Cults: Who is this "The Leader?"

FromStuff You Should Know

Start listening View podcast show

Cults: Who is this "The Leader?"

FromStuff You Should Know

ratings:

Length:

54 minutes

Released:

Mar 8, 2011

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Cults are conventionally understood to be unestablished, non-mainstream religious groups that follow a single leader. So what does it take to be the leader? Tune in as Josh and Chuck take a closer look at cults. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Released:

Mar 8, 2011

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

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.

Skip carousel

How Murphy's Law Works: Murphy's law originates in 1949, and states 'anything that can go wrong, will.' Check out this HowStuffWorks to learn more about how the Air Force discovered Murphy's law. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Grassoline Works: Could switch grass become the car fuel of the future? Learn more about alternative fuel in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
How Antibacterial Soap Works: Could the routine use of antibacterial soap increase the presence of drug-resistant bacteria in your home? Learn more about the disadvantages of anti-bacterial soap in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Why Does Toothpaste Make Orange Juice Taste Bad?: Why does toothpaste make orange juice taste bad? Chuck recounts his first-hand experience, and how it works. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
How Contagious Yawning Works: Yawning is contagious, but why? Check out the leading theories on contagious yawning and empathy in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Are Nazi War Criminals Still At Large?: After the close of World War II, Nazi war criminals fled Europe and attempted to hide under assumed identities. Some may still be at large. Learn more about Nazi war criminals in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
Are there real-life fight clubs?: The 1996 Chuck Palahniuk novel, "Fight Club," has been blamed -- and lauded -- by various groups for inspiring several real-life fight clubs. Take a look at our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about real-life fight clubs. by Stuff You Should Know
7 min listen
What's the most expensive toilet in the world?: The most expensive toilet in the world is made of solid gold and can be found in Hong Kong. Learn more about the world's most expensive toilet in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
Can I feel pregnant when my wife is?: Sympathy pregnancy is the condition where a man feels pregnant while his wife actually is. Learn more about the symptoms for sympathy pregnancy in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How The Eye of a Tornado Works: In recorded history, only two people have entered the eye of a tornado and returned to tell the tale. Learn more about the inside of tornadoes in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Does Gum Stay in your Stomach for Seven Years?: Does gum really stay in your stomach for Seven Years? Josh and Chuck take on the parental myth of gum swollowing. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Why do some people believe the moon landings were a hoax?: Three decades after the first reported manned lunar landing, some theorists still believe the landing was faked. Check in as Chuck and Josh take a look at the evidence on both sides of the debate in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. by Stuff You Should Know
18 min listen
Can People Really Get Hysterical Strength?: During times of emergency, people have been known to preform feats of great strength. Learn more about going from the dull stare of the dairy cow to the eye of the tiger in seconds flat. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Altruism Works: Is there such a thing as a truly unselfish act? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast and learn more about the nature of altruism. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Graceland Works: Graceland attracts millions of visitors every year. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about Elvis and Graceland, which Elvis bought when he was only 22 years old. by Stuff You Should Know
16 min listen
Are Dogs Really Man's Best Friend?: Check out the story of Hachiko, a loyal Akita who waited for over ten years for his master to return. Learn more about Hachiko and loyalty in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
5 min listen
How Trolley Problems Work: The trolley problem is an ethical dilemma that proposes a difficult decision about choosing whether a group of strangers lives or dies. Learn more about ethics and the nature of sacrifice in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Carbon Capture Works: Carbon capture is the process of trapping carbon emissions and storing them away from the atmosphere to prevent global warming. Check out our carbon capture article at HowStuffWorks.com to learn more about the possibility of reducing carbon emissions. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Can I Survive a Shark Attack by Gouging Out Its Eyes?: Although it can be intimidating, a shark is not invulnerable. Punching its nose, gouging its eyes, or grabbing its gills can stun the shark and give victims a chance to escape. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about shark attacks. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Death-Proof Cars Work: Could high-end digital auto systems such as blind-spot detection and collision prevention overcome the errors of human drivers? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the death-proof cars of the future. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Blood Pressure Works: High blood pressure -- or hypertension -- is elevated pressure of the blood in the arteries. Hypertension results from two major factors. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about the causes of and treatment for hypertension. by Stuff You Should Know
14 min listen
What's the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant?: The function of antiperspirant and deodorant is to prevent sweat or to mask the scent of body odor. Learn about the function of antiperspirant and deodorant in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
14 min listen
How Can I Erase My Identity and Start Over?: Everyone dreams of snagging a fresh start at life. Whether you've thought of changing your dull given name, or just disappearing entirely, this HowStuffWorks podcast will tell you what it takes to erase your identity. by Stuff You Should Know
11 min listen
How Lame Ducks Work: In U.S. politics, a lame duck is a president who will not be re-elected because he or she has been passed over for election, or already served the maximum two terms. Learn more about the origin of lame duck presidents in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Manufacturing Water Works: The United Nations has found that 22% of the world's population does not have access to clean drinking water. Could we fix the water shortage by manufacturing water? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about manufacturing water. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Ripperology Works: The unsolved murder spree of Jack the Ripper has captivated generations of amateur investigators, each with their own theory of the killer's identity. Learn more about one particularly thought-provoking suspect in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Are Dogs a Shark's Favorite Meal?: In 2005, The Sun reported that dogs were being used as live bait in the Indian Ocean. Is it possible that dogs are a delicacy to sharks? Take a look at our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about the diet of sharks. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Prayer Healing Works: Studies have shown that prayer has a positive effect on individuals, but can your prayer heal someone else? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to find out how science weighs in on the power of intercessory prayer -- and if it should at all. by Stuff You Should Know
17 min listen
How Personal Rapid Transport Works: Personal rapid transport combines the best traits of subways and taxis, and costs less to build than light rail. Could this be the future of transportation? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast and learn more about personal rapid transport. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
Is knife hunting the fairest way to hunt?: Fair chase is the idea that a balance should be struck between the hunter's ability to kill prey and the prey's ability escape. Take a look at our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about knife hunting, and whether or not it's the fairest way to hunt. by Stuff You Should Know
7 min listen

