The 12 Best Stuff You Should Know Episodes
Covering everything from the Black Panther Party to giraffes to the flu, Stuff You Should Know is an accessible, educational podcast that won’t judge you for not knowing everything already. The episodes, which can be about something as mundane as the ballpoint pen or as important as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, often dive into surprising territory with curiosity. The podcast is hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, who first met as editors at howstuffworks.com. Together, they have created a show that celebrates the many amazing things there are to know about in this world, and if you listen to enough episodes you’re sure to learn a lot. For the best episodes of Stuff You Should Know, check out this list from Podyssey’s community of podcast lovers.
Last Updated: Dec 24th, 2021
1) The Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party is an important part of American history, but it’s history that you don’t get taught in school. It’s no wonder that’s the case when J. Edgar Hoover smeared them as the “single greatest threat” to the United States, and society at that time painted them as a militant group that hates white people. SYSK hosts Josh and Chuck give you a completely different view of the Black Panthers — from why they named themselves after the animal to the group’s ultimate goal of serving and protecting their community.
2) How the Navajo Code Talkers Worked
The US military recruited the Navajos people to help them build a code with the difficult Navajo language even though the US government persistently tried to extinguish their culture and language. This inspirational story of how native people helped defeat the Axis forces in WWII despite being oppressed by the people they were helping is definitely one of the best episodes of Stuff You Should Know about history.
3) The Tylenol Murders, Part I
The only thing that was common among the seven unrelated people who died suddenly in Chicago one fateful day in the 80’s was that they all took the trusted painkiller, Tylenol. From a little girl who died at 7am in the morning to fathers and mothers that died inexplicably later in the day, all roads pointed to poisoned Tylenol filled with one of the most deadly chemicals — cyanide. Who was tampering the drugs? What were their motivations? This two-part SYSK mini-series of the Tylenol Murders will attempt to make some foray into answering those very questions.
4) What's the What with Fish Fraud?
Did you know that a lot of yellow fish served at sushi restaurants is not actually yellow fish? Fish fraud is a persistent problem that costs over $25 billion a year alone in the US. In this episode, SYSK examines why wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants try to disguise one type of fish for another, and whether anything is being done about it or if anything can be done at all.
5) Planned Obsolescence: Engine of the Consumer Economy
If you ever wondered if companies are deliberately making their products last a short amount of time so you must go back to buy new versions, then this episode is for you. From light bulbs to smartphones, Josh and Chuck dives deep into the questions of planned obsolescence for consumer products. Is this going into tinfoil hat territory or is making consumer products less durable actually great for the economy? This well-researched episode that touches on everything from corporate cartels to moral questions should surely be on your best of Stuff You Should Know episode list.
6) The Dyatlov Pass Mystery
A famous mountain pass in Russia, the Dyatlov Pass, is named eerily after nine Russian hikers who were found frozen and undressed scattered all over the mountain in 1959. The bizarre incident that left the hikers with weird internal injuries (including a missing tongue) continues to puzzle the world as one of the top unsolved mysteries of all time.
7) SYSK Live: The DB Cooper Heist
The DB Cooper Heist episode consistently appears as one of the Stuff You Should Know best episodes rated by fans all over the internet including Reddit. During the golden age of hijacking airplanes in the 70’s, the dapper Dan Cooper hijacked a flight to Seattle with a bomb for cold hard cash and parachutes, and then just vanishes off the plane without a trace. It’s a baffling robbery that remains unsolved, leaving investigators and amateur sleuths scratching their heads to this day.
8) The Baffling Case of the Body On Somerton Beach
A well-dressed corpse lying on an Australian beach was mistaken for a passed out drunk man for an entire day. No one knew who the Somerton Beach man was or why he was there. When they performed an autopsy on him, all of his insides were messed up. This is one of the most unusual SYSK cases that will have you searching for photos of the strange dead man to try to decipher the mystery yourself.
9) The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five
Five developmentally disabled best friends who met at the Yuba City Rehabilitation Center in the late 70’s lived predictable and scheduled lives. They were very excited about an upcoming basketball game, but strangely disappeared the night before to their families’ distress. People who know this case intimately describe it as a “bizarre as hell” incident where nothing added up. The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five is definitely one of the Best Stuff You Should Know mystery episodes.
10) SYSK Selects: How the Sun Works
This infamous Sun episode makes it on this “best of” list not because it’s actually the best, but because Josh and Chuck always reference in their later episode as being their worst one ever. Why? Because they got so much wrong in this episode despite trying their best to be amateur astrophysicists. Regardless of the errors, there are still some interesting accurate facts in here about the beautiful ball of hot gas that gives life on earth. Take a listen on why both hosts and fans of SYSK find this episode the most cringe-worthy one yet.
11) How the Secret Service Works
We all know who the Secret Service are, right? The people in black suits and sunglasses who protect the president. Well, as Josh and Chuck explain in this great Stuff You Should Know episode, that wasn’t actually what the secret service was set up to do. Go back in history to the creation of the Secret Service — which Abraham Lincoln signed into existence on the very day that he was assassinated — to learn what this service was created to do, and how they operate today. This is a great SYSK episode to listen to for interesting presidential history and the little-known story of what the Secret Service actually does.
12) SYSK Selects: How Sushi Works
What do you think of when you think of sushi? California rolls? Dynamite rolls? Sashimi? Well that barely scratches the surface. It’s amazing to realize how diverse sushi can be! In this fun episode from 2014, Josh and Chuck explore the history of sushi — including the fact that it didn’t actually start in Japan! The earliest sushi was around in Southeast Asia over 2,000 years ago. There’s a lot to dive into in this great educational episode, but fair warning, you’re likely to get hungry listening to this one!