11 Best Stuff You Should Know Episodes
From Serial to Pod Save America, podcasts as a medium have taken off in the past few years. One of the oldest, and in the opinion of many, greatest podcasts is undoubtedly, the Stuff You Should Know podcast, referred to by fans as “SYSK”. Hosted by Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant (and never forget the “Chuck”!), SYSK is a thrice weekly podcast where the hosts discuss and explain a new topic in each podcast. Josh and Chuck discuss topics ranging from science to fashion and everything in between with their usual banter and great rapport. When you throw it all together it is no surprise that this podcast has lasted for over 10 years and 1,000 episodes. SYSK always sits atop the iTunes podcasts charts, has won numerous the best podcast awards in the industry, and most importantly has brought countless hours of entertainment to millions of listeners.
11. How Grassoline Works
April 17, 2008
It only feels right to include SYSK episode 1 in our list. It is after all, the one that began it all. You have heard of electric cars and corn based ethanol as an alternative to gasoline, but have you ever heard of a using grass as an alternative to gasoline? Me neither. In this episode, Josh (still a solo host at this point) discusses the possibility of certain species of grass, along with wood materials, as a way to power our world. In this one very succinct episode, SYSK touches on peak oil, sustainability, and even wars. Sure, this episode is over 10 years old and grassoline has yet to take off, but it is a lot of fun to hear about!
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-grassoline-works.htm
10. What is the gig economy?
June 11, 2019
One of the best things about SYSK is the hosts don’t only cover history topics or topics that are no longer relevant, but they actively attack topics that are becoming more important as time goes on. This is one of those episodes. The gig economy is considered all of those side jobs you can work from an app on, things like Uber, grubhub, Upwork, and Amazon delivery. Originally considered a great way to make some extra money during time off, people have begun to question the gig economy partly, as SYSK suggests, because the gigs were so successful. Many people work these side gigs as full time jobs without any benefits and overall low pay. In this episode SYSK discusses whether the gig economy is good for society and what the future of the gig economy will be.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/whats-the-gig-economy.htm
9. Are Nazi War Criminals Still at Large?
April 30, 2008
For good measure, SYSK occasionally covers conspiratorial topics. Other conspiracy theories include: “Did the CIA test LSD on unsuspecting Americans”, “Was there a real King Arthur”, “What’s the deal with crop circles”, and “What happened to the lost colony at Roanoke”. There is perhaps no better conspiratorial episode of SYSK than this one though. Josh, still a lone host, discusses the final outcome for many major Nazi figures and whether anyone ever got away. He discusses the curiously high amount of twins born in a specific region of Argentina beginning shortly after World War II. The highlight of the episode is the discussion of Mossad’s hunt for Nazi war criminals following the founding of the state of Israel. Overall a great episode.
8. Use of the Insanity Defense
April 18, 2013
Often talked about, but not well understood, Josh and Chuck tackle the topic of the insanity defense and its common misconceptions in this episode. Many people do not realize that the insanity defense is extremely hard to prove. As Josh and Chuck explain, despite the fact that everyone is aware of the insanity defense, it is actually only used in 1% of criminal cases, and furthermore, the insanity defense is only successful in 1% of the criminal cases in which it is used. This is the perfect episode for anyone interested in how the legal system works. The nuances of the insanity defense can be tricky but SYSK sums it up quite well.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/insanity-defense.htm
7. What is fascism?
March 11, 2010
No Racists, No KKK, No Fascist USA! It’s a common phrase you heard lately at many protests. In this episode, Josh and Chuck discuss what fascism really is. After listening to SYSK you’ll quickly realize what the core tenants of fascism are, and how there are a great number of misconceptions about fascism. In particular, Josh and Chuck’s focus on the importance that war plays in a fascist society is very interesting.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/what-exactly-is-fascism.htm
6. What’s the Deal with Rasputin’s death?
June 3, 2017
Fans of history will love this episode. Gregory Rasputin, known as the “Mad Monk” is one of the most interesting figures in Russian history. A mystic, Rasputin was the personal healer to Prince Alexei, the last Prince of Russia. I don’t want to spoil the story of Rasputin, but he quickly becomes very salacious in Russian history. It is said that Rasputin was shot in the head several times and still survived until he was thrown into a freezing river. SYSK’s discussion of Rasputin’s death is worth a listen all on its own.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/deal-rasputins-death.htm
5. How Mexican Wrestling Works
January 19, 2012
The matches, jumping off the top rope, soap opera level drama – Mexican wrestling, or lucha libre, is a spectacle, and a great one at that. Josh and Chuck take a deep dive into the history and legend behind Mexican wrestling. Many may not know how important the role of the mask is in Mexican wrestling. This SYSK episode has a wonderful segment on the mask’s importance. SYSK also discusses the difference between Mexican wrestling and the WWE style pro wrestling that is so popular in the United States. Some episodes you find so fascinating you can’t help but listen even though you may have no interest in the topic. The Mexican Wrestling episode of SYSK is one such episode.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-mexican-wrestling-works.htm
4. How Diamonds Work
April 3, 2012
Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend? I find this episode of SYSK particularly interesting because Josh and Chuck cover both the geological history of diamonds – how they’re made, and the advertising history of diamonds – how they became the wedding standard they are today. You may (or may not) be surprised that diamonds actually aren’t all that rare or precious after all. Instead, after a hard advertising push by major jewelry and diamond mining companies, the diamond ring became the marriage institution that it is today.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-diamonds-work.htm
3. How the Electoral College Works
August 28, 2012
The United States is one of the few democratic presidential systems where the President is not actually elected directly by the citizens of the country. As Chuck and Josh, explain this is supposed to be one of the primary differences between the American presidential system and the British parliamentary system, the two major western governmental systems. In this episode SYSK does a deep dive into the history of the electoral college in the United States and why it was set up the way it was. It may surprise many that despite the words of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution calling for freedom of all men, the Founding Fathers were actually quite afraid of full blown democracy. This episode feels particularly timely considering the 2016 election in which President Trump won the election through the electoral college despite his presidential candidate winning more votes than any other presidential candidate in American history. If you’re interested in electoral politics, or civic engagement this is absolutely a must listen.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-the-electoral-college-works.htm
2. Were U.S. citizens in Japanese Internment Camps
March 1, 2011
SYSK is not afraid to deal with some of the more shameful incidents in American history. Josh and Chuck’s willingness to discuss this difficult topic openly and honestly is one of the reasons people love SYSK. They will truly take on any topic. Today the Japanese internment camps during World War II are widely disparaged by almost all Americans. SYSK, however, discusses how Japanese internment camps were viewed contemporaneously at the time. You may be surprised to see how Americans in the 1940s had no problem with the internment camps. Any history buff should listen to this episode because it’s important not only to celebrate the great moments of history but to reflect on the shameful moments as well.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/were-u-s-citizens-in-japanese-internment-camps.htm
1. Vocal Fry and Other Speech Trends
October 22, 2015
Without a doubt, “Vocal Fry and Other Speech Trends” has got to be the greatest SYSK episode of all time. It’s how the Kardashians speak, it’s how Britney Spears sings. Since the 2000s the vocal fry speech trend seems to be everywhere. This episode is great because Josh and Chuck are particularly opinionated about it. Usually the loudest to complain about vocal fry are men, the two hosts take these men to task for such complaints. As Josh and Chuck explain, it’s actually men who may have started and popularized vocal fry. For a topic about speech, Josh and Chuck manages to make this episode not only a listenable episode but one of the great, if not the greatest SYSK episode ever.
Link to episode: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/vocal-fry-and-other-speech-trends-2.htm
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