More Episodes from Stuff You Should Know

Skip carousel

Atomic Clocks, Ahoy! by Stuff You Should Know
52 min listen
Short Stuff: Getting Winded by Stuff You Should Know
12 min listen
The Village People Episode by Stuff You Should Know
54 min listen
Selects: How the Beagle Brigade Works by Stuff You Should Know
49 min listen
The Awful Crimes of Georgia Tann by Stuff You Should Know
47 min listen
Short Stuff: The Sad, Strange Tale of Margaret Schilling by Stuff You Should Know
13 min listen
The Power of the Wind by Stuff You Should Know
52 min listen
Selects: Special Effects: A Short History by Stuff You Should Know
55 min listen
Hitchhiking: Two thumbs out! by Stuff You Should Know
51 min listen
Short Stuff: The Amazing Tale of Juliane Koepcke by Stuff You Should Know
13 min listen
The Dubious Science of Arson Investigation by Stuff You Should Know
47 min listen
Selects: How Famines Work by Stuff You Should Know
49 min listen
Testosterone and Estrogen: Wondrous Hormones by Stuff You Should Know
49 min listen
Short Stuff: Straitjackets by Stuff You Should Know
13 min listen
The 1977 Women's Conference That Changed America by Stuff You Should Know
50 min listen
Selects: All the Gold In Fort Knox: Meh by Stuff You Should Know
52 min listen
The Everglades: Wowee by Stuff You Should Know
54 min listen
Short Stuff: Knock on Wood by Stuff You Should Know
11 min listen
Greedflation Is Real by Stuff You Should Know
56 min listen
Selects: Who is The Man of the Hole? by Stuff You Should Know
38 min listen
The Pulitzer Prize: A major award! by Stuff You Should Know
49 min listen
Short Stuff: Ramree Island Crocodile Massacre by Stuff You Should Know
11 min listen
Love Canal: Even Dirtier Than It Sounds by Stuff You Should Know
47 min listen
Selects: MOVE: Or When the Philly Police Dropped a Bomb on a Residential Neighborhood by Stuff You Should Know
52 min listen
Peanuts (the comic) Part II by Stuff You Should Know
45 min listen
Short Stuff: Mariko Aoki Phenomenon by Stuff You Should Know
12 min listen
Peanuts (the comic) Part I by Stuff You Should Know
45 min listen
Selects: How Dyslexia Works by Stuff You Should Know
43 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

