The History of Refrigeration
Keeping things cold with electricity changed the world as we know it. In more ways than you might expect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 11, 2025•53 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
Selects: Robber Barons!
The robber barons were not a group of evil super villains. OR WERE THEY? Learn all about these titans of industry from the Gilded Age in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 08, 2025•1 hr 3 min
The Tragedy of the Commons
Since it was introduced in the 60s, the Tragedy of the Commons, the idea that humans will inevitably ruin any resource we all share, has had sweeping effects on government and public attitudes on who owns the environment. Problem is, it was fictitious. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 06, 2025•50 min
Short Stuff: The Death of Charles Morgan
One of the lesser-known cases of American true crime is also a very sad one. Meet Charles Morgan, a man who got in over his head with organized crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 05, 2025•17 min
The Catacombs of Paris
Beneath Paris lies the bones of more than 6 million people. And you can walk among them for 31 euros. These are the Paris catacombs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 04, 2025•47 min
Selects: How Itching Works
It was only in the last few decades that science became aware that itches aren't just low-level pain. And in that time, the mystery of how we itch and why we scratch has gotten even more baffling. Explore the mystery with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 01, 2025•45 min
10ish Instances of People Doing Things Out Of Spite
You want payback don’t you? Sure, we all do. We all want it so bad. So bad. Sometimes people do things to get payback against someone who’s wronged them and sometimes those things they do are memorable and monumental. We commemorate some here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 30, 2025•43 min
Short Stuff: The Guinness Widget
Guiness beer is famous for its smooth and creamy texture, thanks in part to nitrogen, and also a simplistically brilliant little device called the Guinness widget. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 29, 2025•16 min
The Gullibility Episode
Being gullible is a weird thing. But are you born with it? Is it learned? Can you be trusting and not gullible? Listen in to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 28, 2025•49 min
Selects: 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 in this classic episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 25, 2025•49 min
How Automats Worked
Once upon a time no visit to New York was complete without eating at an automat. Putting a nickel in a slot and pulling your own ham sandwich from a lit glass case thrilled people to no end. Eventually the novelty wore off and automats faded into history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 23, 2025•48 min
Short Stuff: The Best Episode Since Sliced Bread
Bread is about 30,000 years old. Sliced bread is less than 100. What gives? Listen in to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 22, 2025•15 min
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, 2025•51 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, 2025•47 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, 2025•51 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, 2025•11 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, 2025•50 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, 2025•53 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, 2025•44 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, 2025•16 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, 2025•44 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, 2025•44 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, 2025•50 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, 2025•9 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, 2024•53 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, 2024•56 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, 2024•43 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, 2024•13 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, 2024•52 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, 2024•44 min