hello world
June 20, 2020
People often ask us how we do our research. We're not going to disclose all of our secrets, but we'll give you some tips on how to root out the bad studies from the good ones. Learn all about shady studies and reporting in this classic episode!
The Manhattan Grid
June 18, 2020
Short Stuff: Haint Blue
June 17, 2020
Haint Blue is a kind of robin's egg color that you might commonly find on porches of the low country of the Southeastern United States. But what does it have to do with ghouls and ghosts? Listen and learn!
The War on Fat: The Seven Countries Study
June 16, 2020
The Seven Countries Study was a fairly impressive, long-term study on the effects of fat in our diet, among other things. But it was very flawed and launched the misguided "War on fat." Learn all about today, then make up your own mind.
SYSK Selects: How Flamethrowers Work
June 13, 2020
Who first decided that it would be a great idea to shoot flame at other people from a distance? Josh and Chuck talk about the (very) early origins, history and technology of the flamethrower in this classic episode.
Can You Eat A Tapeworm To Lose Weight?
June 11, 2020
45 min
There’s a persistent insistence that you can ingest a tapeworm and as the parasite hijacks a lot of the calories you eat, the pounds will fall right off. In theory this could be true, but it’s also extremely dangerous. And has anyone ever really done it?
Short Stuff: Foie Gras
June 10, 2020
14 min
Foie gras means “fatty liver” in French, which makes sense because it’s made from the overripe livers of force-fed ducks and geese.
How Project Star Gate Worked
June 9, 2020
58 min
In yet another testament to how amazingly great the 70s were, in 1975 the US started a program that tried to harness the powers of clairvoyance to remotely spy on the Soviet Union. Since clairvoyance doesn’t seem to exist, it wasn’t super successful.
SYSK Selects: How The Black Panther Party Worked
June 6, 2020
70 min
The Black Panther Party was a complex political movement that was unfairly painted as a militant group who hated white people. Far from it, they were actually men and women trying to affect change in their community. Their history is one of the more interesting American stories, from the early stages of policing the police to their community service efforts to their inevitable fall. Learn all about the Black Panther Party in this c...
The Massacre at Tiananmen Square
June 4, 2020
67 min
Tank Man. An indelible image burned in our brains. But what led to this extraordinary event? Chuck and Josh walk you through the days and weeks leading up to the massacre at Tiananmen Square, which is more of a cautionary tale than we realized.
Short Stuff: Disappearing Dirty Dancing Lake
June 3, 2020
13 min
The lake from one of the all-time great movies (search your feelings, you’ll find that it’s true) is turning into a dried up mudhole. Turns out it has some unusual features.
Heroin: The Drug
June 2, 2020
57 min
We've covered a lot of drugs in our history, and today we tackle heroin, one of the most dangerous of all.
SYSK Selects: How Jackhammers Work
May 30, 2020
36 min
It’s likely that without the invention of the pneumatic jackhammer, the Industrial Revolution wouldn’t have hummed along quite so smoothly. Certainly a lot more trains would go around mountains than through them. Learn about this essential tool in this classic episode.
How Narcolepsy Works
May 28, 2020
57 min
Narcolepsy is one of those amazing rare disorders that everyone thinks they understand – people just fall asleep at random times, even in the middle of doing something. But there’s a lot more to it and – even better – we actually may be able to explain it.
Short Stuff: Lawn Darts
May 27, 2020
14 min
There was a time when kids had to look out for flying darts that could pierce their skulls when they played in the backyard.
Comments
Post a Comment