Why are we so Nostalgic for Sugary Breakfast Cereals?

Why don't we use Rockets to Send Mail Anymore?: When Ben Franklin took over the US Postal Service, he couldn’t have predicted the crazy ways the institution would evolve. From pneumatic tubes to missiles filled with mail, Will and Mango dig into the post office's weirdest experiments, while discussing by Part-Time Genius

44 min listen

How Clean Should We Be?: Is our obsession with cleanliness keeping us from peak health? Also, can hookworm cure allergies? Will harvesting panda poop make you rich? And why Amish dust is superior to other dust (seriously!). Featuring Penny Sarchet. by Part-Time Genius

41 min listen

How the Boy Scouts Conquered America: Get out your Horsemanship Badge and dust off your neckerchief-- we’re going deep on the Scouts! From its surprising roots in South Africa, to how it kickstarted Steven Spielberg’s career, Will and Mango wade their way through Boy Scout history. Featuring by Part-Time Genius

41 min listen

Why Have Rats Outsmarted Us For So Long?: Rats are our grossest of foes. They’re also geniuses. (Respect, rats.) Hear how they foiled Pablo Escobar; why Chuck E. Cheese transitioned to a mouse; and why tiny trousers are their kryptonite. Featuring AJ Jacobs. by Part-Time Genius

40 min listen

What are the Sunniest Places to Hide My Taxes?: Need a new way to avoid paying your taxes? (We’re kidding. Pay your taxes!) But here’s how Swiss bank accounts and the art of tax avoidance works. Plus, positive things you can say about Delaware! Featuring Holly Frey. by Part-Time Genius

46 min listen

What will Computer Implants do for our Brains?: Scanners that allow people to type with their mind; fresh memories that can be implanted into mice; and an immersive video game that helps people regain motor control by teaching them to be... dolphins?! Computer implants are getting weirder, and already by Part-Time Genius

32 min listen

What should you Plant in your Poisonous Garden?: If you’re looking for the Bad Boys of plant life, look no further! Will and Mango discover squirting cucumbers, dynamite trees, and salacious orchids that have ruined more than one wasp's marriage. Plus, we’ll tackle the origins of the guerrilla gardening by Part-Time Genius

39 min listen

Is Cryonics Really a Thing?: The idea of freezing yourself for the future feels silly. But if Ben Franklin, Ted Williams and a wood frog all believe in it, should we give it a second look? Here’s how it could revolutionize medicine. Featuring Streeter Seidell. by Part-Time Genius

40 min listen

Your Weird Summer Travel Guide!: Guess what happens when we try to pick the top 8 U.S. museums to visit? (Spoiler: we accidentally end up with 11 on the list.) From a mecca of Kazoos to a dinner theater in a mine, here are the places you shouldn’t miss. Plus, facts about SPAM! Featuring by Part-Time Genius

44 min listen

Are Truckers the Backbone of the US Economy?: There's no doubt that truckers are underappreciated. From the mom and pop trucks that haul milk from local dairies to the long-distance married couples who tag team driving cross-country, Will and Mango take a peek under the industry's hood. Plus, we rewi by Part-Time Genius

40 min listen

Can We Feed 10 Billion?: It won’t be long before we get more roommates on Planet Earth. But how will we feed them? Here are some of the weirdest solutions: from Teddy Roosevelt’s Hippo scheme, to bunny balls, to the miracle hiding in the Congo. Featuring William MacAskill. by Part-Time Genius

43 min listen

Will We Ever Live Without Sleep?: Will thinks sleep is a waste of time. But how far are scientists from a cure? Plus, ridiculous facts about Margaret Thatcher, tips on NFL gambling and why you can’t trust science from Garfield. Featuring Simone Giertz. by Part-Time Genius

45 min listen

Who's our Weirdest President?: Will and Mango plan to build a new Rushmore. But who deserves to be on it? Chester "too many pants" Arthur? Calvin "Vaseline Head" Coolidge? Or just the legendary M Van B? Featuring Cormac O'Brien. by Part-Time Genius

38 min listen

What's the Most American Place in the World? (Outside the States, that is): We all know the American places in America (Cleveland is one). But where should a US citizen go to feel at home abroad? Will and Mango visit a wee America (in Brazil?!), tour the territories, and look for the Kentucky in Japan’s KFCs. Featuring Doug Mack. by Part-Time Genius

40 min listen

Can you Game a Dog Show?: The Westminster Kennel Club show is America’s second oldest continuous sporting event! But are there any shortcuts to entering Fido and taking home some hardware? Will and Mango look for easy tricks as they study the “Michelangelo of Poodle Groomers,” dec by Part-Time Genius

