Selects: Flagpole Sitting: A Real Fad
The 1920s were just absolutely nuts. People got into weird fads really intensely and one of the strangest of all was flagpole sitting. It’s just what it sounds like – sitting on top of a flagpole for ...
29 Aug 50min
The Fall of the USSR, Pt II
The break-up of the USSR was a tough one for Russia, being the jilted republic. For the entire decade after, the country plunged into a type of controlled chaos, with a rampantly corrupt kleptocracy t...
27 Aug 43min
SYSK Tribute: Why does everyone love Dolly Parton?
Today we dive in to celebrate the international treasure that is Dolly Parton. Why is she nearly universally loved? Listen in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
26 Aug 55min
Short Stuff: Cyclospora
The US has an unusual number of outbreaks of food-borne illness going on in the summer of 2026, and the star of the show is cyclospora. How does this parasite make people sick, where does it come from...
26 Aug 13min
The Fall of the USSR, Pt I
It’s rare that the downfall of an empire can be chalked up to the decisions of just one person. It’s even rarer, when the empire falls over the course of a year. That’s pretty much what happened with ...
25 Aug 41min
Selects: How Narcolepsy Works
Narcolepsy is one of those amazing rare disorders that everyone thinks they understand – people just fall asleep at random times, even in the middle of doing something. But there’s a lot more to it an...
22 Aug 52min
Rope, yeah ROPE!
Rope is one of the unsung heroes of the world of inventions. Think about it. Then let us tell you about it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20 Aug 43min
Short Stuff: Did a shipwreck double the size of the United States?
Did a shipwreck double the size of the United States? Sort of. Listen in to find out what the heck that means.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
19 Aug 11min
