Part-Time Genius

America has a soft spot for scoundrels. From the (evil) genius who kept selling the Brooklyn Bridge to foreigners to the original snake oil salesman, we race through history's most legendary cons and discover why Denver was the Florence of the Con-Man Renaissance. Featuring Maria Konnikova and Patrick Hoffman.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omny...

There are a lot of things we don’t know about the Vatican: Why did the Popes of yore sit on chairs with holes in the seats? How did Doc Martens become the unofficial walking shoe of John Paul II? And why has no one told you about the Vatican’s top-notch cricket team? We’ve got all these secrets and more. Featuring Jo Piazza. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com...

From onions hawked by animated ogres, to upbeat soundtracks created explicitly for sharks, there’s a lot of pork in the government’s budget. But just how outraged should we be? Will and Mango try to get an answer for you. Featuring James Ledbetter and the editors of CoinWeek. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Americans get an incredible deal on tap water. For just $.03, you can draw 10 gallons of drinkable, bathable, flushable liquid easily from your faucet. But is there a water crisis on the horizon? (Spoiler: yes.) And can a whole slate of incredible inventions save the world? (Spoiler #2: also, yes!) Featuring water sommelier Martin Riese. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...

From air fresheners to air molecules, Montgolfier’s stinky hot air balloon to Alfred Nobel’s floating death barge, we’re taking deep breaths and pausing to savor all the incredible stories hidden in the air around us. Also, why Marie Curie would have gone bananas for bananas. Featuring Sam Kean. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Usain Bolt can scarf down 47,000 calories worth of chicken nuggets and look great, while some dieters work out 4 hours a day and never shed a pound. So is exercising to lose weight a big scam? And what does Calvin Coolidge's exercise horse have to do with it? Featuring Dr. Herman Pontzer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Long before there were sorting hats and Buzzfeed quizzes, Walt Whitman and Clara Barton were obsessed with personality tests. But can a scalp massage and 4-letter code really determine your potential success? And what do octagonal houses have to do with any of this? Featuring our sisters. And Jonathan Katz. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com...

We all know the American places in America (Cleveland is one). But where should a US citizen go to feel at home abroad? Will and Mango visit a wee America (in Brazil?!), tour the territories, and look for the Kentucky in Japan’s KFCs. Featuring Doug Mack. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get out your Horsemanship Badge and dust off your neckerchief-- we’re going deep on the Scouts! From its surprising roots in South Africa, to how it kickstarted Steven Spielberg’s career, Will and Mango wade their way through Boy Scout history. Featuring Chuck Bryant. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a reason records books are routinely stolen from libraries! Learn just how hard it is to grow the world’s longest fingernails; why India’s lone records judge has the hardest job in the world, and how chainsawing apples out of your mouth can lead to glory. Featuring Dan Rollman. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Guess what happens when we try to pick the top 8 U.S. museums to visit? (Spoiler: we accidentally end up with 11 on the list.) From a mecca of Kazoos to a dinner theater in a mine, here are the places you shouldn’t miss. Plus, facts about SPAM! Featuring Dylan Thuras. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why heavier bowls, a pair of headphones and an electronic lollipop can trick your mind grapes into making food tastier. Plus, the legend of the PB and Mayo sandwich. (And one very cute pepper to avoid!) Featuring Bob Holmes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will and Mango plan to build a new Rushmore. But who deserves to be on it? Chester "too many pants" Arthur? Calvin "Vaseline Head" Coolidge? Or just the legendary M Van B? Featuring Cormac O'Brien. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It won’t be long before we get more roommates on Planet Earth. But how will we feed them? Here are some of the weirdest solutions: from Teddy Roosevelt’s Hippo scheme, to bunny balls, to the miracle hiding in the Congo. Featuring William MacAskill. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sure, cheetahs are fast, and blue whales are big. But when it comes to skills, those chumps have nothing on platypus honkers and salamander brains. Meet the animals who deserve Marvel spin-offs. Featuring Emily Graslie. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rand consistently tops polls of influential authors. Libertarians worship her; teens can’t stop reading her. But what makes her so compelling? Also, why was she obsessed with Morris the Cat? Featuring John Green. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is our obsession with cleanliness keeping us from peak health? Also, can hookworm cure allergies? Will harvesting panda poop make you rich? And why Amish dust is superior to other dust (seriously!). Featuring Penny Sarchet. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will thinks sleep is a waste of time. But how far are scientists from a cure? Plus, ridiculous facts about Margaret Thatcher, tips on NFL gambling and why you can’t trust science from Garfield. Featuring Simone Giertz. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rats are our grossest of foes. They’re also geniuses. (Respect, rats.) Hear how they foiled Pablo Escobar; why Chuck E. Cheese transitioned to a mouse; and why tiny trousers are their kryptonite. Featuring AJ Jacobs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The idea of freezing yourself for the future feels silly. But if Ben Franklin, Ted Williams and a wood frog all believe in it, should we give it a second look? Here’s how it could revolutionize medicine. Featuring Streeter Seidell. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Need a new way to avoid paying your taxes? (We’re kidding. Pay your taxes!) But here’s how Swiss bank accounts and the art of tax avoidance works. Plus, positive things you can say about Delaware! Featuring Holly Frey. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buckle up as your friendly hosts Will and Mangesh race you through a world of fascinating questions. Oh, and they brought Mamaw along, too! Series debuts with four new episodes on Wed, Jun 7. From HowStuffWorks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.