The tradition of sending cards to loved ones was in decline — until it was rescued by a new generation. But millennials have their own ideas about what sentiments they want to convey. Zachary Crockett is thinking of you on your special day. SOURCES: Mia Mercado , writer and former editor at Hallmark. George White , president of Up With Paper and former president of the American Greeting Card Association. RESOURCES: 34th Louie Awards - Finalists & Winners , (2022-2023). " Season’s (and Other...) ...
Dec 18, 2023•16 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast How does the blood of a 450-million-year-old arthropod help prevent lethal infections in humans? And could we exhaust the supply? Zachary Crockett wades in. SOURCE: Dina Fine Maron , senior wildlife crime investigative reporter at National Geographic. RESOURCES: " When the Horseshoe Crabs Are Gone, We’ll Be in Trouble ," by Deborah Cramer ( The New York Times, 2023). " Horseshoe Crab Blood Is Vital to Modern Medicine. A New Lab-Made Alternative Could Save the Species ," by Kristoffer Whitney, Jo...
Dec 11, 2023•14 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast How did love stories about vampires, cowboys, and wealthy dukes become the highest-grossing fiction genre in the world? Zachary Crockett gets swept away. SOURCES: Delaney Diamond , romance novelist. Danielle Flores , high school math teacher and avid romance novel reader. Brenda Hiatt , romance novelist. Diane Moggy , vice president of editorial at Harlequin. RESOURCES: " Even as Overall Book Sales Are Declining, Romance Novels Are on the Rise ," by Elena Burnett, Sarah Handel, and Juana Summers...
Dec 04, 2023•19 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Can a hit single from four decades ago still pay the bills? Zachary Crockett f-f-f-finds out. RESOURCES: " The Knack Sue Run-DMC Over 'It’s Tricky' Riff ," ( Rolling Stone, 2006). Clip of "My Sharona" in the film Reality Bites (1994). " The Knack: Where Are They Now? " by David Fricke ( Rolling Stone, 1986). " Top Singles of the Year ," ( Billboard, 1979). " My Bologna ," by Weird Al Yankovic (1979). " My Sharona ," by The Knack (1979). EXTRAS: " What’s Wrong with Being a One-Hit Wonder? " by Fr...
Nov 27, 2023•17 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Is graffiti public art, or public nuisance? It depends who you ask. Zachary Crockett tags in where it all started. RESOURCES: " Philadelphia Graffiti Pier: A Love Letter to the City’s Underground Arts ," by Honora Feinberg ( Guide to Philly, 2023). " USA TODAY Names Philadelphia 'Best City for Street Art ,'" ( Visit Philadelphia, 2023). " Cornbread, the First Graffiti Artist, Shows New Work at Philadelphia Gallery ," by Peter Crimmins ( WHYY, 2019). " Porch Light Program: Final Evaluation Report...
Nov 20, 2023•14 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Executives shell out millions of dollars for the privilege of flying private — but that convenience comes at a steep cost to the rest of us. Zachary Crockett prepares for takeoff. RESOURCES: " High Flyers 2023: How Ultra-Rich Private Jet Travel Costs the Rest of Us and Burns Up the Planet ," by Chuck Collins, Omar Ocampo, and Kalena Thomhave (joint report by The Patriotic Millionaires and the Institute for Policy Studies, 2023). " French Green MPs Want to Ban Private Jet Flights, to 'Bring the R...
Nov 13, 2023•18 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads? Zachary Crockett cracks open the story. RESOURCES: " Almond Acreage Decline Prompts Industry Introspection ," by Mitch Lies ( West Coast Nut, 2023). American Pistachio Industry 2021 Annual Report , by American Pistachio Growers (2023). " California’s Agricultural Water Policies Are Nuts ," by Douglas R. Noble ( The Gainesville Sun, 2021). " Amid Drought, Billionaires Control a Critical California...
Nov 06, 2023•16 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast In the final part of our series, Zachary Crockett talks to a man with a storied — and controversial — career in the body parts business. RESOURCES " Inside the Largely Unregulated Market for Bodies Donated to Science: 'It's Harder to Sell Hot Dogs on a Cart ,'" by Justin Sherman ( CBS News, 2023). " Bilirakis, Fletcher, Murphy and Tillis Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Stop Brokering of Body Parts, Preserve Integrity of Organ Donation Process ," press release by the office of Congressman...
Oct 30, 2023•16 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast In the first of two episodes, Zachary Crockett digs into the strange and discomfiting history of cadavers, and the industry that has emerged around them. RESOURCES: " From Grave Robbing to Giving Your Own Body to Science – A Short History of Where Medical Schools Get Cadavers ," by Susan Lawrence and Susan E. Lederer ( The Conversation, 2023). " Box of Human Heads Stolen From Truck in Denver ," by Carly Moore ( FOX4, 2022). " A Body Donated to Science - but Used to Test Bombs ," by Rozina Sini (...
