Will and Mango dig into the surprising stories behind our favorite fictional characters. Like: who was the ridiculous personality who inspired the Muppets' Swedish chef?

Who are the Secret Inspirations for these Characters?

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

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

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? This episode Will and Mango go deep on the smirking beauty and try to figure out what's really going on behind that sly smile.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did Picasso try to Steal the Mona Lisa?

Will and Mango are off this week, but check out this new series Mango's been working on called Afghan Star, hosted by the one and only John Legend. It's the story of how a little music talent show changed the lives and ambitions of Afghans and brought music back to the nation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mango Recommends: Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend

Will and Mango are determined to figure out the origin of the emergency hotline. From the strange reason people used to call up funeral home directors after an accident, to the incredible train robbery that was stopped using a makeshift phone, to the heartbreaking ways that emergency operators learn to cope on the job, this week we're dialing up a whole host of 911 facts.  
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Who has time to answer all your e-mails? That's why we put our moms on the job. To share a fact, story, or even if you just want to let us know how we're doing, write our moms (Mrs. Hattikudur and Mrs. Pearson) at PTGeniusMoms@gmail.com. Don't worry. They'll pass the message along.  
  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Did Dialing 9-1-1 Become a Thing?

Ever found yourself standing between Lizzo and André 3000 at yet another cocktail party, and can't think of anything to say to them? Well, you're not alone. A lot of people don't come to parties with enough flute facts in their arsenal. Luckily, we can help. Just memorize every single word of this podcast, and you'll be golden.
Guest starring the wonderful Mary Phillips-Sandy!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Very Important Facts about Flutes

Want to know which billionaire speaks Esperanto fluently? Or what country almost adopted Esperanto as its national language? Or why Hitler and Stalin were both afraid of Dr. Esperanto (actually Doktoro Esperanto). Join Will and Mango as they dive into the incredible world of constructed languages and also discover why William Shatner isn't just the greatest Esperanto actor of all time... but also probably the worst. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who are the Secret Inspirations for these Characters?

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