Part-Time Genius
Kanal-Details
Part-Time Genius
Are you a knowledge junkie who loves when facts are stranger than fiction? Do you find yourself constantly tripping down Wikipedia rabbit holes (and delighting in the journey)? Have you ever been told you ask a lot of questions? If so, congrats! You’re one of us: a Part-Time Genius! Join Will,...
Neueste Episoden
408 Episoden
Can Pneumatic Tubes and Robot Sharks Solve Our Garbage Crisis?
Today Mango and producer Mary are talking trash! Discover how people used to deal with trash (hint: it involved thousands of feral pigs), and why garb...
Why did Venus Flytraps Develop a Taste for Meat?
From plants that eat rats and frogs, to the strange reason bats curl up in pitcher plants, Will and Mango explore the eerie world of carnivorous plant...
The Mystery of the Missing Tintin Plays
It’s the second episode of our two-part series about Tintin! Today Gabe and Mango look beyond the books to discuss Tintin adaptations, including Steve...
What’s the Best Day of the Week?
We all know which day Garfield hates. But what’s the best day to avoid a bank robbery? And when can you get the freshest sushi? And why are there seve...
Was Tintin a Real Person?
Millions of readers have been captivated by the adventures of Tintin, a swoopy-haired young journalist who races around the world with his little dog,...
9 Facts to Get You in the Apple-Picking Mood
Which apple could also be a hair metal band? Why is New York City the Big Apple and not the New Orange? And how did Japanese farmers figure out the se...
9 Sneaky Ways to Send a Message
There are lots of ways we could tell you about the art of secret messaging: we could waggle a blanket, grab a bucket of gallnuts and iron supplements,...
Did Picasso Try to Steal the Mona Lisa?
How did the Mona Lisa get so famous? Why doesn't she have any eyebrows? And why was Picasso investigated for the painting's theft? Today, Will and Man...
Why Is It So Hard to Get Rid of Lice?!
For a tiny insect, lice sure can cause big problems! Today Mango and producer Mary—both veterans of the head lice wars—dive into the ancient history o...
Does Pizza Bring Out the Worst In People?
Everyone says money is the root of all evil... but are you 100% certain it isn’t pizza? Will and Mango take a deep dive into a shallow dish (more of a...
What's the Worst Mascot of All Time? (And Who Invented Mascots, Anyway?)
Today Will and Mango are tipping their hats to the true MVPs of competitive sports: mascots! Find out how these costumed characters became a fixture o...
Are There Benefits to Procrastinating?
Why do so many smart people procrastinate? Is there a link between extreme achievement and putting off your work? And should you behead a roadside sta...
A Hungry Fungus and the Epic Quest to Save Wet Books!
It’s the grand finale! Our last four greatest science ideas of the past 25 years include a very hungry super fungus, a chemical-free (but not dubstep-...
Dancing Molecules and a Plywood Miracle!
It’s the home stretch! Buckle up for ideas 8 through 5, which include some magical molecules, a sea creature that helped reinvent plywood, a medical t...
Caffeinated Concrete and a Song About Particle Physics!
Today we’re covering ideas 13 through 9! These include a fascinating discovery about NASCAR and psychology, a clock that’s so accurate it’s reshaping...
Self-Healing Glass and Virtual Dolphins!
The countdown continues with ideas 19 through 14, and today we’re talking virtual dolphins, a bike helmet you’ll actually want to wear, glass that un-...
Jetlagged Hamsters and the Smell of Space!
While we take a short break this week, we're revisiting our countdown of the 25 greatest science ideas of the past 25 years! It all kicks off right he...
Why Does Rocking Put Babies to Sleep?
Babies! We’ve all been one, and some of us have them. But did you know that baby talk serves an important purpose? Or that babies can fake tears to ge...
What Are the Greatest Things We Didn't Know About Brazil?
When's the best time to surf the Amazon? Can Brazilian termites help you make a better pizza? And did you pay too much for that venomous snake? (Spoil...
9 Head-Spinning Facts About Carousels
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...
Who Invented the Dunce Cap? (And Other Unusual School Supplies)
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 tre...
9 Crazy Stories About Debt (Including when you could pay your rent in Eels?!)
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 h...
How to Build the Ultimate Theme Park!
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 differenc...
9 Bonzer Tips for Traveling Across Australia
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 contin...
Why Is It More Dangerous to Be a Park Ranger Than an FBI Agent?
Park rangers do so much more than just keeping Yogi Bear from stealing picnic baskets. Whether it’s outsmarting poachers, fending off the Klan, protec...
What Did Ancient Egyptian Bread Taste Like? with Sam Kean
Experimental archaeology is the science (and art!) of discovering what ancient worlds smelled, tasted, sounded, and felt like… a process that often in...
Where Do the World's Best Band Names Come From?
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...
9 Highly Reactive Facts About the Periodic Table
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 198...
How Close Are We to Resurrecting a Woolly Mammoth?
Every living thing dies—but sometimes, they come back to life! Perhaps unsurprisingly, Will and Mango have a lot of questions about this phenomenon. F...
Is 3D-Printed Food Worth Eating?
Today Will and Mango are exploring the world of 3D printing, from the 1940s sci-fi writer who anticipated its invention to some of its strangest moder...
9 Deliciously Frosty Facts About Ice Cream
Can grapefruit ice cream cure your hangovers? Have Japanese scientists really cracked the code on ice creams that won't melt? And why does seafood ice...
9 Bizarre Areas of Expertise
Have you ever met a pharologist? Neither have we, but we know Princess Anne is one—she’s a lighthouse expert! Also, apparently there are lighthouse ex...
What's the Most American Place in the World?
We all know the American places in America (Cleveland is one). But where should a U.S. citizen go to feel at home abroad? Will and Mango visit a wee A...
Debunking Muscle Myths with Casey Johnston!
Should men and women work out differently? Are rest days really necessary? And how did a group of 19th century German gymnastics enthusiasts transform...
Part-Time Genius on The Puzzler: "True True False False" w/ Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur
Hello, Puzzlers! Puzzling with us today: hosts of the "Part-Time Genius" podcast, Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur!
Join host A.J. Jacobs and...
Your Weird Summer Travel Guide!
Guess what happens when we try to pick the top 8 U.S. museums to visit? (Spoiler: we accidentally end up with 11 on the list.) From a mecca of kazoos...
Can You Make a Puppet Out of Ice?
We pull their strings and stick them on our hands, but puppets are so much more than toys! Today Mango and producer Mary are taking you on a whirlwind...
Who Invented Fentanyl, and How Did It Become a Crisis?
Nowadays we often hear about fentanyl in the context of the opioid epidemic. But it began as a medical breakthrough, created by a pharmaceutical geniu...
Why Do NASCAR Fans Drive Trucks and Formula One Fans Drive Yachts?
Sure, we've watched Pixar's Cars a few times. But that doesn't mean we know anything about racing. Will and Mango dive into the strangely boozy origin...
Is Mexico City Really Sinking?
From the floating gardens of Xochimilco, to the sinking sights of El Zócalo, Mango and Gabe explore some of the most fascinating, offbeat attractions...