Podcast Episodes
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Cognitive switching is killing your productivity [archive]
Episode 367
Revisit this classic lesson on cognitive switching from the Plain English archives: What is cognitive switching? It’s when you switch your attention …
5 months, 4 weeks ago
Who deserves the San Jose's treasure? [archive]
Episode 632
Enjoy this episode from the Plain English archives (with a recent update for 2025): The San José, a Spanish treasure ship carrying gold, silver, and …
6 months ago
Five timeless Christmas stories
Episode 826
Today's story: Classic stories are an important part of Christmas traditions for both kids and adults. They teach values of generosity, family, love,…
6 months ago
'A Man on the Inside' is a sweet, intergenerational comedy
Episode 825
Today's story: Ted Danson stars in *Man on the Inside*, a warm, thoughtful comedy about a retired professor who becomes a private investigator. The s…
6 months, 1 week ago
All about live Christmas trees
Episode 824
Today's story: Though most Christmas trees are plastic, millions of families like to get live Christmas trees every year. Real trees are grown at spe…
6 months, 1 week ago
Tracking monarch butterflies as they migrate
Episode 823
Today's story: Scientists used to rely on stickers to track monarch butterfly migration—but that only showed where a butterfly started and ended. Now…
6 months, 2 weeks ago
The world’s biggest butterfly migration
Episode 822
Today's story: Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of kilometers from across the U.S. and Canada to just a few mountain forests in central Mexico. …
6 months, 2 weeks ago
America has minted its last penny
Episode 821
Today's story: The United States Mint struck its final penny in November 2025, ending a 232-year run of producing the one-cent coin. The decision fol…
6 months, 3 weeks ago
The zipper is getting an upgrade
Episode 820
Today's story: Zippers are everywhere: on clothes, bags, and accessories. But the basic design of a zipper hasn't changed in a century. Now, though, …
6 months, 3 weeks ago
Is 'premium economy' worth it? [archive]
Episode 223
We're opening up the archives to repeat episode 223 from January 2020, just before COVID-19 halted air travel. Enjoy!
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In between economy class (in t…
6 months, 4 weeks ago