Stuff You Should Know

In the US those ubiquitous blue highway signs that tell you which direction you’ll find a Burger King have an interesting backstory. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Chuck and Josh dive into the ins and outs of language learning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hinduism and Buddhism are closely related in a number of ways, including their vision of what comes after we exit this mortal coil. Learn about the religions' interesting interpretation of the state of existence outside space-time, in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What became the Magic Eye illusion fad of the 1990s was born by way of the stereogram of the 1950s (and even before that). It's a winding story that you'll love!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throwing a pie in someone’s face was groundbreaking comedy once upon a time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insomnia is rough stuff. Listen in and learn all about why you can't fall asleep and what you can do about that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police lineups are something most people have never had any firsthand experience with. What you see on TV and in movies isn't so far off though. Learn about how these tropes work for real in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is probably no drug more mythologized than PCP. It drives users insane and has the unfortunate side effect of bestowing superhuman strength thus sending them on a rampage. But does it though?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The most famous cemetery in Paris has some of the most famous people in the world buried there. And it's quite lovely.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a very special episode, the first one we've ever fully recorded a second time and decided to release. Why? Because it's good and a little different and we thought you'd enjoy this unheard of double dose. So enjoy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They are creepy, sure, but they are also useful, cute and in great danger of extinction. Get a new lease on life from a new view of bats in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Beard is well-known now for the annual awards named in his honor. But he used to be the most famous chef in America, and set the standard for what makes a celebrity chef.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hollywood sign is an iconic landmark that started out as a real estate billboard. Can you believe it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If truckers suddenly vanished the global economy would come to a grinding halt in a couple days. But as important as they are these highway heroes (mostly) are, they’re systematically mistreated by their industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The people of Flint, MI were horrified to find their drinking water was poisoned with lead. As we learn more about lead's effects and realize how persistent it is, the more worrying it becomes. What makes lead so toxic? Find out in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you thought caterpillars were awesome, just wait until you see them with colorful, iridescent wings!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fahrenheit or Celsius? Why not both? If they can agree - exactly at -40 degrees - then it seems like we should all be able to agree they're both great as well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caterpillars are simply the best. Don't think so? Well listen in and you'll soon agreeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's easy to overlook the importance of ocean currents - they move along out at sea, while we stay mostly on land. But we are globally affected by them every day. Currents form the base of the food chain, drive weather and keep life as we know it going. Explore them with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black sci-fi writers were shut out of their genre in the 20th century so they created their own vision of the future. That sentiment spread to music and film and today it’s so engrained in pop culture it doesn't need its own label. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has arrived, the most important podcast episode in the history of the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a good chance that in March of 2023, humans crossed a threshold into a transformative new era when a new, smarter type of AI was let loose in the wild and an AI arms race began. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this special live benefit episode recorded in Atlanta, Josh and Chuck go back to the 70s and look at the decidedly ungroovy course of events that led to Ford recalling its Pinto after people started burning up in them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans made it through the Bronze Age and Iron Age, then we dabbled in steel, and now we are living in the Aluminum Age. The metal is so ubiquitous it seems like it’s been around forever, but we’ve only been really using it since the 20th century.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The suicide forest in Japan is a beautiful place with a checkered reputation. Trigger Warning: This episode features a discussion of suicide. If you or anyone you know needs help, please call 988.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered when and why people started caring about body odors and cleanliness? Well look no further than today's episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know some of our most beloved movies originally had different, sometimes better, endings? That is until they were tested in front of focus groups. Learn all about the how, what, and why of audience testing in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philosophers have been wondering whether we experience reality as it is for millennia now. They’ve pretty much settled on no, no we don’t. Now science has taken up the investigation and it’s proving the philosophers correct. So what is reality then?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the more futuristic things around right now on Earth is research into encoding data into strings of genetic code.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keeping your elbows off the table, keeping your fingers out of the gravy boat – at some point these became very important rules of etiquette. But what purpose do manners serve? It turns out they just may be the glue that prevents society from unraveling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost everything you know about pterosaurs is wrong. They weren't birds, they weren't flying dinosaurs and they weren't all pterodactyls. Which makes this classic episode a great one for you to learn some new and amazing stuff about terrifying prehistoric beasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could eating at only certain times of the day lead to weight loss? Possibly! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone knows what a Rube Goldberg machine is, but what do you know about the cartoonist who they're named after?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a moment Milli Vanilli was the hottest musical act in the world. Then came the news that it was just that, an act, and the fall came swiftly and humiliatingly. Now, 30 years on, a look back yields not so much a cautionary tale as a very sad story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Science doesn't have a good explanation for why we sense color, yet it is everywhere and affecting us all the time. But why should minutely different wavelengths of light have such an impact on our moods and motivations? Explore these questions and more with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans exercising for better health has not been around that long. Today we dive into this fun history as we cover why and when we started this now commonplace pastime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you watch the news and hear the pollen count is high for some particular type of plant then it’s high time you learned how they do that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bechdel Test is a is a measure of the representation of women in film. You'd be surprised how many movies fail. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know those shows where people wearing sensible shoes jog dogs around in circles? They actually represent the pinnacle of a long and complex path to glory for dogs and their owners. Join Chuck and Josh as they peek inside the American dog show in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s totally bonkers that in the US and other countries, the job of determining the guilt or innocence of an accused criminal – whose life may be at stake – is left not to experts in law but to a group of random citizens. Even crazier, it generally works!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mood Rings were all the rage in the 1970s. Then they went away, and fast. What's your color today?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not too long ago we thought that germs were the cause of most diseases, leading to germ theory. But when we look at maladies from heart disease to Alzheimer’s one commonality stands out: inflammation. Could it be we’ve found the root cause of all diseases?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been called a "glorified spring", but Slinky is one of the best selling toys of all time. From accidental origins to an unlikely resurrection, Slinky has a pretty great back story. Learn all about it in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TV weather people can seem corny and maybe a little nerdy, but beneath that toothsome exterior lies the heart of a lonely warrior of science, one who is often overlooked as the hardest working member of the news team. Learn all about these unsung heroes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is Frances Kelsey? Well, she's a semi-unsung hero of the FDA whose work helped save a lot of kids from congenital disorders and even death. Listen and learn!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's funny how similar The Colosseum in Rome is to modern day arenas. They really had it figured out. Tune in today to learn all about this early entertainment venue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does the human body really replace itself every few years? The answer is yes, but different parts of the body do so at different rates. Learn all about which parts of your body are the speediest, and which take the longest to regenerate, in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smell-O-Vision was a post-war movie theater gimmick that delivered well-timed scents to the noses of audiences to align with the movie. Did it work? Sort of. Did it ultimately fail? Yes. Does that mean it has gone away forever? No.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a theory that all of us have a maximum number of friendships that we can maintain – 150, to be exact. Suspiciously exact, really, if you think about it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another classic toys edition is at your collective feet. Today, we dive into the soft, padded world of NERF!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.