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Parent info: The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is recommended for ages 11 plus. It's an Episodic show that can be listened to in any order. Made in the USA, it's about Science and Facts for kids. Launched in 2018, it has 9 seasons.
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Sarah Dern and Emma Gommetz join Rachel this week to talk a trio of extra weird things. We've got babies spitting backwash into the boob, radio's biggest op being literal "night", and a gender-bending squirrel beloved by military veterans named Tommy Tucker.
Bee scientist Kit Prendergast joins the show to talk about... well... the birds and the bees. Plus, Rachel explains how portobello (portabella?) mushrooms are not exactly real. And Sara Kiley tells us how a spotted lanternfly's worst enemy could be a normal do…
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 us how she's related to mosquito royalty, and Rachel explains why the Library of Congress is holding onto Freud…
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 to discuss creativity, why it might be crumbling, and how one measures it (spoiler: it is NOT easy). And Rache…
Hari Kondabolu and Priyanka Wali join the show to talk about cells taken secretly and unethically... but ended up changing human health forever. Then, Rachel divulges a plethora of facts about dental care of yesteryear, from how Marie Antoinette wore braces (y…
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 Kiley talks about Joseph Pilates (yes, that Pilates), and Rachel explains why people are doing surgery on those c…
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 infiltrated all of our favorite media, from Shrek to Elden Ring. And Rachel gets into how having less of a beak can a…
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 worm, and why neutrinos can be classified as nontrinary.
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 which she details strange vampire folklore (and why they love to count), Claire Maldarelli shares a weird peppe…
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 Australia used glowing paint to transform into ghosts, and how Louis Pasteur had more aura than ever imaginable.
While Rachel is on parental leave, here's a vintage episode from our vault! Rachel, Sara, and comedian Josh Gondelman discuss dogs cooking in kitchens, chickens laying eggs inside themselves, and one of the most peculiar art heists in history.
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 you better at video games like Elden Ring, and how rituals and priests might be the solution to long-term nuclea…
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 way back in 2021 (when the games were pushed back a year from the pandemic).
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 beavers keep wildfires at bay, koalas eating their moms' poop (kind of), and exploding Australian trees.
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 scientific study on Chicago's rat hole, and Rachel talks about the wonderfully heartwarming penguin retirement hom…
Coltan Scrivner joins the show to talk about the strange empathy of horror movie enjoyers. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about bats dogfighting and devouring birds, and Rachel delves into the bizarre history of the first anti-vax movement.
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. Topics run the gamut this week. We've got an avian murder mystery, why having sex in space sucks, how preworko…
Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions—from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask.
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 one evolutionary exception.
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 horns, and Rachel gets into the way some folks are using ants to make yogurt. (It's actually kinda good...)
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 live and in real time. Host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world…
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 sharks' toothy foreheads.
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 wolf bones could help our modern pups, and Rachel talks about the archaeologists who are studying more modern st…
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 book, Spread Me, out now wherever you buy books!) Plus, Rachel talks about the great Missouri snake panic, and L…
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 of Sex, Gender and Mating Shape Modern Relationships. Plus, Sara Kiley explains how horses are used to create s…
Mary Roach RETURNS to Weirdest Thing to share her new book, Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy! From this phenomenal new read, she discusses a section on breathing through your butt, a thing not only turtles can do, but also apparently humans. Plus, …
The wonderful Ryan Mandelbaum is BACK to discuss their latest animalian interest: salamanders in New York City! Laura also explains how peeing while swimming a marathon is shockingly complicated, and Rachel gets into why Dungeons and Dragons is therapeutic for…
Scientific illustrator and Twitch streamer Liz Clayton Fuller (ipaintbirbs) joins the show once more to talk all things cloaca -- and why some birds lack them. Plus, Jess hops behind the mic to talk about the world's rarest pasta, and Rachel dives into carnivo…
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. Everest, and a sneaky trick to make cats less allergenic.
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!). Plus, Laura talks about promiscuous fruit flies, and Rachel talks about capuchin monkey's version of a Labubu.
Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian joins the show to talk about horny eels. Plus, Sara Kiley explains the tree that loves getting struck by lightning, and Rachel goes into detail about kids passing notes in ancient times.
