Stuff You Should Know

Latest Episodes:

SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: What was the Philadelphia Experiment? Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

The Philadelphia Experiment is a bad movie from the 1980s, and also the conspiracy theory that refuses to die, despite virtually zero evidence of its occurrence. Learn all about this strange non-event in today's show.

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: Mermaids: Not a real thing Sep 18, 2026

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Mermaids aren't real. That much we know. But the history and lore of these magical and sometimes menacing creatures of the sea is pretty interesting stuff. Learn all about these half women/half fish today.

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: Will We Find Evidence of Aliens by Their Engineering Projects? Sep 18, 2026

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In 1960 physicist Freeman Dyson suggested that in the hunt for alien life, we should search for evidence of massive engineering projects that encapsulate stars with solar arrays to harness their energy. Could we humans ever make one ourselves?

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste Sep 18, 2026

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When the Mary Celeste was discovered floating and abandoned in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean one day in 1872, the legend of the ghost ship was born. Why did the Mary Celeste’s crew disappear? Was it pirates? Mutiny? UFOs? Well, probably not that last one.

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: The Max Headroom Incident Sep 18, 2026

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In 1987, a very strange broadcast intrusion occurred in the city of Chicago. For just a couple of minutes, the odd TV character Max Headroom appeared onscreen in the middle of an episode of Dr. Who. He spoke in garbled tones, brandished a marital aid, and was spanked on the rear with a fly swatter by a person dressed in Annie Oakley garb. If this sounds weird, it is. It's the Max Headroom Incident.

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: Dragons: As Real as Mermaids Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Dragons are like mermaids in that they're not real. And that's about where the comparison ends. Learn all about dragons today.

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: The Creepy Legacy of the Hotel Cecil Sep 18, 2026

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The Hotel Cecil in downtown Los Angeles has had no less than 16 unnatural deaths, from suicides to murders and everything in between. Listen in to the history of this decidedly creepy hotel.

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: What's the deal with blue people? Sep 18, 2026

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The famous blue people of Kentucky are no longer blue. But why were they like that in the first place?

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: Doppelgängers: Hey you, you're me! Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Seeing your near twin is probably pretty weird. But could there be a genetic commonality as well? You bet there could!

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SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: The Story of the Nuclear Boy Scout Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

David Hahn was a kid who was really into science. So much that he built a nuclear reactor in his mother's potting shed. And it worked.