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The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

By Popular Science

At Popular Science, we report and write dozens of science and tech stories every week. And while a lot of the fun facts we stumble across make it into our articles, there are lots of other weird facts that we just keep around the office. So we figured, why not share those with you? Welcome to The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week.
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Why Pain Hurts So Good, Growing Mutant Gardens, Emo Teen Puppies

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This WeekMar 09, 2022

00:00
49:19
Why Pain Hurts So Good, Growing Mutant Gardens, Emo Teen Puppies
Mar 09, 202249:19
A Delicious Chocolate Debacle, IBS In Orbit, the Tuffy Saga
Feb 23, 202258:10
Human Refrigerators, Poop Knives, Whacky Tongues
Feb 09, 202251:13
A Mid-Season Update
Feb 02, 202201:19
Teeny Frogs With Tarantula Bodyguards, the Science of Hair Magic, an Everlasting Lightbulb
Jan 19, 202239:42
Snake Island, Controversial Chimps, Brussels Sprout Vindication

Snake Island, Controversial Chimps, Brussels Sprout Vindication

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!

Click here to learn more about all of our stories! 

Click here to follow our sibling podcast, Ask Us Anything! 

Follow our team on Twitter!

Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman

Sara Kiley Watson: www.twitter.com/SaraKileyWatson

Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci

Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ

Season 5 of The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week was recorded using the Shure MV7 podcast kit. The kit includes a Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod, so everything you need to get recording straight away is included—that’s super-helpful if you’re a creator who’s buying their first mic set up. Check it out at www.shure.com/popsci.

Jan 05, 202201:00:09
Superheated Falcon Poo, Banana Babies, Gross (But Delicious) Bug Goop
Dec 22, 202146:29
Judging Meat, Vampire Fish Invasion, the Rise of White Castle
Dec 08, 202158:40
Mary Roach talks Moose Crash Test Dummies, Famous Ferrets, and Deadly Planets

Mary Roach talks Moose Crash Test Dummies, Famous Ferrets, and Deadly Planets

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 at us!

Click here to learn more about all of our stories! 

Click here to follow our sibling podcast, Ask Us Anything! 

Follow our team on Twitter!

Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman

Sara Chodosh: www.twitter.com/schodosh

Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci

Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ

Season 5 of The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week was recorded using the Shure MV7 podcast kit. The kit includes a Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod, so everything you need to get recording straight away is included—that’s super-helpful if you’re a creator who’s buying their first mic set up. Check it out at www.shure.com/popsci.

Nov 24, 202154:57
Ancient Brain Surgeons, the Crows Have Eyes, Why Radiators are so Annoying

Ancient Brain Surgeons, the Crows Have Eyes, Why Radiators are so Annoying

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!

Click here to learn more about all of our stories! 

Click here to follow our sibling podcast, Ask Us Anything! 

Follow our team on Twitter!

Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman

Sara Kiley Watson: www.twitter.com/SaraKileyWatson

Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci

Produced by Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ

Season 5 of The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week was recorded using the Shure MV7 podcast kit. The kit includes a Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod, so everything you need to get recording straight away is included—that’s super-helpful if you’re a creator who’s buying their first mic set up. Check it out at www.shure.com/popsci.

Nov 10, 202151:23
Haunted Vaginas, Fairy Floss, Books Made of Human Skin
Oct 27, 202157:54
Chimps Raised Like Humans, Blood Swapping, Polio & Candyland
Sep 21, 202156:25
Spooky Rivers, Eyes Wide Shut, Pet Crocodiles
Sep 15, 202134:04
Ask Us Anything: Can you cure a hangover?

Ask Us Anything: Can you cure a hangover?

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

The live show is Tuesday, September 21st, at 7pm EST.

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!

Click here to learn more about all of our stories! 

--

Follow our team on Twitter!

Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman

Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ

Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci

Sep 08, 202111:40
A very weird live event is in the works...
Aug 24, 202102:17
Skyscraper Death Ray, History of Hot Tubs, Our Sun's Death
Jul 14, 202146:38
Q&A: Punkin Chunkin, Mysterious Shipwrecks, Midwestern Scorpions
Jul 07, 202141:52
Olympic Weirdness: Barefoot Marathons, Medals for Artwork, Pistol Dueling
Jun 23, 202156:30
Parachuting Cats, Butt-Breathing, Secret Uses for Viagra
Jun 09, 202140:59
Science Meets Magic, High-Tech Murders, Bees?!
May 26, 202157:26
Art Crime Doesn't Pay, Canines Cooking Meat, Eggs Gone Wrong
May 12, 202153:27
Radioactive Horses, Sipping on Pee, Sleeping With One Eye Open
Apr 28, 202152:47
A Quick Weirdest Thing Update!
Apr 20, 202100:49
Q&A: Cubed Poops, Forked Penises, Murderous Squirrels
Apr 14, 202146:51
Radioactive Bananas, Self-Decapitating Sea Slugs, Maine's Jumping Frenchmen
Mar 31, 202145:25
Get a Good Brainwash, Museum Tragedies, Scary Smart Cuttlefish
Mar 17, 202147:37
Ask Us Anything: Can you boost your immune system?

