Stuff You Should Know

Did you know some of our most beloved movies originally had different, sometimes better, endings? That is until they were tested in front of focus groups. Learn all about the how, what, and why of audience testing in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philosophers have been wondering whether we experience reality as it is for millennia now. They’ve pretty much settled on no, no we don’t. Now science has taken up the investigation and it’s proving the philosophers correct. So what is reality then? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the more futuristic things around right now on Earth is research into encoding data into strings of genetic code. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keeping your elbows off the table, keeping your fingers out of the gravy boat – at some point these became very important rules of etiquette. But what purpose do manners serve? It turns out they just may be the glue that prevents society from unraveling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost everything you know about pterosaurs is wrong. They weren't birds, they weren't flying dinosaurs and they weren't all pterodactyls. Which makes this classic episode a great one for you to learn some new and amazing stuff about terrifying prehistoric beasts!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could eating at only certain times of the day lead to weight loss? Possibly!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone knows what a Rube Goldberg machine is, but what do you know about the cartoonist who they're named after? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a moment Milli Vanilli was the hottest musical act in the world. Then came the news that it was just that, an act, and the fall came swiftly and humiliatingly. Now, 30 years on, a look back yields not so much a cautionary tale as a very sad story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Science doesn't have a good explanation for why we sense color, yet it is everywhere and affecting us all the time. But why should minutely different wavelengths of light have such an impact on our moods and motivations? Explore these questions and more with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans exercising for better health has not been around that long. Today we dive into this fun history as we cover why and when we started this now commonplace pastime.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you watch the news and hear the pollen count is high for some particular type of plant then it’s high time you learned how they do that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bechdel Test is a is a measure of the representation of women in film. You'd be surprised how many movies fail.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know those shows where people wearing sensible shoes jog dogs around in circles? They actually represent the pinnacle of a long and complex path to glory for dogs and their owners. Join Chuck and Josh as they peek inside the American dog show in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s totally bonkers that in the US and other countries, the job of determining the guilt or innocence of an accused criminal – whose life may be at stake – is left not to experts in law but to a group of random citizens. Even crazier, it generally works! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mood Rings were all the rage in the 1970s. Then they went away, and fast. What's your color today? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not too long ago we thought that germs were the cause of most diseases, leading to germ theory. But when we look at maladies from heart disease to Alzheimer’s one commonality stands out: inflammation. Could it be we’ve found the root cause of all diseases? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been called a "glorified spring", but Slinky is one of the best selling toys of all time. From accidental origins to an unlikely resurrection, Slinky has a pretty great back story. Learn all about it in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TV weather people can seem corny and maybe a little nerdy, but beneath that toothsome exterior lies the heart of a lonely warrior of science, one who is often overlooked as the hardest working member of the news team. Learn all about these unsung heroes.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is Frances Kelsey? Well, she's a semi-unsung hero of the FDA whose work helped save a lot of kids from congenital disorders and even death. Listen and learn! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's funny how similar The Colosseum in Rome is to modern day arenas. They really had it figured out. Tune in today to learn all about this early entertainment venue.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does the human body really replace itself every few years? The answer is yes, but different parts of the body do so at different rates. Learn all about which parts of your body are the speediest, and which take the longest to regenerate, in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smell-O-Vision was a post-war movie theater gimmick that delivered well-timed scents to the noses of audiences to align with the movie. Did it work? Sort of. Did it ultimately fail? Yes. Does that mean it has gone away forever? No. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a theory that all of us have a maximum number of friendships that we can maintain – 150, to be exact. Suspiciously exact, really, if you think about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another classic toys edition is at your collective feet. Today, we dive into the soft, padded world of NERF! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a suspect or prisoner goes on the lam there are plenty of ways to hide: in plain sight, in the mountains, in another country. There are as many types of ways law enforcement uses to track wanted people as their are ways to go on the lam, but there are some founding principles to carrying out a successful manhunt and they actually include you. Learn about how the fuzz tracks down fugitives and...