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
Selects: How Dementia Works
The number of people suffering from dementia is expected to explode in the coming decades and, in a pleasant surprise, countries around the world are taking…
- Stuff You Should Know
Impression Management
We all in some way care about what other people think of us. At our core we all have a fear of saying something dumb or embarrassing ourselves somehow. One…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Can You Not Have A Name?
Is it legal to live without a name? Is it even possible? Find out today in this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
Pagans, Neo-Pagans, Wiccans – Let’s Sort It Out!
Paganism was the set of original ancient religions around the world. They all had plenty of gods, loved nature, sometimes sacrificed things, and so on. Then…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Yeti: The Asian Bigfoot
We've covered Nessie and Bigfoot, so why not tackle the Yeti? Listen to this classic episode and hear Josh and Chuck cover what used to be known as the…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Rosenbergs
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for espionage in 1953. Whether or not they were both guilty remains unclear, though most historians believe that at…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Genetic Mutations
All sorts of exotic and often terrible stuff runs through our heads when we think of genetic mutations, but the vast majority of them are caught before they…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Group of Seven
Today Chuck and Josh celebrate Canada and their art through the lens of the Group of Seven. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How Publicists Work
Some people call them flacks. Other people call them liars. But if you're in the public eye and suddenly have an image problem, you'll call them your best…
- Stuff You Should Know
Popcorn: Who doesn't love it?
We love popcorn and suspect that most people do too. But do you know why it even pops? Or if it's healthy? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: William A. Mitchell: Food Inventor
William A. Mitchell invented some iconic snack foods and candies. Learn all about him today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
Faking Your Own Death: We All Do It, But Why?
Face it, when things get desperate we all consider faking our death as an easy way out. But what they don’t tell you in school is that it’s much…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Night Trap: The Video Game Failure that Changed the Industry
In the early 90s a video game was released that changed the industry, despite poor sales and bad game play. That game was Night Trap. In this classic episode…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Cliffs Notes on Cliffs Notes
When a man named Cliff packaged book summaries in yellow and black booklets he changed the way kids learned. But was he just creating a cheat code? See…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Figs & Wasps
Today Chuck and Josh look at the interesting relationship between figs and wasps. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
Plant-Based Diets
You don’t have to be a hardcore vegan to eat a plant-based diet (although you can be). There’s a whole variety of degrees people adopt phasing out…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How Ice Cream Works
We all scream for ice cream, sure, but did you know we're all technically screaming about a colloidal foam? As you hit play on this classic episode, prepare…
- Stuff You Should Know
We Got to Sesame Street
One of the longest-running television shows in history is also one of the best. Sesame Street was conceived as a radical idea – to give disadvantaged…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Drop Bears
Australia is home to all sorts of things that can kill you, but perhaps the deadliest is the drop bear, a vicious cousin of the koala. See…
- Stuff You Should Know
Fentanyl: Actually As Dangerous As They Say
Around 2013 heroin users in the US and other countries suddenly started dying from overdose in previously-unseen numbers. The culprit turned out to be the…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Muzak: Easy Listening Goodness
Muzak got a bad reputation as bland garbage music. In this classic episode, we aim to set the record straight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Stuff You Should Know
What we know about MI6
MI6 is The UK's version of the CIA. Except they came first and provided the model. But there's still a lot we don't know about this notoriously tight-lipped…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Trovants
Rocks that grow baby rocks – wut?! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
Chinese Food: Best Food?
Today on SYSK, the fellas get down to business with plenty of mouth-watering information on what Chuck dubs "the best food." See omnystudio.com/listener for…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How Jim Henson Worked
We've already recorded an episode on The Muppets, but Jim Henson was such a neat guy we delved into him even further. Learn all about the man behind the…
- Stuff You Should Know
Give My Regards to the Broadway Episode!
Broadway is a street in NYC, but more than that it's a term for the NY theater district. They say the neon lights are bright there. Who knows? See…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Alternative Libraries
Today we highlight and celebrate a couple of alternative libraries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
Richard III: Good Guy or Evil Putz?
Ever since Shakespeare wrote his tragedy on Richard III the world has thought of him as an evil king with a shriveled soul. But is that actually unjust? See…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Adidas v. Puma: A Sibling Rivalry
Join Josh and Chuck in this classic episode as they go down the sport shoe rabbit hole, detailing the strange tail of the brothers who brought Puma and Adidas…
Stuff You Should KnowWhat Makes Disaster Films Great
Disaster films are surprisingly tough to define. What makes them different from an action movie or a monster movie? Who cares? They’re great! Escape with…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Tick tock goes the Doomsday Clock
The Doomsday Clock is closer too midnight than it's ever been, which is not awesome. But what does this metaphorical clock even indicate? See…
- Stuff You Should Know
Kim Philby: Greatest Liar of All Time?