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 belt, and Lauren dishes dirt on the ISS (literally).
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 discuss mimes mocking traffic offenders, and Rachel divulges the story of London's legendary timekeepers.
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, and Laura talks about the cutest, sweetest little rat sommeliers.
Trace Dominguez joins the show to explain just how inconceivable building up an immunity to iocane powder (or other poisons) is. Sara Kiley also discusses unidentified seismic objects, and Rachel talks about how peeing together transcends species.
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 sending squirrels into space, and Rachel explains how brains can (very rarely) turn to glass.
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 Rachel unravels how chewing gum can stop us from "pre-singing."
Lauren Leffer joins the show to explain how silver carp are creating an environmental trolley problem. Plus, Laura divulges the story of the surfing bat, and Rachel talks about scientists that ate an ancient bologna sandwich.
Paleontologist and writer Riley Black joins the show to talk about a plant mystery. Plus, Amanda talks about turning your leftover lasagna into a power source, and Rachel discusses Letterkenny and "hockey English."
Welcome to SEASON 9!!
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
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 tastes different at 30,000 feet, and Rachel explains the latest fashion trend among killer whales.
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, Rachel talks about a prankster elephant.
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 lays out a jigsaw puzzle made of bones.
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 interviews someone from a different profession: A cattle rancher, a FBI special agent, a professional Santa Claus. H…
Laura Krantz returns to Weirdest Thing to talk about the power of superstitions. Plus, Laura Baisas explains ants literally farming, and Rachel talks about mummy cheese.
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 about how Chicago and the greater Midwest has been suffering from corn sweat, and Rachel explains the (literally) …
Shark scientist Jasmin Graham joins the show to talk hammerheads. Plus, Amanda explains why your crush on a fictional character is actually ok, and Rachel goes in on saving the vultures.
Andy "River" Peterson joins the show to talk about our future crustacean matriarchal overlords. Plus, Amanda discusses mice afraid of men, and Rachel unravels secret codes hidden in a silk dress.
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 living in Manhattan.
This week, Danielle Bainbridge joins the show to talk a very dark, forbidden experiment. Plus, Rachel talks about milk spoiling in thunderstorms (allegedly), and Sara Kiley explains how sometimes it's better to be annoying than deadly.
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.
Astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier rejoins the show to talk about how there are too many galaxies out there. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about sharks of yore and Rachel explains how ants are becoming little mini surgeons.
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 leech that can fly.
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 popular in the apocalypse, and Rachel explains why some Vikings and other folks had especially pointy heads.
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 giraffes. Plus, Jess explains the most dramatic snakes on the planet, and Rachel gets into birds who wave quite i…
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 Amanda explains why we love our pets' stink and our lovers' smelly armpits.
Streamer and science communicator Moohoodles joins the show this week to talk about carbonated oceans on Enceladus (and the moon's recipe for life)! Plus, Jess explains her obsession with the hyrax, and Rachel talks about bees who are somehow able to hibernate…
Sociolinguist Erica Brozovsky joins the show to discuss talkative fungi, Amanda Reed chats about nonbinary birds, and Rachel gets into animal sounds—especially the ones we can't hear.
Maritime archaeologist and historian Joel Cook joins the show to spin the tale of how traveling barbers almost coordinated an uprising that could have derailed the American Civil War. Plus, Rachel talks about a very delicious mutualism between humans and great…
Scientist and Twitch streamer Knimbley joins the show today to talk about how astronomy and Elden Ring intertwine! Plus, Jess returns to talk about lotion spiders, and Rachel explains how ADHD used to offer a real survival benefit in the olden days.
Scientific American's Lee Billings and Clara Moskowitz join Rachel this week to talk all things eclipse.
Christie Taylor joins the show to talk about dung beetles who love to stargaze. Plus, Laura explains how early beer brewers were women, and Rachel gets into weird internet language on TikTok and beyond.
Liz Clayton Fuller rejoins the show to talk all things bird milk (yum!), and Amanda Reed spins the tale of the rocket scientist who invented a world renowned lubricant. Finally, Rachel explains the intricacies of the hermit crab housing market.
