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.
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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Selects: How Droughts Work
Droughts can be an inevitable feature of a local climate or a catastrophic result of human meddling. In this classic episode, learn the ins and outs of droughts including the American mother of them all, the Dust Bowl.
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06 Aug 2022
51 MINS
51:39
06 Aug 2022
Thrill to the Stunning Bicameral Mind Hypothesis
Psychologist Julian Jaynes came up with a stunning hypothesis in 1976, that human consciousness only developed in the last 3000 years. And he seemed to have proof in ancient texts. Scholars have been picking it apart ever since and today we join the club.
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04 Aug 2022
49 MINS
49:46
04 Aug 2022
Selects: Some Movies That Changed Filmmaking
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.
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30 Jul 2022
57 MINS
57:08
30 Jul 2022
How Menstruation Works
Two dudes talking about menstruation? You bet! And there’s no way you could be any more nervous to listen than we were to record it. But give it a listen, we think you’ll find it enlightening – whether you menstruate or not.
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28 Jul 2022
57 MINS
57:38
28 Jul 2022
Short Stuff: The Mars Rock with Signs of Life?
In 1996, real-deal NASA scientists announced they had discovered signs of ancient microbial life in a rock that had broken off Mars and landed on Antarctica. The news set off a controversy still going today. Do we already have proof of alien life?
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27 Jul 2022
15 MINS
15:08
27 Jul 2022
Where Did Human Intelligence Come From?
We humans are smart, to be sure, but if we’re so smart then how come we can’t figure how we got so smart in the first place? Think about that! We sure did and we go over some theories in this super interesting episode.
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26 Jul 2022
46 MINS
46:08
26 Jul 2022
Selects: What's the misery index?
Economists love their data because somewhere in the numbers lies the answer to the ills of the country. They also love to frame data in a way people can relate to. Such is the case with the famous "misery index." Learn all about it in this classic episode.
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23 Jul 2022
44 MINS
44:50
23 Jul 2022
Googie: The Architecture of the Space Age
You may not have heard of it, but you’ve definitely seen it before – 50s buildings with bright, loud colors, roofs at crazy angles, and space-age shapes like starbursts. It turns out that Googie architecture is as fun to look at as it is to say.
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21 Jul 2022
55 MINS
55:57
21 Jul 2022
Short Stuff: Death from Astral Projection
In 1975, yoga enthusiast Robert Antoszczyk retired to his room in a group house in Ann Arbor, MI to try a meditation technique that would allow him to astrally project his spirit. He died, never coming out of his meditative state. What happened?
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20 Jul 2022
15 MINS
15:33
20 Jul 2022
Supernovae: Best Around, Case Closed
Face it, supernovae are the most interesting phenomena in the universe. Black holes are cool, but did you know they sprout from a supernova? What could be cooler than a star exploding so powerfully, the flash it creates shines for months after?
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19 Jul 2022
41 MINS
41:45
19 Jul 2022
Selects: What Happens When the Government Thinks You're Dead?
It’s bad enough when the government knows you’re alive – there are taxes to pay, laws to be followed, all sorts of boring and unpleasant things. But each year, thousands of Americans find out life is far, far worse when the government thinks you are dead. Learn all about it in this classic episode.
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16 Jul 2022
39 MINS
39:02
16 Jul 2022
Short Stuff: Catatumbo Lightning
Catatumbo lightning is one of nature's most amazing displays of showiness, with strikes occurring 28 times per minute for nine hours a day, 300 days a year. So take cover and take a listen.
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13 Jul 2022
11 MINS
11:24
13 Jul 2022
Mangroves: Nature's Best Tree?
Mangroves are incredible survivors and adapters. They're also amazing at lessening the impact of tropical storms and climate change. And heck, they're cool looking. So jump into the brackish waters and have a listen.
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12 Jul 2022
44 MINS
44:06
12 Jul 2022
Selects: How Ayahuasca Works
One day in the Amazon Basin, a shaman put together a plant containing DMT with a vine that allows the body to absorb DMT. The combination, a foul-tasting, wildly hallucinogenic brew called ayahuasca, has changed cultures throughout the Americas. Learn all about it in this classic episode.
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09 Jul 2022
45 MINS
45:23
09 Jul 2022
How Ultraprocessed Foods Work
Ultraprocessed is a new term for junk food, but it means much more than that – it’s also a cautionary tale for the way we’re supposed to cook and eat, using real food and sitting down with friends and family. But who has the time and money to do that?
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05 Jul 2022
57 MINS
57:20
05 Jul 2022
Selects: How Freak Shows Worked
Not too long ago, people would pay money to gawk and stare at a performer with a physical disformity. They were called freak shows and they began in large part thanks to P.T. Barnum, whose circus we still enjoy today. Sounds awful, but some of these performers became rich folks as a result. Exploitive? You decide, after taking in this classic episode.
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02 Jul 2022
48 MINS
48:40
02 Jul 2022
Short Stuff: What did we use before infant formula?
There's an infant formula shortage. But infant formula is relatively new. So what did we do before it was perfected? Listen in and learn already!
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29 Jun 2022
12 MINS
12:41
29 Jun 2022
How Alien Contact Might Work
If we ever found evidence of intelligent alien life (or they found us) what would we say? Who would say it for us? These seemingly silly questions are vitally important depending on your view.
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28 Jun 2022
50 MINS
50:09
28 Jun 2022
Selects: Chiggers: The Phantom Menace
Chiggers are tiny little mites capable of making your life miserable. Worse than mosquitoes? Maybe. But they aren't insects - mites are actually part of the arachnid family and behave a little like ticks. Learn all about these nearly invisible pests in this classic episode.
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25 Jun 2022
32 MINS
32:32
25 Jun 2022