Podcast Episodes

Selects: Sunburn, Suntans and Sunscreen

It's pretty obvious something's gone wrong when you get a sunburn, but did you know a tan means you've damaged your DNA? Dive into the three Ss of su…

2 years, 2 months ago

The Ballad of Grit

In the last decade American schools became enrapt by a new psychological concept centered on persevering. Things went south when they started attachi…

2 years, 2 months ago

Short Stuff: Amber Alerts

Learn all about the saddest phone notification in today's episode. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 years, 2 months ago

Conductors: What the heck is going on there?

You've probably been to a symphony performance and wondered, what in the heck are conductors doing up there anyway? Well we're here to explain that a…

2 years, 2 months ago

Selects: What are think tanks all about?

Think tanks? More like stink tanks! We're kidding. Think tanks do valuable work, when they operate in a non-partisan way of course. Learn all about t…

2 years, 2 months ago

The Guinness Book of Records

If you grew up in the 70s and 80s in America, you probably have the image of your tattered Guinness Book of Records. The book was ubiquitous then, bu…

2 years, 2 months ago

Short Stuff: What's a mudlarker?

Mudlarking is a uniquely British hobby, though you can dig through river mud anywhere there's a river. But the Thames has the good stuff. 

See omnystu…

2 years, 2 months ago

The shameful and harrowing story Unit 731

Unit 731 was a secret group within the Japanese Army in WWII that committed unspeakable atrocities against humans in the name of scientific research.…

2 years, 2 months ago

Selects: How Vomit Phobia Works

No one - no one - likes to vomit, but there are some people who would prefer to die rather than vomit, people who spend their days worrying they will…

2 years, 2 months ago

J. Edgar Hoover: Evil G-Man Pt. 2

In the exciting conclusion of our two-part episode on Hoover, we come in at the Cold War and end on a strange note.

See omnystudio.com/listener for pr…

2 years, 2 months ago