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Bhutan Grades Itself On Happiness
Most people never get the chance to travel to Bhutan. Nestled high in the Himalayan mountains, this ancient kingdom is unique on multiple levels. It's the only Vajrayana Buddhist nation on the planet…
Published on 1 year, 1 month ago
CLASSIC: California Was Named for a Fictional Island Ruled by a Black Amazon Queen
California was admitted to the United States as the 31st state in 1850, but it acquired its unique name much, much earlier. Join Ben and Noel as they trace the strange story behind California's name,…
Published on 1 year, 1 month ago
The World's Weirdest Sports, Part Two: Literal Murderball
OK, imagine this: you've been captured by a neighboring civilization, hauled off to an unfamiliar city, and your captors tell you: "Hold up, we're not going to kill you yet. In fact, if you can win t…
Published on 1 year, 1 month ago
The World's Weirdest Sports, Part One: Buzkashī is Where You Fight Over A Dead Goat
Regardless of everyone's differences in this wide, wide world, it's safe to say every culture loves some kind of sport. Often these sports can seem strange to outsiders -- but before we cast proverbi…
Published on 1 year, 1 month ago
CLASSIC: Ancient Mayan Ritual Alcohol Enemas
Like many ancient cultures, the civilizations of Mesoamerica had a vast and rich history of unique cultural practices, spiritual beliefs and ceremonies, some of which may seem bizarre to people in th…
Published on 1 year, 1 month ago
One Guy Was So Good At Violin That People Thought He Worshipped Satan
There's no denying Niccolò Paganini was a virtuoso -- in his heyday, this violinist was an international rock star, wowing crowds across Europe with his rollicking, frenetic performances. He was, in …
Published on 1 year, 2 months ago
Credit Scores are Absolutely Ridiculous
In theory, the concept of credit scores is simple, and makes a lot of sense: lenders need to know they can trust someone to pay back their debts, and debtors need a way to prove they're trustworthy. …
Published on 1 year, 2 months ago
CLASSIC: That Time Vermont Was an Independent Republic
Today Vermont is known for its progressive politics, beautiful forestry, Bernie Sanders and Ben and Jerry's. It's not a state you'll hear much about outside of the US and, for many Vermont natives, t…
Published on 1 year, 2 months ago
Spontaneous Generation, Part Two: "Broth Science"
Who could have guessed a series of broth experiments revolutionized humanity's understanding of life? Spoiler, not us. In part two of this week's two part episode, Ben, Noel and Max continue their ex…
Published on 1 year, 2 months ago
Spontaneous Generation, Part One: Mice and Grain
Today the idea sounds silly. Why would anyone think nonliving substances can suddenly generate living things? Yet for much of human history, the concept of spontaneous generation was widely accepted.…
Published on 1 year, 2 months ago