The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week - podcast cover

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Popular Sciencewww.popsci.com
At Popular Science, we report and write dozens of science and tech stories every week. And while a lot of the fun facts we stumble across make it into our articles, there are lots of other weird facts that we just keep around the office. So we figured, why not share those with you? Welcome to The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week. For advertising opportunities please email [email protected]   We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4  Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/us/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

Episodes

The Secret to Perfect Sleep, Naked Mole Rat Royalty, Baby Shark (do do do do do do) Puke

In the first half of our live show on June 14th, the weirdest things we learned range from the bloody path to becoming a naked mole rat queen to a tiger shark vomiting feathers onto the deck of a boat. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twit...

Jun 26, 201935 minSeason 2Ep. 20

Magical Pee, a Feline Telephone, an Infuriating Math Problem

The weirdest things we learned this week range from reading pee bubbles to discern one's future, to turning a living, breathing cat into a functional telephone. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/Rache...

Jun 19, 201944 minSeason 2Ep. 19

Labor-Inducing Salad, White Hair Overnight, Coyotes Vs. Cats

The weirdest things we learned this week range from a salad that makes pregnant people have their babies to hair going white overnight. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Click here to buy tickets for Weirdest Thing Live on June 14th! Follow our team on Twitte...

Jun 12, 201936 minSeason 2Ep. 18

Wendy Zukerman talks werewolf tomatoes, overdosing on placebos, and snapping necks

Wendy Zukerman from Gimlet's Science Vs. joins Weirdest Thing this week. The weirdest things we learned range from a man falling unconscious after taking too many placebo pills, to why the tomato's latin name means "wolf peach." Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stori...

Jun 05, 201942 minSeason 2Ep. 17

Bill Nye talks killer clowns, mermaids, pigeon poo, and deadly bicycles

Bill Nye joins Rachel, Claire, and Eleanor on the show this week. Facts range from how pigeon poop led to the verification of the big bang to why your brain ignores gorillas and killer clowns lurking right in front of you. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Cl...

May 29, 201953 minSeason 2Ep. 16

A very weird guest host is coming to Weirdest Thing!

Something very weird is happening at Weirdest Thing... Some science guy is coming on to be a guest host! Check out this teaser to get the scoop. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Click here to buy tickets for Weirdest Thing Live on June 14th! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Eleanor Cum...

May 24, 20194 min

Historical Sex Toys, Killer Trains, Charles Fricken Dickens

This week, we've got the first-ever voice messages episode of Weirdest Thing! We listen and react to extra weird, listener-provided facts that range from a dildo machine for nuns to a chicken named Mike who lived for 18 months without a head. It's always great to hear from you all—to submit your own fact, download the Anchor podcast app on Apple or Google Play, and look up our show, The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week. Click the voice message button, introduce yourself, maybe tell us where yo...

May 10, 201920 min

Here's your chance to be on Weirdest Thing!

Want to star in an episode of Weirdest Thing? Now’s your chance! We want to hear your weirdest science, tech, health and engineering facts so we can share the absolute weirdest of the bunch with the rest of our listeners. All you have to do is download the Anchor podcasting app on Apple or Google Play, and look up The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week. Then, click the voice message button. Introduce yourself, if you feel like it, and maybe tell us where you’re from. Record up to a minute of gab...

May 02, 20193 min

Fetish Origins, the Big Oyster, the Most Luxurious Fruit

The weirdest things we learned this week range from preferring to have sex on a carnival velcro wall to eating a banana in tin foil with a knife and fork. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Click here to buy tickets for Weirdest Thing Live on June 14th! Follow...

Apr 24, 201936 minSeason 2Ep. 15

Animal Prostitution, Pavlovian Pee Responses, Painful Ginger Genes

The weirdest things we learned this week range from monkeys selling sex to a physiological explanation of peeing involving bagpipes. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Jason Lederman: www...

Apr 17, 201934 minSeason 2Ep. 14

Man-Eating Deer, History’s Top Counterfeiters, a 12-Foot-Tall Bird

The weirdest things we learned this week range from an absolutely enormous bird from New Zealand to deer with a taste for human flesh. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Sara Chodosh: www...

Apr 10, 201938 minSeason 2Ep. 13

Falcon Sex Hats, #HumanBones, Sleepy Muscle Twitches

The weirdest things we learned this week range from a hat made for romancing falcons to a booming bone trade on Instagram. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Sara Chodosh: www.twitter.com...

Apr 03, 201934 minSeason 2Ep. 12

Disney’s Military Tech, DIY Mummies, Forgotten Female Scientists

The weirdest things we learned this week range from monks that who themselves into mummies to the tech transfer between the military and Disneyland. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Cor...

Mar 27, 201937 minSeason 2Ep. 11

Asses on Trial, The Brown Dog Riots, An Apple a Day…

The weirdest things we learned this week range from animals being put on trial to the origins of the phrase "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Clai...

Mar 20, 201936 minSeason 2Ep. 10

Poodle Science, The Great Pigeon Race Disaster, Artificial Hips

The weirdest things we learned this week range from the science of the poodle haircuts to the most dangerous pigeon race in history. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Eleanor Cummins: ww...

