Part-Time Genius

From the world's most secretive cinema to an internet for plants, to the perfect job for lazy people who also want to hide underground, Will, Gabe, and Mango go deep—very, very deep—in search of 9 weird things that lurk just below the surface. This episode originally aired on April 20, 2020. Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Tell us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo of the Paris Catacombs by Nico Knaack via Unsplash. Merci, Nico! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so Will and Mango are uncovering some seriously surprising stories about author C.S. Lewis. Did you know he was famous for his terrible fashion… but also his financial generosity? Or that he almost converted to Hinduism for reasons that involve soup? And that he had a long, complicated frenemy-ship with J.R.R. Tolkien, which led to the two authors hating on a Disney movie together? Well, you will after this episode! Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Tell us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. We’re on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social. Photo of Lewis by John S. Murray via Wikimedia Commons.  Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did a 15-year-old really invent the snowmobile? What was the original use for a Kleenex? How come Eddie Bauer gets zero credit for his genius idea? And what's so special about Greenwood Champion Ear Protectors, anyway? Will and Mango spend a cold winter's day digging into some spectacular seasonal inventions. This episode originally aired on January 24, 2019. Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Tell us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Diana Polekhina via Unsplash. Thanks, Diana! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tis the season for commerce, and Gabe and Mary are standing by with answers to all the questions you didn’t know you had. Like: What was the Tickle Me Elmo of ancient Rome? Why was Black Friday almost called Big Friday? And what happened when FDR messed with Thanksgiving in order to give people more time to shop? (Chaos, that’s what happened.) Plus: Helpful suggestions for anyone struggling to find the perfect gift. Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Tell us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. We’re on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social. Photo of a Macy’s holiday window display via Wikimedia Commons.  Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Florida the birthplace of ostrich racing? Why do male Emperor penguins get an extra stomach flap? And why should you be extra wary of a loose cassowary? Today Mango and Gabe run through some of the world's biggest questions about the world’s biggest birds. This episode originally aired on July 20, 2018. Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.)  Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Ostrich photo by Catherine Merlin via Unsplash. Thanks, Catherine! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Freston’s resume is real, but reads like fiction: he served cocktails in the Caribbean, created a fashion brand in India, co-founded MTV, became CEO of Viacom… and after he was unceremoniously fired, he helped launch a TV network in Afghanistan and became an advocate for global health initiatives. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s written an extraordinary memoir, Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu. So today Tom sits down with Mango to talk about some of those adventures, including the time he ended up in a sauna with David Bowie and Paul McCartney, how The Real World came to be, and why he believes TV can change the world. Buy Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, or request it at your local bookstore or library! Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Give us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. We’re on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to know what the Chanel No. 5 of Ancient Egypt smelled like? Or how the interior of Queen Elizabeth's royal car smelled? Or maybe you'd like to experience the fragrance of extinct Hawaiian flowers? In this episode, Will and Mango get nosy about how scientists have been working hard to build a scent library of disappearing smells.  This episode originally aired on July 11, 2024. Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.)  Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo of Cleopatra street mural in Barcelona by r2hox via Wikimedia Commons. Thanks, r2hox! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What a treat! It’s a fact-packed food science trivia game, created in collaboration with our good pals at Science Friday. Mango and SciFri’s Flora Lichtman put one lucky listener to the test with questions about peppers, panda diets, and more, with special prizes on the line.  Check out Science Friday, and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow them on Instagram @scifri and Bluesky @scifri.bsky.social. Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Give us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. We’re on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social. Pepper photo by Hari Krishnan via Unsplash. Thanks, Hari! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything Will and Mango read about New Zealand made them want to visit! From how Hokey Pokey became the country's favorite ice cream flavor, to why the nation is giving away free gym memberships... to birds, to the reason the coffin clubs are taking off, Will and Mango dig deep into the country's history to discover why New Zealand is so much better than the Old one.  This episode originally aired on December 5, 2019. Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.)  Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo of Lake Pukaki by Casey Horner via Unsplash. Thanks, Casey!   Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you love fusilli or spaghetti (actually, turns out many of you don’t love spaghetti), today’s episode will whet your appetite… for pasta facts. Join Will and Mango as they discover the rarest noodles on earth, a daring macaroni-powered prison break, and the visionary chef who paved the way for red sauce. Plus: Listeners weigh in on the best pasta shapes of all time. Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925.  Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Mae Mu via Unsplash. Thanks, Mae! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Mango sits down with Erin McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Mental Floss, to talk about our 26th president, Teddy Roosevelt… from whether he really climbed a mountain out of spite, to how a seal inspired his fossil collection, to what made him so darn productive (hint: it helps to drink coffee from a mug the size of a bathtub). Plus, we get into just how high-pitched TR’s voice was, and why Dr. Seuss was so scared of him. This episode originally aired on February 19, 2020. Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.)  Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo (actually, it's a photomechanical print) via the Library of Congress. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the super strange reason Burt Reynolds grew a mustache to why you need to invest in a mustache spoon, Will and Mango chat all things facial topiaries with their good pals Yves and Alex. Special thanks to @doodlynoted on Instagram, whose amazing sketchnotes of this episode made us want to listen to it again! This episode originally aired on November 2, 2017. Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.)  Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Alan Hardman via Unsplash. Thanks, Alan! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if aliens came to earth… and helped us unlock the mysteries of the universe? That’s the premise of our pal Daniel Whiteson’s new book, Do Aliens Speak Physics?, and today on the show he tells us how thinking through this wacky scenario can tell us a lot about ourselves, our science, and the boundaries of knowledge. Plus: Why sci-fi is just as important as sci-non-fi. Buy Do Aliens Speak Physics or request it at your local bookstore or library! Check out Daniel’s podcast, Daniel & Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe! Learn more about Daniel’s research and other work! Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.)  Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!   Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's Rec Center, Mango introduces listeners to his pal Matthew Shaer's brand new podcast Origin Stories. If you're someone who misses the Longform podcast, loves to learn about the craft of writing, or just want to hear more from your favorite author and filmmaker, Origin Stories is probably what you've been looking for. On today's episode, Matthew interviews the bestselling author Stephanie Foo about her memoir "What My Bones Know." If you want to hear about why morning pages don't work for everybody, how to approach a rewrite, and why it's ok to include more fart jokes than your editor might want, give it a listen.  For more Origin Stories, including Stephanie's episode, be sure to click here. Or find it wherever you get your podcasts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know the famous family—but what about the man behind them, lurking in the shadows? Mango and Gabe decided to celebrate Halloween by unearthing some weird, delightful, and weirdly delightful stories about cartoonist Charles Addams, from his childhood love of creeping around vacant houses to the unexpected way his TV show made tech history. Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.)  Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!   Photo of Addams by Irving Penn, via Wikimedia Commons. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Iowa, you can't just show up on your neighbor's doorstep with a costume... kids have to work for the treats! Grab your pillowcase, bucket, or plastic pumpkin-shaped pail and join Will, Mango, and Gabe for a very sweet-and-spooky episode to get yourself excited for Halloween This episode originally aired on October 26, 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. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Beth Teutschmann via Unsplash. Thanks, Beth! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re closing out this week of curiosity with our good pals Josh and Chuck (and super producer Jeri!) from Stuff You Should Know. It’s a wide-ranging, brain-tickling conversation that touches on everything from childhood obsessions to SYSK behind-the-scenes stories to the shocking truth about off-mic personas. Plus: Everyone tries to figure out which Muppet they are, for some reason. What’s your favorite fact you learned this week? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Instagram (@parttimegenius) or Bluesky (parttimegenius.bsky.social). We’ll pick one comment at random to win a prize! For a bonus entry, make a post with your answer and tag us. Deadline is 11:59pm ET, Sunday Oct. 26. 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. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Will and Mango explore the science of curiosity at different ages: how school can help (or hurt) kids’ curiosity, why middle age may make you less curious, and what we know about babies’ curiosity, even though they can’t fill out questionnaires. Plus: A conversation with a researcher who made a surprising discovery about elderly people, and expert tips for practicing curiosity, whether you’re 1 or 100. Join our slow(er) curiosity exercise! Think of something you’re curious about—big or small—then don’t Google it. Instead, go for a walk or sit someplace quiet. Use a pen and paper to jot down any ideas that come to mind. Then head over to our Instagram (@parttimegenius) or Bluesky (parttimegenius.bsky.social) and tell us how it went. We’ll pick one comment at random to win a prize! For a bonus entry, take a photo or video of your walk/quiet place, upload it and tag us. Deadline is 11:59pm ET, Sunday Oct. 26. Learn more about Jamie Jirout’s work at the UVA REAL lab. Learn more about Mary Whatley’s work at the Motivated Memory & Successful Aging Lab. Learn more about Celeste Kidd’s work at the Kidd Lab.   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. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re taking a break from human curiosity and turning our attention to other animals. What makes hummingbirds explore different flowers? Are we to blame for rats’ curiosity? Are animals in the wild more or less curious than animals in captivity? And if you were a zebrafish, which would you find more interesting: a white shell or a purple cup? Day 3 listener activity: Grab an assortment of objects and present them one at a time to the nearest animal (as long as it’s friendly) to see what it’s curious about. Then head over to our Instagram (@parttimegenius) or Bluesky (parttimegenius.bsky.social) and tell us how the experiment went. We’ll pick one comment at random to win a prize! For a bonus entry, take a photo or video of your animal, upload it and tag us. Deadline is 11:59pm ET, Sunday Oct. 26. 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. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where did the saying “curiosity killed the cat” come from, and is it just a way for the rich and powerful to oppress everyone else? (Hint: yes.) Today on the show, Will and Mango take a look at curiosity’s checkered history: from the Middle Ages (when it was considered a threat to society) to the 17th century (when it became downright trendy) to today (when we can Google anything we want).  Day 2 listener activity: Head over to our Instagram (@parttimegenius) or Bluesky (parttimegenius.bsky.social) and tell us which three objects you’d include in a cabinet of curiosities. We’ll pick one comment at random to win a prize! For a bonus entry, take a photo or video of your objects, upload it and tag us. Deadline is 11:59pm ET, Sunday Oct. 26. Buy Barbara Benedict’s book, Curiosity: A Cultural History of Early Modern Inquiry.   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. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.