Stuff You Should Know

Selects: How Spiritualism Works

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Something spooky was born on the American frontier in the mid-19th century: the idea that people’s personalities survive death and that some gifted individuals can communicate with them. It developed into a religion that some still practice today.

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Let's All Go to the World's Fair

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:07:07 +0000

Before the internet could show you anything in the universe - including stuff it made up - people had few opportunities to have their minds blown. But every few years, somewhere in the world nations would gather and show off the cool stuff they invented.

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Short Stuff: Johnny Ringo

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

You might be familiar with the outlaw Johnny Ringo from the movie Tombstone. He was indeed a real-life black hat gunslinger, and a tragic figure at that.

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The Gold Standard: When Money Meant Something

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

There was a time less than 100 years ago when you could exchange your paper currency at the bank for actual gold. Gave folks a sense of stability, it did. Depending on your view, we either ruined or built our economies when money became just paper.

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Selects: How Dopamine Works

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Dopamine is perhaps the most talked-about, most misunderstood biochemical in our bodies. It’s linked to not only addiction and depravity, but also focus, motivation, and living a productive life. How can one molecule be so many things to so many people? Find out all about it in this classic episode.

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The Battle of the Sexes

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Back in 1973 a male chauvinist played tennis against champion Billie Jean King. This is that story.

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Short Stuff: MacGuffins

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

What’s a MacGuffin? We don’t know. No one knows. But it has to do with movies and that’s fun to talk about.

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The Murder of Jane Stanford

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Stanford University was co-founded by Jane Stanford. Not long after she was murdered and it was covered up. We'll probably never know what really happened. Listen in today.

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Selects: How Free Range Parenting Works

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Free range parenting is all about giving your child the freedom to play and explore life on their own. Are there benefits? Sure. Do some people hate the concept? Yes! Listen to this classic episode and learn right here.

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How the Flexner Report Changed Medicine

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Flexner Report shook up medicine in the United States when it was released in 1910 and it's never been the same since. For better or worse.

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Short Stuff: Safety Coffins

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Back in the 1800s, people had an outsized fear of being buried alive. Enter... THE SAFETY COFFIN!

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How Crowds Work

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever been out of your house you’ve probably been in a crowd before. They can be as mundane as an elevator full of people or as consequential as a mass of protesters. But did you know there’s psychology to crowds? And they follow fluid dynamics?

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Selects: How Charles Darwin Worked

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Charles Darwin wasn't the first or only scientist to grasp the theory of evolution through natural selection, but he became its father and icon. In this classic episode, learn about the man who reluctantly but bravely became the source of the divide between religion and science.

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How Lasers Work

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:03:05 +0000

It turns out that lasers are even cooler than they look. And as far as acronyms go, they’re pretty solid in that respect too. There’s way too much cool stuff about lasers to tease here so listen to this old school SYSK episode and let lasers blow away.

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Short Stuff: Aztec Death Whistle

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:20:23 +0000

In the late 90s, a strange musical instrument was excavated under the streets of CDMX. Listen in to learn all about the Aztec Death Whistle.

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How Cognitive Biases Work

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Humans have all sorts of weird quirks that cause us to do silly things and make bad decisions. It’s not our fault though. Our brains are wired that way. Learn about the psychology of cognitive biases in this episode.

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Selects: Why Do Great Flood Myths Seem To Be Universal?

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

If look into the mythology of just about any culture in the world, you will find a myth about a great flood that destroyed humanity and submerged the Earth in the distant past. Does this mean that a great flood actually happened? Listen to this classic episode to explore the possibilities with Josh and Chuck.

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The Cajun Navy: Heroes or Liability?

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Cajun Navy was formed after Hurricane Katrina and really got its legs after the Louisiana flood of 2016. They save a lot of lives, but some fear the pitfalls of "vigilante heroism." Learn all about this group of do-gooders today.

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Short Stuff: Color Psychology

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Have you ever cried way longer than usual when you were in a yellow room? You’ve been smacked by color psychology my friend and it’s got your number.

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Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan: Miracle is Right

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan were one of the most amazing non-magical duos in history. Imagine living trapped in your own mind – unable to see or hear – and then imagine learning to read, traveling the world, and becoming an ambassador of peace.

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Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corpse Fooled the Nazis

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

In World War II, a secret department of British 'corkscrew thinkers' hatched a plan to use the cadaver of an unclaimed homeless man to turn the tide of the war in the Allies' favor. It worked. Listen to this classic episode as Josh and Chuck take you through the real life tale.

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The Magnificent Golden Gate Bridge

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

If you think the Golden Gate Bridge is named because of its color then you are wrong. That name proceeds the bridge by a long time. But that’s just one interesting fact about this amazing structure. Tune in today.

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Short Stuff: Magic 8 Ball

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Magic 8 Ball, the mystical fortune telling pool ball started out as a piece of customer swag for the Brunswick Billiard Company. Since then, it has changed the course of history and shaped nations.

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The Charge of the Light Brigade

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:46:52 +0000

The Charge of the Light Brigade is a famous poem about a lesser famous military action during the Crimean War. Tune in today for a rare SYSK walk through wartime history.

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Selects: The Truth Behind Cage-Free and Free-Range

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

You’d think terms like cage-free and free-range means the chickens we eat are frolicking happily in the fresh air under the shining sun, but you’d be so, so wrong. Cage-free is a huge improvement but free-range is lacking and both have a long way to go. Find out all about both in this classic episode.

