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


  • Oct 11, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
  • weekdays NEW EPISODES
  • 42m AVG DURATION
  • 2,637 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

Selects: How Schoolhouse Rock Rocked: Featuring Bob Nastanovich of Pavement

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2025 65:04 Transcription Available


Schoolhouse Rock is possibly the best children's program of all time. Join Josh and Chuck in this classic episode as they tell the story of SR, featuring an interview with Pavement's Bob Nastanovich, contributor to the '90s Schoolhouse Rock tribute record.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone Deserves A Good Death

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 51:29 Transcription Available


The concept of hospice was created as a way to help people with only a few weeks to live spend their last days comfortable an surrounded by friends and family in the hope they can pass away peacefully. It’s kind of crazy hospice was ever a radical idea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The Call is Coming... FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 15:14 Transcription Available


Did you know that the "the call is coming from inside the house" urban legend may be based on a very grisly murder case from the 1950s?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Happy Place of Saturday Morning Cartoons

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 52:44 Transcription Available


The greatest period in the history of humankind took place in the short era between 1970 and 1995. During that time kids could tune in every Saturday morning between 8 and noon and find the most amazing cartoons ever created, plus tons and tons of ads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: How Mail Order Marriages Work

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2025 50:37 Transcription Available


Everybody knows mail order marriages are at best a last resort for jerks looking to boss a foreign spouse around or, at worst, a front for human trafficking. Or are they? Yes and no. Mail order marriage comes with nuance and a surprisingly long history. Learn all about it in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mystery of the Sleepy Sickness

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 47:46 Transcription Available


Back in the early 1900s, a new pandemic happened out of nowhere with odd symptoms, that was never solved or cured. It just went away. Which means it's right up our alley. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: La Lechuza - The Witch Owl

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 11:59 Transcription Available


Today we kick off the scariest month with the legend of La Lechuza - The Witch Owl.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Would Anyone Want to Appease Hitler?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 46:48 Transcription Available


It seems ridiculously irresponsible with the benefit of hindsight, but the concept of giving Hitler everything he wanted was the policy among the UK and France as a way to keep the world from sliding into a second world war. Turns out it didn’t work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: How Area 51 Works

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2025 50:50 Transcription Available


The secret military base Area 51 is inextricably linked to every secret, shady project the US government is rumored to be involved in – from reverse-engineering alien technology to coordinating a one-world government. The truth is much more mundane. Listen to this classic episode as Josh and Chuck break it down.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Hinterkaifeck Axe Murders

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 46:52 Transcription Available


In 1922, a little farm in the woods of Bavaria became the site of what would become Germany’s most famous unsolved murder, when six people were brutally killed with a pick axe. What led up to it and followed is nothing short of bizarre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: SYSK Live: The DB Cooper Heist

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 90:32 Transcription Available


Join Josh and Chuck live from Seattle as they (sky)dive into one of the most brazen robberies in the annals of crime and the only unsolved airline hijacking in American history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: Who Committed the 1912 Villisca Ax Murders?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 46:25 Transcription Available


In a small town in Iowa in 1912 eight people were murdered in the grisliest of ways while they slept. Local reputations were ruined when accusations flew, but could a drifting serial killer working across the Midwest have been behind it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Tylenol Murders, Part I

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 44:19 Transcription Available


On one terrible day in Chicago in 1982, seven people died suddenly and mysteriously. In just a matter of hours, it becomes clear, someone has poisoned bottles of Extra-Strength Tylenol, one of the most trusted and widely-used products in America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 55:06 Transcription Available


The largest ever kidnapping case in the United States went down in the small town of Chowchilla, CA. Learn all about it today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Tylenol Murders, Part II

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 45:54 Transcription Available


The panic that began in Chicago spreads and begins to change the world. The investigation into the murders turns up leads and suspects, but still no one has ever been charged with the murders. It remains unsolved to this day. Find out the extent of what we know in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Tale of the Bloody Benders