British MI6 agent Kim Philby was a spy for the Soviet Union and one of the great liars in human history, right up until his retirement in Moscow where he lived…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Cake: So Great. So, So Great
Cake has been around for a long time, but mostly less than great forms. It took the Industrial Revolution, the advent of plentiful sugar, and some good old…
- Stuff You Should Know
Behavioral Priming: Buy, Robot Human!
In the late 90s, a large chunk of the field of social psychology started dedicating itself to figuring out ways to subtly persuade and influence people’s…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Colorful Noises
We’ve all heard of white noise, that static sound the TV makes when poltergeists arrive. There are other colored noise too that mimic natural sounds like…
- Stuff You Should Know
Editorial Cartoons: Art as Satire
Editorial, or political cartoons, have a rich history in the United States and abroad. And though the Golden Age may have passed, the use of images to create…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Agatha Christie: Queen of the Murder Mystery
Agatha Christie was a great writer of murder mystery novels and is probably the best selling author of all time. Listen in this classic episode to learn her…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Pinkerton Detective Agency
The Pinkertons became the most famous detective company in the U.S. But were they noble or notorious? We get to the bottom of it all in today's episode. See…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Tulipmania
The world experienced its first economic bubble when the Dutch went bonkers for tulips in the 1630s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
How Climate Migration Works
We move for all sorts of reasons – new job, new grandkid – but moving because it’s just too darn hot? That’s a new one. But it’s…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: The Deal With Doulas
The word doula in Ancient Greek might mean "female servant" but it's really not a great description of the 21st century job. Doulas are birth coaches who help…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Part II
A manhunt is launched for MLK’s killer, James Earl Ray. After his capture he pleads guilty. With no trial the world won’t hear the facts of the…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Poutine: Canada's Pride
Poutine is just one of those comforting dishes that's a must have when visiting the great nation of Canada. Is it good for you? Nope. But who cares right? See…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Part I
When he was murdered by an assassin’s bullet, MLK was going through a hard time in his life and many close to him say that he knew the end was near. But…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Seven - No, Wait, Five - Mysteries of the Art World
When you get a bunch of artistic types together into a community – aka, the art world – some intrigue and mystery are bound to arise. Listen in to…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Highway of Tears (And Maybe Hope)
Indigenous women in Canada have always been vulnerable, but there’s a stretch of remote road that’s such a hotspot for disappearances, assaults…
- Stuff You Should Know
Short Stuff: All About Egg Colors
Everyone knows brown eggs are more natural than white eggs right? Except that's not true. In reality there is zero difference because it's just a genetic…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Chelsea Hotel
The Chelsea Hotel is one of New York City's landmarks for good reason. It's served as housing for bohemian creatives and addicts, and been through several…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How the Flu Works
Every year the flu virus makes the rounds, laying up young and old alike for days before moving on to another hapless victim. But flu viruses can mutate and…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Antidepressants Work
The good news is that we know antidepressants can treat major depression, helping millions of people live healthier lives. The bad news is that we don’t…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Morganna the Kissing Bandit
Pete Rose said she was “bigger than any one player” in baseball during the 70s and 80s. Morganna the Kissing Bandit became a legend in sports for…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Scribble on Scrabble
Scrabble is a game that neither of us plays with regularity. And maybe that's good for this episode. We're all learning, right? See omnystudio.com/listener for…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How Electricity Works
It is literally all around you (and even inside you) - electricity makes up the basis of modern life. But what exactly is electricity and how does it work? In…
- Stuff You Should Know
Why is Chinese art being stolen?
The market for Chinese art used to be very small and is now a billion dollar annual industry. What changed? And how is this all tied to a string of heists?…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Outlawry
A request by our producer Dave C, we explore how totally on your own you were in Medieval England when the court declared you an outlaw. See…
- Stuff You Should Know
Switchboards: Please Hold While We Connect You
The telephone switchboard was a real wonder of technology and laid the groundwork for the next generation of connectivity. Learn how these things worked today…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Are crickets the future of food?
Crickets are part of a larger insect-based diet enjoyed in most parts of the world. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and protein, and green to boot, crickets…
- Stuff You Should Know
How GPS Works
In a tribute to the late founder of HowStuffWorks Marshall Brain, we chose one of his great articles. Learn all about how your phone knows how to get you…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Fanta - Nazi Favorite?
Fanta has its roots in Germany during WWII, so the Nazi association is something that's tough to deny. Dive in and hear all about how this beloved soda got its…
- Stuff You Should Know
Who Put Bella In the Wych Elm?
One of the more famous unsolved true crime cases concerns a woman found stuffed into a tree in a woods outside Worcestershire during WWII. Despite an extensive…