Part-Time Genius

Nov 20 2024 307 ep. 31 mins 3.3k
Part-Time Genius Podcast artwork

Will and Mango have lots of questions. Will we ever live without sleep? How do rats keep outsmarting humans? Where are the sunniest tax havens to hide your money? Join these Part-Time Geniuses as they dive into ridiculous topics... and discover some pretty smart stuff along the way.

  Society & Culture
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9 Not-So-Elementary Facts About Sherlock Holmes!

Nov 20 2024 29 mins  
Today’s an important day in Holmes history, so Mango is joined by Part-Time Genius super producer/Sherlockian Mary to explore some lesser-known facts about the greatest detective ever written. Grab a magnifying glass and your deerstalker, and discover the weird connection between Sherlock and Popeye, the real-life man who may have inspired Professor Moriarty, and the unsolved mys

Transformers! Are They More Than Meets the Eye?

Nov 18 2024 34 mins  
If you’re anything like Will and Mango, you remember playing with Transformers as a kid. Or maybe you still enjoy transforming bots, in which case you should know the correct verb is “converting.” On today’s episode, we take a closer look at this ubiquitous toy with a surprising history that includes tea-serving dolls, WWII scrap metal, and a strangely touching example of c

Why did France give us a Statue of Liberty?

Nov 14 2024 34 mins  
Look, we love Lady Liberty as much as the next patriot. But why on Earth did France give America a massive and exoribitant gift that wasn't on our registry? Will and Mango dig into the bizarre Parisian dinner party that led to the idea, the mathematical word problem of a way the statue was built, why it competed with a walrus for early tourists' attention, and why Brigham Young, Ul

What's the Story Behind Dogs Playing Poker?

Nov 11 2024 29 mins  
Everyone knows the painting "A Friend in Need" aka Dogs Playing Poker. But did you know the artist behind it started a bank? And had patents? And also once got an apology from Far Side creator Gary Larson? We didn't either! Tune in as Will and Mango discuss the most important painting about whiskey-drinking dogs playing cards and also visibly cheating while doing those two other ri

Adventures in Patriotism with the wonderful A.J. Jacobs!

Nov 06 2024 48 mins  
Need a reason to be optimistic about democracy? Will and Mango welcome best-selling author A.J. Jacobs to chat about his new book The Year of Living Constitutionally. From walking around the upper West Side with a musket (a 2nd amendment right!), to delivering quill-written petitions to Congress (he spilled a lot of ink in the process), to meeting the last person to get a new amend

How to Win Everything: Ridiculous and Unorthodox Ways to Get the Upper Hand

Nov 05 2024 32 mins  
In this classic episode, Will and Mango look into why do short people dominate soccer? Is owning a library more important than actually reading the books? And is being handsome important to being taken seriously as a scientist? Tune in as we delve into some super weird ways people wield advantage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Is Tajikistan Obsessed with RC Cola? ... and other Snack Secrets!

Oct 30 2024 40 mins  
In today’s extra-tasty episode, Mango is joined by Doug Mack, the brilliant and hilarious author of the Snack Stack newsletter (which you should subscribe to right now). Doug breaks down the most fascinating snack stories, including the link between astrology and Goldfish crackers, the chaotic launch of Pop Rocks, and why Tajikistanis have such a love for one underdog American so

7 Blunders of the Ancient World

Oct 24 2024 35 mins  
From the acting blunder that historians couldn't stop talking about to a confusingly shaped pyramid to the world's most coveted bucket (yes, bucket!), Will and Mango take a tour through seven of antiquity's strangest mistakes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bringing Soap Operas to Afghanistan

Oct 17 2024 44 mins  
Saad Mohseni hadn't seen Afghanistan since he was a kid. But when America swept in to scatter the Taliban in the early 2000s, Mohseni felt a calling to return to rebuild his beloved homeland. This is the story of how Mohseni and his three siblings took a chance launching a radio station-- a Quixotic venture that quickly blossomed into a television empire-- and the ways that he and

Incredible Facts about Springfields across America! (Plus: what it has to do with 🧀 🧀 🧀 and 🐍 !)

Oct 10 2024 34 mins  
There are a lot of towns named Springfield. This week, Will and Mango learned about all of them! From the best Springfield to store your cheese (if you're looking to store 7 million pounds of cheese), to the reason so many Springfields aren't even located on springs, to the craziest mystery that involves cobras in a Springfield. So stuff your face with all the Springfield facts you