Stuff You Should Know

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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

iHeartRadio & HowStuffWorks

  • Discover Pods Awards
    2017 Best Kids & Family Podcast

  • Discover Pods Awards
    2017 Best Technology & Science Podcast


  • Dec 5, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
  • weekdays NEW EPISODES
  • 42m AVG DURATION
  • 2,437 EPISODES

4.5 from 69,874 ratings Listeners of Stuff You Should Know that love the show mention: josh and chuck, jeri, chuck bryant, love sysk, ibm, chuck and josh, yawning, mundane topics, chronic lyme, much stuff, movie crush, chuckers, chuck talk, flamingos, multiple times a day, love josh, love listening to josh, chemistry between josh, maggots, love stuff you should know.


Ivy Insights

The Stuff You Should Know podcast is an incredibly informative and enjoyable show hosted by Josh and Chuck. I have learned so much from listening to their discussions on a wide range of interesting topics. They have a great dynamic and their fun banter keeps the episodes entertaining. One aspect that I really appreciate about the hosts is their humility, despite being knowledgeable experts in their field.

The best aspect of this podcast is undoubtedly the wealth of information it provides. From deep dives into scientific concepts to historical events and pop culture phenomena, Josh and Chuck cover a wide variety of subjects. They present the information in a way that is easy to understand, even for those who may not have prior knowledge on the topic. Their ability to break down complex ideas into digestible chunks makes it accessible for a wide audience.

Another positive aspect of the podcast is the thoroughness with which they research their topics. It's evident that they put a lot of effort into ensuring accuracy and providing well-rounded perspectives. The hosts also strike a good balance between presenting facts and injecting their own opinions or anecdotes, which adds personality to each episode.

However, one potential downside of the podcast is the frequency of advertisements. While ads are necessary for revenue, some listeners may find them excessive or disruptive to the flow of the episodes. Though this can be subjective, it would be beneficial if there were fewer interruptions or an option for ad-free listening for subscribers.

In conclusion, The Stuff You Should Know podcast is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys learning new things while being entertained. Josh and Chuck's expertise combined with their engaging personalities make each episode both informative and enjoyable. Despite any minor drawbacks like frequent ads, this podcast remains one of my favorites due to its consistently high-quality content.



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Latest episodes from Stuff You Should Know

The Ruby Ridge Standoff

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 50:56 Transcription Available


The Ruby Ridge standoff still lingers after more than 30 years. But who was at fault for the lives lost? Listen in today to learn all about this dark spot in American history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Franca Viola

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2024 12:40 Transcription Available


One of the world's unsung heroes – at least outside of Italy – is a brave woman who stood up to an insidious and longstanding custom and made her country a better place for it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solipsism: This Is All In My Mind?

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024 35:43 Transcription Available


As the philosophical holds, there's a chance you don't exist, that not only you, but this episode, the podcast, and the entire universe are only projections of Josh or Chuck's mind. If so, then recording this episode was a waste of time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: Star Wars Holiday Spectacular

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2024 54:31 Transcription Available


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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LIVE: Minneapolis - The Madd Gasser of Mattoon

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2024 61:10 Transcription Available


Please enjoy our 2024 live show about the wild tale of the Madd Gasser of Mattoon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Erfurt Latrine Disaster

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 14:07 Transcription Available


A terrible thing happened in Germany in the summer of 1184.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wild History of Tetris

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 50:06 Transcription Available


Tetris is an iconic game with a fascinating history. Dive in today to learn all about this classic puzzle game.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: How the Stanford Prison Experiment Worked

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2024 46:39 Transcription Available


The infamous Stanford Prison Experiment wasn't really much of an experiment as it turns out. It was more like a poorly thought out exercise conducted by a professor who didn't dot the i's and cross the t's. Listen in to this classic episode as Josh and Chuck give this experiment some harsh treatment of their own.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Story of Tavern on the Green

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 44:52 Transcription Available


Tavern on the Green is a legendary NY eatery that has never rated particularly well with food critics. Despite that, it's been a NYC mainstay for decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The Gaslighting of Martha Mitchell

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 13:45 Transcription Available


Martha Mitchell, the wife of Nixon's Attorney General, was well-known to spread a juicy rumor. That's why when Watergate unfolded, she was held captive in a hotel room on her husband's orders and painted as a crazy alcoholic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Saga of Silk Road

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 48:03 Transcription Available


The US government took a thumb in the eye with the creation of the Silk Road website. Right there on the internet you could anonymously buy drugs and various other contraband, and for a couple years no one could do a darn thing about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: The Cleveland Torso Murders