This time, Laura Baisas explains the dawn of the cockroach in New York, Rachel discusses a situation when the mitochondria is NOT the powerhouse of the cell (not ideal), and Claire Maldarelli divulges all about the legendary government cheese.
Welcome to Season 8! Producer Jess Boddy joins the show to talk about the mythical iron maiden (as inspired by Resident Evil 4), Rachel talks about nature's weirdest sleepers, and Amanda explains the fascinating rabbit hole that is American parking psychology.
In our live show from August of 2023, Rachel talks about magicians' tricks and their hidden misogyny, Sara explains how trees aren't real (and why we are all crabs), Claire details the history of sunscreen, and Jess dives into telling fortunes using cheese.
Divya Anantharaman joins the show to talk about the history of taxidermy dating back to Charles Darwin! Plus, Rachel talks menopausal chimps, and Sara Kiley explains how one Dutch town once literally ate the rich.
Charlotte McDonnell (aka coollike on Twitch) joins the show to talk about a very British energy scandal! Plus, producer Jess Boddy does a segment on if quicksand can really suck you down into the ground like it does in the movies, and Rachel explains how creat…
Laura Krantz returns to discuss how talking to dolphins may help us communicate with aliens! Plus, Rachel talks about dead spider claw machines (and other robot taxidermy), and Chelsey talks about the oldest fish ever.
Sarah Gailey hops on Weirdest Thing to talk about how hippos almost became extremely American. Plus, Sandra explains why Miami officials are going to perform vasectomies on peacocks, and Rachel gets into the ethics of saving Einstein's brain.
PopSci's Laura Baisas hops on Weirdest Thing to talk about ancient tweezers (and their accompanying screams), Rachel explains the state of Leprosy in past, present, and future, and Sara Kiley talks about tools and weapons made from space rocks.
Scientific Illustrator and Twitch Partner Liz Clayton Fuller joins the podcast to talk about turkey vultures, their defensive puking mechanism, and why you should thank the next one you see. Plus, Rachel explains how a head of curly hair is actually scientific…
Annalee Newitz discusses how to survive an apocalypse while eating good, Rachel talks about birds using spikes as barbecue skewers (and more), and Chelsey gets into sexing skeletons.
Guest host Kasha Patel talks how wildfires could play a part in spreading Last of Us-like fungi, Rachel spins a yarn about how bananas can induce crippling fear, and Sara Kiley describes our buffest, beefiest ancestor ever.
LIVE SHOW TICKETS: https://caveat.nyc/events/the-weirdest-thing-i-learned-this-week-8-24-2023
Stan explains the iconic monkey selfie legal struggle, Amanda talks about how scientists got crows to stop pooping so much, and Rachel divulges many details about crocodile dung birth control.
Moiya McTier joins the show to talk about math, the first constellations, and more! Plus, Rachel explains why children are master fossil discoverers, and Sara Kiley divulges a surprising spicy origin.
Radiolab's Heather Radke joins the show to talk about butts! Plus, Rachel talks about the history of chickens as pets, and Chelsey divulges why parrots are video calling each other.
That's right, we're doing our first live show since 2019! It'll be on Thursday, August 24th at Caveat in New York City.
Producer Jess Boddy talks about the science in Dark Souls' swamps, Rachel explains cockroaches giving sexy gifts, and Amanda dishes on scientific scammers.
PopSci intern Jack Izzo talks about the deepest hole EVER. Plus, Rachel explains contagious sleepiness throughout history, and Sara Kiley divulges the captivating story of the woman who invented the dishwasher.
Ali Hazelwood joins the show to divulge the scientific hoax of the century, Rachel shows how wolves create a landscape of fear, and Sandra talks about Puebloans carrying logs with their heads—and maybe falling in love.
Melissa Dunphy joins the show to explain why she found a horse in the toilet. Meanwhile, Rachel talks super-powered bug pee, and Chelsey gets into the science of fearing clowns.
Defector's Sabrina Imbler joins the show this week to talk about whale falls! Plus, Rachel talks about how a bunch of dudes sat in saunas for science, and Sara Kiley explains why Neanderthals probably stunk at smelling their own funk.
