Stuff You Should Know

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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.

  • 52 minutes 51 seconds
    The Gold Standard: When Money Meant Something

    There was a time less than 100 years ago when you could exchange your paper currency at the bank for actual gold. Gave folks a sense of stability, it did. Depending on your view, we either ruined or built our economies when money became just paper.

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    3 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 45 minutes 33 seconds
    Selects: How Dopamine Works

    Dopamine is perhaps the most talked-about, most misunderstood biochemical in our bodies. It’s linked to not only addiction and depravity, but also focus, motivation, and living a productive life. How can one molecule be so many things to so many people? Find out all about it in this classic episode.

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    28 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 49 minutes 32 seconds
    The Battle of the Sexes

    Back in 1973 a male chauvinist played tennis against champion Billie Jean King. This is that story.

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    26 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 13 minutes 59 seconds
    Short Stuff: MacGuffins

    What’s a MacGuffin? We don’t know. No one knows. But it has to do with movies and that’s fun to talk about.

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    25 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 42 minutes 49 seconds
    The Murder of Jane Stanford

    Stanford University was co-founded by Jane Stanford. Not long after she was murdered and it was covered up. We'll probably never know what really happened. Listen in today.

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    24 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 51 minutes 16 seconds
    Selects: How Free Range Parenting Works

    Free range parenting is all about giving your child the freedom to play and explore life on their own. Are there benefits? Sure. Do some people hate the concept? Yes! Listen to this classic episode and learn right here. 

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    21 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 37 minutes 50 seconds
    How the Flexner Report Changed Medicine

    The Flexner Report shook up medicine in the United States when it was released in 1910 and it's never been the same since. For better or worse.

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    19 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 14 minutes
    Short Stuff: Safety Coffins

    Back in the 1800s, people had an outsized fear of being buried alive. Enter... THE SAFETY COFFIN!

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    18 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 46 minutes 1 second
    How Crowds Work

    If you’ve ever been out of your house you’ve probably been in a crowd before. They can be as mundane as an elevator full of people or as consequential as a mass of protesters. But did you know there’s psychology to crowds? And they follow fluid dynamics?

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    17 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 50 minutes 14 seconds
    Selects: How Charles Darwin Worked

    Charles Darwin wasn't the first or only scientist to grasp the theory of evolution through natural selection, but he became its father and icon. In this classic episode, learn about the man who reluctantly but bravely became the source of the divide between religion and science.

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    14 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 46 minutes 50 seconds
    How Lasers Work

    It turns out that lasers are even cooler than they look. And as far as acronyms go, they’re pretty solid in that respect too. There’s way too much cool stuff about lasers to tease here so listen to this old school SYSK episode and let lasers blow away.

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    12 February 2026, 1:03 pm
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