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2024 49:00 Transcription Available


During the depths of the Great Depression, Cleveland's most vulnerable and destitute residents were prey for one of history's most horrific serial killers. The killer's identity remains a mystery to this day. Josh and Chuck take you through what's known in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fascinating History of Dandelions

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2024 42:06 Transcription Available


Dandelions are way more interesting than you think. Trust us and click play. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The wAve

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024 15:11 Transcription Available


It's a thrill to stand and, raise your arms, maybe give a woo! then sit down again, especially if you're in a sports stadium. And especially if you're doing it as part of a Wave.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2024 43:12 Transcription Available


A surprising number of Nobel Prize winners credit their childhood chemistry set for sparking their interest in science. But most kids just used them to make stuff explode. Compared to the originals, today's versions are super safe, pale shadows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: What's a quinceañera anyway?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2024 39:53 Transcription Available


A quinceañera is the celebration of a girl of Hispanic heritage becoming a young woman on her 15th birthday. It involves family, friends, music and a lot of great food. Join Josh and Chuck in this classic episode as they don their favorite pink dresses and go over this wonderful tradition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ADHD pt 2

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 49:06 Transcription Available


Today, the conclusion of the two-part episode on ADHD.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Tornado Alley

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 11:47 Transcription Available


North America gets as many as 1400 tornadoes a year. The place with the next highest is the UK at 33. So the spot with the most tornadoes in the US is also the spot with the most tornadoes in the world. That would be Tornado Alley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ADHD pt 1

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 45:10 Transcription Available


Today, Josh and Chuck dive into part one of their two-part suite on ADHD.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: The Strange Story of Sea Monkeys

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2024 52:51 Transcription Available


Anyone who ever picked up a comic book as a kid probably marveled at the ads for the mysterious Sea Monkeys. In reality, they are just brine shrimp, not fantastical beings with magical powers. But the story behind the invention of the Sea Monkey is tale all its own. Listen in to this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15th Annual SYSK Halloween Spooktacular!

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 60:41 Transcription Available


Buckle up folks, it's time for another of our favorite traditions, the SYSK Halloween Spooktacular! So sit down, dim the lights and get ready for some spooky stories. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Two Scary True Shorties!

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024 18:23 Transcription Available


Josh and Chuck dive into two spooky true stories in today's Short Stuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mystery of the Skeletons of Roopkund Lake

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2024 43:59 Transcription Available


One of the greatest unsolved historic mysteries is found in a lake atop a mountain glacier high up in the Indian Himalayas. The skeletons of as many as 800 people are inexplicably in and around the lake. No one knows who they are or what happened to them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: Why Landmines Are The Deadliest Legacy Of War

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2024 51:34 Transcription Available


One of the worst legacies of war are the millions of landmines left behind. They hide for decades after a conflict is over, exploding beneath unsuspecting civilians and children. To many, removing mines and banning new ones is of paramount importance. Learn all about the scope of the problem and this important work in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spend Some Time with Fairies

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2024 46:53 Transcription Available


Most people think of Tinkerbell when we think of fairies, but the Disney versions capture only the last century or so of what we've conceived fairies to be. Over millennia they've gone from ugly and scary to pretty and helpful and everything in between. Come meet the fae!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The Story of Spirit Halloween

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 14:45 Transcription Available


Every August, abandoned storefronts across America are filled with the spirit of Halloween, by way of the store, Spirit Halloween. Learn all about this wildly successful pop-up today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Q Anon: When Wild Conspiracy Went (sort of) Mainstream

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 48:34 Transcription Available


Q Anon believes many things, including that Tom Hanks is a Satan-worshipping, child-eating pedophile. Yeah. We'll just leave our "drop" right here for you to make up your own mind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: Porcupines: Little Stabby Cutie Pies

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2024 40:12 Transcription Available


We love animals. A lot. Especially underrated ones like the darling porcupine. Listen in to this classic episode to learn all about these stabby little boogers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kudzu: The Vine That Just Won't Stop

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2024 39:10 Transcription Available


If you're from the American South, then kudzu is something that cannot be avoided. But how did this invasive species get here and why does it love to consume everything in its path?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Redacted!

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024 12:29 Transcription Available


The process of redacting sensitive information is long and storied. But are there even any rules that apply to when and how it's done? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Anarchist Cookbook: Funny but Dangerous

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2024 41:25 Transcription Available


You might have owned the Anarchist Cookbook once, but you probably didn't use it to turn a shotgun into a grenade launcher or build a bomb. Unfortunately some people did and the author called for this book of “forbidden knowledge” to be taken out of print.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: How Paramedics Work

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2024 48:04 Transcription Available


Paramedics are not EMTs. Or fire fighters. Or cops. But they do ride around in ambulances (and drive) to help to save lives. It's a stressful job and in this classic episode we shine a light on this noble profession. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swatches!

