In the early 1960s, one of the most unethical experiments in psychology?s history was quietly conducted in a state hospital in Michigan. It sought to upend the delusions of the three patients involved, but ultimately disabused the experimenter of his own. Tune in to this classic episode to hear Josh and Chuck explore this disturbing project.

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We've all heard it - local news reports identifying a body from dental records. But how does this work? Well, that's our job!

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Herman Scheunemann wasn?t the only captain carrying Christmas trees across Lake Michigan to Chicago at the turn of the last century, but he was the most beloved. Which makes this episode even sadder.

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Welcome to the end of 2024 and our annual Christmas Extravaganza episode, brought to you ad-free for you listening pleasure. Please pour a hot toddy and enjoy around the fir tree of your choosing.

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Frances Perkins was an incredibly influential American yet is virtually unknown. What did she do? A lot! For instance, Social Security was her brainchild. And that's just the tip of the old iceberg. Explore her legacy with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode.

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For our annual pre-Holiday-Special-holiday-episode-about-a-holiday-toy we are jumping into one of the greatest games of all time, Trivial Pursuit (and we?re not just saying that because there?s an SYSK edition). 

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You know that old adage that you should feed a cold but starve a fever? It?s an ancient idea and what?s surprising is that it?s kind of correct. 

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If you?ve ever lost your job thanks to a management consultant coming through your company or been timed for how fast you work, you can thank Frederick Winslow Taylor, the father of scientific management. If that field sounds made up that?s because it is.

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In 1947 the port town of Texas City, Texas became the site of the largest industrial disaster in American history. An enormous explosion blew ships out of the water, created a tidal wave that flooded the town, and killed hundreds of people instantly. Find out all about it in this classic episode.

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Tugboats are amazing because they do the dirty work without much recognition. Well that's changing today - ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY TUG!

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These invasive spiders are everywhere these days. But how did they get to the USA and are they harmful?

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If you?ve ever wanted to know why peacocks have such amazing feathers, why they?re not all called peacocks, and plenty of other neat stuff about peacocks, then perhaps this episode on peacocks is for you. 

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When the birth control pill hit the market in 1960 it landed like a social bomb. Almost overnight, women gained the ability to separate sex from pregnancy and everything from feminism to patients? rights centered on it. Find out all about its history in this classic episode.

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The Ruby Ridge standoff still lingers after more than 30 years. But who was at fault for the lives lost? Listen in today to learn all about this dark spot in American history. 

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One of the world?s unsung heroes ? at least outside of Italy ? is a brave woman who stood up to an insidious and longstanding custom and made her country a better place for it.

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As the philosophical holds, there?s a chance you don?t exist, that not only you, but this episode, the podcast, and the entire universe are only projections of Josh or Chuck?s mind. If so, then recording this episode was a waste of time. 

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Long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, George Lucas allowed the Star Wars Holiday Special to be made. What happened on the night of November 17, 1978 can never be fully explained, but we make our best effort in our annual special edition of SYSK. May the force be with us all.

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Please enjoy our 2024 live show about the wild tale of the Madd Gasser of Mattoon. 

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A terrible thing happened in Germany in the summer of 1184.

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Tetris is an iconic game with a fascinating history. Dive in today to learn all about this classic puzzle game.

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The infamous Stanford Prison Experiment wasn't really much of an experiment as it turns out. It was more like a poorly thought out exercise conducted by a professor who didn't dot the i's and cross the t's. Listen in to this classic episode as Josh and Chuck give this experiment some harsh treatment of their own.

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Tavern on the Green is a legendary NY eatery that has never rated particularly well with food critics. Despite that, it's been a NYC mainstay for decades. 

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Martha Mitchell, the wife of Nixon's Attorney General, was well-known to spread a juicy rumor. That's why when Watergate unfolded, she was held captive in a hotel room on her husband's orders and painted as a crazy alcoholic. 

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The US government took a thumb in the eye with the creation of the Silk Road website. Right there on the internet you could anonymously buy drugs and various other contraband, and for a couple years no one could do a darn thing about it. 

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During the depths of the Great Depression, Cleveland?s most vulnerable and destitute residents were prey for one of history?s most horrific serial killers. The killer?s identity remains a mystery to this day. Josh and Chuck take you through what's known in this classic episode.