What has the world's deadliest venom?: Venom isn't unique to snakes -- animals like scorpions, spiders, jellyfish and even platypuses can all use venom. Join Chuck and Josh as they explore the world's most venomous creatures (and break down the difference between poison and venom). by Stuff You Should Know
30 min listen
What Saved the American Bison: The pre-colonial range of the American bison stretched from Canada to Mexico. From 1820 to 1880, the population dwindled from 30 million to just over 1,000. Join Josh and Chuck as they explore how bison were brought back from the verge of extinction. by Stuff You Should Know
54 min listen
Finders Keepers: Real Law: You know that heartbreak of the schoolyard – finders keepers, losers weepers? That’s actual law in a great many grown up places. Enter the murky legal world of finding something that belongs to someone else, from buried treasure to a misplaced ring. by Stuff You Should Know
39 min listen
How the Mafia Works: Many people are familiar with depictions of the Mafia in film, but what's the real story? Join Chuck and Josh as they break the infamous code of silence and shed light on some of the most dangerous and mysterious organizations in the western world. by Stuff You Should Know
45 min listen
What is a body farm?: Most farms host crops and animals, but body farms specialize in corpses. Join Josh and Chuck as they tackle the fascinatingly gross phenomenon of body farms in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by Stuff You Should Know
25 min listen
SYSK Live from SXSW: How UFOs Work: In this episode, Josh and Chuck ditch the studio and head west -- south by southwest, in fact -- to record a live podcast in Austin, Texas. Tune in and learn more Stuff You Should Know about SXSW and UFOs. by Stuff You Should Know
38 min listen
Short Stuff: Silverfish: Should you be afraid of these creepy little creatures you find in your basement? Only one way to find out. by Stuff You Should Know
10 min listen
Why do we believe in urban legends?: In this episode, amateur anthropologists Josh and Chuck discuss urban legends, from how they're defined to some classic examples you've probably heard yourself. by Stuff You Should Know
33 min listen
How Exorcism Works: Is the idea of possession a misunderstanding of physiological and psychological conditions, or has science failed to account for unknown, legitimate factors? Learn whether exorcism and psychology are mutually exclusive in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. by Stuff You Should Know
20 min listen
10 Scientists Who Were Their Own Guinea Pigs: Over the centuries, some scientists have concluded that the best test subject is looking at them in the mirror. Join Josh and Chuck as they explore 10 researchers, unsung or otherwise, who put their own health second to the advancement of science. by Stuff You Should Know
41 min listen
Exoskeletons: How's it coming?: Since the 1960s, the Pentagon has called for a suit that can make a soldier jump higher, run faster longer and generally be a badder dude. It's only now that the materials needed are coming of age. Listen in to learn the state of exoskeleton technology. by Stuff You Should Know
30 min listen
How Crying Works: You probably did it around 70 times last year, yet you probably don't understand the psychological and physiological processes at work when you cried. Don't feel bad - no one does. Join Chuck and Josh as they poke around your tear ducts in this episode. by Stuff You Should Know
40 min listen
How Fire Works: Creating fire was possibly the most important human discovery, but it's easy to take for granted. But. Josh and Chuck get to the bottom of the chemistry of fire in their quest to explain everything in the universe. by Stuff You Should Know
28 min listen
How the Rules of War Work: The rules of war are agreed-upon rules that are intended to govern international wars and conflicts. Who developed these rules? And do countries really abide by them? Josh and Chuck take a detailed look at how the rules of war work in this episode. by Stuff You Should Know
34 min listen
Is it legal to sterilize addicts?: It's a controversial idea, to say the least: If evidence shows that addicts tend to be irresponsible, abusive parents, then why should they have children at all? In this podcast, Josh and Chuck explore the practice (and legality) of sterilizing addicts. by Stuff You Should Know
38 min listen