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2024 44:50 Transcription Available


The story of the Swatch is super cool and one of the great retail successes. Listen in today to find out just why a country known for the finest craftsmanship started making plastic watches for the masses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Mystery of the Sarah Jo

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 10:03 Transcription Available


In another chapter of our continuing mysteries of the sea theme, we deliver a truly baffling mystery involving a ship that was lost and found, which brought more questions than answers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gobekli Tepe

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 46:40 Transcription Available


Gobekli Tepe is a profoundly ancient spiritual site that shouldn't exist, according to conventional wisdom. The massive site of columns and pictograms was built thousands of years before humans were thought to have been able to create anything like it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: How the Escape from Alcatraz Worked

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2024 54:30 Transcription Available


In 1962, three ordinary criminals transcended into folk heroes when they crawled out of their cells in Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary took to the water in a homemade raft and were never heard from again. Could they have possibly survived? Find out more in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Strange Story of Lysol

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024 43:47 Transcription Available


The Lysol we know now is sold as disinfectant only. But at one time it was also marketed as a means of birth control. Listen in today to the twisted history of this common household product. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Flower Power

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 11:52 Transcription Available


What we equate with acid, hippies, and garish polyester prints actually began as a theatrical way of protesting bans on free speech and the Vietnam War. When the hippies got hold of it, it definitely transformed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Shadow Biosphere: Is There Other Life on Earth?

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 42:42 Transcription Available


As far as we know life evolved once in the universe – here on Earth in the form of life as we know it. Could life have originated in other conditions with different raw materials? If so, we may be sharing the planet with lifeforms we don't recognize yet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: Rosa Parks: Agent of Change

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2024 50:48 Transcription Available


Rosa Parks finishes out our Black History Month episodes in grand fashion. While most know her from that fateful day on the Montgomery city bus, she actually had a long life as an advocate, protestor and agent of change. Join us via this classic episode as we celebrate one of America's great history makers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Judas Priest Suicide Trial

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 48:31 Transcription Available


A greatest hit of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s came when the metal band Judas Priest was put on trial for the suicides of two teens. While the case was preposterous – based on alleged hidden satanic messages in the music – it arose from a real tragedy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The SS Ourang Medang

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 11:13 Transcription Available


We love our ghost ships here at SYSK and this is one of the better ones. But did it really even exist? Not likely. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four Eyes Good: The History of Glasses

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 50:23 Transcription Available


Glasses as we know them have only been around for a few hundred years. So what did people do before this? And how did things change once spectacles were on the scene? Listen in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: How Government Shutdowns Work

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2024 52:19 Transcription Available


Every year Congress decides how the federal government will spend money. Simple enough, but in practice politics tend to mess it up. Sometimes it gets so messy the budget doesn't get passed and parts of the government shut down. Then the hurting begins. Learn all about it in this classic, always timely episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Slick: Not the Cartoon

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 48:24 Transcription Available


There's a good chance that if you don't live in San Antonio, Texas, you may not know who scientist/adventurer Tom Slick is. Today we tackle the story of the most interesting man you've never heard of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The Killing Stone

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 9:25 Transcription Available


The Killing Stone looms large in Japanese folklore, so when it split in half in March 2022, people were worried it would bring devastating effects in its wake. Except... they really didn't.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would A Love Drug Be Ethical?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2024 39:27 Transcription Available


What if science could create a drug that made you connect with people more deeply, let your emotions flow more openly, and sparked love and attachment in you for other people? Would you take it? Better hurry and decide because they might be on their way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: The Manson Family Murders Part 2

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2024 40:38 Transcription Available


Listen in to this classic episode for the conclusion of the story of the Manson Family Murders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celebration Florida: The Story of a Utopia that Never Was

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 52:00 Transcription Available


The town of Celebration, Florida was supposed to be a utopia. What it ended up as is a mediocre neighborhood on the outskirts of Disney World. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Uncle Sam Wants YOU!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 13:36 Transcription Available


Who is Uncle Sam anyway? Was it a real person or just a marketing exercise? And why does he refuse to go away? Listen in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Henry Ford: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024 45:00 Transcription Available


Henry Ford was an odd guy, but one who had a vision for America that centered around a populist, affordable and reliable automobile. He was also a noted antisemite and not a great father. Today, we dive into the life of FMC's founder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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