38 min listen

What are the Weirdest Things the Government Invests In?: From onions hawked by animated ogres, to upbeat soundtracks created explicitly for sharks, there’s a lot of pork in the government’s budget. But just how outraged should we be? Will and Mango try to get an answer for you. Featuring James Ledbetter and the by Part-Time Genius

44 min listen

Does Pizza Bring Out the Worst In People?: People always say money is the root of evil. But are you 100% certain it isn’t Pizza? Will and Mango take a deep dive into a shallow dish (more of a pan really) to discuss pizza wars, mafia ties, and why the proper term for a pizza rat in Australia is a C by Part-Time Genius

34 min listen

Does Trash Talking Really Work?: Meet the Bad Boy of Bowling, learn how Ivan Lendl intimidated his opponents (it all started with his sneakers!), and why Australia's women's cricket team is considered the best group of trash talkers in the world. From Michael Jordan's incredible philosop by Part-Time Genius

39 min listen

What's the Science of Invisibility?: Sure, invisibility is about Harry Potter cloaks and invisible inks. But it’s so much more than that, too! From the way butterflies see a secret world of light that humans can’t, to the reason polar bears are completely undetectable to infrared cameras, th by Part-Time Genius

43 min listen

9 Mouthwatering Facts about Sandwiches: From Wonder Bread's worst idea to the greatest sandwich to ever emerge from a Ramada Inn, Will and Mango celebrate the handiest food of all time. Featuring Lauren Vogelbaum from FoodStuff. by Part-Time Genius

16 min listen

The 9 Weirdest Things Intentionally Buried By People: There are the things you accidentally bury, and then there’s everything on this list. Will, Mango and Gabe discuss the weirdest facts they've unearthed about things that have been unearthed. by Part-Time Genius

12 min listen

What's it take to be a Superfan?: Why are Lego fans so into "Swooshability?" Did a single giant banana really help Manchester City fans regain their love for the sport? And can windmill fans and members of the Roundabout Appreciation Society ever get along? From Cheeseheads to Potterheads by Part-Time Genius

44 min listen

What are the Greatest Cookbooks on American Shelves?: Cookbooks have come a long way from their Mesopotamian origins. Will and Mango try to pinpoint the Joy in Joy of Cooking, peek inside the world of cookbook ghostwriters and debate whether an official Titanic cookbook is better than the one from Coolio (it by Part-Time Genius

39 min listen

What are the Strangest College Classes We Desperately Want to Take?: Dinosaurs and Other Failures! Uncreative Writing! Tree Climbing! There are plenty of classes out there that would have mom and dad scratching their heads and wondering why they're paying so much on tuition. Will and Mango dive into the course catalog to f by Part-Time Genius

41 min listen

9 Mustache Facts to Kick off Movember!: From the super strange reason Burt Reynolds grew a mustache to why you need to invest in a mustache spoon, Will and Mango chat all about facial topiaries with their good pals Yves and Alex. by Part-Time Genius

12 min listen

Who Was the Woman Behind American Codebreaking?: Every week, the FBI, CIA and Treasury Department would show up to Elizebeth Friedman's door and hassle the mother of two-- not for any crime, but because she had an insane talent: she solved puzzles to protect America. Meet the Quaker poet who caught gang by Part-Time Genius

46 min listen

Why do Democrats like Coke and Republicans like Pepsi? (and other Revelations from the Cola Wars): Will and Mango dig deep into the Cola Wars: from the official soda of the KKK, to the time Coke tried to convince Eisenhower to create a new currency, to the very best soda named after Jesus (not that Jesus). Featuring John Nese of Galco’s Soda Pop Stop. by Part-Time Genius

44 min listen

Why are we so Nostalgic for Sugary Breakfast Cereals?: Is Cap'n Crunch Really a Captain? Is the Silly Rabbit using psychological tricks on kids? And why did everyone stop putting prizes in cereal boxes? Will and Mango take a trip down memory lane, exploring why America is so nostalgic for those sugary sweet b by Part-Time Genius

40 min listen

9 Prize-winning Facts about Game Shows: Scandals, police chases, and why one notorious episode of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" will never ever get aired. Plus-- why Dana Carvey should have had the slimiest job in TV! It's all right here in today's 9 Things. Featuring Gabe Luzier. by Part-Time Genius

12 min listen

How did the Sears catalog take over the world?: Both companies started as innovative retailers-- shops without storefronts. But is Amazon unintentionally following Sears' path 100 years later? Will and Mango explore the genius and pitfalls of the early Sears business, while sorting through the weirdest by Part-Time Genius

37 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Why are we so Nostalgic for Sugary Breakfast Cereals?

Why are we so Nostalgic for Sugary Breakfast Cereals?

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Part-Time Genius

Related podcast episodes