The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week
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The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week
At Popular Science, we report and write dozens of science and tech stories every week. And while a lot of the fun facts we stumble across make it into our articles, there are lots of other weird facts that we just keep around the office. So we figured, why not share those with you? Welcome to The We...
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Check out: On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti from WBUR!
We're sharing an episode of On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti. On Point is a rare public space where you hear nuanced explorations of complex topics li...
Drunk Monkeys, Heroic Rats, Forehead Teeth
Carly York joins the show to talk about the most heroic rats you'll ever meet. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about some drunk monkeys, and Rachel gets into s...
Skateboard Archeology, Dire Wolf Bones, The Great Fear
Annalee Newitz joins the show to talk all about how 18th century gossip spread like an actual infectious disease. Plus, Laura delves into how dire wo...
Airborne Butt Cam, Snake Panic, Oops! All Cloacas
Sarah Gailey joins the show to discuss why one scientist put the cutest little monocles on a bunch of chameleons. (And also to talk about their new bo...
Thank Your Local Horse, OG Canners, Busting Bird Gender Norms
Nathan H. Lents joins the show to discuss why some birds are extra loud in bed, along with his new book: The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years o...
Medical Butt Chugging, Ancient Ice Cream Pyramids, "The Thing" but Midwestern
Mary Roach RETURNS to Weirdest Thing to share her new book, Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy! From this phenomenal new read, she discusses...
Bette Midler and the Salamander, How Marathon Swimmers Pee, D+D is Good for Your Brain
The wonderful Ryan Mandelbaum is BACK to discuss their latest animalian interest: salamanders in New York City! Laura also explains how peeing while s...
The Bone Collector, Threads of God, Cloacal Chamber
Scientific illustrator and Twitch streamer Liz Clayton Fuller (ipaintbirbs) joins the show once more to talk all things cloaca -- and why some birds l...
A New Green, THIS IS MY EVEREST, Chickens Influencing Cats
Actor and creator of the Brat Apple Dance, Kelley Heyer, joins the show! The squad talks about a BRAND NEW green color, cheating at climbing Mt. Evere...
Horny Bugs, Women are Stronger Than Men, Evil Monkey Backpack Trends
Casey Johnston joins the show this week to talk about how women are truly and actually stronger than men (all of which she details in her new book!)....
Masochistic Trees, Lean Mean Sex Machines, Ancient Doodles
Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian joins the show to talk about horny eels. Plus, Sara Kiley explains the tree that loves getting struck by lightning, and Rach...
The Piss Current, Mucking Up Space, a Cocky Legend
Divya Anantharaman aka Gotham Taxidermy joins the show to talk about a bird with a very big personality. Plus, Rachel talks about a whale conveyor bel...
Time Balls, Bug Culture, Traffic Mimes
Balint Kacsoh of SciAnts_Streams joins the show today to talk about how flies have their own sort of culture. Plus, Jess hops behind the mic to discus...
Rat Sommeliers, Pneumatic Tube Flirting, Why Periods Hurt
Kate Downey joins the show to explain how little we actually know about why periods hurt so dang bad. Plus, Rachel divulges how to flirt using tubes,...
The Poison King, the Seismic DONK, Contagious Peeing
Trace Dominguez joins the show to explain just how inconceivable building up an immunity to iocane powder (or other poisons) is. Sara Kiley also discu...
Space Squirrels, the Most Beautiful Youth, Glass Brains
John Green joins the show to talk about how Everything is Tuberculosis -- which is coincidentally the name of his new book. Plus, Lauren talks about s...
Roman Water Fights, Pet Squirrels, Perpetual Pre-Singing
Vinny Thomas joins the show to talk about Victorian-era pet squirrels. Jess hops behind the mic to discuss filling the Roman colosseum with water, and...
Surfing Bats, Deep Sea Bologna, Environmental Trolley Problem
Lauren Leffer joins the show to explain how silver carp are creating an environmental trolley problem. Plus, Laura divulges the story of the surfing b...
Hockey English, Lasagna Power, How to Find the Light
Paleontologist and writer Riley Black joins the show to talk about a plant mystery. Plus, Amanda talks about turning your leftover lasagna into a powe...
Poodle Sled Dogs, Why Orange Cats Are "Like That," Seal Nose Anatomy
Welcome to SEASON 9!!
MIT Technology Review science editor (and former Weirdest Thing champ) Mary Beth Griggs joins the show to talk about self...
Catch Weirdest Thing LIVE on February 8 – Listen for a special promo code!
