Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
How Books About Things That Changed the World… Changed the World
Look in the nonfiction section of any bookstore and you’ll find dozens of history books making the same bold claim: that their narrow, unexpected sub…
1 year, 6 months ago
How Books About Things That Changed the World… Changed the World
Episode 105
Look in the nonfiction section of any bookstore and you’ll find dozens of history books making the same bold claim: that their narrow, unexpected sub…
1 year, 6 months ago
Truck Nutz (Encore)
Truck Nutz is a brand name for the dangling plastic testicles some people affix to the bumpers or hitches of their vehicles. Also sold as Bulls Balls…
1 year, 6 months ago
Jerry Lewis’ Lost Holocaust Clown Movie
Episode 104
In 1972, Jerry Lewis—the actor and filmmaker known for slapstick comedies like The Nutty Professor—took the biggest risk of his career when he decide…
1 year, 7 months ago
The Scratch-Off Ticket’s Instant Win
Episode 103
You may never have thought very hard about scratch-off tickets, but that’s part of their power. They’re a form of gambling that’s simply a pedestrian…
1 year, 7 months ago
Jump, Jive and Fail: The ’90s Swing Craze
Episode 102
When we got multiple listener emails asking about the swing revival of the late 1990s, host Willa Paskin’s first, knee jerk reaction was just: no. Sh…
1 year, 8 months ago
I am Tupperware, I Contain Multitudes
Episode 101
The storage container is a stealthy star of the modern home. It’s something we use to organize more of our stuff than ever before, and also something…
1 year, 8 months ago
Introducing Planet Money: Can Money Buy Happiness?
People often say that money can't buy you happiness. Sometimes, if you ask them to tell you more about it, they'll mention a famous 2010 study by Nob…
1 year, 9 months ago
Introducing Planet Money: Can Money Buy Happiness?
Episode 100
People often say that money can't buy you happiness. Sometimes, if you ask them to tell you more about it, they'll mention a famous 2010 study by Nob…
1 year, 9 months ago
Mailbag: Fruit Snacks, Waterbeds, and Lobster Tanks
Episode 99
It’s our annual mailbag episode! We get a lot of wonderful reader emails suggesting topics for the show — and at the end of the year we try to answer…
1 year, 9 months ago