This episode delves into the fascinating world of child prodigies, differentiating them from geniuses and exploring their unique characteristics. It examines the interplay of nature and nurture, brain function, and the critical role parents play in their development. The hosts also discuss the challenges and outcomes for prodigies once they transition into adulthood.
The food we eat – especially the junk food – is a highly engineered technical marvel that’s designed to make you want nothing other than more! more! more! Learn about how food scientists make that possible by hijacking our brains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Discover the intricate history of cigarettes, from their accidental birth in 16th-century Spain to becoming a globally mass-produced and engineered product. This episode examines how wars, ingenious marketing, and deliberate design made cigarettes profoundly addictive and ubiquitous. It also explores the eventual public health awakening that led to their decline and ongoing debates about targeted marketing and product variants like menthols.
The Church of the SubGenius is a religion, but really a parody of religion. Learn all about this group of weirdo outsiders in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
He’s been called the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb and a real-life Bond villain and depending on where you’re from, he’s a national hero or was the world’s most dangerous arms dealer - who made a career of selling his knowledge of nuclear weapons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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We have boycotts coming out of our ears these days, but did you know they go back a couple centuries? And that it’s named after the first poor sap to be boycotted? We follow the history of boycotts up today’s boycott superstars and ask how well they work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Explore the true essence of Stoicism, a philosophy often misunderstood, that emphasizes emotional control, rational living, and embracing adversity as an opportunity for personal growth. Delve into its ancient Greek origins, key figures like Zeno and Epictetus, and its lasting impact on Western thought, influencing everything from economic theories to modern therapy. The hosts discuss its practical applications, broad appeal across belief systems, and address common criticisms, offering a comprehensive look at how this timeless wisdom can apply to contemporary life.
This episode delves into the fascinating history of alchemy, dispelling myths of greedy charlatans to reveal its deeper, often noble, aspirations like curing disease and poverty. It traces alchemy's global origins from ancient Egypt, China, and India, highlighting its evolution through Greco-Egyptian and Arabic traditions before its spread to Europe. The discussion covers key figures like Zosimos, Paracelsus, and even Isaac Newton, demonstrating how alchemists' experimental methods laid the crucial groundwork for modern science, including chemistry and pharmacology.
This episode delves into the fascinating world of Bengal cats, a striking hybrid breed combining domestic cats with the wild Asian leopard cat. It explores their unique physical traits, energetic temperament, and the controversial history of their development by scientists and breeders. The discussion also highlights the significant challenges and ethical considerations involved in owning these demanding, yet beautiful, animals.
One of the most bizarre stories to emerge from the cult radio show Coast to Coast AM – and that’s really saying something – isn’t about UFOs or bigfoot, but a mysterious hole in the ground with some very unusual properties. Top that, History Channel! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Child labor is no laughing matter. Even though we've taken care of it in the USA (mostly), it's still an issue around the globe. Listen to this classic episode and learn! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Before Facebook and MySpace, before even Friendster, there was SixDegrees. Dive in today to learn about the first social media site, that was a few years too early. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dive into the history of the 8-track cartridge, the mobile music format that bridged the gap between vinyl and cassettes. Explore its surprising origins, how it worked with its continuous loop and track switching, and why it gained popularity, particularly with Ford cars. Discover the downsides that led to its decline and eventual replacement by the cassette tape, touching on modern collecting and nostalgia for this bygone audio medium.
Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the most famous fictional character in the world, and for good reason. More than a hundred years on, Arthur Conan Doyle’s 60 Holmes stories are still in print and he is the most portrayed human literary character in history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Coelacanths are incredibly interesting as far as fish go. For one, they were thought to have gone the way of the dinosaur, along with the dinosaur. They also give birth to live fish and tend to dwell more than 800 feet below the ocean's surface. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Learn all about these fascinating creatures in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
USAID has saved tens of millions of lives across the globe since its inception. But those days are over. Learn all about this soon-to-be-gone program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There was a time – a glorious time – when you could turn the dial in any city in the US and hear popular songs rearranged to be the most pleasant version of themselves. This was the Beautiful Music format and we are spiritually poorer for having lost it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sadly, Phil Hartman may be best remembered for being murdered in his sleep by his wife. This episode covers that, but mostly aims to stoke the memories of the legendary talent's life and work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tin Pan Alley was an area of New York around the beginning of the 20th Century that served as ground zero for the earliest iterations of the music publishing industry. Learn all about this unique place and time in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
James Bond, the most infamous secret agent ever to grace the silver screen, originated in the pages of British author Ian Fleming's novels. Amateur agents Josh and Chuck uncover all sorts of Bond trivia in this action-packed episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There have been many inventions that have advanced filmmaking, but maybe none as important as the steadicam. Invented in the mid-70s, it literally changed the way movie making happened, and made the impossible possible. Learn about the fascinating history behind this amazing technology today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You may be surprised to learn those ubiquitous ratings, from G to NC-17, put on movies in America are actually handed down by anonymous employees of a secretive organization that serves as a lobbying firm for Hollywood's six biggest studios. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Once in a while a movie comes along that's so forward-thinking it changes the way that horror is done. A new subgenre is spawned, new tropes are established, and audiences are more terrified than ever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Special effects have been around since the first movies. In fact, the techniques the earliest filmmakers created are still around today, we just use computers to do them faster and cheaper. Put on your beret and get ready for SYSK film class. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An estimated 50,000 films were made worldwide in 2009 alone. Many are surely clunkers, but in this episode Chuck and Josh talk about the ones that emerged throughout cinema history to change the course of all movies that followed. Get your popcorn and lean back while you enjoy this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
They get blown up, shot, drowned and thrown out of windows on the silver screen - and we don't even know their names. Stuntpeople are the unsung heroes of the movie industry. Learn the ins and outs of the stunt world and how one becomes a stunt person. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In today's SYSK Select episode, we learn about exploitation films. During the 1930s-80s, the work of directors operating in the shadows of Hollywood led to explorations in sexuality and violence that mainstream cinema wouldn't touch. Join Chuck and Josh as they explore the seedy underbelly of grindhouse flicks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In 2018, director Spike Lee brought the story of Ron Stallworth to the big screen to great effect. Today, Josh and Chuck discuss the true story behind the Oscar nominated film. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Titicut Follies is a documentary made famous by its banning. But why was it banned? And what was it even about? Listen in to learn all you need to know about this infamous doc. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