Oct 23, 2023•18 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the hood. RESOURCES: " Private Equity Wants to Wash Your Car ," by Miriam Gottfried ( The Wall Street Journal, 2022). " California Labor Commissioner Recovers $282,000 for Car Wash Wage Citations ," State of California Department of Industrial Relations News Release (2022). " Sgt. Clean’s Future Shines Bright Thanks to Subscription Model, Strong Reputation ," by Vince Guerrier...
Oct 16, 2023•17 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast More people than ever before are getting tattoos — but social media has flipped the trade’s business model on its head. Zachary Crockett dips into the ink. RESOURCES: " 32% of Americans Have a Tattoo, Including 22% Who Have More Than One ," by Katherine Schaeffer and Shradha Dinesh ( Pew Research Center, 2023). " Tattoo Removal Business Draws Up High-Growth Potential ," by Tim Clark ( Forbes, 2023). " The Secret, Chronic Pain of Tattoo Artists ," by Devon Abelman ( Allure, 2020). The Other End o...
Oct 09, 2023•17 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast There’s more than meets the eye to the box that stores the pie. Zachary Crockett cracks the lid. RESOURCES " Who Is the Fastest Pizza Box Folder?! World Pizza Games 2021 ," video by The Laughing Lion (2021). " Pizza Box Contamination Doesn’t Impede Recyclability, Association Says ," by Megan Smalley ( Recycling Today, 2020). " Scott's Pizza Chronicles: A Brief History of the Pizza Box ," by Scott Wiener ( Serious Eats, 2018). " Apple Patented a Pizza Box, for Pizzas ," by Jacob Kastrenakes ( The...
Oct 02, 2023•15 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Hotel guests adore those cute little soaps, but is it just a one-night stand? Zachary Crockett discovers what happens when we love ’em and leave ’em.
Sep 25, 2023•16 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Crockett follows the trail.
Sep 18, 2023•19 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast It takes fungi-sniffing dogs, back-room deals, and a guy named “The Kingpin” for the world’s most coveted morsel to end up on your plate. Zachary Crockett picks up the scent.
Sep 11, 2023•18 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Who makes the stacks of fake cash used in movies — and how do they stay clear of counterfeit law? Zachary Crockett follows the money.
Sep 04, 2023•19 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain.
Aug 28, 2023•20 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast How does America's cutest sales force get billions of Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs into our hands every year? Zachary Crockett digs in.
Aug 21, 2023•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast The most popular song of the 20th century — and a key part of a ubiquitous American ritual — was also the subject of a years-long legal battle. Zachary Crockett blows out the candles.
Aug 14, 2023•12 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Does anyone ever win the giant teddy bear? Zachary Crockett steps right up.
Aug 07, 2023•17 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Most sports bars rarely screen women's games. Zachary Crockett taps into the strategy of one woman who changed the channel.
Jul 31, 2023•16 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Once a luxury good, the soft fiber is now everywhere — which has led to a goat boom in Mongolia. Zachary Crockett tugs at the thread.
Jul 24, 2023•15 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Only the finest restaurants have a chance to bask in their glow. Sometimes, it’s a bit too bright. Zachary Crockett squints at the menu.
Jul 17, 2023•17 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Once America’s favorite recreational activity, bowling has been in the gutter for decades. But some surviving alleys are resetting the pins. Zachary Crockett laces up.
Jul 10, 2023•16 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Vanity plates might be 2KUL4U, but in the Blue Hen State, low-digit plates command high-digit prices. Zachary Crockett sums up a big market in a small state.
Jul 03, 2023•13 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast One creature’s trash is another’s cash. Zachary Crockett flushes out the numbers with a man who found profit in pee.
Jun 26, 2023•12 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast How do they emerge from the Upper Cretaceous period to end up in natural-history museums and private collections? Zachary Crockett digs for answers.
Jun 19, 2023•18 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast We’re not sure what that creature cavorting on the sidelines is — but it doesn’t come cheap. Zachary Crockett gets the ballpark figures on everyone’s favorite ballpark figures.
Jun 12, 2023•14 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Hotel guests adore those cute little soaps, but is it just a one-night stand? Zachary Crockett discovers what happens when we love ’em and leave ’em.
Feb 13, 2023•16 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Can a hit single from four decades ago still pay the bills? Zachary Crockett f-f-f-finds out.
Feb 06, 2023•17 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 
