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...
Recent Episodes
232 episodes
The Greatest Con in Mushroom History, Secret Weapon: Normal Dogs, a Bee's Benis
Bee scientist Kit Prendergast joins the show to talk about... well... the birds and the bees. Plus, Rachel explains how portobello (portabella?) mushr...
Fallout Shelter Fads, The Library of Cocaine, Mosquito Nepobaby
Ben Bradford, host of the podcast Are We Doomed?, joins the show to talk about when buying fallout shelter goods was all the rage. Plus, Laura tells u...
Creativity is Crumbling, Sarcophagus Juice Sourdough, Mycelium Mutual Aid
Pattie Gonia joins the show to talk about how secret networks of underground fungi are basically like nature's mutual aid. Plus, Moiya McTier returns...
Marie Antoinette Wearing Braces, Secret Immortal Cells, Chasing the Tooth Worm
Hari Kondabolu and Priyanka Wali join the show to talk about cells taken secretly and unethically... but ended up changing human health forever. Then,...
We Did it Joe (Pilates), They Did Surgery on a Cocaine Hippo, Steinbeck Digs Deep (Literally)
Ben Lillie joins the show to talk about John Steinbeck doing very in-character things on a scientific expedition out on the open ocean. Plus, Sara Kil...
A Musical Secret Weapon, Low Cortisol Beakmaxxing, Roller Coaster Science
Dropout's Grant O'Brien joins the show to talk about all things weird roller coasters. Plus, Jess hops on to discuss how a Gregorian chant has infiltr...
Cannibal Caribou, Charming Worms, Strawberry-Flavored Neutrinos
Rachel's officially back! Chanda Prescod-Weinstein also joins as a guest host. This week, they talk about self-made caribou snacks, how to charm a wor...
REVISITING Naked Founding Fathers, Jalapeño Thumb, Counting Vampires
In our final rerun episode during Rachel's parental leave, we have the oldest episode yet. It features one of Jess' first appearances on the show in w...
Killer Demon Core, Victorian Theater-Kid Ghosts, Louis Pasteur's Secrets
Jess brings adef and jacksonparodi on the show this week to discuss how one sphere killed two men in a matter of days, why folks in Victorian Australi...
REVISITING Art Crime Doesn't Pay, Canines Cooking Meat, Eggs Gone Wrong
While Rachel is on parental leave, here's a vintage episode from our vault! Rachel, Sara, and comedian Josh Gondelman discuss dogs cooking in kitche...
Atomic Priesthood, Space Smells Like Beef, the Power of Pee Fuel
Jess brings on science-minded friends Lindsey and Misti to discuss why space smells like a freshly opened beef stew packet, how having to pee makes yo...
REVISITING Olympic Weirdness: Barefoot Marathons, Medals for Artwork, Pistol Dueling
While Rachel is on parental leave, here's a vintage episode from our vault! Rachel, Claire, and Sara discuss all things weird related to the Olympics...
Beaver Skull Obsession, Aussie Widowmakers, Koalas Eating $#!%
WELCOME TO SEASON 10! Jess hosts the show solo while Rachel is on maternity leave, but brings on a pair of her creator friends to chat about how beave...
Bat-Devouring Rodents, Penguin Retirement Home, Chicago "Rat" Hole
Kendra Pierre-Louis joins Weirdest Thing for the season 9 finale! She talks about the rats chowing down on bats, producer Jess Boddy explains the scie...
Vintage Antivaxxers, Horror Flick Psychology, Robin-Eating Bats
Coltan Scrivner joins the show to talk about the strange empathy of horror movie enjoyers. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about bats dogfighting and devouring...
Footless Goose Murder, Sex in Space, Viking Sicko Mode, Sports Bra Tech
Behold: our LIVE show from earlier this year at Caveat in NYC! Rachel, Jess, Moiya McTier and Claire Maldarelli each bring a weird fact to the stage....
Check it out: 'Ask Us Anything' from Popular Science. On this episode, GOOSEBUMPS
Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions—from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never t...
What Rats are REALLY Saying, Cosmic Caffeine, Lamarck was RIGHT?!
Tom Lum joins the show to reveal what rats are ACTUALLY saying to each other. Plus, Rachel talks about the color of the Universe, and Lauren explains...
Ant Yogurt, Bunny Horns, Deadly Feather Fashion
Liz Clayton Fuller joins the show to talk about the deadly feather trade. Plus, Jess hops in to explain the strange virus causing bunnies to sprout ho...
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<...