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The Ballad of Biggie and Tupac

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:17:58 +0000

Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur had a famous beef with one another in the mid-90s. It was so intense, it sparked an even wider rivalry between the East and West Coasts. In just a few years, both men had been murdered and the music world was changed forever.

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Short Stuff: The S7VEN Deadly Sins

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Seven Deadly Sins are tied to religion, but not really in the Bible. So where did this naughty list come from?

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Keeping Time

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Today, Chuck and Josh walk you through the history of keeping time, from sticks in the sun to atomic clocks.

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Selects: BPD: The Worst Disorder or Not a Disorder at All?

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Borderline Personality Disorder has been described as emotional “third degree burns over ninety percent of your body.” It’s as close to a curse as a personality disorder can be: deep fear of being abandoned creates behaviors that end up driving people off. Learn all about it in this classic episode.

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Data Centers: Can't Live With Em, Can't Live Without Em

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Data centers are the backbone of our digital world. All the sites you visit and social media you post happen there. A boom in huge data centers to support AI is underway, and they’re taking a big toll on the environment and life for the people around them.

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Short Stuff: Did a vampire legend help win the Cold War?

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

During the Cold War, the CIA used the legend of a vampire named Aswang to scare locals into not helping the communists.

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Doin’ Science in the National Radio Quiet Zone

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

West Virginia is home to sensitive radio telescopes that could easily pick up your cell phone’s signal on Mars. And the cell reception on Mars is about as good as it is in the NRQZ, since cell towers are banned in the interest of furthering astronomy.

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Selects: How Forgiveness Works

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

For most of history, forgiveness fell under the domain of religion. But in the 1980s science started investigating it and found that forgiving someone is really, really good for you. Learn how anybody can be the better person in this classic, and really great, episode.

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The SAD Episode

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is much more than the winter blues. It's a serious subset of depression. Learn all about it and what to do if you suffer from it today.

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Short Stuff: Neighborhood Watch

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Since 1972 neighborhoods have been officially banding together to prevent crime together. Does it work? It seems to. Does it go too far? It often does, yes.

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The Warrens: Paranormal Power Couple

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Today we dive into the interesting story of paranormal power couple the Warrens, inspiration behind The Conjuring movie franchise.

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Selects: MC Escher and His Trippy Art

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

We love us some MC Escher. Turns out his story is pretty fascinating too. Tune in to this classic episode and find out all about it with Josh and Chuck.

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TV Moments That Changed The World

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 23:35:46 +0000

Whatever you think of TV, you have to admit it has shaped the world (maybe more than the internet, according to Josh). There have been moments here or there in TV history where the world took a new course and we go over some of them in this episode.

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Short Stuff: All About Porcelain

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

What exactly is this durable ceramic anyway?

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What We Lost When We Lost Home Ec

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Home economics seems antiquated – a class that teaches high school kids how to bake a cake and sew doesn’t sound super useful. But would you believe that everything from the obesity epidemic to student debt can be chalked up to home ec disappearing?

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Selects: How Miniature Golf Works

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Playing miniature golf is a very fun thing to do and, you’re about to find, learning about its origin and history is very fun as well. Join Josh and Chuck in this classic episode as they tee off on the mini golf story!

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Dolls and Dolls, Guys!

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In this special Christmas Day episode, we get cuddly with one of the all-time great holiday gifts, dolls! Where did they come from? Why are the so cute? Why are they sometimes creepy? Why do they tell us to do things we don’t want to with their minds?

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Short Stuff: Why is holly a holiday thing?

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Holly is waxy and super sharp, not exactly the kind of thing you'd want all over your house. Yet it happens every holiday season. Today we dig in to discover why.

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SYSK's 2025 Holiday Extravaganza Christmas Special

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Deck your tidings and get your halls nice and gladded because it’s time for maybe the best episode of the year, where SYSK loosens our ties, puts on our smoking jackets and Santa hats and create holiday nostalgia in real time. Happy holidays, everybody!

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Selects: PT Barnum: More Complicated Than You've Heard

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

When your life is as outsized as the World’s Greatest Showman PT Barnum it’s pretty easy to - you know - gloss over the grimmer aspects when you turn it into an uplifting musical movie. But the way to understand a person is to look at them, warts and all. Josh and Chuck take a full accounting in this classic episode.

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Doggerland: Lost at Sea

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The story of Doggerland is pretty fascinating. The idea is that mainland Europe and the UK were connected not only by a land bridge, but a place where plants, animals and even humans, thrived.

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Short Stuff: Battle of Itter Castle

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

At the end of WWII in Europe, one of the strangest battles of the war took place between German troops fighting alongside Americans and French to beat back an assault by the Nazi SS.

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Battle Royale: Optimists vs Pessimists

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Everybody’s always bagging on pessimists and telling everybody they should be more optimistic. Well, nuts to that! There are plenty of benefits from being a pessimist. Although being an optimist still wins in basically every category ☹

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Selects: Star Wars Holiday Spectacular

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, George Lucas allowed the Star Wars Holiday Special to be made. What happened on the night of November 17, 1978 can never be fully explained, but we make our best effort in our annual special edition of SYSK. May the force be with us all.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: What Makes a Must-Have Christmas Toy?

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:10:00 +0000

Ever since Cabbage Patch Kids came along in 1983, there’s been an annual holiday frenzy around one particular toy – the must-have Christmas toy of the year. But what makes a toy a must-have toy? Josh and Chuck investigate (and kick off the holidays).

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Play-Doh Works