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 Know
SYSK Selects: What's the deal with Rasputin's death?
In this week's SYSK Select episode, Grigori Rasputin, the Russian charismatic cleric and political adviser to the ruling Romanovs, is said to have been…
- Stuff You Should Know
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. Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
Are Election Laws Designed to Suppress Voting?
Are laws that are meant to protect the sanctity of the polling place in reality designed to make it harder for groups that traditionally vote Democrat to cast…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: How Beer Works
In this week's SYSK Select episode, at long last, Josh and Chuck take on perhaps their most important topic ever. Learn about the history of beer, how it's…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Schoolhouse Rock Rocked: Featuring Bob Nastanovich of Pavement
Schoolhouse Rock is possibly the best children's program of all time. Join Josh and Chuck as they tell the story of SR, featuring an interview with Pavement's…
- Stuff You Should Know
Is a head transplant really a thing?
"Head transplant" is a bit of a misnomer, because it's more like a body transplant. But either way, the idea is that one human will wake up from surgery with a…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: How Magic Mushrooms Work
In this week's SYSK Select episode, for thousands of years, humans have used hallucinogenic mushrooms for spiritual reasons. Today, however, having them can…
- Stuff You Should Know
How the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis Work
It wasn't too long ago that humans thought the polar lights were signs from the afterlife. Thanks to a 19th century Norwegian, we now understand that they are…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Champagne Works
Sure we can all agree that champagne is probably the greatest thing humans have or ever will invent, but how much do we understand how it's made? Learn more…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: Gesundheit! How Allergies Work
In this week's SYSK Select episode, about 30-40 percent of humans suffer from some sort of allergy. The big joke, though, is that every sufferer is the victim…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Charismatic Megafauna Work
Charismatic Megafauna is not just a great band name. It's really just a fancy word for the cutest and most personality plus animals at the zoo. We're talking…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Itching Works
It was only in the last few decades that science became aware that itches aren't just low-level pain. And in that time, the mystery of how we itch and why we…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: What's the 10,000 Year Clock?
In this week's SYSK Select episode, in a desert in Texas a 200-feet-tall clock is being constructed deep inside a mountain. Once completed, it will keep time…
- Stuff You Should Know
Some Nutso Fan Theories
It turns out that the characters in your favorite TV shows and the like are actually dead, dreaming, dying or don't exist. Learn more about your ad-choices at…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Poetry Works
Poetry is a broad and expansive art form. From dramatic verse to haiku, rhyming poetry and spoken word, there are many hats a poet can wear. Join Josh and…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: How Revisionist History Works
In this week's SYSK Select episode, perhaps you equate the term to conspiracy theories and Holocaust denials, but revisionism is a genuine discipline in the…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Multiple Sclerosis Works
When the immune system mistakes the tissue covering neural connections as foreign invaders, the result can devastate the body. There is hope, however, in a new…
- Stuff You Should Know
How the National Security Council Works
Until recently, most people probably never paid much attention to the National Security Council. It's been around a long time though, and the president has…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: How Breast Implants Work
In this week's SYSK Select episode, the first attempt at breast augmentation surgery was on a dog. The second on a woman who went in for tattoo removal. From…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Swearing Works
Swearing is something that's been done across all cultures, virtually since humans began speaking. What is it about these taboo words that offend some, and are…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Corsets Work
Sure, we're doing an episode on corsets. Why do you ask? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: Lying Liars: How Lying Works, Liar
In this week's SYSK Select episode, studies find that absolutely everyone lies - some have found as much as a quarter of our daily interactions involve lies…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Supervolcanoes Work
Until recently, volcanologists thought supervolcanoes were simply massive volcanoes. But further research has revealed that they are far different - and far…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Supreme Court Nominations Work
Being nominated as a Supreme Court Justice is no small thing, and it doesn't always go as planned. With this week's confirmation of Justice Gorsuch, Josh and…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: Can you die of a broken heart?
In this week's SYSK Select episode, in the early 1990s, Japanese researchers found a strange anomaly in their study subjects, five people who had inexplicable…
- Stuff You Should Know
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
Composting: Nature's Most Interesting Process
You may think composting is just a bunch of old banana peels rotting away into dirt but, friend, you're not looking closely enough. Inside that compost pile is…
- Stuff You Should Know
SYSK Selects: How Filibusters Work
In this week's SYSK Select episode, although lots of people incorrectly believe the filibuster was an intentional rule created by the founders of the U.S…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Shroud Of Turin: No Ordinary Bed Sheet
The Shroud of Turin is no ordinary bed sheet. Some think it's the burial cloth of Jesus. Others think it's an amazing piece of artwork. The truth is, we'll…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Foreign Accent Syndrome Works
Foreign accent syndrome isn't when your mom talks funny when she goes abroad. It's an actual condition where people wake up one day with an entirely different…
- Stuff You Should Know
How the Hyperloop Will Work
If you’re out there, Elon Musk, this one’s for you (although you already know everything in this episode). Everybody else, buckle in and sit back for a 700 mph…
- Stuff You Should Know
Solitary Confinement: Cruel and Unusual
In our continuing exploration of crime and punishment, we take a look at the practice of solitary confinement. To be sure, it has its place in prisons…
- Stuff You Should Know
Southerners Aren’t Lazy and Dumb, They Just Had Hookworm
There was a time when the lower classes of the American South were considered lazy and dimwitted, a stereotype that still somewhat survives today. But this…
- Stuff You Should Know
Pain Scales: Yeeeow!
