Stuff You Should Know

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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. read less

Our Editor's Take

Stuff You Should Know is an informative and entertaining podcast covering strange facts and science. It's a perfect choice for listeners who want to learn a little of everything. Do fish get thirsty? Is bariatric surgery a smart move? What is absinthe, and are cats an invasive species? Stuff You Should Know dives into exciting and often strange topics to provide unique, engaging insights.

The show is well researched and educational but also entertaining. It is a fun and easy way for listeners to learn something new. The show's format conveys a lot of information via casual conversation. Hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant can make even the most obscure topics intriguing. Their laid-back style means everyone can enjoy listening.

The show's primary goal is to educate. This is true whether listeners take away something practical or abstract. Clark and Bryant seek to spark that fire for learning. They believe everyone is better when they open their minds and explore new topics. Listeners will come away from each episode with more knowledge than when you went into it. And as a bonus, the shows are age-appropriate for everyone so that the whole family can listen along.

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Society & CultureSociety & Culture

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Selects: How the Beagle Brigade Works

Selects: How the Beagle Brigade Works

If you've ever been to an international airport, you've probably seen one of the keenest spotters of illegal contraband - The Beagle Brigade! These cute dogs aren't after drugs or bombs, they're carefully trained to sniff out agricultural products. Learn all about this furry group of crime stoppers in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episodes

Selects: How the Beagle Brigade Works

Selects: How the Beagle Brigade Works

If you've ever been to an international airport, you've probably seen one of the keenest spotters of illegal contraband - The Beagle Brigade! These cute dogs aren't after drugs or bombs, they're carefully trained to sniff out agricultural products. Learn all about this furry group of crime stoppers in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Awful Crimes of Georgia Tann

The Awful Crimes of Georgia Tann

Georgia Tann was a bad human. We feel safe in saying that because she kidnapped babies from poor families to sell to wealthy ones. Listen in if you can stomach it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The Sad, Strange Tale of Margaret Schilling

Short Stuff: The Sad, Strange Tale of Margaret Schilling

Not too much is known about Margaret Schilling. She was the kind of person whose memory might have been lost to time had she not left behind an indelible reminder of her. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Power of the Wind

The Power of the Wind

You probably know wind energy projects have been around since the 90s, but did you know they now provide 10% of America’s energy, and more than that in other countries? Learn about what’s ahead for wind and what it’ll need to become a real star like coal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: Special Effects: A Short History

Selects: Special Effects: A Short History

Special effects have been around since the first movies. In fact, the techniques the earliest filmmakers created are still around today, we just use computers to do them faster and cheaper. Hit play on this classic episode and then put on your beret and get ready for SYSK film class.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hitchhiking: Two thumbs out!

Hitchhiking: Two thumbs out!

Today we go down the road a bit, thumbs out, to explore the rich history of hitchhiking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The Amazing Tale of Juliane Koepcke

Short Stuff: The Amazing Tale of Juliane Koepcke

Few people have been more qualified to survive a plane crash alone in the Amazon for almost two weeks than Juliane Koepcke. Let’s hear her story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dubious Science of Arson Investigation

The Dubious Science of Arson Investigation

Arson investigation has changed a lot over the years. There is actual science available now, but the word still hasn't totally gotten out. Listen in today, and don't play with matches!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: How Famines Work

Selects: 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 suggests that while weather may trigger famines, they may actually be more of a human-made catastrophe. Find out more in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Testosterone and Estrogen: Wondrous Hormones

Testosterone and Estrogen: Wondrous Hormones

We think of estrogen and testosterone as the female and male sex hormones and they may seem kind of gross (is that just Josh?), but that simple understanding is way off. A magical biochemical dance between the two creates everything from bones to moods.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Straitjackets

Short Stuff: Straitjackets

Straitjackets aren't really a thing anymore unless you're watching a movie or TV show. Or in prison. That's the sad truth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1977 Women's Conference That Changed America

The 1977 Women's Conference That Changed America

The 70s were the decade of the woman in the US. America finally was coming around to the understanding women and men are equals and the government sponsored a conference to advance women’s rights. The opposition that arose changed the fabric of America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: All the Gold In Fort Knox: Meh

Selects: All the Gold In Fort Knox: Meh

When Fort Knox was built in the 1930s to house America’s gold supply, it was billed as an impenetrable, impregnable, don’t-even-think-of-trying vault. But as the world has moved further away from gold, the stockpile’s lost a bit of its luster. Learn all about it in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Everglades: Wowee

The Everglades: Wowee

One of America’s most important ecosystems takes up more than half the state of Florida. It’s a river of grass, a cactus desert, and a saltwater bay all rolled into one. And there are alligators and crocodiles. And that’s just the beginning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Knock on Wood

Short Stuff: Knock on Wood

What's the deal with knocking on wood? It's an action one takes to ensure good luck. Which doesn't exist. Yet we do it. Humans are funny that way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greedflation Is Real

Greedflation Is Real

One of the things we rely on is for the companies who make the stuff we need to not stick it to us, the customer. But it’s become painfully clear that’s just what happened during the pandemic and that it’s still happening today. What can we do about it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: Who is The Man of the Hole?

Selects: Who is The Man of the Hole?

In 2018, there's a man from a lost tribe still living deep in the jungles of Brazil who has been all alone since the mid 1990s. He's referred to as the Man of the Hole, and has had no face-to-face with modern humans. Who is he? We'll answer that question as best we can in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pulitzer Prize: A major award!

The Pulitzer Prize: A major award!

It doesn't get much bigger than the Pulitzer Prize if you're a journalist. Or a novelist. Or really any kind of writer. They even give them to podcasts now. We're not holding our breath.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Ramree Island Crocodile Massacre

Short Stuff: Ramree Island Crocodile Massacre

The strange thing about the story of the Ramree Island Crocodile Massacre is that it didn't happen. Yet the story lives on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love Canal: Even Dirtier Than It Sounds

Love Canal: Even Dirtier Than It Sounds

A man with an unfulfilled vision left a huge gash in the ground near Niagara Falls. Then a chemical company came along and filled it with toxic waste. Then people came along and built homes and an elementary school on top of it. Then things went badly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.