Catch us LIVE in NYC or via livestream on February 8! Get your tickets now: https://caveat.nyc/events/the-weirdest-thing-i-learned-this-week-2-8-2025<...
Orca Fashion, Cookie Cannibalism, BEAR ATTACK!!
Alex Goldman of Hyperfixed and Reply All joins the show to talk about a historic bear attack incident in Japan. Plus, Amanda talks about why stuff tas...
Elephant Pranks, Ghost Armies, Would You Still Love Me If I Was A Silkworm
Sophie Bushwick and Claire Maldarelli join the show to talk about silkworms in tea and ghost armies (though not the kind from Lord of the Rings). Plus...
Casting Smell Spells, the Quantum Slap, the Boniest Jigsaw Puzzle
Twitch Partner Cheebs joins the show to talk about some mega weird quantum physics. Plus, Jess talks about real-life stinky witch magic, and Rachel la...
Introducing What It's Like To Be with Dan Heath
Sharing an episode of the podcast “What It’s Like to Be…” from New York Times bestselling business book author Dan Heath. In every episode, Dan interv...
Cheesy Mummies, Ant Farmers, When Superstitions Actually Help
Laura Krantz returns to Weirdest Thing to talk about the power of superstitions. Plus, Laura Baisas explains ants literally farming, and Rachel talks...
Old Bay's Secret History, Midwestern Hells, Mad Gasser of Mattoon
Ologies' Alie Ward hops on Weirdest Thing this week to divulge the incredible underdog story of the guy who created Old Bay. Jess returns to talk abou...
Why Hammerheads are "Like That," Cartoon Crush Psychology, Entering the Vulture Dimension
Shark scientist Jasmin Graham joins the show to talk hammerheads. Plus, Amanda explains why your crush on a fictional character is actually ok, and Ra...
Secrets in a Silk Dress, Mice Afraid of Men, Crawfish Clone Overlords
Andy "River" Peterson joins the show to talk about our future crustacean matriarchal overlords. Plus, Amanda discusses mice afraid of men, and Rachel...
Literal Treasure You Can Hunt For Right Now, A Nuanced Blue, Manhattants
Jon Collins Black joins the show to talk treasure hunting. Plus, Laura explains why the color blue is very nuanced, and Rachel talks about local ants...
The Forbidden Experiment, Too Annoying To Die, Bonny Clabber
This week, Danielle Bainbridge joins the show to talk a very dark, forbidden experiment. Plus, Rachel talks about milk spoiling in thunderstorms (alle...
Dropout TV's Lily and Grant talk Presidential Possums, Napoleon's Penis, and Split-Level Toilets
Dropout TV's Lily Du and Grant O'Brien join the show, where Rachel quizzes them Dirty Laundry-style on all kinds of weird history.
The Weirdest...
Surgery For Ants, Hot Sharks, Too Many Galaxies
Astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier rejoins the show to talk about how there are too many galaxies out there. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about shar...
Olympic Tug-o-War, Leaping Leeches, Card-Carrying Women
Rose Eveleth joins the show to talk about chromosome testing in the Olympics. Plus, Claire returns to talk elite tug-o-war, and Rachel talks about the...
Pointy-Headed Vikings, Apocalypse Popularity, Perfect Prism Poops
Dr. Jessica Ware from the American Museum of Natural History joins the show to talk about the most perfectly shaped poo. Plus, Laura talks about being...
Reptilian Theater Kids, Gay Giraffes, Impatient Birds
Owen Ever, co-host of the podcast A Field Guide to Gay Animals, joins the show this week to talk about the scientists who studied homosexuality in gir...
Robotic Roller Derby, Orangutan Skincare Routines, That Good Pet Stink
Annalee Newitz returns to the show to discuss the cutest little food delivery robots you've ever seen. Plus, Rachel talks self-medicating apes, and Am...
Hyrax Heaven, Underwater Bees, Carbonated Oceans
Streamer and science communicator Moohoodles joins the show this week to talk about carbonated oceans on Enceladus (and the moon's recipe for life)! P...
Screaming Frogs, "Talking" Mushrooms, Nonbinary Birds
Sociolinguist Erica Brozovsky joins the show to discuss talkative fungi, Amanda Reed chats about nonbinary birds, and Rachel gets into animal sounds—e...
Traveling Barber Uprising, Rats Taking Selfies, Honeyguide Helpers
Maritime archaeologist and historian Joel Cook joins the show to spin the tale of how traveling barbers almost coordinated an uprising that could have...