Mar 13, 201932 minSeason 2Ep. 8

Astronaut Farts, Deadly Dancing Plagues, A Shocking Art Scam

The weirdest things we learned this week range from NASA's fears of fart-induced explosions to groups of people who died from dancing. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Eleanor Cummins: ...

Mar 06, 201929 minSeason 2Ep. 9

Naked Founding Fathers, Jalapeño Thumb, Counting Vampires

The weirdest things we learned this week range from founding fathers of the USA who liked being nude to a condition called Jalapeño Thumb (aka "Hot Pepper Hands") and how to cure it. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman:...

Feb 27, 201938 minSeason 2Ep. 7

The Most Man-Eating Tiger, Historical Balloon Riots, Baseball’s Curses

The weirdest things we learned this week range from a tiger that ate more than 600 people over seven years to not one, not two, but three historical hot air balloon riots. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitte...

Feb 20, 201930 minSeason 2Ep. 6

Sideshow Babies, Strange Sneezes, Rust for the Rust God

The weirdest things we learned this week range from premature babies displayed as a sideshow exhibit to people who sneeze after eating a big meal. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Elean...

Feb 13, 201933 minSeason 2Ep. 5

Biting Cow Lips, Death by Molasses, Shopping for a New Finger

The weirdest things we learned this week range from a 30-foot-tall molasses wave to the man who invented "bulldogging" in rodeos. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Eleanor Cummins: www.t...

Feb 06, 201930 minSeason 2Ep. 4

Ladies Dueling Topless, Eating Every Animal, Birth via Pseudopenis

The weirdest things we learned this week range from stripping during duels to stay alive to a man who wanted to eat every animal (for science). Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? Get your tickets to our live show here! The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Learn more about all of our stories: https://www.popsci.com/weird Follow our team on Twitter...

Jan 30, 201933 minSeason 2Ep. 3

The Sweetest Butts, Flaming Birds, The U.S. vs. 40 Barrels and 20 Kegs of Coca-Cola

The weirdest things we learned this week range from the sweetest smelling butts to birds that were used as candles. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us on social media: www.facebook.com/groups/theweirdestthing www.twitter.com/weirdest_thing #weirdestthingpod Learn more about all of our stories: https://www.popsci.com/weird Follow our team on Twitte...

Jan 23, 201933 minSeason 2Ep. 2

The Deadliest Surgery Ever, Severed Foot Epidemic, Toe-Touching Athletes

On season 2 premiere of Weirdest Thing, the weirdest things we learned this week range from dozens of severed feet that wash up in the Pacific Northwest to an operation on one person that killed three people. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us on social media: www.facebook.com/groups/theweirdestthing www.twitter.com/weirdest_thing #weirdestthingpo...

Jan 16, 201935 minSeason 2Ep. 1

Torturous Treadmills, Champagne and Balls, History's Calendars

On the this special New Year's episode, the weirdest things we learned this week range from the origins of treadmills (your New Year's resolution) to the origin of the sparkling wine and the New Year's ball to the origin of the modern calendars. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us on social media: www.facebook.com/groups/theweirdestthing www.twitte...

Dec 25, 201833 minSeason 1Ep. 27

The Weirdest Things We Learned in Season 1

We learned a lot of weird facts in season 1 of this show. Rachel and long-suffering producer Jason reflect on the first 25 episodes of The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week and go through the data to figure out the weirdest things we learned, what types of stories win most often, and who taught us the most weird things. Plus, we answer your questions from social media! The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us on Twitte...

Dec 05, 201835 minSeason 1Ep. 26

Halloween Spooktacular 2018 (Season 1 Finale)

On the season 1 finale of "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week," four of our original hosts jump behind the mic to share their spookiest facts, in honor of Halloween. The weirdest things we learned this week range from fetuses that turn to stone to a newt that sticks its ribs through its body to defend itself from predators. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and ...

Oct 31, 201841 minSeason 1Ep. 25

Glowing Civil War Wounds, Bubble Wrap's Origins, Historic Font Disputes

The weirdest things we learned this week range from the origins of bubble wrap to Civil War soldiers whose wounds glowed in the dark. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weirdest_thing #weirdestthingpod Follow our team on Twitter Eleanor Cummins: www.twitter.com/elliepses Jason Lederman: www.twitter.com/Lederman Sophie B...

Oct 24, 201830 minSeason 1Ep. 24

Taxidermy's Dark Secret, Woman "Births" Rabbits, The Parthenon's Optical Illusion

The weirdest things we learned this week range from a piece of taxidermy with a dark secret to a woman who claimed to give birth to rabbits. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weirdest_thing #weirdestthingpod Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Claire Maldarelli: www.twitter.com/cama...

Oct 17, 201835 minSeason 1Ep. 23

Vanishing Twins, The Poison Squad, Levitating Frogs

The weirdest things we learned this week range from levitating a frog with electromagnets to the idea that absorbing a twin in utero gives you superpowers. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weirdest_thing #weirdestthingpod Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman Eleanor Cummins: www.twi...

Oct 10, 201841 minSeason 1Ep. 22

The Economy of "Frozen," Hopping Space Robots, Animals on Drugs

The weirdest things we learned this week range from the science and economics of the kingdom in the movie "Frozen" to the most (and least) wholesome scientific studies of animals on drugs. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weirdest_thing #weirdestthingpod Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/Rache...

Oct 03, 201841 minSeason 1Ep. 21
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