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 48:55 Transcription Available


Long before we knew what serial killers were, a family in remote Kansas was disposing of victims at their family farm. Listen in to the Tale of the Bloody Benders if you dare!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Harvey's Casino Bombing of 1980

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 40:57 Transcription Available


In August of 1980 a bomb containing 1,000 pounds of dynamite was quietly delivered to Harvey’s, a casino and resort at Lake Tahoe. This kicked off a whirlwind caper that lasted 30 hours and ended up nearly demolishing the 11-story resort.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Strange Unsolved Murder of Ken McElroy

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 46:08 Transcription Available


The murder of Ken McElroy comes off like a story from a cheap paperback book you’d get to read on a plane. But this is a true crime story, set in Missouri in the early 80s. And boy does it pack a punch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Harrowing Story of the North Hollywood Shootout

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 52:21 Transcription Available


Tune in today to listen to the story of when North Hollywood became a war zone after a brazen bank robbery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Unsolved Indiana Dunes Disappearances

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 41:00 Transcription Available


In July 1966, three women out for a day at the beach waded into the water of Lake Michigan, got onto a boat and were never heard from again. To this day, not a trace of them has ever turned up and theories of what became of them abound.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: How The Great Train Robbery Worked

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 43:33 Transcription Available


In 1963, 15 men got together in England to pull off one of the most daring heists in history. The Great Train Robbery was the crime of the century, capturing the public's attention and leaving them torn on who to root for - the cops or the robbers. Learn all about England's greatest heist in today's episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Tribute To The Far Side

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2025 43:51 Transcription Available


The Far Side is one of the greatest cartoons in history. Today we go to great lengths to convince you of that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Death Cap Mushroom

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 11:45 Transcription Available


The death cap mushroom lives up to its name. It’s a mushroom cap that causes death. Find out why.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tdhtdhtdhtdhtdh: Sound Effects!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 49:39 Transcription Available


Sound effects are one of the unsung parts of any movie or TV show – they’re best when you don’t even notice them making what you see on screen even more real, and when they’re off you notice immediately. Learn how hard this amazing craft is in this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: Slime Mold: 0% Mold, 100% Amazing

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2025 49:04 Transcription Available


If you’ve ever wandered past what looked like a pile of dog barf on a log during a hike in the woods, you’d just seen slime mold - one of the most perplexing organisms on Earth. Listen to this classic episode and get as amazed as Josh and Chuck were when they recorded it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 40:59 Transcription Available


As part of our shameful history series, today we dive into the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments of the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s and into the 70s.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Killing a Dead Body

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 14:00 Transcription Available


If you try to kill someone who was already dead is that a bad thing? Yeah? How bad?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What was the Four Pests Campaign?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 38:39 Transcription Available


Say one thing about Mao's communist China, they could kill some sparrows. Learn why and how in today's episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: What's the deal with subpoenas?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025 51:57 Transcription Available


Subpoenas are all the rage. But what do they even mean if someone can just ignore it? Learn this and a lot more in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're So Good At Conversation!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025 49:48 Transcription Available


It’s an understated miracle that humans can get across ideas to one another by saying things out loud. We’re strangely good at not constantly talking over each other, interrupting one another, and correcting misunderstandings. All just by conversing! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: North Sentinel Island

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 11:32 Transcription Available


One of the last uncontacted people in the world live in the Bay of Bengal and they have made it clear they don’t want you to visit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Man with the Golden Arm

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 32:16 Transcription Available


Aussie James Harrison gave blood close to 1,200 times over a 60 year period and saved 2.5 million babies in the process. That makes him a hero. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: Noise Pollution: Arrrgh!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2025 52:28 Transcription Available


If you’ve ever found your blood pressure rising because some guy down the street doesn’t know how to keep the trigger on a leaf blower pulled all the way, then you’ve experienced noise pollution. Not only is it annoying, it turns out it’s deadly too! Learn all about it in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America's Militarized Police

