iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope

Part-Time Genius

Society EN ↓ 497 episodes

Are you a knowledge junkie who loves when facts are stranger than fiction? Do you find yourself constantly tripping down Wikipedia rabbit holes (and delighting in the journey)? Have you ever been told you ask a lot of questions? If so, congrats! You’re one of us: a Part-Time Genius! Join Will, Mango, and the team as we scour the globe in search of obscure facts, offbeat locales, and hidden histories. Along the way, we’ll chat with experts, play some games, get in touch with our silly side, and celebrate the fine art of staying curious.

Author

iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope

Category

Society

Podcast website

www.iheart.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

Why are we so Obsessed with Slime? 11.04.2024

Will and Mango are back in studio to form a slime appreciation society! From the first time astronauts took slime to space, to the incredible way snails surf (SURF!) their own slime, to the architectural beauty of slime molds, put on your galoshes and jump right in!   ... Want to get in touch? Whether you want to share a fact, story, or even just let us know how we're doing, you can write our moms...

Was Sandra Day O'Connor Our Last Independent Justice? 01.12.2023

Reposting this classic ep in honor of Sandra Day O'Connor. From her hardscrabble upbringing on cattle ranch (where she tamed a bobcat!) to her incredible sway on the Supreme Court, Will and Mango explore Justice O'Connor's incredible life, the glass ceilings she broke through along the way, and what made her both such a practical and a fiercely independent voice on the court.   Learn more about yo...

9 Starch-tastic Facts about Potatoes! 15.07.2022

This week Will and Mango revel in the beauty, majesty and immense grandeur of... the potato. From Ben Franklin's role as a potato influencer, to the strange reason part of a potato is preserved in a baseball museum, to the ridiculous parade float that inspired the word couch potato, Will and Mango are serving up an all-you-can-eat heaping of potato facts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

9 Chomp-worthy facts about Alligators 30.04.2022

This episode we’re all about Gators as Will and Mango chat about the best way to get an alligator to duet with you, why gators are surprisingly good mothers, and how a California theme park taught Americans to share their water slides with these toothy beasts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Surprising Things Invented by Women 08.03.2021

For this International Women's Day episode, Will and Mango handed the mic to their good pal Jo Piazza. Here are the lady geniuses you should be thanking for your trash can foot pedal, your quieter airplane, and so much more!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the World's Most Ridiculous Video Game? 01.09.2020

Remember how fun it was to save up your quarters and go to the arcade? These are the games you didn't want to play. From the Tetris sequel that features Abe Lincolns and Frankensteins, to a game that somehow blends  Honey, I Shrunk the Kids  with an anti-smoking campaign, to the greatest (maybe only?) game based on Noah's Ark; Will, Gabe and Mango try to out-do each other with the most ridiculous...

What's the Correct Way for a Queen to Eat a Banana? 21.08.2020

Ever wonder what the Royal family's preferred way to eat fruit is? Or why the British Monarchy insists on weighing dinner guests before a meal? Or what type of humor makes the Windsors the happiest (spoiler: it's plane humor.) Join Will, Gabe and Mango as we serve up a boatload of royally silly facts.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/list...

What's So Bad about the Philistines? 01.05.2020

When Mango's kids show off their bad table manners, he scolds them for being Philistines... but do the Philistines actually deserve their bad rap? Was Goliath the actual underdog? And why did someone make a video game that featured them? Will, Gabe and Mango answer one of the most important question on everyone's minds in today's 9 Things: What's so bad about the Philistines? Learn more about your...

9 Weird Things Hiding Underground 20.04.2020

From the world's weirdest cinema (it serves couscous with viewings?!) to an internet for plants, to the perfect job for lazy people who also want to hide underground, Will, Gabe and Mango dig deep in search of 9 great facts.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Absurd Inventions You (Probably) Won't See on Shark Tank 07.04.2020

This episode Will, Gabe and Mango raid the US Patent office to find some of the weirdest, funniest, and most confusing inventions of all time. Plus, the trio discusses the easiest way to scam $6 off of us.   Instagram Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Stompy Facts about Godzilla 03.04.2020

Gabe loves monster moves! And Will and Mango... tolerate them. But, it turns out, we all love facts about Godzilla. From how Godzilla changed paleontology, to the giant monster's (secret) signature move, to why flattened buildings aren't the worst part of a Godzilla attack, this episode we tip our hats to the King of the Monsters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwor...

How did P. T. Barnum Trick the World into Riding Elevators? 30.03.2020

Elevators seem pretty mundane, until you realize a certain king used them to hide his mistresses; a certain politician used them to exaggerate the height of his buildings, and all of America refused to ride them until a certain marketing genius (the one and only P. T. Barnum!) designed a stunt to get everyone on board.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See o...

9 Oddball Comic Book Characters (Who Won't Be Getting Their Own Movie) 25.03.2020

Will, Mango and Gabe are stuck inside this week, and decide to hop on the phone to chat comics... specifically, some of the worst comic creations in all of history. Want to know what killed Captain Tootsie? Or why Arm-Fall-Off-Boy was rejected from super hero glory twice? Plus, we discuss why you should never, ever try to crash an X-Men birthday party disguised as a food product. (There's a good r...

What did Teddy Roosevelt do to Dr. Seuss?! 19.02.2020

In today’s special episode, Mango sits down with Erin McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Mental Floss to talk about everything Teddy Roosevelt… from whether he really climbed a mountain out of spite, to how a seal inspired his fossil collection, to what made him so darn productive (hint: it helps to drink coffee from a mug the size of a bathtub). Plus, we get into just how high-pitched TR’s voice was, a...

Fan Favorite: 9 Reasons to Love Raccoons (Yes, Raccoons) 30.12.2019

Trash pandas. Nature's ninjas. Sure, these ring-tailed rascals go by plenty of names. But whether you love 'em or hate 'em, they're clearly taking over Toronto. Will and Mango discuss everything raccoons, and why they deserve a little respect. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fan Favorite: Why are Russians so good at Chess? 26.12.2019

Will and Mango go deep into their chess cave to determine: what's the most dangerous styles of chess, why did the game move from the battlefield to the royal court, and if a billion people to play chess, can that stop an alien invasion? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fan Favorite: What are the Secret Rules the Royal Family has to Obey? 23.12.2019

Why can't princes wear pants? Why does Prince Charles carry a bag of blood with him on his vacations? Is the Queen allowed to use a Pooper Scooper? Why is it so hard to make a perfect tuna sandwich for the royal family? And who is responsible for ironing the Queen's money so that it is perfectly crisp? Will and Mango dig into all the Queen's business and find some delightful stories in the process...

9 Ridiculous Things about "The 12 Days of Christmas" 19.12.2019

Researcher Gabe joins Will and Mango in the studio to talk about why his family likes to Christmas carol so slowly. (They take over a week to to sing one song!) Plus, the crew discusses bird boxes, conspiracy theories and whether 12 days of gift giving from your true love is just a little excessive. (It is.)  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.c...

What are the Craziest Applications for Lasers? (Including washing your dishes!) 18.12.2019

Forget Dr. Evil and his ridiculously evil plans... lasers are so much more practical than that! In this episode, Will and Mango discover why lasers are perfect for precision-cooking your bacon, how they can be used as chopsticks, why washing dishes is so much better when it's done by laser, and a simple laser trick for keeping pesky pirates at bay. Plus, we take a look at the very strange way Texa...

Why Does New Zealand Have an Official Wizard? 05.12.2019

Everything Will and Mango read about New Zealand made them want to visit! From how Hokey Pokey became the country's favorite ice cream flavor, to why the nation is giving away free gym memberships... to birds, to the reason the coffin clubs are taking off, Will and Mango dig deep into the country's history to discover why New Zealand is *so much* better than the Old one.  Learn more about your ad-...

Fan Favorite: How did Charlie Brown win over America? 27.11.2019

Every holiday season, Will and Mango rewatch The Peanuts classics. But how did Charles Schulz get his inspiration for the comic strip? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do Lucky Charms Really Work? (Plus, other ways to get the upper hand) 14.11.2019

Why do short people dominate soccer? Is owning a library more important than actually reading the books? And is being handsome important to being taken seriously as a scientist? Will and Mango delve into some super weird ways people wield advantage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did a Volcano Eruption Really Help Invent the Bicycle? 07.11.2019

Will and Mango dig into all the biggest bicycle questions: From how bikes seriously altered the dating scene, to how blind people ride bikes through traffic, to the ingenious way Kermit pedaled his Schwann in the Muppets Movie. Grab a helmet and join us! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halloween Special: The Mystery Show! 31.10.2019

How did Agatha Christie churn out so many novels? Was Woodrow Wilson more important to the mystery genre than Sherlock Holmes? And what happened to Inspector Gadget's mustache (because he used to have one!) Also, Mango uses incredible deduction skills to squash a neighborhood lie.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

How do Dollar Stores stay in Business?  23.10.2019

Will and Mango have so many questions about the dollar store business: Why have so many more of these stores cropped up recently? How do you make a profit when everything in your store sells for under a buck? Is a $1 steak a good deal? Plus: the tea on why dollar store employees hate Hot Wheels so much!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/li...

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