Every Little Thing

Caveman Confidential

Did cavemen really carry clubs? Live in caves? Wear leopard-print one-shouldered dresses? Paleoanthropologists Melanie Chang and Genevieve von Petzinger help bust our biggest cavemen myths — and tell us what our ancestors were really like. Special thanks to caller Lauren, ...

Can You Learn to Taste Better?

Caller Shannon is at a loss for words when it comes to describing her favorite vegetable -- corn. ELT enlists a professional food describer to help expand Shannon’s tasting vocabulary. Guest: sensory evaluator Gail Vance Civille of Sensory Spectrum. Special ...

Ants: Tiny Brains, Full Hearts

Wendy Zukerman, host of Science Vs, has a burning question: Do ants help each other out? ELT goes down the anthole to find the antswer. Guests: ant researchers Erik Frank at Université de Lausanne and Christina Kwapich at Arizona State ...

Sinkholes: How Scared Should I Be? Plus, Amy Sedaris

ELT tackles some animal, vegetable, mineral mysteries with special guest Amy Sedaris. Plus, caller Maria is troubled by a hole in front of her condo — will she be swallowed by the earth? And the scoop on spinach tooth. Guests: ...

Grand Theft Water Lily

Why would a garden-gloved thief lift a water lily from a botanical garden in London? ELT gets to the root of a rare plant heist. Guests: Carlos Magdalena, botanical horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, and author of ...

Alien Invasion: How Little Green Men Took Over

Images of little green aliens are everywhere: Area 51, bongs, your ‘90s chain wallet. But why did we start depicting extraterrestrials that way? ELT uncovers the moment that beamed little green aliens into our homes (and hearts). Guests: sociologist of ...

Putting a Phantom Tune to Rest

Caller Austin had a fragment of a song stuck in his head, and he needed our assistance. ELT listeners help him name that tune and put this mystery to rest. Guests: Singer and songwriter Sondre Lerche. Thanks to Dave Heilman ...

Fruit Flies: Seriously, Where Do They Come From?

Caller Jeremy has a problem: fruit flies have swarmed his apartment, and he needs to know where they came from. ELT finds out how Jeremy’s red-eyed roommates landed in his life. Plus, please help caller Austin name that tune. Guest: ...

TSA Treasure Chest: What Happens To Your Confiscated Stuff?

Every year the TSA confiscates millions of pounds of pocket knives, sunscreen and snow globes from airport travelers. Where does it all go? ELT investigates. Plus, tips for sneaking your weed onboard from a former TSA agent. Guests: Ex-TSA “Taylor”; ...

Baseball and Organ Music: How’d That Happen?

When did organ music and baseball become an item? ELT talks to some pro organ players to find out how organs and ballparks got together. Plus, meet Nancy Faust — the legendary organist who brought trolling to modern baseball music. ...

Tooth Worms and Tooth Pullers: Dentistry’s Rotten History

For most of human history, tooth care has been pretty bare bones. How did we go from charlatans pulling teeth in a public square, to the modern dentist’s office? ELT exposes the roots of tooth care. Plus, meet the technician ...

Pink for Girls, Blue for Boys — Why?

Through the 1800s, babies in the U.S. were dressed in gender neutral clothing — you couldn’t tell the girls from the boys based on their outfits. So why did parents start color-coding their kids in pink and blue? Plus, ELT’s ...

Buried Treasure: How to Make the Most of Your Booty

If you found millions of dollars worth of buried treasure, what would you do next? Take it to the bank? Sell it on eBay? Call 60 Minutes? ELT unearths the tale of the largest buried treasure ever found in North ...

Behind the Pompoms: Cheerleading’s Checkered Past (Part 1)

How did one style of cheerleading come to dominate in so many American schools? In part one of a two-part episode, ELT flips through the history of cheerleading and meets the man who held cheerleading in the pompom of his ...

Introducing The Cut on Tuesdays

ELT introduces The Cut on Tuesdays, a new Gimlet Media podcast hosted by Molly Fischer. In this episode, chefs Samin Nosrat, Angela Dimayuga, and Carla Lalli Music do their best to help Madeleine Aggeler -- the Cut's semi-competent food columnist ...

Forks: One Utensil’s Battle for Respect

While spoons, knives, and chopsticks have been commonplace for centuries, forks didn’t make it to most silverware drawers until the mid-1800s. What took so long? ELT investigates. Guest: Darra Goldstein, food historian, cookbook writer, and founding editor of Gastronomica, Thanks ...

Thrift Store Smell: What Is It? Plus, Your Cleanspiracies

ELT gets to the bottom of a familiar aroma -- thrift store smell. Why do thrift shops all smell the same? Plus, is washing your clothes better than freezing them? ELT investigates listener cleanspiracies with expert cleaner Jolie Kerr. Guest: ...

Stamps: Tiny Squares Full Of Secrets

How do U.S. postage stamps come to be? ELT explores the secret world of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, the group that decides what gets stuck on America’s envelopes. Plus, Bigfoot gets his due. Guests: Bill Gicker, manager of stamp ...

Every year the TSA confiscates millions of pounds of pocketknives, sunscreen and snow globes from airport travelers. Where does it all go? ELT investigates. Plus, tips for sneaking your weed onboard, from a former TSA agent. Guests: Ex-TSO “Taylor”; TSA ...

Pumpkin Spice: The Science Behind the Invasion. Plus, What’s the Next Big Flavor Fad?

Why is pumpkin spice a thing? Flavor scientists explain why this particular combination is so appealing -- or not. Plus, how to make a new flavor, and ELT listeners pitch their ideas for the next flavor fad. Guests: Food scientist ...

Bubblegum: What’s That Flavor? Plus, What’s the Deal With Turkey Eggs?

Where does bubblegum flavor come from? A bubblegum bush? A beaver’s butt? We track down the original bubblegum flavor formula, and find out what’s in there. Plus, why turkey eggs aren’t a thing. Guests: Philadelphia events expert Scott Bruce, confectioners ...

Old Graves: What Would You Find In There? Plus, the Scariest Creature Under the Sea

If you dug up the graves of our founding fathers, what would you find? Tri-corner hats and puffy shirts? A grave expert fills us in on what remains. Plus, a terrifying sea creature that lurks in the waters off northern ...

Do You Need to Warm Up Your Car? Plus, a Teeny, Glorious Car Hack

Tucked into your car’s dashboard is a tiny arrow that points to the side of the car with the gas tank cap. Who came up with it? ELT tracks down the inventor of this tiny, brilliant car hack. Plus, do ...

Cheese: Why Do We Worship Rotten Milk? A NSFW History

When did someone first see a cheese curd and think, “Yeah, I’m going to eat that"? ELT traces the delicious and X-rated history of cheese. Plus, a professional processed cheese maker on how to make the most of the dairy ...

The Cha Cha Slide: How One Uncle Changed Weddings Forever

DJ Casper tells us the origin story of the Cha Cha Slide. Plus, The Nod’s Brittany Luse is astonished by the unreleased Cha Cha Slide Pt. 1. Guests: The Nod’s host, Brittany Luse; Willie Perry Jr. (aka DJ Casper aka ...