Shows / Stuff You Should Know
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
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Traffic Signals
The history of traffic signals is way more interesting than you might think. Trust us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com…
- Stuff You Should Know
Unsung Heroes of the Court
Attorneys and judges get all the press. What about bailiffs, court reporters and sketch artists? Yeah, let's give them their due. Learn more about your…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: How Tipping Works
Tipping is commonly expected in some places, such as U.S. restaurants. Yet this practice varies across cultures. Join trivia gurus (and former waiters) Josh…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK’s 2021 Glad Tidings Bonanza Holiday Special
Josh and Chuck’s holiday mojo has returned and they’re back in the saddle to rustle up some holiday cheer. So put on your comfiest sweater, ugly or otherwise…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Christmas Cards
You ever thought about where those cards you send out during the holidays came from? Prepare to do just that! Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Snowmen (And Snowwomen) Work
The details may vary but building snowmen is pretty much universal where there’s snow. Humans have probably been making them for tens of thousands of years…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: Star Wars Holiday Spectacular
Long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, George Lucas allowed the Star Wars Holiday Special to be made. What happened on the night of November 17, 1978 can never…
- Stuff You Should Know
Kidney Stones: No! Please, NO!
Kidney stones are widely considered the most painful affliction a person can endure, even worse than labor. And in rare cases they can even kill. Learn all…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Charity Tips
It's the end of the year so we thought we might give you some advice on how to better pick out a charity, Short Stuff style. Learn more about your ad-choices…
- Stuff You Should Know
Palm Trees: Technically, Giant Plants
Palm trees. You see them all over the world and for good reason. There are more than 2,500 varieties. Learn all about these giant plants today. Learn more…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: How the Terracotta Army Works
In 1974, Chinese farmers discovered the first of what would number 7,000 terracotta soldiers meant to protect China's first emperor in the afterlife. Learn all…
- Stuff You Should Know
What's the deal with blue people?
The famous blue people of Kentucky are no longer blue. But why were they like that in the first place? Learn more about your ad-choices at…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Funny Bone
Hitting your funny bone doesn’t just hurt, it feels really weird too. That’s because you’re not hitting a bone at all, but instead the most vulnerable nerve in…
- Stuff You Should Know
Why Do Great Flood Myths Seem To Be Universal?
If look into the mythology of just about any culture in the world, you will find a myth about a great flood that destroyed humanity and submerged the Earth in…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: What Is Collective Hysteria?
Throughout the history of the world, there have been many cases of what is known as collective hysteria - groups of people, usually young women, who all…
- Stuff You Should Know
Your Gut Is Also A Brain
Your gut – not your spare tire, but your digestive tract – is deceptively smart. Not only does it handle processing food and nutrients, but the hundreds of…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: SINA
In the 1950s a group dedicated to clothing animals out of a sense or morality gained momentum. “A nude horse is a rude horse!” was their battle cry. Learn more…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Twisted History of Dentistry
If you think going to the dentist now is not fun, just wait until you hear about what they did in the Middle Ages. Learn more about your ad-choices at…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: Why Do Lefties Exist?
For at least the last 200,000 years, between 10-15% of the human population are left-handed and this fact has utterly left science baffled. In searching to…
- Stuff You Should Know
Python-a-palooza!
Pythons are big snakes. Really big. But there's more to them than their size. Learn all about these big daddies in today's episode. Learn more about your…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Mayday!
Say it three times and help may arrive. But where did "Mayday!" come from? Listen in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Apache Wars
America’s longest-running war was between the US government and the loosely-confederated groups we know as the Apache. As their lands were encroached upon, the…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: How Hoarding Works
You may be familiar with compulsive hoarding from TV, but something that’s often missing from those shows and the news is the deep and overwhelming shame that…
- Stuff You Should Know
Why Is DC Not A State?
The residents of Washington, D.C., the capital of the oldest democracy in the world, are not allowed to pass their own laws without the federal government…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: The Paper Dress Fad
There was a brief period when it was highly on trend to wear a super short dress made out of paper. Learn why right now! Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
Hot Dog!(s)
No, there aren’t snouts and anuses in your hot dogs, so go ahead and chow down. There are, however, plenty of other things that may give you pause so listen to…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: How Feng Shui Works
Feng Shui is an Asian concept that strives to unlock your chi by how your home or office is arranged. Or at least that's the simplified "Western" version. It's…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Flannan Isles Mystery
In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened to them…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Your Dirty Bed
Is your bed dirty? You bet it is. Are chimpanzee beds dirty? Not as dirty as yours! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com…
- Stuff You Should Know
What are blue laws?
