Unessential

Join us and guest Katy Tullos as we talk about celebrities and influencers who were homeschooled, how many people actually grow up to do what they dreamed of as kids, and some of the surprisingly strange technology that may be coming sooner than we think.

Join us and guest Zac Morgan as we talk about how nostalgia was once considered a disease, what the Titanic can teach us about the everyday decisions that shape our lives, and the surprisingly interesting meanings behind surnames.

Join us and guest Austin Tullos as we talk about a 1930s invention designed to eliminate distractions, the idea of tipping points and exponential growth, and the story behind Eric Clapton’s famous guitar “Blackie.”

Join us and guests Faith and Lesley for a special Mother's Day Unessential. We talk about some of our favorite TV moms, and then dive into the real-life experiences of motherhood and what it’s actually like, what it teaches you, and what makes it so meaningful.

Join us and guest Faith Morgan as we talk about the Artemis II mission and its trip around the moon, why what looks like chaos in the world is actually carefully designed, and fun facts about The Golden Girls and what they showed us about being a friend.

Join us and guest Lesley Hamilton as we talk about social experiments that went too far, the brain chemistry behind helping others, and the wild world of lightning strike survivors (yes, there’s a convention).

Join us and guest Taylor Wade as we talk about Michael Jordan and the rise of Air Jordans, the CIA’s failed attempt to turn cats into spies, and the surprisingly real world of mermaiding. It’s weird, it’s fun, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from Unessential.

Join us and guest Jen Jilani as we talk about a woman declared dead… then knocking from inside the casket, a (very questionable) world flags quiz, and fun facts about Seinfeld. It’s random, it’s entertaining, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from Unessential.

In this special Independence Day episode, we’re talking all things freedom and fireworks—like the most “independenty” Independence Day movie ever, fun (and weird) facts about America’s birthday, and the foods that make this holiday so delicious to celebrate. Plus, hear the story of one clergyman who fought to keep virtue at the heart of America when it was just getting started. So grab a hot dog,...

Join us this week as we discuss The Office, an activist who sailed a juice-box boat to France, and myths we all thought were facts.

Join us this week as we discuss quackery parents used to receive, the top ten biggest movie busts of all time, wild whirlwind facts, and the chicken without a head that became a celebrity.

Join us this week as we discuss the man who lived in a French airport for almost two decades, how dinosaur leather is being recreated for commercial use, 30 years of Mission Impossible movies, and the science behind how soap makes things clean.

Join us this week as we delve into the issues of AI brown-nosing, the brain's 'delete' button, the Emperor of the United States, and real allergies that are just peculiar.

Join us this week as we discuss animals that have been elected into government positions, kind people being kind, the new trend of being buried in space, and fun facts about Easter.

Join us this week as we discuss anxiety over unread messages, mind-bending historical crossovers, the national Uber lost and found, and amazing facts about Jim and Elizabeth Elliot's team of missionaries.

Join us this week as we discuss the Great Emu War of Australia, mainstream jobs that don't exist anymore, the most stolen painting in history, and Mike's board of verbal flubs.

In this episode, we discuss popular treats with medicinal origins, historic coincidences that will bend your brain, how wrong we've been about the scale of global icons, and why running on empty isn't running on empty after all.

Join us this week as we discuss public embarrassments for AI, the black fungus that's thriving at Chernoble, legends in the arena of competitive eating, and fun connections between the Steven Spielberg movies we all love.

Join us this week as we dive into the unbelievable story of Sixto Rodriguez, the history behind Daylight Saving Time, why James Harrison was known as "The Man with the Golden Arm," and the catch phrases we all know and love.

Join us this week as we jump into favorite pizza toppings ranked by state, the fascinating link between broccoli and 007, why shopping malls are having a moment, and some little-known facts about the Man of Steel.

Join us this week as we explore the history behind some well-known superstitions, learn how people can now tie the knot at Taco Bell, discover hidden meanings in famous logos, and discover how one man threw a billion dollars into the garbage.

Join us this week as we explore the history of Valentine's Day, popular songs with surprising backstories, why people have less to say than ever before, and weird laws that still exist.

Join us this week as we explore the wild names of celebrities' kids, the romantic side of Applebee's, a prison break fueled by true love, and the weather-predicting groundhog who gets it wrong more often than right.

Join us this week as we discuss the eccentricities of Elton Hercules John, what laughter is, historical facts that will bend your mind, and why we need to protect our digital legacy.

Join us this week as we discuss the demise and comeback of cursive handwriting, world records that seem to come out of nowhere, flipping the White House, and fun facts you never knew about The Beatles.