- 1 hour 11 minutesOn The Origin of Smooching, Mausoleum Madness, Chubby Cheetahs
Amanda Reed and Riley Black join the show to discuss the fat American cheetah, weird mausoleum culture, and where the heck kissing came from.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Click here to learn more about all of our stories!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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7 October 2026, 7:00 am - 52 minutes 56 secondsDeath by Trebuchet, Big Bird's Close Call, Dry Scooping Coffee
Shane Madej and Matt Real join the show from The Quizard's Pit! There's discussion of sending Big Bird to space (thank GOODNESS we didn't), a suspicious skeleton, and one writer who loved coffee a little too much.
Check out The Quizard's Pit: https://www.youtube.com/@TheQuizardsPit
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
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23 September 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 10 minutesHector the Tickle Robot, Eyeball Teeth, a Little Bit of ~Spice~ (and Neuroscience)
Author and food historian Priya Mani joins the show to talk about the neuroscience of spice. Plus, Laura explains why whales have teeth on their eyes (SERIOUSLY), and Rachel gets into why a tickle robot exists.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
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9 September 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 11 minutesPantone-deaf, Naked Mole Rat Perfume, a Berry of Many Names
Alexis Nikole joins the show to talk about the heinous etymology of the juneberry (if that's even it's real name...). Plus, Liz Clayton Fuller returns to explain how birds are behind Pantone, and Rachel details the ins and outs of Naked Mole Rat society -- and what it has to do with their STINK.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
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26 August 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 8 minutesLiteral Love Languages, Royal Dog of Madagascar, King Tut’s Undies
Greg Jenner joins the show to unravel all of the secrets hidden in King Tut's undies. (Seriously. There are a lot.) Plus, Sara Kiley tells the story of the crusty white dog from Madagascar, and Rachel goes down a rabbit hole about only marrying someone who DOESN'T speak your language.
Check out Greg's show! https://link.mgln.ai/YDTM-Weirdest-Thing
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
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12 August 2026, 7:00 am - 55 minutes 25 secondsBoob Backwash, Nighttime Radio Secrets, 10 Toes Down on Tommy
Sarah Dern and Emma Gommetz join Rachel this week to talk a trio of extra weird things. We've got babies spitting backwash into the boob, radio's biggest op being literal "night", and a gender-bending squirrel beloved by military veterans named Tommy Tucker.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
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29 July 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 17 minutesThe Greatest Con in Mushroom History, Secret Weapon: Normal Dogs, a Bee's Benis
Bee scientist Kit Prendergast joins the show to talk about... well... the birds and the bees. Plus, Rachel explains how portobello (portabella?) mushrooms are not exactly real. And Sara Kiley tells us how a spotted lanternfly's worst enemy could be a normal dog.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at https://MINTMOBILE.com/weirdest
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15 July 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 6 minutesFallout Shelter Fads, The Library of Cocaine, Mosquito Nepobaby
Ben Bradford, host of the podcast Are We Doomed?, joins the show to talk about when buying fallout shelter goods was all the rage. Plus, Laura tells us how she's related to mosquito royalty, and Rachel explains why the Library of Congress is holding onto Freud's "friend's" cocaine.
Check out Ben's show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/are-we-doomed/id1893359212
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
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1 July 2026, 7:00 am - 51 minutes 26 secondsCreativity is Crumbling, Sarcophagus Juice Sourdough, Mycelium Mutual Aid
Pattie Gonia joins the show to talk about how secret networks of underground fungi are basically like nature's mutual aid. Plus, Moiya McTier returns to discuss creativity, why it might be crumbling, and how one measures it (spoiler: it is NOT easy). And Rachel explains how scientists used yeast from a melting mummy to bake a loaf of sourdough.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
Thanks to our Sponsors:
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17 June 2026, 1:39 pm - 52 minutes 40 secondsMarie Antoinette Wearing Braces, Secret Immortal Cells, Chasing the Tooth Worm
Hari Kondabolu and Priyanka Wali join the show to talk about cells taken secretly and unethically... but ended up changing human health forever. Then, Rachel divulges a plethora of facts about dental care of yesteryear, from how Marie Antoinette wore braces (yes, seriously), to how Neanderthals drilled for cavities.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Click here to learn more about all of our stories!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
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3 June 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 4 minutesWe Did it Joe (Pilates), They Did Surgery on a Cocaine Hippo, Steinbeck Digs Deep (Literally)
Ben Lillie joins the show to talk about John Steinbeck doing very in-character things on a scientific expedition out on the open ocean. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about Joseph Pilates (yes, that Pilates), and Rachel explains why people are doing surgery on those cocaine hippos.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Click here to learn more about all of our stories!
Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman
Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman
Link to Jess' Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn
Link to all of Jess' content: https://www.jesscapricorn.com/
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Follow our team on Twitter
Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman
Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy
Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci
Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ
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20 May 2026, 7:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App