Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Society & Culture
51
Short Stuff: Charity Tips
It's the end of the year so we thought we might give you some advice on how to better pick out a charity, Short Stuff style.
13 min
52
Palm Trees: Technically, Giant Plants
Palm trees. You see them all over the world and for good reason. There are more than 2,500 varieties. Learn all about these giant plants today.
52 min
53
Selects: How the Terracotta Army Works
In 1974, Chinese farmers discovered the first of what would number 7,000 terracotta soldiers meant to protect China's first emperor in the afterlife. Learn all about them in this classic episode.
32 min
54
What's the deal with blue people?
The famous blue people of Kentucky are no longer blue. But why were they like that in the first place?
46 min
55
Short Stuff: Funny Bone
Hitting your funny bone doesn’t just hurt, it feels really weird too. That’s because you’re not hitting a bone at all, but instead the most vulnerable nerve in your body.
11 min
56
Why Do Great Flood Myths Seem To Be Universal?
If look into the mythology of just about any culture in the world, you will find a myth about a great flood that destroyed humanity and submerged the Earth in the distant past. Does this mean that a great flood actually happened?
44 min
57
Selects: What Is Collective Hysteria?
Throughout the history of the world, there have been many cases of what is known as collective hysteria - groups of people, usually young women, who all exhibit the same physical symptoms of non-existent conditions. Is it psychosomatic? Is it group think? Find out in this classic episode.
42 min
58
Your Gut Is Also A Brain
Your gut – not your spare tire, but your digestive tract – is deceptively smart. Not only does it handle processing food and nutrients, but the hundreds of trillions of bacteria that live in your gut may actually be telling your brain what to do too.
46 min
59
Short Stuff: SINA
In the 1950s a group dedicated to clothing animals out of a sense or morality gained momentum. “A nude horse is a rude horse!” was their battle cry.
12 min
60
The Twisted History of Dentistry
If you think going to the dentist now is not fun, just wait until you hear about what they did in the Middle Ages.
52 min
61
Selects: Why Do Lefties Exist?
For at least the last 200,000 years, between 10-15% of the human population are left-handed and this fact has utterly left science baffled. In searching to explain handedness, all sorts of contradictory evidence has emerged, creating a fascinating mystery. Learn all about it in this classic episode.
40 min
62
Python-a-palooza!
Pythons are big snakes. Really big. But there's more to them than their size. Learn all about these big daddies in today's episode.
43 min
63
Short Stuff: Mayday!
Say it three times and help may arrive. But where did "Mayday!" come from? Listen in to find out.
14 min
64
The Apache Wars
America’s longest-running war was between the US government and the loosely-confederated groups we know as the Apache. As their lands were encroached upon, the Apache pushed back with disastrous consequences, nearly becoming exterminated.
50 min
65
Selects: How Hoarding Works
You may be familiar with compulsive hoarding from TV, but something that’s often missing from those shows and the news is the deep and overwhelming shame that this disorder creates in its victims who are neurologically incapable of parting with their stuff. Find out all about it in this classic episode.
61 min
66
Why Is DC Not A State?
The residents of Washington, D.C., the capital of the oldest democracy in the world, are not allowed to pass their own laws without the federal government agreeing with them first. That’s because DC is not a state, something DC residents want to change.
42 min
67
Short Stuff: The Paper Dress Fad
There was a brief period when it was highly on trend to wear a super short dress made out of paper. Learn why right now!
12 min
68
Hot Dog!(s)
No, there aren’t snouts and anuses in your hot dogs, so go ahead and chow down. There are, however, plenty of other things that may give you pause so listen to this episode where we dissect the beloved hot dog and poke around inside.
53 min
69
Selects: How Feng Shui Works
Feng Shui is an Asian concept that strives to unlock your chi by how your home or office is arranged. Or at least that's the simplified "Western" version. It's a little more complicated than that in reality. We'll unlock your chi by explaining how feng shui works in this classic episode.
40 min
70
The Flannan Isles Mystery
In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened to them.
49 min
71
Short Stuff: Your Dirty Bed
Is your bed dirty? You bet it is. Are chimpanzee beds dirty? Not as dirty as yours!
11 min
72
What are blue laws?
Blue laws are laws that restrict certain activities on certain days. Are they antiquated? Yes! Are they still around? In some places, yes!
49 min
73
Selects: The Stories Behind A Few Food Fads
America loves to go nuts over new food trends and it turns out that the 20th century was a boon time for them. Revisit them with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode.
48 min
74
The Rock Ampersand Roll Hall of Fame
Cleveland rocks! So said the city of Cleveland when they lobbied for the "Rock Hall" way back in 1985. Since then the museum has grown and evolved amidst great support and controversy.
49 min
75
Short Stuff: Friendly Floatees
In 1992 more than 28,000 rubber ducks got loose in the ocean and began a decades-long experiment in oceanography.
10 min