decades ahead of their time. But was he also a covert assassin for the CIA? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 07, 202544 min

Selects: The Quinoa Revolution!

Quinoa is a trendy food, right alongside kale and anything else farm to table. But it's really an ancient grain. Although it's not exactly a grain at all. Technically it's a pseudo-cereal. But it is tasty and nutritious, a true superfood. Learn all about the food with the funny name in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 04, 202544 min

How Saturn Works

Saturn is the fanciest planet thanks to its prominent rings, cocked jauntily to the side. But this showy gem of the solar system has a lot of substance in addition to a great sense of style. Learn what makes Saturn so interesting in this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 02, 202550 min

Short Stuff: Watch Night

Watch Night has been observed on New Year’s Eve by African-American Methodists in the US since 1862, to mark the passage of the Emancipation Act. But this religious holiday goes back even farther in history, with even more layers of meaning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 01, 20259 min

The Filthy Magic of Studio 54

Studio 54 was a nightclub, but really much more than that. It became a symbol of the times as much as anything else in the 1970s. Strap on your platform heels and get down. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 31, 202453 min

Selects: The Three Christs of Ypsilanti Experiment

In the early 1960s, one of the most unethical experiments in psychology’s history was quietly conducted in a state hospital in Michigan. It sought to upend the delusions of the three patients involved, but ultimately disabused the experimenter of his own. Tune in to this classic episode to hear Josh and Chuck explore this disturbing project. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 28, 202456 min

Forensic Dentistry

We've all heard it - local news reports identifying a body from dental records. But how does this work? Well, that's our job! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 26, 202443 min

Short Stuff: Captain Santa

Herman Scheunemann wasn’t the only captain carrying Christmas trees across Lake Michigan to Chicago at the turn of the last century, but he was the most beloved. Which makes this episode even sadder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 25, 202413 min

The 2024 SYSK Christmas Extravaganza!

Welcome to the end of 2024 and our annual Christmas Extravaganza episode, brought to you ad-free for you listening pleasure. Please pour a hot toddy and enjoy around the fir tree of your choosing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 23, 202452 min

Selects: Frances Perkins: Influential and Unknown

Frances Perkins was an incredibly influential American yet is virtually unknown. What did she do? A lot! For instance, Social Security was her brainchild. And that's just the tip of the old iceberg. Explore her legacy with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 21, 202444 min

The Trivial Pursuit Trivia Edition

For our annual pre-Holiday-Special-holiday-episode-about-a-holiday-toy we are jumping into one of the greatest games of all time, Trivial Pursuit (and we’re not just saying that because there’s an SYSK edition). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 19, 202450 min

Short Stuff: Feed A Cold, Starve a Fever

You know that old adage that you should feed a cold but starve a fever? It’s an ancient idea and what’s surprising is that it’s kind of correct. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 18, 202411 min

Taylorism: Work Faster!

If you’ve ever lost your job thanks to a management consultant coming through your company or been timed for how fast you work, you can thank Frederick Winslow Taylor, the father of scientific management. If that field sounds made up that’s because it is. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 17, 202448 min

Selects: The Texas City Disaster of 1947

In 1947 the port town of Texas City, Texas became the site of the largest industrial disaster in American history. An enormous explosion blew ships out of the water, created a tidal wave that flooded the town, and killed hundreds of people instantly. Find out all about it in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 14, 202441 min

Tugboats: Pushing Their Way Around Since 1803

Tugboats are amazing because they do the dirty work without much recognition. Well that's changing today - ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY TUG! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 12, 202450 min

Short Stuff: Joro Spiders

These invasive spiders are everywhere these days. But how did they get to the USA and are they harmful? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 11, 202412 min

Ba-Gawk! How Peacocks Work

If you’ve ever wanted to know why peacocks have such amazing feathers, why they’re not all called peacocks, and plenty of other neat stuff about peacocks, then perhaps this episode on peacocks is for you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 10, 202441 min

Selects: How The Pill Changed the World

When the birth control pill hit the market in 1960 it landed like a social bomb. Almost overnight, women gained the ability to separate sex from pregnancy and everything from feminism to patients’ rights centered on it. Find out all about its history in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 07, 202444 min

The Ruby Ridge Standoff

The Ruby Ridge standoff still lingers after more than 30 years. But who was at fault for the lives lost? Listen in today to learn all about this dark spot in American history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 05, 202451 min

Short Stuff: Franca Viola

One of the world’s unsung heroes – at least outside of Italy – is a brave woman who stood up to an insidious and longstanding custom and made her country a better place for it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 04, 202413 min

Solipsism: This Is All In My Mind?

As the philosophical holds, there’s a chance you don’t exist, that not only you, but this episode, the podcast, and the entire universe are only projections of Josh or Chuck’s mind. If so, then recording this episode was a waste of time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 03, 202436 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.

Nov 30, 202455 min
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