Adidas v. Puma: A Sibling Rivalry: Join Josh and Chuck today as they go down the sport shoe rabbit hole, detailing the strange tail of the brothers who brought Puma and Adidas to the world. Sibling rivalry, Nazis, shoes - there's a lot to unpack here. by Stuff You Should Know
41 min listen
Is spontaneous human combustion real?: Scientists have proven that spontaneous combustion, or burning without an external ignition source, can occur in some objects. But what about human beings? Tune in and learn more about spontaneous human combustion in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by Stuff You Should Know
20 min listen
How Floods Work: Floods happen when more water is introduced to an area than can be quickly removed. That's about it, but there's more to floods, what causes them and the havoc they can wreak. Join Josh and Chuck in this super-saturated episode of Stuff You Should Know. by Stuff You Should Know
33 min listen
SYSK Selects: How Sleepwalking Works: Sleep behaviors are pretty fascinating. Some people snore, some grind their teeth -- and some take a little stroll, or perhaps a drive. In this classic episode, Josh and Chuck investigate how sleepwalking, or somnambulism, works. by Stuff You Should Know
27 min listen
How Willpower Works: You use it every day to overcome your lower self (which wants you to eat cake until your vision blurs) in pursuit of the goals of your higher self (which wants you to not develop Type-II diabetes). Yet it was only in the 1990s that researchers began to un by Stuff You Should Know
30 min listen
Interpol: World Police: Interpol is an international police agency that helps other law-enforcement agencies track criminals who operate across national borders -- but how does it work, exactly? Join the guys as they delve into the world of global law enforcement. by Stuff You Should Know
32 min listen
How Wildfires Work: Wildfires consume an annual average of 5 million acres in the US. But what causes wildfires? How do they become so powerful? More importantly, how do we fight them? Join Josh and Chuck as they take you to the frontlines of the fight against wildfires. by Stuff You Should Know
32 min listen
SYSK Selects: Can you Treat Mental Illness with Psychedelics?: Hallucinogenic drugs are currently illegal, but they were once commonly used in psychological treatment. In this classic episode, Josh and Chuck discuss the rise and fall of psychedelics in treating mood disorders -- and why they're starting to gain favor again. by Stuff You Should Know
41 min listen
What made the donkey and the elephant political?: Sure we take it for granted the elephant represents the Republican party and the donkey Democrats, but have you ever wondered why? Josh and Chuck explore the foundation of these bizarre political symbols in this old-timey episode of Stuff You Should Know. by Stuff You Should Know
34 min listen
Prisons: Not as Fun as You'd Think: Most people have a basic understanding of how prisons work, but it's often heavily influenced by fiction. What's it really like behind those bars? In this episode, Josh and Chuck reveal the practices, controversies and harsh realities of prison life. by Stuff You Should Know
44 min listen
What is stagflation?: When high inflation, slow growth and high employment combine, they result in an unfortunate economic situation known as stagflation. But what exactly is stagflation, and how does it work? Most importantly, how can we prevent it in the future? by Stuff You Should Know
25 min listen
How Corporate Personhood Works: Corporate personhood is an ancient legal custom tracing back to Roman law, whereby a corporation is legally considered a person. by Stuff You Should Know
16 min listen
How Tickling Works: What's the deal with tickling? Why does it make people laugh, and what's the science behind the reaction? Join Chuck and Josh and listen in as they demystify the curious practice known as tickling. by Stuff You Should Know
22 min listen
How Swat Teams Work: In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck discuss SWAT teams, elite police units that are specially trained for extreme situations. by Stuff You Should Know
38 min listen
How Cicadas Work: Cicadas are crawling out from underground, where they have been hiding in the darkness for almost two decades. As of May 2013, they're invading the East Coast from North Carolina to New York. But why? Learn more about cicadas with Josh and Chuck. by Stuff You Should Know
29 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Cults: Who is this "The Leader?"

Cults: Who is this "The Leader?"

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Stuff You Should Know

Related podcast episodes