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.
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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Dec 17
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 scientific study on Chicago's rat hole, and Rachel talks about the wonderfully heartwarming penguin retirement home at the New England ... Show More
58m 22s
Dec 3
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 birds, and Rachel delves into the bizarre history of the first anti-vax movement. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a pod ... Show More
56m 31s
Nov 19
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. Topics run the gamut this week. We've got an avian murder mystery, why having sex in space sucks, how preworkout is kind of like b ... Show More
1h 18m
Feb 2025
159: Sadism, Sex Potions, & Deer Musk?? History’s Most Disturbing Aphrodisiacs
Hi friends, happy Wednesday!Since ancient times, people have sought out aphrodisiacs—those mysterious foods, herbs, and even animal parts thought to ignite desire, spark passion, and awaken romance. But do these so-called love enhancers really work? Are they based on science or j ... Show More
45m 47s
Aug 2024
Bonus: Fun Fact or Fake Factoid?! A Chemistry and Trivia Showdown
<p>In this bonus game edition of 'Chemistry For Your Life', host Melissa, co-host Jam, and guest Claire embark on an entertaining journey of debunking or verifying popular 'fun facts' submitted by their listeners. The game, titled 'Fun Fact or Fake Factoid', involves dissecting q ... Show More
28m 6s
Mar 2025
solicited advice on: having a different love language than your partner, dealbreakers vs. preferences, jealousy in friendships, & why situationships hurt so much
230: Two bff's *who have no idea what they're doing* giving you solicited advice on (mainly) dating and relationships. Drea came back for another episode & we're answering a few of your Q's this week - everything from: the difference between venting vs. gossiping, when ghosting i ... Show More
59m 8s
Sep 2025
Algorithmic Social Media Is Driving New Slang
From viral slang such as “skibidi” to the rise of so-called brain rot, linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic, aka the “Etymology Nerd,” and associate editor Allison Parshall, who covers the mind and brain, unpack how social media and algorithms are reshaping the way we commun ... Show More
26m 55s
Nov 12
S2E5: Animal Telepathy & Consciousness
<p>Animal communication moves from theory to lived experience. A non-speaking teen, Trevor, spells intimate details from his therapy horse, knowing about deaths, emotions, and conversations no one told him. Animal communicator Alex Anderson recounts the moment her own horse “spok ... Show More
50m 51s