This week, Rachel explores Walmart for new insect species, Jess divulges the science behind Elden Ring's corpse wax, and John talks about New York City architects hiding spires in their buildings to one-up each other.
This week, Rachel gets into delicious, delectable butter made in a bog, Ryan F. Mandelbaum explains that we know almost nothing about eels, and Purbita describes the details of pee splashback at the urinal.
This week, Rachel talks about fish getting behind the wheel, Sara Kiley unravels the story of rodent DNA and a secret fur seal trade, and Sandra explains how cocaine might be the key to organ transplants.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Welcome to Season 7!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Join host Sing For Science host Matt Whyte in this fungi fantastic episode about psilocybin research! We learn about mushroom properties that can stave off dementia, decrease social ills and hear about Isaac’s experience with UFOs.
Today, we’re shaking things up and bringing you a preview of a new audiobook we’re think you'll enjoy! Writer, director, and actress Lake Bell has a new audiobook all about the voice – Inside Voice is a humorous, insightful, and personal deep dive into the cul…
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Welcome to Season 6, Weirdos!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Enjoy this super special bonus episode celebrating Popular Science's 150th birthday!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Leigh Cowart, science reporter and author of Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose, joins Weirdest Thing for the season finale!
This episode celebrates our latest digital issue going live! The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Arielle Duhaime-Ross—host of Vice's A Show About Animals and Vice News Reports—joins the show this week! The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
This episode celebrates our latest digital issue going live! Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Mary Roach—author of incredible books like Gulp, Bonk, Spook, and most recently, Fuzz—joins the show this week! The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet…
Actor and famous Schitt's Creek impersonator Michael Judson Berry joins the show this week! The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
SEASON 5 IS HERE! The weirdest things we learned this week range from REAL ectoplasm to how many licks it (allegedly) takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
This episode celebrates our latest digital issue going live! The weirdest things we learned this week range from a swapping blood with the Pope to the dramatic origins of the Monopoly board game. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Wee…
Producer Jess Boddy joins Rachel for a listener voicemail Q&A episode! The weirdest things we learned this week range from a killer creek to naked mole rat facts at breakfast.
Click here to follow our sibling podcast, Ask Us Anything!
Buy your Weirdest Thing virtual live show tickets here: https://www.caveat.nyc/event/the-weirdest-thing-i-learned-this-week-livestream-9-21-2021
This episode celebrates our latest digital issue going live! The weirdest things we learned this week range from a skyscraper that can fry an egg to the Italian legacy of hot tubs. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Producer Jess Boddy joins Rachel for a listener voicemail Q&A episode! The weirdest things we learned this week range from dangerous pumpkin launching to an Illinoisan scorpion.
The weirdest things we learned this week range from gold medals for art to underwater hockey. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from flying cats to breathing through your butt. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Writer and game designer Jonathan Sims joins the show! The weirdest things we learned this week range from bees telling time to death by apple core. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from vertically sleeping whales to fake motion sickness cures. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Comedian and writer Josh Gondelman joins the show! The weirdest things we learned this week range from dogs cooking in kitchens to chickens laying eggs inside of themselves. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
Producer Jess Boddy joins Rachel for a listener voicemail Q&A episode! The weirdest things we learned this week range from wombat poop to possum penises.
Theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein joins the show! The weirdest things we learned this week range from non-trinary particles to kleptoplasty. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from literal brainwashing to the marshmallow test. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Check out the first episode of Ask Us Anything, a brand new podcast from the editors of Popular Science! Claire and Jess dive into whether you can boost your immune system, giving it ninja-like capabilities to vanquish any infectious critter that crosses its p…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from eating poison oak to creepy animated babies. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from soy boy panic to a magic number found in peregrine falcon dives and Robert Pattinson's face. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
This episode celebrates our latest print issue hitting newsstands! The weirdest things we learned this week range from a jellyfish that can live forever to invasive cocaine hippos. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Dallas Taylor, sound designer and host of Twenty Thousand Hertz, joins the weirdos as a guest host. The weirdest things we learned this week range from statues that sing first thing in the morning to the animal sounds that make up Star Wars' tie-fighters and J…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from meat raining down from the heavens to swallowing swords to help doctors look down esophaguses. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
In this special episode, the weirdest things we learned this week range from Edgar Allen Poe's peculiar death to how salamanders influenced the term Gerrymander. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from stage-five-clinger anglerfish to Harriet Tubman's birding expertise. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Contributing editor Kat Eschner joins the weirdos as a guest host. The weirdest things we learned this week range from the surprising link between pig sex and celery to blowing up a mountain underwater. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned T…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a beetle that can waltz through frog intestines unscathed, to the a man who thought he could capture sexual energy in a cage. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Tonight, September 15th, we'll be doing an exclusive live-streamed show. It'll be all of the fun of a classic Weirdest Thing Live show—your favorite hosts (calling in remotely), weird facts, drinks, jokes, atmosphere—but delivered straight to your living room!…
Welcome to Season 4! For this first episode, Kendra Pierre-Louis, former Popsci editor and current reporter for the Gimlet podcast How To Save a Planet, joins the weirdos as a guest host. The weirdest things we learned this week range from thousands of cars be…
Hey weirdos! We have two very exciting pieces of news for you. First, Weirdest Thing is returning every other Wednesday starting September 2nd! Second, on Tuesday, September 15th, we'll be doing an exclusive live-streamed show. It'll be all of the fun of a cla…
It's the Season 3 Finale! The weirdest things we learned this week range from breaking bones chasing cheese down a cliff and rubbing baseball bats with cow femurs. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Rose Eveleth, host of the hit podcast Flash Forward, joins the weirdos as a guest host! The weirdest things we learned this week range from a Russian experiment that tried to make daytime last forever to moths jamming bat radar with their genitals. Whose story…
Happy Earth Day! We're celebrating with facts about worms that eat their moms' skin, the fungus bigger than a blue whale, and rocks that sail across deserts all by themselves. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Surprise! It's Rachel and Jess, and we're popping in your feeds with a bonus episode. Join us as we listen to some voice messages submitted by you guys, and delve into facts about tooth ligaments, giant iguanas, sexy orangutans, and more. We'll be back on Wedn…
This week, we've got the first half of our remote live show! The weirdest things we learned this week range from Animal Crossing's most fascinating fish to a man with forest green blood. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Hey weirdos! On Monday, March 30th, we'll be doing two livestreamed episodes in partnership with Caveat, our favorite New York City venue. It'll be all of the fun of a classic Weirdest Thing Live show—your favorite hosts (calling in remotely), weird facts, dri…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from tumbleweeds that terrorize entire towns to a tantalizing obstetrical secret. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Hey weirdos! We just wanted to drop in and update you all on what's happening with our show during the pandemic. Since we're all working remotely to help flatten the curve in New York City, it would be a huge help if you submitted voice messages via the Anchor…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a coyote and badger becoming BFFs to instructions on hypnotizing sharks. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from Christmas tree-flavored burritos to XXL codpieces. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from an elephant on an acid trip to people who urgently need to poop upon entering bookstores. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from choosing your zaddy to the origin of (arguably) the best gas station convenience store in the history of the world. (Yes, Wawa.) Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a man who weighed all of his poop, pee, and sweat on a homemade scale to animals that can choose when they want to get pregnant. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
