Best Stuff You Should Know episodes upvoted by the community

Research tips from SYSK

July 05, 2016

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 right now!Learn more about advertising on the HowStuffWorks podcasts at www.howstuffworks.com/advertisers.htmAnd to learn about your ad choices when listening to podcasts, visit https://www.howstuffworks.com/privacy.htm#ad-choices

Short Stuff: Mitsuye Endo

July 03, 2019 • 13m

In today's short stuff, we look at another amazing woman who has all but been ignored by history. The story of Mitsuye Endo. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

SYSK Selects: How the Donner Party Worked

June 22, 2019 • 41m

Did they or didn't they? There is plenty of written evidence that the ill-fated Donner Party resorted to cannibalism - except there are no bones. Learn the details of one of the worst disasters of the early West in this classic episode of Stuff You Should Know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

SYSK Selects: How Icebergs Work

August 31, 2019 • 38m

Icebergs: floating chunks of ice. True, but whoa there. Scientists are learning that there's a lot more to icebergs. Appropriately enough, we've only come to understand the tip of the iceberg and recent research shows there's plenty more to uncover. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

How Christmas Worked

December 24, 2009

On Christmas eve, Josh and Chuck decide to take that ineffable Stuff You Should Know approach to the celebration known as Christmas. Join the guys as they unravel the mysterious historical roots of the holiday's evolution in this episode.Learn more about advertising on the HowStuffWorks podcasts at www.howstuffworks.com/advertisers.htmAnd to learn about your ad choices when listening to podcasts, visit https://www.howstuffworks.com/privacy.htm#ad-choices

Short Stuff: Time Zones

August 07, 2019 • 15m

Time zones are a pain. Let's get rid of them! Can we? Sure! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

How Disgust Works

March 21, 2019 • 58m

Disgust is an odd thing. It makes sense that we would feel a sense of revulsion at the thought of putting rotten meat in our mouths – that’s pure evolution. But why would we feel the same emotion at the thought of weird sex or from hearing a racist rant? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

1-800-PODCAST

August 20, 2020 • 46m

Chuck and Josh dive into the wacky world of 800 and 900 phone numbers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

What is colorblindness?

September 25, 2018

Being colorblind doesn't mean you see in black and white, although in severe cases it can look a bit like that. The condition is on a spectrum ranging from dulled colors to shades of grey. Learn all about what colorblindness means in today's episode.Learn more about advertising on the HowStuffWorks podcasts at www.howstuffworks.com/advertisers.htmAnd to learn about your ad choices when listening to podcasts, visit https://www.howstuffworks.com/privacy.htm#ad-choices

Short Stuff: Nicknames

May 08, 2019 • 14m

What's in a nickname? Sometimes they make sense, sometimes they don't. Let's get our shorty on and find out the deal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

SYSK Selects: How Landfills Work

July 11, 2020 • 46m

Well-planned landfills have only recently come into widespread use. Recently, waste managers have found that they work a little too well and now the landfill is being reinvented. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Short Stuff: Dolphin Detectors

December 05, 2018

They don’t actually disarm mines, but navies around the world use dolphins to find and tag sea mines so humans can disarm the mines themselves. But even if it’s safe, is it ethical?Learn more about advertising on the HowStuffWorks podcasts at www.howstuffworks.com/advertisers.htmAnd to learn about your ad choices when listening to podcasts, visit https://www.howstuffworks.com/privacy.htm#ad-choices

Short Stuff: The Man Who Didn’t Eat for a Year

July 31, 2019 • 14m

In 1965, a 456-pound man walked into a hospital in Scotland and asked for help with a fast. That was the last day he ate for more than a year. Learn about the medical marvel that was Angus Barbieri. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

SYSK Selects: Could You Live Without a Refrigerator?

September 21, 2019 • 39m

Do you know that hulking refrigerator in your kitchen emits CO2 thanks to the electricity it uses each year? It's a comparatively small amount, in truth, but enough that some people have foresworn their fridge and adopted a life without one. See how they do it in this classic episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Short Stuff: Body Under The Bed

February 12, 2020 • 13m

A couple unknowingly spending the night above a dead body stuffed under their bed is a longstanding urban legend. And a true one. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Where Did Trick-Or-Treating Come From?

October 29, 2019 • 51m

We aren’t exactly sure who invented trick-or-treating – kids who realized they could extort adults for candy, or adults who bought off kids in exchange for laying off pranks? The bigger question is: Will trick-or-treating survive the 21st century? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

SYSK Selects: Jellyfish - Even Cooler Than Octopi?

January 11, 2020 • 56m

Jellyfish are among the most adaptable, competitive organisms on the planet. They can grow back into their juvenile stage when resources are scarce, reproduce in massive groups and kill an adult human, among lots of other neat stuff. Learn all about em in this classic episode! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Short Stuff: Hawaiian Night Marchers

February 26, 2020 • 12m

Get ready for some Hawaiian folklore, people. Today we discuss the Night Marchers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Oh Yes, How Soil Works

July 02, 2020 • 61m

There is maybe nothing that sounds more boring than hearing two people talk about soil, but friend, prepare to be amazed at the details of what makes this amazing substance the life blood of Earth itself! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

What Happens When the Government Thinks You're Dead?

May 02, 2019 • 42m

It’s bad enough when the government knows you’re alive – there are taxes to pay, laws to be followed, all sorts of boring and unpleasant things. But each year, thousands of Americans find out life is far, far worse when the government thinks you are dead. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers