Part-Time Genius

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Latest Episodes:

9 Head-Spinning Facts About Carousels Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

Grab your riding crop and hold on tight, because today we’re taking a spin through the history of merry-go-rounds! Why do British carousels rotate in the opposite direction from the rest? Which future U.S. president had a summer job sanding ponies? And what’s the connection between carousels and Eggo waffles? Saddle up your speakers, because Will and Mango have the answers! Plus: The world’s first rocket-powered carousel, and the Michelangelo of horse carving.

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Photo by Katneyl via Unsplash. Thanks, Katneyl!

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Who Invented the Dunce Cap? (And Other Unusual School Supplies) Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

Why is there a bull on the Elmer's glue bottle? What did kids use to carry their books around before they had backpacks? And why does a giant cone tree get everyone excited about starting school in Germany? Will and Mango dig deep into their Trapper Keepers to bring you some stories you definitely didn't learn in school.

This episode originally aired on October 16, 2019.

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Art by Henri-Jules-Jean Geoffroy via Wikimedia Commons.

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9 Crazy Stories About Debt (Including when you could pay your rent in Eels?!) Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

What’s more fun than financial debt? Honestly, just about anything! But the team here has a knack for finding the silly side of any subject, and the history of people owing money to each other is no exception. Today, the guys share some out-of-the-box ideas for settling a debt, including paying your rent with a bunch of dead eels (looking at you, medieval England!) and recording an IRS-themed country album (looking at you, Willie Nelson!). They also discover why a small town in Oregon decided to foot the bill for the Boston Tea Party, and reveal which country is the most reliable debtor in the EU (hint, they’re also big into saunas).

Check out Dr. Greenlee’s Eel-Rents Project at historiacartarum.org!

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya via Unsplash. Thanks, Towfiqu!

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How to Build the Ultimate Theme Park! Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

If you want to build a theme park, there are some big questions to answer. Is it really a theme park, or is it an amusement park? (There’s a difference!) Also, how many Santa Clauses should you have? (Important.) And what do you need to do to be more eccentric than Walt Disney? (Start by picking a favorite juice, and then act irrationally when people don’t want to drink it.) Featuring author David Younger and Theme Park Insider's Robert Niles.

This episode originally aired on September 6, 2017.

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Photo by Sung Jin Cho via Unsplash. Thanks, Sung Jin!

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9 Bonzer Tips for Traveling Across Australia Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Summer may be winding down, but we’re not done traveling yet—so grab your SPF and join Will and Mango on a big trip across the world’s smallest continent! Want to know the secret to Aussie slang? Or why the country is littered with ghost towns? We cover all that and more, including the best place to spot a pod of orcas and the least sweltering time of year to visit. Plus, we answer the age old question: Which side of the dingo fence has bigger kangaroos?

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Photo by James Wainscoat via Unsplash. Thanks, James!

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Why Is It More Dangerous to Be a Park Ranger Than an FBI Agent? Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

Park rangers do so much more than just keeping Yogi Bear from stealing picnic baskets. Whether it’s outsmarting poachers, fending off the Klan, protecting tourists from gator attacks, or helping tiny endangered species make their way to sea, Will and Mango celebrate the heroes who keep our national parks running.

This episode originally aired on April 6, 2018.

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Vintage ranger photo via the National Park Service.

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What Did Ancient Egyptian Bread Taste Like? with Sam Kean Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

Experimental archaeology is the science (and art!) of discovering what ancient worlds smelled, tasted, sounded, and felt like… a process that often involves going to some truly incredible lengths. Author Sam Kean stops by to recount his adventures researching his new book, Dinner with King Tut—from hurling stones with a 30’ tall catapult to modern mummification to an unfortunate incident involving a piece of urine-soaked salmon skin.

Buy Sam’s books: samkean.com

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Photo of the Coffin of Nesykhonsu by the Cleveland Museum of Art, via Unsplash. Thanks, CMA!

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Where Do the World's Best Band Names Come From? Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

What band was named as a tribute to their high school gym coach? Why did The Earwigs change their name to Alice Cooper (hint: it might have something to do with a Oujia board)? And would Chubby Checker have been as popular if he'd taken the name Chubby Chesspiece? Get ready to turn it up to eleven, because Will and Mango are exploring some of the funniest, quirkiest and greatest band names in music history.

This episode originally aired on March 7, 2018.

Photo by Matthew Cheng via Unsplash. Thanks, Matthew!

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Send an email or voice memo to higeniuses@gmail.com, and we might use it in an upcoming episode.

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9 Highly Reactive Facts About the Periodic Table Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

Grab your lab goggles and gloves, because today we’re taking a close look at the periodic table! From the visionary scientist who created it, to a 1980s war over element names, to the very strangest elements on the chart, Will and Mango have nine facts that’ll melt your brain like it’s made of gallium. (You’ll get the joke after you listen.)

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

Photo by David Ballew via Unsplash. Thanks, David!

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Close Are We to Resurrecting a Woolly Mammoth? Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Every living thing dies—but sometimes, they come back to life! Perhaps unsurprisingly, Will and Mango have a lot of questions about this phenomenon. For example: How hard it is to bring a species back from extinction? Why do some people wake up in the morgue after being declared dead? Are fish markets the best places to look for extinct species? And can resurrecting the woolly mammoth help solve climate change?

This episode originally aired on May 10, 2019.

Photo by Thomas Quine via Wikimedia Commons. Thanks, Thomas!

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Send an email or voice memo to higeniuses@gmail.com, and we might use it in an upcoming episode.

Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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