On this week's special Christmas episode, the weirdest things we learned this week range from a Santa-esque giantess named Gryla and her 13 yule lads to a disease named after a boy called Christmas. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This …
This week, we have a very special episode all about the science behind the autonomous sensory meridian response, a.k.a. ASMR. While people who experience ASMR feel extremely pleasant and satisfying tingles when hearing their trigger sounds—which often include …
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a secret pouch in your body to a literally killer fashion trend. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Ellen Airhart, host of the podcast Plant Crimes, joins us this week as a guest host! The weirdest things we learned ranged from Williams-Sonoma selling Bronx Zoo poo to a jaunty foreskin trend. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"…
This week, we've got the second half of our extra spooky Halloween live show! The weirdest things we learned ranged from eating mummy dust to a man drinking rat poison to boost his marathon time. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Wee…
This week, No Such Thing As A Fish's James Harkin joins Rachel and Jess as a guest-host! The weirdest things we learned ranged from painting glowing, radioactive messages on your teeth to how Queen Nefertiti was the original influencer. Whose story will be vot…
This week, we've got the first half of our extra spooky Halloween live show! The weirdest things we learned ranged from a ship filled with a collection of wax heads to Harry Styles' surprising number of nipples. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I …
In lieu of a regular episode this week—which we were too swamped with live show prep to record!—enjoy this chatty Q&A with Jess and Rachel. They talk about getting into science journalism and podcasting, the show's origins, antics that ensued at the live show,…
The New York Times' Kendra Pierre-Louis—a former PopSci Editor!—joins us this week as a guest host! The weirdest things we learned ranged from gourds full of royal blood to frogs wearing tiny taffeta pants. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learn…
Helen Zaltzman, host of The Allusionist podcast, joins us this week as a guest host! The weirdest things we learned ranged from bisexual space stations to guinea pigs with scurvy. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
PopSci contributor Kat Eschner joins us this week as a guest host! The weirdest things we learned ranged from how snow banks turn millennial pink to a dazzling yet dangerous chemistry demonstration. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This …
Arielle Duhaime-Ross, host of Reset from Vox, joins us this week as a guest host! The weirdest things we learned ranged from dunking chickens in ice baths to magical stones from porcupine bellies. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This We…
OB-GYN and author Jen Gunter joins us this week as a guest host! The weirdest things we learned range from the invention of the birth control pill to corpses that change position long after their time of death. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I L…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from robots wiping your butt to a Cheeto-shaped bacteria killing Eleanor Roosevelt. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
This week, we've got another voice messages edition of Weirdest Thing! We listen and react to extra weird, listener-provided facts that range from how a volcanic eruption led to the invention of the bicycle to female bugs with spiky penises. It's always great …
We're dropping in to tell you about a few special episodes coming up—and how you can participate!
The weirdest things we learned this week range from butter sculptures' feminist origins to the cutthroat world of competitive endurance walking. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
In the second half of our live show on June 14th, the weirdest things we learned this week range from the hungriest boy who ever lived to swallowing live goldfish for sport. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned range from injecting cow's milk into a person's veins (don't worry, it's fresh!), to a modern gay sex drug with Victorian origins. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a good reason to eat fresh, steamy camel poo to injecting rats with human urine and seeing what happens. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned range from South Pole streakers getting frostbitten nipples and weenies to pacemakers playing a role in exploding crematoriums. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
In the first half of our live show on June 14th, the weirdest things we learned range from the bloody path to becoming a naked mole rat queen to a tiger shark vomiting feathers onto the deck of a boat. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned Th…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from reading pee bubbles to discern one's future, to turning a living, breathing cat into a functional telephone. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a salad that makes pregnant people have their babies to hair going white overnight. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
Wendy Zukerman from Gimlet's Science Vs. joins Weirdest Thing this week. The weirdest things we learned range from a man falling unconscious after taking too many placebo pills, to why the tomato's latin name means "wolf peach." Whose story will be voted "The …
Bill Nye joins Rachel, Claire, and Eleanor on the show this week. Facts range from how pigeon poop led to the verification of the big bang to why your brain ignores gorillas and killer clowns lurking right in front of you. Whose story will be voted "The Weirde…
Something very weird is happening at Weirdest Thing... Some science guy is coming on to be a guest host! Check out this teaser to get the scoop.
