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.
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!
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Jul 29
Boob Backwash, Nighttime Radio Secrets, 10 Toes Down on Tommy
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. The Weirdest Thing I ... Show More
55m 25s
Jul 15
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?) mushrooms are not exactly real. And Sara Kiley tells us how a spotted lanternfly's worst enemy could be a normal dog. The Weirdest Thin ... Show More
1h 17m
Jul 1
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 us how she's related to mosquito royalty, and Rachel explains why the Library of Congress is holding onto Freud's "friend's" cocain ... Show More
1h 6m
Feb 2022
S5 Ep379: Cool Science Rundown & The “Well to Hell"
<div>Kathleen’s putting her New Scientist membership to good use and bringing back Cool News Rundown: Science Edition! Then, Bethany tells the story behind her all-time favorite urban legend, the “Well to Hell” and the “screams” that came out of it. Plus, a crazy scary story from ... Show More
1h 9m
Nov 2015
Episode 248: A Rye Bread Made of Birds
TOPIC: More Songs About Buildings and Food This week, Dan and Merlin talk about transitions, microwave ovens, air conditioning, and the likelihood of salmonella. Links for this episode:Amazon.com: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values (9780060589462): ... Show More
1h 32m
Jul 2018
Epidemiology (DISEASES) with 'This Podcast Will Kill You's' Erins Welsh & Allmann-Updyke
<p>TWO epidemiologists-named-Erin -- and hosts of the stellar <a href="https://thispodcastwillkillyou.podbean.com/" target="_blank">This Podcast Will Kill You</a> -- chat with Alie about historical horror stories, THE plague, cholera cocktails, flu shots, tick bombs, milkmaids, w ... Show More
1h 30m
Apr 2024
Things We Don’t Understand (PART 2)
This week, the girls are back with their school caps on! They deep dive into some interesting topics they didn’t understand & explain it in ~valley girl~ terms. They talk about telescopes, how birds mate, dry cleaning, blimps, & more!Watch us on YouTube: WWS YouTube ChannelShop o ... Show More
1h 20m
Sep 2019
19 September 2019: XKCD, and Extinction Rebellion
This week, absurd advice from XKCD’s Randall Munroe, and a conversation with climate lawyer turned activist Farhana Yamin.In this episode: 00:46 How to do things (badly)Cartoonist Randall Munroe tell us about his new book: How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Pr ... Show More
26m 8s