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Dandelions are way more interesting than you think. Trust us and click play. 

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It?s a thrill to stand and, raise your arms, maybe give a woo! then sit down again, especially if you?re in a sports stadium. And especially if you?re doing it as part of a Wave.

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A surprising number of Nobel Prize winners credit their childhood chemistry set for sparking their interest in science. But most kids just used them to make stuff explode. Compared to the originals, today?s versions are super safe, pale shadows.

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A quinceañera is the celebration of a girl of Hispanic heritage becoming a young woman on her 15th birthday. It involves family, friends, music and a lot of great food. Join Josh and Chuck in this classic episode as they don their favorite pink dresses and go over this wonderful tradition. 

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Today, the conclusion of the two-part episode on ADHD.

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North America gets as many as 1400 tornadoes a year. The place with the next highest is the UK at 33. So the spot with the most tornadoes in the US is also the spot with the most tornadoes in the world. That would be Tornado Alley.

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Today, Josh and Chuck dive into part one of their two-part suite on ADHD.

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Anyone who ever picked up a comic book as a kid probably marveled at the ads for the mysterious Sea Monkeys. In reality, they are just brine shrimp, not fantastical beings with magical powers. But the story behind the invention of the Sea Monkey is tale all its own. Listen in to this classic episode.

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Buckle up folks, it's time for another of our favorite traditions, the SYSK Halloween Spooktacular! So sit down, dim the lights and get ready for some spooky stories. 

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Josh and Chuck dive into two spooky true stories in today's Short Stuff.

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One of the greatest unsolved historic mysteries is found in a lake atop a mountain glacier high up in the Indian Himalayas. The skeletons of as many as 800 people are inexplicably in and around the lake. No one knows who they are or what happened to them.

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One of the worst legacies of war are the millions of landmines left behind. They hide for decades after a conflict is over, exploding beneath unsuspecting civilians and children. To many, removing mines and banning new ones is of paramount importance. Learn all about the scope of the problem and this important work in this classic episode.

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Most people think of Tinkerbell when we think of fairies, but the Disney versions capture only the last century or so of what we?ve conceived fairies to be. Over millennia they?ve gone from ugly and scary to pretty and helpful and everything in between. Come meet the fae!

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Every August, abandoned storefronts across America are filled with the spirit of Halloween, by way of the store, Spirit Halloween. Learn all about this wildly successful pop-up today.

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Q Anon believes many things, including that Tom Hanks is a Satan-worshipping, child-eating pedophile. Yeah. We'll just leave our "drop" right here for you to make up your own mind.

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We love animals. A lot. Especially underrated ones like the darling porcupine. Listen in to this classic episode to learn all about these stabby little boogers.

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If you're from the American South, then kudzu is something that cannot be avoided. But how did this invasive species get here and why does it love to consume everything in its path?

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The process of redacting sensitive information is long and storied. But are there even any rules that apply to when and how it's done? 

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You might have owned the Anarchist Cookbook once, but you probably didn?t use it to turn a shotgun into a grenade launcher or build a bomb. Unfortunately some people did and the author called for this book of ?forbidden knowledge? to be taken out of print.

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Paramedics are not EMTs. Or fire fighters. Or cops. But they do ride around in ambulances (and drive) to help to save lives. It's a stressful job and in this classic episode we shine a light on this noble profession. 

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The story of the Swatch is super cool and one of the great retail successes. Listen in today to find out just why a country known for the finest craftsmanship started making plastic watches for the masses. 

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In another chapter of our continuing mysteries of the sea theme, we deliver a truly baffling mystery involving a ship that was lost and found, which brought more questions than answers.

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Gobekli Tepe is a profoundly ancient spiritual site that shouldn?t exist, according to conventional wisdom. The massive site of columns and pictograms was built thousands of years before humans were thought to have been able to create anything like it.

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In 1962, three ordinary criminals transcended into folk heroes when they crawled out of their cells in Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary took to the water in a homemade raft and were never heard from again. Could they have possibly survived? Find out more in this classic episode.

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The Lysol we know now is sold as disinfectant only. But at one time it was also marketed as a means of birth control. Listen in today to the twisted history of this common household product. 

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