This week, we've got the first-ever voice messages episode of Weirdest Thing! We listen and react to extra weird, listener-provided facts that range from a dildo machine for nuns to a chicken named Mike who lived for 18 months without a head. It's always great…
Want to star in an episode of Weirdest Thing? Now’s your chance! We want to hear your weirdest science, tech, health and engineering facts so we can share the absolute weirdest of the bunch with the rest of our listeners. All you have to do is download the Anc…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from preferring to have sex on a carnival velcro wall to eating a banana in tin foil with a knife and fork. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from monkeys selling sex to a physiological explanation of peeing involving bagpipes. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from an absolutely enormous bird from New Zealand to deer with a taste for human flesh. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a hat made for romancing falcons to a booming bone trade on Instagram. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from monks that who themselves into mummies to the tech transfer between the military and Disneyland. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from animals being put on trial to the origins of the phrase "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from NASA's fears of fart-induced explosions to groups of people who died from dancing. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the science of the poodle haircuts to the most dangerous pigeon race in history. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from founding fathers of the USA who liked being nude to a condition called Jalapeño Thumb (aka "Hot Pepper Hands") and how to cure it. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a tiger that ate more than 600 people over seven years to not one, not two, but three historical hot air balloon riots. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from premature babies displayed as a sideshow exhibit to people who sneeze after eating a big meal. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a 30-foot-tall molasses wave to the man who invented "bulldogging" in rodeos. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from stripping during duels to stay alive to a man who wanted to eat every animal (for science). Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the sweetest smelling butts to birds that were used as candles. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
On season 2 premiere of Weirdest Thing, the weirdest things we learned this week range from dozens of severed feet that wash up in the Pacific Northwest to an operation on one person that killed three people. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Lea…
On the this special New Year's episode, the weirdest things we learned this week range from the origins of treadmills (your New Year's resolution) to the origin of the sparkling wine and the New Year's ball to the origin of the modern calendars. Whose story wi…
We learned a lot of weird facts in season 1 of this show. Rachel and long-suffering producer Jason reflect on the first 25 episodes of The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week and go through the data to figure out the weirdest things we learned, what types of st…
On the season 1 finale of "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week," four of our original hosts jump behind the mic to share their spookiest facts, in honor of Halloween.
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the origins of bubble wrap to Civil War soldiers whose wounds glowed in the dark. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a piece of taxidermy with a dark secret to a woman who claimed to give birth to rabbits. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from levitating a frog with electromagnets to the idea that absorbing a twin in utero gives you superpowers. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the science and economics of the kingdom in the movie "Frozen" to the most (and least) wholesome scientific studies of animals on drugs. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the world's worst dairy-related disaster to a Sardinian cheese that is illegal to sell. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week are weird things we've already learned! In this mini-episode, Popular Science editor-in-chief Joe Brown plays "Two Truths and a Lie" about past editions of Weirdest Thing. Play along with him and see how many you can ge…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from turning the Statue of Liberty into a battery to a man whose penis was sucked into a bottle with an explosion. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a plan to bring George Washington back from the dead to a solar storm that powered telegraphs with no batteries. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a plan to bring George Washington back from the dead to a solar storm that powered telegraphs with no batteries. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from what organs you can and can't eat to the world's largest dog ban. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from flutes made from human femurs to trying to tame zebras. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a soup that makes your skin peel off to secret drug-finding toilets in airports. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from animals that detach their sex organs during or after sex to artwork you can hang in your home on a human skin canvas. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the Air Force testing ejector seats with black bears to a doctor winning the Nobel Prize for infecting his patients with syphilis. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a flatulist who became the highest-paid performer in France to meat lozenges. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from poisonous wallpaper that people voluntarily put in their homes to an exploration of what happens to poop on a cruise ship. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from a NASA engineer who believed in sex magick to the world's oldest recipe for macaroni and cheese. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from rhabdo, a potentially fatal medical condition first mentioned in the bible, to the most remote inhabited island on Earth. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the standards and grading of ketchup to the idea that people were fully-formed inside of sperm before being born. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from finding lost footage of the first-ever underwater video to a daring attempt to fly over the North Pole in a hydrogen balloon. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from nuns, the origin of the cosmos, and the female orgasm to the number of calories in an average human man. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the world's best dog to mushrooms that eat animals. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The weirdest things we learned this week range from trying to revive dead (or unconscious) people by literally blowing smoke up their butts to the secret testing your favorite products go through to sound expensive. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thin…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from the world's first celebrity dieter, Lord Byron, to Cotard Syndrome, a mental illness where a person believes they are already dead or do not exist. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This…
The weirdest things we learned this week range from Thomas Jefferson and giant sloths to Eleanor Roosevelt and suspending babies above Park Avenue in NYC. Who will win our to-the-death* competition and have their story voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This …
Here at Popular Science, we write (and read) dozens of stories every week. And though many of the fun facts we stumble across during our research make into an article, something always hits the cutting room floor. But we still want to share that information wi…
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