Blue laws are laws that restrict certain activities on certain days. Are they antiquated? Yes! Are they still around? In some places, yes! Learn more about…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: The Stories Behind A Few Food Fads
America loves to go nuts over new food trends and it turns out that the 20th century was a boon time for them. Revisit them with Josh and Chuck in this classic…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Rock Ampersand Roll Hall of Fame
Cleveland rocks! So said the city of Cleveland when they lobbied for the "Rock Hall" way back in 1985. Since then the museum has grown and evolved amidst great…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Friendly Floatees
In 1992 more than 28,000 rubber ducks got loose in the ocean and began a decades-long experiment in oceanography. Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
How mRNA Vaccines Work
The two mRNA Covid vaccines are the first vaccines to come out of a new field of immunology and represent such an amazing leap forward that they are taking us…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: What is folklore?
What is folklore? Turns out it's just about anything you can think of that's shared by more than two people. Art, literature, stories, dance, music…
- Stuff You Should Know
2021 Halloween Spooktacular!
Dim the lights and join Josh and Chuck for their annual spooky Halloween story reading. Learn more about your ad-choices at…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Most Haunted House in England
In the 1930s paranormal investigator declared Borley Rectory the “most haunted house in England” – and with good cause! Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
Salem Witchcraft Trials: More Bonkers Than You Know
Looking back 300 years on, it’s easy to overgeneralize why the Salem Villagers decided to persecute (and execute) their neighbors. But as much as this story…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: Will We Find Evidence of Aliens by Their Engineering Projects?
In 1960 physicist Freeman Dyson suggested that in the hunt for alien life, we should search for evidence of massive engineering projects that encapsulate stars…
- Stuff You Should Know
Harry Houdini: More than Magic
Harry Houdini was a master magician. He was also a movie star. And an inventor. And an aviator. Listen and learn all about the late great illusionist. Learn…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Bloody Mary
In this edition of Short Stuff we may accidentally conjure a deadly spirt, so look out! Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
Heat Waves!
Heat waves are one of the easiest natural disasters to overlook yet they kill more people in the US than any other natural disaster (and maybe all others…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: Why is Venice so wet?
Venice, Italy has a problem. It's sinking, and the water around it is rising. Thankfully, some engineers are working hard on the MOSE project - huge gates that…
- Stuff You Should Know
Noise Pollution: Arrrgh!
If you’ve ever found your blood pressure rising because some guy down the street doesn’t know how to keep the trigger on a leaf blower pulled all the way, then…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Jack O'Lanterns and Sleepy Hollow
We launch our spooky October episodes with a little bit on Jack O' Lanterns and Sleepy Hollow. Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
Venus Flytraps: Plant or Monster?
After looking into the Venus Flytrap, we quickly moved it to the top of our favorite plant list. Part plant, part monster? What's not to love? Learn more about…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: How X-Rays Work
Like many huge discoveries, X-rays were accidentally stumbled upon. That serendipity led to a medical breakthrough still in use today. Learn about how X-rays…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Tale of the Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a religion, but really a parody of religion. Learn all about this group of weirdo outsiders in today's episode. Learn more about…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Dingoes!
Are dingoes dogs? Not really? Then what are they? Listen in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See…
- Stuff You Should Know
Research Bias: Sort It Out, Science
There’s a sticky issue scientists have to deal with – science is carried out by humans. We humans have flaws (and how) and they can end up in our work…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: How Empathy Works
Empathy can often be confused with sympathy and regular old compassion. But it's not exactly either one of those. Some say a lack of empathy can indicate…
- Stuff You Should Know
All About Alligators
Here at SYSK, we love alligators? Why? Because they're basically living dinosaurs. Dive in (metaphorically) and swim with these beasts today! Learn more about…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Exploring Irish Monk
There’s a long-standing legend that an Irish monk was the first European to sail to America - in 500 CE! Is there any evidence? Learn more about your…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Numerology Works
The premise of numerology - that numbers are responsible for our destinies and personalities - is plainly nuts, but the history and thinking behind it is too…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: Planned Obsolescence: Engine of the Consumer Economy
If you’ve ever heard an old timer gripe that things aren’t built like they used to be, that old timer was right! In this classic episode, learn about the…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Statue of Liberty
You've seen her there in NY Harbor, standing tall. But do you know the story of how she came to be? Learn all about the Statue of Liberty today. Learn more…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Lake Erie's Rights
The good people of Toledo, OH are leading the environmental pack by giving legal rights to Lake Erie to fight off polluters. Learn more about your ad-choices…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Mail Order Marriages Work
Everybody knows mail order marriages are at best a last resort for jerks looking to boss a foreign spouse around or, at worst, a front for human trafficking…
Stuff You Should KnowSelects: How Free Speech Works
Freedom of speech and the press are values vital to American democracy. But the First Amendment doesn't really define free speech, and plenty of expressions…
- Stuff You Should Know
What's the deal with crash testing?
Crash testing has been around since the 1930s, but only got serious in the 1970s. Today we dive in and learn all about why companies and the U.S. government…