Part-Time Genius

iHeartPodcasts

Will and Mango have lots of questions. Will we ever live without sleep? How do rats keep outsmarting humans? Where are the sunniest tax havens to hide your money? Join these Part-Time Geniuses as they dive into ridiculous topics... and discover some pretty smart stuff along the way.

  • 26 minutes 10 seconds
    9 Stompy Facts About Godzilla

    Gabe loves monster moves! And Will and Mango... tolerate them. But, it turns out, we all love facts about Godzilla. From how Godzilla changed paleontology, to the giant monster's (secret) signature move, to why flattened buildings aren't the worst part of a Godzilla attack, in this episode we tip our hats to the King of the Monsters.

    EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

    This episode originally aired on April 3, 2020.

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Still of Godzilla (the monster) from Godzilla (the 1954 movie) via Wikimedia Commons. 

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 40 minutes 20 seconds
    Skyline Drive: It’s Supposed to Be Fun

    Hey PTG fans, Mangesh (aka Mango) has another show, Skyline Drive! On Sundays we’ll be sharing episodes from season 1 right here, so you can get excited for season 2, which drops in June.

    Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time.

    Mangesh begins his journey into the weird, wonderful world of astrology with a little help from his mom, a science writer, a famous musician, and one very sneaky author! But when an ominous prediction suddenly comes true, his life turns upside down.

    Subscribe to Skyline Drive wherever you get your podcasts!

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 31 minutes 34 seconds
    Is Itching Contagious? (And Does Scratching Really Help?)

    Finally, an episode that scratches at all those answers you've been craving (in the most satisfying way)! Did an itching epidemic really halt the Revolutionary War? What happens when you scratch an itch and look in the mirror? And can tiny electrocutions really help your itchy skin? 

    EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

    This episode originally aired on September 26, 2024.

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Coline Haslé via Unsplash. Thanks, Coline!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    17 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 30 minutes 29 seconds
    Do You Have to Pay These Strange Taxes?

    If you enjoy biking in Finland, eating a bagel with cream cheese in New York, or avoiding the sun in Italy, bad news: you may owe tax on that. The good news is, we’ve got nine of the world’s most unusual tax laws to distract you from the pain in your pocketbook.

    EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash. Thanks, Kelly!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    14 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 39 minutes 58 seconds
    Are Pay Phones Making a Comeback?

    How did an ailing Connecticut wife inspire the pay phone? Why did thousands of people flock to the Mojave Desert just to use one? And do people really talk for longer when they know someone else is waiting? Today Mango and Gabe answer the call of nostalgia by tracing the rise, fall, and possible resurgence of the public pay phone. 

    EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Robin Jonathan Deutsch via Unsplash. Thanks, Robin!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 April 2026, 8:41 pm
  • 27 minutes 17 seconds
    Why Are Whales So Big? with Nick Pyenson!

    How long do whales live, and how do scientists figure out their age? What does it take to sustain a whale's enormous size? And why do whales have mustaches and belly buttons? Featuring Nick Pyenson, author of Spying on Whales and curator of marine mammal fossils for the Smithsonian.

    This episode originally aired on September 12, 2018.

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Chinh Le Duc via Unsplash. Thanks, Chinh!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    7 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 8 minutes 26 seconds
    9 Facts About Buttons That Aren't Nuclear

    Will, Gabe and Mango take the focus off the nuclear button, and put it squarely on all the other buttons out there that are feeling a little neglected, from colonial button molds to Jimmy Carter’s panic button accident in a bathroom.

    This episode originally aired on January 4, 2018.

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Olga Kovalski via Unsplash. Thanks, Olga!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 April 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 27 minutes 33 seconds
    How to Make a Scottish Tartan (Without Going to Scotland!)

    What unique title do you earn if you climb Scotland’s tallest mountains? How is the Scots language being preserved? What’s the deep, dark secret behind bagpipes? And most important, do you support Will and Mango’s plan to register an official Part-Time Genius tartan with the Scottish government? Today we’ve got 9 kilt-tilting facts about Scotland!

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by K. Mitch Hodge via Unsplash. Thanks, K. Mitch!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 March 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 32 minutes 20 seconds
    How Did the Avocado Conquer the World?

    Forget boring toast—the world has been making all sorts of avocado advances. Why aren't you using an avocado sock? Should you be investing in diet avocados from Spain? And why aren't you drinking your lattes out of avocado shells, like Australians do? Will and Mango dive deep into the tasty world of avocados to determine why they took so long to catch on, and what Baywatch Nights has to do with their popularity. (Spoiler: Very little.)

    This episode originally aired on April 27, 2018.

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Estúdio Bloom via Unsplash. 

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 March 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 48 minutes 50 seconds
    Is The Legend of Zelda the Perfect Video Game?

    Strap on your sword and grab your ocarina, because today we're celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda! Join Mango and Gabe as they uncover the secrets of Nintendo's landmark fantasy series, including the real-world inspirations and technical breakthroughs that helped bring the games to life. Plus: The inspiring story of a nonagenarian Zelda fan, and the reason why Link is so darn handsome.

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Ben Hamler via Unsplash. Thanks, Ben!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 March 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 10 minutes 50 seconds
    9 Last Words Worth Remembering

    On his deathbed, Winston Churchill’s last words were: “I’m bored with it all.” What a missed opportunity! In this slightly morbid but highly entertaining episode, Will and Mango dig up more last words, from Marie Antoinette's polite remark en route to the guillotine to the businessman who used his final breath to win a game. Plus: the infamous word that helped create one of the world's most famous sneaker brands.

    This episode originally aired on March 22, 2018.

    Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected].

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Portrait of Marie Antoinette via Wikimedia Commons

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 March 2026, 12:00 pm
  • More Episodes? Get the App