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 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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Aug 13
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 a section on breathing through your butt, a thing not only turtles can do, but also apparently humans. Plus, Rachel talks about t ... Show More
56m 1s
Jul 30
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 swimming a marathon is shockingly complicated, and Rachel gets into why Dungeons and Dragons is therapeutic for your noggin. Go che ... Show More
1h 5m
Jul 16
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 lack them. Plus, Jess hops behind the mic to talk about the world's rarest pasta, and Rachel dives into carnivorous caterpillars th ... Show More
49m 46s
Dec 2024
Mysteries we can’t stop thinking about
The wildest stories that never made it into our episodes. Until now.Guests: Amy Boddy, anthropological scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Jayme Locke, transplant surgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Jonathan Jiang, research scientist at the J ... Show More
27m 38s
Nov 2024
Science Vs: The Funniest Joke in the World
When he rounded them up, he had a 100.
A few months ago, Wendy Zuckerman invited our own Latif Nasser to come on her show, and, of course, he jumped at the chance. Laughter ensued, as they set off to find the "The Funniest Joke in the World." When you just Google something like t ... Show More
42m 52s
May 19
How to Make Gold, Flamingo Food Tornado, and Kosmos-482 Lands
Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos-482 lands, though no one is certain where. Physicists turn lead into gold. Overdose deaths are down, in part thanks to the availability of naloxone. Flamingos make underwater food tornadoes. Chimps use leaves as a multi-tool. Recommended reading: A Ne ... Show More
8m 9s
Mar 2025
1. The moon landing was fake? + a lab romance is ruining my life... | DEBUNKED Episode 1
🚀 WELCOME BACK! This is the FIRST episode of SERIES 5 , DEBUNKED - this series we are debunking (maybe) the most iconic conspiracy theories with SCIENCE. First up, we are tackling the theory that the MOON LANDING WAS A HOAX. We dive into the photograph anomalies, the hidden clue ... Show More
54m 8s