Pain is subjective; it is whatever the person experiencing it says it is. But to effectively treat pain, it helps to quantify it, which is why medicine came up…
- Stuff You Should Know
History of the Trail of Tears, Part II
In the second of two parts, what was once a voluntary resettlement program becomes a violent, forced relocation under the leadership of President Andrew…
- Stuff You Should Know
History of the Trail of Tears, Part I
In this first of two episodes on the Trail of Tears, learn about the forces that converged to create the series of events that formed the basis of what may be…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Optical Illusions Work
Now you see it, now you don't — optical illusions can fool us into seeing what's not actually there. But what causes that disconnect between perception and…
- Stuff You Should Know
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
How Famines Work
It’s common knowledge that famines are usually caused by major droughts: Rain doesn’t fall, crops don’t grow, and people go hungry. But recent research…
- Stuff You Should Know
The ins and outs of the DEATH TAX
The estate tax, also known as the death tax, is not new. It's actually been around in some form since ancient Rome. Some say it's a necessary tax to help…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party was a complex political movement that was unfairly painted as a militant group who hated white people. Far from it, they were actually…
- Stuff You Should Know
Tardigrades: Nature's Cuddly, Indestructible Microanimal
You can burn them, freeze them, shoot them into space – they wouldn’t bat an eyelash, even if they had eyelashes. Go into the microcosmos and learn about the…
- Stuff You Should Know
Live from San Francisco: How Malls Work
In this show recorded live on January 5, 2017 at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, Josh and Chuck delve into the history and the heyday of the church of…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Quinoa Revolution!
Quinoa is a trendy food, right alongside kale and anything else farm to table. But it's really an ancient grain. Although it's not exactly a grain at all…
- Stuff You Should Know
What's the future of virtual sex?
In the not too distant future, sex may not involve being in the same room as your partner. In fact, your partner may not even have to be a human. We're talking…
- Stuff You Should Know
Elastics: Where God and Science Smooch
You could be forgiven for thinking the story behind elastics was boring. You’d still be wrong, though. The story of what’s holding up your underwear is a…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Pacifism Works (And Could It?)
There is deep disagreement over whether humans are essentially peaceful or essentially warlike. Depending on your view you may see pacifism as either…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Dictators Work
There are many types of dictators, from so called "benevolent" ones to the kind who rule with an iron fist. There are also many ways they can come into power…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Soylent Works
Soylent is a meal replacement drink, but not really. So what is it? Total sustenance in a glass? Some say so. Is it made from humans? No, that's just a movie…
- Stuff You Should Know
Are Artificial Sweeteners Really Bad For You?
Artificial sweeteners have gotten a bad rap in the press for as long as they’ve been in use. But is it just the result of a fear of science or do artificial…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Watersheds Work
Unless you happen to be standing on a hilltop or swimming in the ocean right now, you are on a watershed. These unsung wonders of topography and hydrology are…
- Stuff You Should Know
What's the deal with Baby Boomers?
Baby Boomers are probably the most talked about generation in American history. But who are these people and how did they help shape the country we know today?…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Feeding Babies Works: The Bottle
The decision to bottle feed a baby instead of breast-feeding is a weighty one these days, fraught with supposed developmental pitfalls and very real social…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Feeding Babies Works: The Breast
Breast milk is considered a perfect food for infants, so much so that for the first four to six months of life, a baby can subsist on mother’s milk alone…
- Stuff You Should Know
Human Blockheads: A Real Thing
Human blockheads are performers who hammer nails and things into their noses. Yup. That's a thing. And it isn't a trick either - anyone can do it. Just please…
- Stuff You Should Know
Can you live without a bank account?
Seems like it would be nearly impossible to live without a bank account these days. But it is possible! Learn all about banking and personal finance in today's…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Stuff You Should Know 2016 Christmas Extravaganza in 3-D!
It’s the most wonderful time of year again! Time for Josh and Chuck to take you on a cozy, hall-decked ride full of glad tidings right into the heart of the…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Golden Age of Grave Robbing: Stuff You Should Know Live in London
There was a brief period in the US, UK and Ireland when a dead body could fetch a pretty penny for a person willing to dig it up and sell it to surgeons for…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Porta-Potties Work
Despite our lengthy history of evacuating our bowels and bladders, it wasn’t until the relatively recent 1940s that we began to construct portable…
- Stuff You Should Know
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…