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 47:46 Transcription Available


In the 1960s, America took stock of itself when scores of low-income cities broke out in riots. It found that racism was at the root of many social problems. Instead of addressing the underlying issues, the country decided instead to militarize the police.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The Mpemba Effect

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 13:47 Transcription Available


Why does water seem to freeze faster when it starts out warmer?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Dolphins Work!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 53:04 Transcription Available


E-e-e-eek! E-e-e-eek, we say! Adding to the tradition of our wonderful animal episodes we contribute this amazing installment on one of the all-time great sea creatures, the dolphin! Attach a sponge to your rostrum and dive in with Josh and Chuck!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: What Were the BONE WARS?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2025 53:04 Transcription Available


A pair of old timey fossil hunters had a rootin’ tootin’ rivalry that spilled from academic journals into the American Wild West - where fossils were dynamited and employees turned double agent. Learn about the two-fisted origins of American paleontology in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are Blue Zones?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025 46:04 Transcription Available


Blue zones are areas where people supposedly have more 100+ year-olds than average. But is it all based on faulty records?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: 1561 Celestial Event

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 10:39 Transcription Available


An amazing case of an early modern mass sighting of UFOs came in Nuremberg, Germany in 1561. Except it wasn’t that at all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The History of Orthodontics

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 43:36 Transcription Available


Crooked teeth have always been a thing, but it took us a long time to do something about it. Learn about the twisted history of orthodontics today!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: The Flannen Isles Mystery

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2025 50:07 Transcription Available


In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened to them. Find out all about this strange situation in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private Equity: Your Ears Will Bleed

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2025 46:42 Transcription Available


Private equity is a business operation where companies are bought and run at their leanest to maximize returns for a handful of investors. It can be a lifeline for a flailing company or run it into the ground. Either way, PE firms make out like bandits.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: The Lost (?) Continent of Lemuria

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 11:05 Transcription Available


Why aren't there lemurs in Africa? That question created a whole theory about a lost continent. Turns out it's not true.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unsolved Murder of Hall and Mills

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 51:01 Transcription Available


In 1922, a pastor and his mistress were murdered in New Jersey. Nobody was ever convicted of the crime even though it seems clear who did it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: How Rape Kits Work

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2025 50:44 Transcription Available


Rape kits are simple forensic evidence collection kits used when someone is sexually assaulted. But the story is deeper than this. Learn all about rape kits, the sad backlog problem, and what you can do to help, in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heavy Metal Pt II

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2025 52:03 Transcription Available


In part two of Heavy Metal Week Josh and Chuck break down how specialized heavy metal music has become, talk about some of the great album covers, look at how metal hits the brain, and explain the sad death of guitar great Randy Rhoads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short Stuff: Devil Horns

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 13:35 Transcription Available


Metal fans have many ways to express themselves, but none are as metal as throwing the devil horns. But who did it first?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heavy Metal Pt I

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2025 55:42 Transcription Available


Some of the most talented musicians in the world play heavy metal, some of the hardest-hitting music ever made. In this episode Chuck and Josh wade into the history of the genre, and try to get to the bottom of where the name came from.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: The Disappearance of Flight MH370, Part II

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2025 42:15 Transcription Available


In the absence of an official explanation of why flight MH 370 disappeared in 2014, conjecture and conspiracy theories have filled the vacuum. Find out the current state of things in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selects: The Disappearance of Flight MH370, Part I

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2025 41:10 Transcription Available


In 2014, a Boeing 777 airliner disappeared. Despite two full years of searching an area of ocean covering more than 120,000 square kilometers, it has never been found. It is the only unexplained missing vessel in modern aviation history. Listen to this classic episode and find out more about what exactly happened.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who's Up For A Circular Economy

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2025 54:01 Transcription Available


What if we could take all the trash and waste we generate every year – gigatons worth – and used it again as raw materials. What we would have is a closed circle, one where we have everything we need without taking anything else from nature. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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