Decoder Ring
Decoder Ring is the show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.Get more of Decoder Ring with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of Decoder Ring and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Decoder Ring show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus for access wherever you listen.

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Jaksot(147)

How to Hunt a Mammoth, and Other Experiments in Archaeology

How to Hunt a Mammoth, and Other Experiments in Archaeology

Experimental archeology is, simply put, archeology that involves running experiments. Where traditional archaeologists may study, research, analyze, and theorize about how artifacts were made or used,...

13 Elo 202552min

The Bad-Mouthing of British Teeth

The Bad-Mouthing of British Teeth

From The Simpsons’ Big Book of British Smiles to Austin Powers’ ochre-tinged grin, American culture can’t stop bad-mouthing English teeth. But why? Are they worse than any other nation’s? June Thomas ...

30 Heinä 202546min

Mailbag: Drug Names, Cow Abductions, and the “Ass-Intensifier”

Mailbag: Drug Names, Cow Abductions, and the “Ass-Intensifier”

In this episode we’re opening our mailbag to answer three fascinating questions from our listeners. How did “ass,” a word for donkeys and butts, become what linguists call an “intensifier” for just ab...

16 Heinä 202543min

Introducing The Sporkful | Is Your Recipe Lying To You?

Introducing The Sporkful | Is Your Recipe Lying To You?

If you look at any list of best-selling cookbooks, certain words come up over and over again: quick, easy, fast, effortless. But is it actually possible to deliver deliciousness in no time? Or are the...

9 Heinä 202529min

The White Noise Boom

The White Noise Boom

White noise has a very precise technical definition, but people use the term loosely, to describe all sorts of washes of sound—synthetic hums, or natural sounds like a rainstorm or crashing waves—that...

2 Heinä 202548min

The Boston Cinematic Universe

The Boston Cinematic Universe

This episode is a first for Decoder Ring: a live show, recorded at the WBUR Festival in Boston, Massachusetts. Given the setting, we decided to take on a Boston-based cultural mystery: namely, the “Bo...

18 Kesä 202543min

The Laff Box (Encore)

The Laff Box (Encore)

Decoder Ring is marking its 100th episode this year. To celebrate, we’re revisiting our very first episode from 2018, which asks: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, the laugh t...

4 Kesä 202531min

The Glaring Problem with Headlights

The Glaring Problem with Headlights

Something seems to have happened to car headlights. In the last few years, many people have become convinced that they are much brighter than they used to be—and it’s driving them to the point of rage...

21 Touko 202539min

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