Stuff You Should Know

Is OK the best word? It's certainly one of the most versatile. Check the interesting history of this weird contraction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In WWII, Italy went through its own Jewish Holocaust, terrible at first then horrific as the Nazis took over the country. In Rome, a group of doctors hid Jewish refugees in plain sight in their hospital by giving them a highly contagious, highly fictitious disease.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck and Josh end up making reduxes of past episodes on things like sweating and deodorant in this all-new episode on the science beneath what makes people smell. Learn all about your odor in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laurens Hammond invented the Hammond organ and in the process changed music history. But he was much more than that.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've seen the evil eye. Many Middle Eastern cultures have a long history with it. Learn how to thwart this curse today.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Henry Ford tried to build a Midwestern American town in the Amazon rainforest in the 1920s. It's true. And yes, Chuck will say this should be a movie.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's every kid's dream - a job playing with toys that pays in toys. It's a real thing and has been around for a long time. Then there's the other side of the testing process, companies who ensure that toys are safe. It takes both of these testing techniques to successfully bring a toy to market these days. Dive into the ball pit with us today and learn all about toy testing in this classic episode...

Climate change is having sweeping effects on our climate and this is changing the world, not just for humans and other animals, but plants too. Will the Earth’s flora manage to find safe refuge in time?     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friends, treasure Saturn’s rings while they are young. They won’t be around forever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Farmer's Almanac has a long rich history that is more than just moon phases and long-term weather patterns. Tune in to learn all about it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today music sampling is a common practice, especially in electronic or hip-hop music. But how does it work? After all, other artists made the original music, and most of them would presumably like to be paid. Tune in to this classic episode to learn more about music sampling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the great Arctic mysteries was the disappearance of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition in search of a northwest passage between the Atlantic and Pacific. Not one man survived the trip, and they left precious little behind in the way of clues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 19th century news spread of an unfortunate man who was born with an evil second face on the back of his head that spoke to him. The real story is that people keep falling for it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If we could talk with the animals, grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals, what would we say? We’d better start thinking of something good because researchers are learning to speak sperm whale, prairie dog, and a bunch of other species' languages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can stick them to the fridge or use them to transpose sound to tape, whatever they are used for magnets are surprisingly interesting. And knowing just exactly how and why magnets work will make you more interesting, which is why you should listen to this classic episode of SYSK. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Science is just realizing the extent of the tiny pollutants that have entered ecosystems across Earth and inside all humans. We call them xenobiotics – substances foreign to our bodies – and what effects they have on us we’re only starting to learn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who spoke English first and what was it like? Nothing like it is today. Listen in to learn all about it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diaries have been around for a long time. There are many famous ones, and tens of millions that will never see the light of day. Learn about the history and benefits of journaling today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rainbows seem to defy nature, but they're really pretty simple when it comes down to it. Turns out it's just light reacting to water droplets in the air. But they sure do look cool. Learn all about how rainbows are formed in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The last meal of the executed is a longstanding tradition. Listen in today to learn about the dark history and modern practice of this culinary curiosity.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie. This is the NATO alphabet. But where did it come from? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Borderline Personality Disorder has been described as emotional “third degree burns over ninety percent of your body.” It’s as close to a curse as a personality disorder can be: deep fear of being abandoned creates behaviors that end up driving people off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Strad violin is noted for its tonal qualities and superior craftsmanship. And for its price tag. There are many theories why the Strad sounds so great, from the wood to the lacquer, to the simple fact that Antonio Stradivari was really good at what he did. Rosin up your bow and take a listen to this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck and Josh grew up on MAD Magazine and we hope you did too. What started out as a comic book that spoofed comic books grew into the foundation of American satire and cultivated a healthy skepticism in generations of kids. Hail to the clods at MAD! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the US those ubiquitous blue highway signs that tell you which direction you’ll find a Burger King have an interesting backstory.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.