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: What's a quinceañera anyway?
A quinceañera is the celebration of a girl of Hispanic heritage becoming a young woman on her 15th birthday. It involves family, friends, music and a lot of…
- Stuff You Should Know
ADHD pt 2
Today, the conclusion of the two-part episode on ADHD. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Tornado Alley
North America gets as many as 1400 tornadoes a year. The place with the next highest is the UK at 33. So the spot with the most tornadoes in the US is also the…
- Stuff You Should Know
ADHD pt 1
Today, Josh and Chuck dive into part one of their two-part suite on ADHD. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: The Strange Story of Sea Monkeys
Anyone who ever picked up a comic book as a kid probably marveled at the ads for the mysterious Sea Monkeys. In reality, they are just brine shrimp, not…
- Stuff You Should Know
15th Annual SYSK Halloween Spooktacular!
Buckle up folks, it's time for another of our favorite traditions, the SYSK Halloween Spooktacular! So sit down, dim the lights and get ready for some spooky…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Two Scary True Shorties!
Josh and Chuck dive into two spooky true stories in today's Short Stuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
The Mystery of the Skeletons of Roopkund Lake
One of the greatest unsolved historic mysteries is found in a lake atop a mountain glacier high up in the Indian Himalayas. The skeletons of as many as 800…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Why Landmines Are The Deadliest Legacy Of War
One of the worst legacies of war are the millions of landmines left behind. They hide for decades after a conflict is over, exploding beneath unsuspecting…
- Stuff You Should Know
Spend Some Time with Fairies
Most people think of Tinkerbell when we think of fairies, but the Disney versions capture only the last century or so of what we’ve conceived fairies to be…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: The Story of Spirit Halloween
Every August, abandoned storefronts across America are filled with the spirit of Halloween, by way of the store, Spirit Halloween. Learn all about this wildly…
- Stuff You Should Know
Q Anon: When Wild Conspiracy Went (sort of) Mainstream
Q Anon believes many things, including that Tom Hanks is a Satan-worshipping, child-eating pedophile. Yeah. We'll just leave our "drop" right here for you to…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Porcupines: Little Stabby Cutie Pies
We love animals. A lot. Especially underrated ones like the darling porcupine. Listen in to this classic episode to learn all about these stabby little…
- Stuff You Should Know
Kudzu: The Vine That Just Won't Stop
If you're from the American South, then kudzu is something that cannot be avoided. But how did this invasive species get here and why does it love to consume…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Redacted!
The process of redacting sensitive information is long and storied. But are there even any rules that apply to when and how it's done? See…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Anarchist Cookbook: Funny but Dangerous
You might have owned the Anarchist Cookbook once, but you probably didn’t use it to turn a shotgun into a grenade launcher or build a bomb. Unfortunately some…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How Paramedics Work
Paramedics are not EMTs. Or fire fighters. Or cops. But they do ride around in ambulances (and drive) to help to save lives. It's a stressful job and in this…
- Stuff You Should Know
Swatches!
The story of the Swatch is super cool and one of the great retail successes. Listen in today to find out just why a country known for the finest craftsmanship…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Mystery of the Sarah Jo
In another chapter of our continuing mysteries of the sea theme, we deliver a truly baffling mystery involving a ship that was lost and found, which brought…
- Stuff You Should Know
Gobekli Tepe
Gobekli Tepe is a profoundly ancient spiritual site that shouldn’t exist, according to conventional wisdom. The massive site of columns and pictograms was…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How the Escape from Alcatraz Worked
In 1962, three ordinary criminals transcended into folk heroes when they crawled out of their cells in Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary took to the water in a…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Strange Story of Lysol
The Lysol we know now is sold as disinfectant only. But at one time it was also marketed as a means of birth control. Listen in today to the twisted history of…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Flower Power
What we equate with acid, hippies, and garish polyester prints actually began as a theatrical way of protesting bans on free speech and the Vietnam War. When…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Shadow Biosphere: Is There Other Life on Earth?
As far as we know life evolved once in the universe – here on Earth in the form of life as we know it. Could life have originated in other conditions with…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Rosa Parks: Agent of Change
Rosa Parks finishes out our Black History Month episodes in grand fashion. While most know her from that fateful day on the Montgomery city bus, she actually…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Judas Priest Suicide Trial
A greatest hit of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s came when the metal band Judas Priest was put on trial for the suicides of two teens. While the case was…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: The SS Ourang Medang
We love our ghost ships here at SYSK and this is one of the better ones. But did it really even exist? Not likely. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Stuff You Should Know
Four Eyes Good: The History of Glasses
Glasses as we know them have only been around for a few hundred years. So what did people do before this? And how did things change once spectacles were on the…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How Government Shutdowns Work
Every year Congress decides how the federal government will spend money. Simple enough, but in practice politics tend to mess it up. Sometimes it gets so messy…
- Stuff You Should Know
Tom Slick: Not the Cartoon
There's a good chance that if you don't live in San Antonio, Texas, you may not know who scientist/adventurer Tom Slick is. Today we tackle the story of the…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: The Killing Stone
The Killing Stone looms large in Japanese folklore, so when it split in half in March 2022, people were worried it would bring devastating effects in its wake…
- Stuff You Should Know
Would A Love Drug Be Ethical?