Ask Us Anything: Can you boost your immune system?

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 path. Click here to subscribe to Ask Us Anything's feed! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-us-anything-by-popular-science/id1556759897

Ask Us Anything is a bite-sized show that answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions—from what the universe is made of to why not everyone can touch their toes. If you like The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week, we promise you’ll love Ask Us Anything—and you’ll hear a few familiar voices on it, too! Check out new episodes of Ask Us Anything every Tuesday and Thursday wherever you get your podcasts.

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Follow AUA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod

Hosted by Claire Maldarelli: https://twitter.com/camaldarelli

Produced by Jess Boddy: https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq

Art by Katie Belloff: https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz

Mar 16, 202111:28
Astrology’s Hidden Sign, Ancient Brunch, The Uncanny Valley
Mar 03, 202146:45
The Truth About Soy Boys, the Sexiest Number, the Potato King
Feb 17, 202148:05
Immortal Jellyfish, Cocaine Hippos, Potato Chip Controversy
Dec 09, 202041:39
Moon Allergies, Singing Statues, Secrets of Famous Movie Sounds

Moon Allergies, Singing Statues, Secrets of Famous Movie Sounds

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 Jurassic Park's dinosaurs. 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!

Click here to learn more about all of our stories! 

Follow our team on Twitter

Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman

Sara Chodosh: www.twitter.com/schodosh

Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci

Edited by Jessica Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ

Nov 25, 202040:08
Meat Rain, Medicinal Sword Swallowing, a Nuclear Kodak Moment
Nov 11, 202042:20
Dog Mayors, Zombie Presidents, Death By Voter Fraud
Oct 28, 202057:50
Toxic Animal Boyfriends, Birding for Freedom, Egg Yolks Explained
Oct 14, 202043:02
Exploding Underwater Mountains, Boar Sex and Celery, Hidden History of Vaccination
Sep 30, 202049:60
Hot Dog Sports, Sexy Pseudoscience, Intestinal Power Walking
Sep 16, 202039:26
Catch our live show TONIGHT!

Catch our live show TONIGHT!

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! Click here to grab tickets that give you access to the show link—there are even higher priced tiers that include merch discounts, handwritten postcards, and a live zoom happy hour with the Weirdest Thing crew. See you soon!

Find tickets here: https://popularscience.regfox.com/weirdest-thing-live-show

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share more of your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!

Click here to learn more about all of our stories! 

Follow our team on Twitter

Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman

Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci

Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ

Sep 15, 202000:44
Your Car is Full of Spiders, the Cloud Whisperer, She Who Invented N95 Masks and Bugles

Your Car is Full of Spiders, the Cloud Whisperer, She Who Invented N95 Masks and Bugles

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 being recalled due to spider infestations, to the story of a woman who invented N95 masks from bras. 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!

Click here to learn more about all of our stories! 

Follow our team on Twitter

Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman

Sara Chodosh: www.twitter.com/schodosh

Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci

Theme music by Billy Cadden: www.twitter.com/billycadden

Edited by Jessica Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ

Sep 02, 202040:60
We're Back! Season 4 & Live Show Updates
Aug 31, 202002:28
Boning Baseball Bats, Rolling Cheese, Playing With Wallpaper Cleaner
May 20, 202049:09
Evasive Genital Maneuvers, A Nazi Carrot Hoax, Eternal Daytime
May 06, 202041:26
Sailing Boulders, Mom-Eating Worms, the Most Humongous Fungus
Apr 22, 202046:55
Bonus: Sprained Teeth, Pina Coladas, Flying Snakes
Apr 16, 202046:24
Getting Green Blood, Animal Crossing's Rarest Fish, Bird-Like Plague Masks
Apr 08, 202038:13
Join us for a special livestream on March 30
Mar 27, 202002:01
Terrifying Tumbleweeds, Coffee Poops, Three Peters Who Changed Childbirth
Mar 25, 202043:32
A Weirdest Thing Update

A Weirdest Thing Update

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 app or website. You can also send us weird facts, questions, or friendly messages through Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. With your help, we'll be able to whip up some super fun voice message episodes, or maybe something in an entirely new format. Regardless, we'll talk to you all soon. Bye!

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share more of your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!

Click here to learn more about all of our stories! 

Follow our team on Twitter

Rachel Feltman: www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman

Jess Boddy: www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy

Popular Science: www.twitter.com/PopSci

Theme music by Billy Cadden: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ

Mar 23, 202001:14
Chicken Hypnotism, The One and Only Ferris Wheel, Interspecies BFFs
Mar 11, 202038:24
Syphilis But Make It Fashion, Cilantro Haters, Quarantine: From Typhoid to Coronavirus
Feb 26, 202045:42
Serial Poopers, Elephants on LSD, Whiskey Business
Feb 12, 202040:49