Podcast Episodes

The Scribble on Scrabble

Scrabble is a game that neither of us plays with regularity. And maybe that's good for this episode. We're all learning, right?

See omnystudio.com/lis…

1 year, 2 months ago

Selects: How Electricity Works

It is literally all around you (and even inside you) - electricity makes up the basis of modern life. But what exactly is electricity and how does it…

1 year, 2 months ago

Why is Chinese art being stolen?

The market for Chinese art used to be very small and is now a billion dollar annual industry. What changed? And how is this all tied to a string of h…

1 year, 2 months ago

Short Stuff: Outlawry

A request by our producer Dave C, we explore how totally on your own you were in Medieval England when the court declared you an outlaw.  

See omnystu…

1 year, 2 months ago

Switchboards: Please Hold While We Connect You

The telephone switchboard was a real wonder of technology and laid the groundwork for the next generation of connectivity. Learn how these things wor…

1 year, 2 months ago

Selects: Are crickets the future of food?

Crickets are part of a larger insect-based diet enjoyed in most parts of the world. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and protein, and green to boot, cr…

1 year, 2 months ago

How GPS Works

In a tribute to the late founder of HowStuffWorks Marshall Brain, we chose one of his great articles. Learn all about how your phone knows how to get…

1 year, 3 months ago

Short Stuff: Fanta - Nazi Favorite?

Fanta has its roots in Germany during WWII, so the Nazi association is something that's tough to deny. Dive in and hear all about how this beloved so…

1 year, 3 months ago

Who Put Bella In the Wych Elm?

One of the more famous unsolved true crime cases concerns a woman found stuffed into a tree in a woods outside Worcestershire during WWII. Despite an…

1 year, 3 months ago

Selects: How the Negro Leagues Worked

A decade before the U.S. officially segregated in 1896, baseball banned black players. A decade before the US integrated, baseball broke the color ba…

1 year, 3 months ago