What if science could create a drug that made you connect with people more deeply, let your emotions flow more openly, and sparked love and attachment in you…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: The Manson Family Murders Part 2
Listen in to this classic episode for the conclusion of the story of the Manson Family Murders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
Celebration Florida: The Story of a Utopia that Never Was
The town of Celebration, Florida was supposed to be a utopia. What it ended up as is a mediocre neighborhood on the outskirts of Disney World. See…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Uncle Sam Wants YOU!
Who is Uncle Sam anyway? Was it a real person or just a marketing exercise? And why does he refuse to go away? Listen in to find out. See…
- Stuff You Should Know
Henry Ford: The Good, Bad and Ugly
Henry Ford was an odd guy, but one who had a vision for America that centered around a populist, affordable and reliable automobile. He was also a noted…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: How Futurology Works
Science fiction writers have made some amazingly accurate predictions over the years, but in 1945 the pace of technological change created a field that spun…
- Stuff You Should Know
Ludwig II: The Only Real King of the 19th Century
Outside of Germany, King Ludwig II is relatively unknown. And, yet, he is one of history’s most tragic and romantic kings. He was a gay icon and a ruler who…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Rescuing Mistreated Pets
You – yes, you! – can be a hero to neglected and abused animals. But there’s a right way to do it, and that does not involve sneaking onto a neighbor’s…
- Stuff You Should Know
The History of Streaming Music
When Napster reared its head in 1999, it marked the beginning of the end of the compact disc era. Today, we trace the history of the slowly evolving death of…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: The Manson Family Murders Part 1
The '60s ended with a lot of turbulence, not the least of which was the Manson Family Murders. What made Charles Manson so alluring to his family? What makes…
- Stuff You Should Know
How Bomb Disposal Works
Out of all the jobs a person can have, few are as overtly dangerous as making sure bombs don’t go off and if they do, making sure they’re away from people…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Skid Row (not the band)
How did a large section of downtown Los Angeles become a permanent fixture of unhoused individuals? Will it always be this way? Listen in to learn all about…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Strange Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon
The Olympic marathon of 1904 is an incredible story filled with wacky characters, cheating, heat and humidity, dust and dirt, and oh yeah, a few actual…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Hummingbirds: Ornery Helicopters of the Animal Kingdom
If you didn’t already know how amazing hummingbirds are, prepare to learn. Not only do they count among their numbers the smallest bird species, they are also…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Luddites: Misunderstood Working Class Heroes
Today we think of Luddites as people who don’t know how to use technology or are maybe even afraid of it. That’s pretty far from what the original Luddites…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Chupacabra
What in the world is a chupacabra? Is it even real or is it the stuff of legend? Listen in to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Stuff You Should Know
True Mysteries of the Internet
There is A LOT of made-up stuff on the internet that gets passed off as true. But once in a while something truly odd comes along. Here are three stories of…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Body Language!
Body language is how you communicate without words. Some say it bears more impact in communication than speaking words. In this classic episode, learn about…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Cher Episode
Cher is an icon, with hits spanning an unbelievable SEVEN decades. So kick back as we laud the singer/actress/legend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Tarring and Feathering
Being tarred and feathered is an old trope in America, but the actuality of it was pretty brutal, not the least of which included burning skin. Let's dive into…
- Stuff You Should Know
Minecraft! Minecraft! Minecraft!
It’s so simple, yet so compelling: you mine blocks and cut down trees to put things together to make cool new stuff. There isn’t really a point and there’s not…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Genghis Khan: Madman or Genius?
Depending on who you talk to, Genghis Khan was either a sadistic madman or one of the great leaders in world history. One thing is sure, he was one of the most…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Call of the Void: Don’t Pick Up!
Many of us have experienced the odd sensation that we shouldn’t trust ourselves not to simply jump from a high place for no reason. Some even feel an urge…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: Pruney Skin
We know how our skin prunes, but we don't know for sure why. Chuck likes the leading theory, Josh does not. WHO WILL WIN? (nobody) See omnystudio.com/listener…
- Stuff You Should Know
The Story of Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Diesel was a game changing inventor, though his most famous product was not used how he envisioned it. Listen in and learn about his life and mysterious…
- Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Timber! How Timber Works
Throughout much of the world, the forests are being managed through sustainable timber harvesting practices. This has come at the cost of much legal battling…
- Stuff You Should Know
The One About Car Washes
The car wash you get to ride through on a journey to sparklingness is made of a handful of different tools that have been developed over the last century. They…
Stuff You Should KnowShort Stuff: ZIP Codes!
ZIP codes are pretty self-explanatory, but there are all kinds of fun facts around the topic. Listen in to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…
- Stuff You Should Know
Who was Dr. Bronner?
You may have his soap in your shower, but what do you know about the man himself? Buckle up, here comes Dr. Bronner! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy…