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

9 Sloth Facts Worth Clinging To 14.12.2017

From their glorious once a week dance parties, to why they're so self-conscious about their feet, we've got 9 strange and wonderful facts about one of the internet's favorite creatures. Featuring Will, Mango, and Will playing the role of Gabe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the Most Incredible Things the Human Body can do? 08.12.2017

Did you realize that when your fingers get wrinkly in the bath, there's a crazy, superhero reason for it? Or that everyone's body is covered in invisible stripes? Or that a single snipped foreskin can yield a football field full of new skin in the lab? Will and Mango investigate the wonders (and strangeness!) of the human body. Featuring Jonathan Strickland. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...

9 Piping Hot Facts about Bath Tubs 07.12.2017

Will, Mango and Gabe get in the spirit of National Bath Tub Day by talking Rubber Duckies, Jacuzzi origins, and whether one particular President got stuck in a bath tub (he didn't!). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are We Eating Sushi All Wrong? 06.12.2017

It's time to get real about raw fish! Will and Mango have their chopsticks ready and way too many questions on hand: Is blue fin really a delicacy? How do sushi chefs apply their soy sauce? And how California is the California roll? From the dish's Chinese origins to why Japanese foodies are intrigued by American rolls, we're going all in on sushi. Featuring The Story of Sushi author Trevor Corson...

Is there a Rosy Future for Libraries? 01.12.2017

It's no secret that Will and Mango love libraries. But are these wonderful institutions built to last? (Our research says: Yes!) Join our Part-Time Geniuses as they trace how libraries have evolved from ultra-secret dens for the elite to community pillars that are happy to lend out neckties along with job advice. Featuring author Brian Abrams. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...

9 Prize-winning Facts about Game Shows 30.11.2017

Scandals, police chases, and why one notorious episode of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" will never ever get aired. Plus-- why Dana Carvey should have had the slimiest job in TV! It's all right here in today's 9 Things. Featuring Gabe Luzier. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why don't Squid and Octopus Get More Love? 29.11.2017

Will and Mango dive deep to uncover the greatest facts about Octopuses, Squid and Jellyfish. Learn the proper octopus throwing etiquette for Red Wings games, why whales are so good at defeating Giant Squid, and why Oclantis ranked #1 on our list of 2017's Greatest Octopus Cities. Featuring Spineless author Juli Berwald. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See o...

How did the Sears catalog take over the world? 24.11.2017

Both companies started as innovative retailers-- shops without storefronts. But is Amazon unintentionally following Sears' path 100 years later? Will and Mango explore the genius and pitfalls of the early Sears business, while sorting through the weirdest products in the celebrated catalog. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

9 Ridiculous Thanksgiving Facts to Pass Around the Table 23.11.2017

From Big Bird's shameful secret to one American president who hated the holiday, Will and Mango share some of the weirdest facts they could find. Featuring FoodStuff's Lauren Vogelbaum. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Was Mister Rogers the Best Neighbor Ever? 22.11.2017

From the real reason Mister Rogers used to wear sneakers on the show to why Ella Fitzgerald's band members used to tune in to the last 5 minutes of every show, Will and Mango pay tribute to one of our favorite humans, Mr. Fred Rogers. Featuring journalist Tom Junod. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are Truckers the Backbone of the US Economy? 17.11.2017

There's no doubt that truckers are underappreciated. From the mom and pop trucks that haul milk from local dairies to the long-distance married couples who tag team driving cross-country, Will and Mango take a peek under the industry's hood. Plus, we rewind back to a time when truckers were America's folk heroes. Featuring Roger Chappalear. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpod...

9 Hilarious Monuments (probably) not worth the Road Trip 16.11.2017

We know these statues are supposed to be art, but they also kind of feel like mistakes. Will, Gabe and Mango discuss some colorful and confusing tributes... and the ridiculous stories behind them! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who Was the Woman Behind American Codebreaking? 15.11.2017

Every week, the FBI, CIA and Treasury Department would show up to Elizebeth Friedman's door and hassle the mother of two-- not for any crime, but because she had an insane talent: she solved puzzles to protect America. Meet the Quaker poet who caught gangsters, defeated Nazis and unlocked a new world of Codebreaking in this episode-long interview with "The Woman Who Smashed Codes" author Jason Fag...

What are the Greatest Cookbooks on American Shelves? 10.11.2017

Cookbooks have come a long way from their Mesopotamian origins. Will and Mango try to pinpoint the Joy in Joy of Cooking, peek inside the world of cookbook ghostwriters and debate whether an official Titanic cookbook is better than the one from Coolio (it isn't.) Featuring “Leave Me Alone with the Recipes” editor Sarah Rich. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com...

How Big is Amazon? 08.11.2017

We all know Amazon.com started as a bookseller, that’s now a grocery store and personal assistant and online streaming service. But how did this Seattle start-up outlast the hundreds of other online stores that started at the same time? Will and Mango take a look under the hood to explore the secret ways Amazon hopes to dominate the future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpod...

Is China the Next Green Superpower? 03.11.2017

China is going all in on green technologies. Banks are slowing down the investment in domestic coal mines. People are buying more electric cars than anywhere else. And the country is investing in wind, solar and hydro power unlike any other nation. They're also doubling down on nuclear energy. But what's the end goal? Is this environmental movement really about pleasing the middle class and cleari...

9 Mustache Facts to Kick off Movember! 02.11.2017

From the super strange reason Burt Reynolds grew a mustache to why you need to invest in a mustache spoon, Will and Mango chat all about facial topiaries with their good pals Yves and Alex. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the only 10 Foods You'd Need to Survive? 01.11.2017

We have ZERO intention of eating less food! But if you had to pare down your pantry to the bare minimum, what are the only foods you'd need to survive? Is an all potato diet healthy? Plus, Will and Mango discuss the Woodstock for Fruit Lovers; why the Elderberry might be the most overlooked berry, and did Steve Jobs' strange diet affect his business decisions? Featuring Spudfit.com's Andrew Taylor...

What's Everyday life like on Antarctica? 27.10.2017

From plumbing to catering, everything’s a little harder in Antarctica. Will and Mango dive into everyday life on The Ice. Plus, we talk glamping on the continent, why the South Pole pole moves every year, and why the Antarctica only has one ATM. Featuring all-star Antarctica Artist-in-Residence Jynne Dilling Martin. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnys...

9 Halloween Facts to Stuff in your Pillowcases! 26.10.2017

In Iowa, you can't just show up on your neighbor's doorstep with a costume... kids have to work for the treats! Will, Mango and Gabe scour for the sweetest Halloween facts they can find in this special 9 Facts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's so great about Canada? (Spoiler: Lots of things!) 25.10.2017

Grab your sleeping bags and hop in the station wagon… we’re off to Canada! Will and Mango take a whirlwind tour through America’s hat as we make pit stops at a jail for delinquent bears, a single’s scene for Canada’s most eligible snakes and a bar pouring the nation’s strangest cocktail. Featuring superstar astronaut Chris Hadfield. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...

What are the World’s Worst Jobs? 20.10.2017

From being Saddam Hussein’s body double to being a whale snot collector there’s a whole world of jobs our guidance counselors thankfully forgot to tell us about. Will and Mango take a deep dive into things you probably don’t want to do for a living. Featuring the New York Review of Comics’ Lucas Adams. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/list...

9 Disney Facts to Work into Conversations Immediately! 19.10.2017

That time Richard Nixon got kidnapped at Disney, why John Lennon had bittersweet memories of his Disney hotel, and other stories you (probably) haven’t heard. Featuring HowStuffWork.com’s Allison Loudermilk. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why don't we use Rockets to Send Mail Anymore? 18.10.2017

When Ben Franklin took over the US Postal Service, he couldn’t have predicted the crazy ways the institution would evolve. From pneumatic tubes to missiles filled with mail, Will and Mango dig into the post office's weirdest experiments, while discussing why Olympic athletes can no longer mail themselves home when they lose a wallet. Featuring Nancy Pope of the National Postal Museum. Learn more a...

Why are we so Nostalgic for Sugary Breakfast Cereals? 13.10.2017

Is Cap'n Crunch Really a Captain? Is the Silly Rabbit using psychological tricks on kids? And why did everyone stop putting prizes in cereal boxes? Will and Mango take a trip down memory lane, exploring why America is so nostalgic for those sugary sweet breakfast treats. Featuring Cereal Time TV's Gabe Fonseca. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio...

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