Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchFall 2023 Teaser
We’re back with a new batch of cultural mysteries! This season, Decoder Ring explores the decline of an awkward yet unforgettable rite of passage: sl…
3 years ago
Fall 2023 Teaser
We’re back with a new batch of cultural mysteries! This season, Decoder Ring explores the decline of an awkward yet unforgettable rite of passage: sl…
3 years ago
Think Catchphrases Are Dead? Eat My Shorts.
Episode 75
Once you start listening for catchphrases in everyday life—you can’t stop hearing them. From the radio era’s “Holy mackerel!” to Fonzie’s “Ayyy!” to …
3 years, 2 months ago
The Quest for a Homemade Hovercraft
Episode 74
When Slate’s Evan Chung was a kid, he was obsessed with a mysterious advertisement that ran for decades in the scouting magazine Boys’ Life. Under th…
3 years, 2 months ago
A Brief History of Making Out
Episode 73
Kissing—the romantic, sexual, steamy kind—is so ingrained in us that it just seems like a fact of life. Like breathing or eating, we just do it. But …
3 years, 2 months ago
What's Really Going On Inside a Mosh Pit?
Episode 72
The mosh pit has a reputation as a violent place where (mostly) white guys vent their aggression. There’s some truth to that, but it’s also a place b…
3 years, 2 months ago
The Great Parmesan Cheese Debate
Episode 71
Parmesan is a food—but it’s not just a food. Italy’s beloved cheese is often paired with a deep craving for tradition and identity. But its history a…
3 years, 3 months ago
Summer 2023 Teaser
Join Decoder Ring as we unlock a whole new season of cultural mysteries. First, we’ll sniff around Italy’s best-loved cheese to test an incredible cl…
3 years, 3 months ago
Summer 2023 Teaser
Join Decoder Ring as we unlock a whole new season of cultural mysteries. First, we’ll sniff around Italy’s best-loved cheese to test an incredible cl…
3 years, 3 months ago
Who Owns the Tooth Fairy?
Episode 70
We pride ourselves on being grounded, rational beings, but flitting amongst us is a mystery: the Tooth Fairy. This flying piece of folklore is alive …
3 years, 5 months ago