This is the THIRTEENTH season of the show! So we’re diving into stories about superstitions and luck. We’ll share the eerie tale of a 13-legged sea creature. We’ll talk about a hot new telescope that’s trying to look back 13 billion years ago to uncover the secrets of the universe. And we’ll talk about a squeaky superstition that involves a rat — as the toot ... Show More
Sep 10
Where Have The Insects Gone?? With Dr. Jessica Ware
Bugs are disappearing at alarming rates, scientists are telling us. Bees, butterflies, beetles: all of them have been dropping like flies. And scientists say there are a bunch of reasons to care about this — for example, fewer bugs means less pollination, which means less pasta i ... Show More
45m 53s
Sep 3
Protein-Maxxing: Is It Actually Bad For Us?
Protein is everywhere — tons of us are trying to cram more of it into our diets, and it's showing up in our lattes, our snack bars, even our popcorn. But just as we’re getting on board with protein-maxxing, a bunch of headlines have started saying the opposite: that eating LESS p ... Show More
31m 11s
Aug 27
Sunscreen: Could It Be Toxic??
Sunscreen is supposed to protect us from dangerous stuff like cancer, but all over social media, people are saying that we’ve been getting it all wrong. We’re being told that our sunscreen is full of toxic chemicals, that wearing it could mess with our vitamin D levels — even tha ... Show More
50m 52s
Jul 2024
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 sharks of yore and Rachel explains how ants are becoming little mini surgeons. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by ... Show More
53m 46s
Jun 2019
The Secret to Perfect Sleep, Naked Mole Rat Royalty, Baby Shark (do do do do do do) Puke
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 This Week"? The Weirde ... Show More
34m 35s
Dec 2023
LIVE SHOW: Trees are Fake, Fortune-Telling Cheese, Sunscreen Secrets, Magical Misogyny
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. The Weirdest Thing I L ... Show More
1h 12m
Jun 2007
ARMAGEDDON - Super Volcanoes, Meteorites and Earthquakes
This week a rabies-based Trojan Horse that smuggles drugs across the blood-brain barrier, why first-borns are brighter, progress with Parkinson's and a lunar telescope more powerful than Hubble. Plus in this week's ARMAGEDDON-focused show we look at supervolcanes, earthquakes and ... Show More
57m 12s
May 2019
Bill Nye talks killer clowns, mermaids, pigeon poo, and deadly bicycles
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 Weirdest Thing I Learned T ... Show More
52m 53s