Every Little Thing

By Gimlet

Education Comedy

What's Every Little Thing about?

Why do we cry? Did cavemen really carry clubs? Can swearing make you stronger? On ELT, you call with a question, we find you an answer. Our helpline is open 24-7. Call 833-RING-ELT or send an audio message to [email protected]

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What Did People Eat 10,000 ...

12.13.2021

After unearthing a 10-year-old bottle of maple syrup in his pantry, listener Taylor wants to know: What sorts of ancient foods do archaeologists find? Pothead and biomolecular archaeologist Julie Dunne cracks the case on ancient diets and tells us how ...

Every Little Thing episodes:

12.13.2021 What Did People Eat 10,000 Years Ago? After unearthing a 10-year-old bottle of maple syrup in his pantry, listener Taylor wants to know: What sorts of ancient foods do archaeologists find? Pothead and biomolecular archaeologist Julie Dunne cracks the case on ancient diets and tells us how ...
12.10.2021 Jeremy’s Muscle Car: An Update On our “I Did it For Love” episode, listener Jeremy told us about a 1968 AMX that he was buying to surprise his dad. This week, they go for their first ride. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12.06.2021 I Did It for Love What have you done for love? Hear about the impulsive, expensive, inspired and illegal things our listeners did for love. Thanks to Erica, Mario, Beth, Jeremy and everyone who called in with a heart-felt tale. Learn more about your ad ...
11.22.2021 Kangaroo Pouch: A Four-Star Hotel of Horrors Caller Sophia needs to know: What’s it like inside a kangaroo pouch? We get the inside scoop from marsupial expert Robin Beck. Plus, should Flora’s sister Ruth fear her squash? Professional pumpkineer Steve Reiners has a tip: if it smells ...
11.15.2021 Auctioneers: Why Do They Talk Like That? This week, an episode from the archives: Why do auctioneers talk the way they do? And what are they actually saying? Professional auctioneer Junior Staggs tells us about the psychology behind auction-speak, and gives caller Katie some tips for developing ...
11.10.2021 Important Message from Flora Flora is back with some news, and a request. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11.01.2021 Can I Bury a Body in My Yard? Listener Jake wants to know if he can bury a body in his tiny, suburban backyard. Grave expert and archaeologist Hal Hassen has the scoop on how we went from burying grandpa out back to the giant park-like cemeteries we ...
10.25.2021 Worms and Pelicans: Dentistry’s Rotten History This week, we brush off an ELT favorite on the gory history of tooth care. For most of human history, chomper maintenance has been bloody and brutal. So how'd we go from charlatans yanking teeth in a public square to ...
10.11.2021 What the Flock Is in My Chimney? Every evening at dusk, listener Tara watches clouds of tiny birds dive-bomb into her boyfriend’s chimney. What are these creatures, and are they going to destroy the house? Ornithologist Margaret Rubega introduces us to these notoriously mysterious birds, and to ...
09.27.2021 How Squirrels Track Their Nuts This week, we dug up a favorite episode on the secret life of squirrels. The average tree squirrel can bury up to 10,000 nuts every fall. How do they keep tabs on that stash? Animal behaviorist and pro squirrel watcher ...
09.13.2021 Symphony Secrets: Dirt from the Pit This week, an encore of a favorite episode: What happens behind the scenes at the symphony. Does a triangle player get the same pay as a violinist? Do conductors ever fall off their podiums? Which section do the other musicians ...
09.06.2021 When Astronauts Come Home This week, we’re revisiting an intergalactic favorite: Preparing for a mission to space takes astronauts years, but listener Daniel wants to know — what does the other end of that journey look like? Record-holding NASA astronaut Christina Koch tells us ...
08.30.2021 How Do Streets Get Named? Caller Jessica lives on a street with an unwieldy name, and she wants to know: Who gets to name the streets? Deirdre Mask, author of “The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power,” tells us ...
08.23.2021 ELT Presents: Not Past It Hey ELT fans! There’s a new Gimlet podcast that we think you’ll love. It’s called Not Past It, and it’s the kind of deep-dive into history that we live for at ELT. This episode, Rated PG-13 for Sex and Violence ...
08.16.2021 Is It Weird to Be Nice to Alexa? This week we’re hitting repeat on one of our favorite episodes: Listener Elizabeth wants to know if it’s weird to say “please” and “thank you” to her Google voice assistant. ELT talks to former Alexa insider Daren Gill (now senior ...
08.09.2021 Do Any Animals Dance? After trying (and failing) to start a dance party with her dogs, listener Heather wants to know: are there beasts that can boogie? Irena Schulz and Ani Patel break it down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
08.02.2021 Cheese: Why Do We Worship Rotten Milk? A NSFW History This week, we’re re-heating one of our ooey-gooey all-time favorite eps: We re-trace the delicious and X-rated history of... cheese, with cheese biochemist and historian Paul Kindstedt. Plus, tips on how to make the most of the dairy aisle from ...
07.26.2021 The Horrible Sound that Haunts Reality TV We’re revisiting one of our favorite eps this week, to find out who put the tension in reality TV. ELT tracks down the man behind the nail-biting sound you can’t unhear. Plus, a listener’s backyard horror story turns into an ...
07.19.2021 What It’s Like To Live in the White House What’s life really like in the White House? How does the president get snacks? Who walks the first dogs? What happens when the first family fights? Kate Andersen Brower, reporter and author of The Residence, takes us behind-the-scenes. Thanks to ...
07.12.2021 Why Is This Goose Out to Get Me? Listener Corey needs to know if a goose named Dave is targeting him. Goose expert Tony Fox tells us why Dave’s feathers may have gotten ruffled, and offers his advice for dealing with unhappy geese. Special thanks to Casey Williamson, ...
07.05.2021 Why Is This Toy Talking? Listener Megan wants to know who writes the bizzaro lyrics for her son’s talking toys. Talking humans Jay Elkinton and Patrick Feaster tell us all about these earworm emitters — from modern plastic jabber-jaws to the nightmare-inducing doll who started ...
06.28.2021 Sand: What's It Really Made Of? We’ve dug up one of our favorite episodes this week: Caller Hank wants to know where the sand on his central California beach came from. Beach buff Kiki Patsch gives us the surprising scoop on how beaches are born. Special ...
06.21.2021 Why Is the Ocean Glowing? While Flora is away, we're shining a light on some of our favorite episodes. Listener Erik saw a mysterious glow in the water during a trip to the beach, and he wants to know more. ELT talks to the “Jacques ...
06.14.2021 Hummingbirds: Magical Fairies or Vicious Little Drones? Caller Makaila needs to know about the hummingbirds that frequent her father’s feeders. Hummingbird expert Alejandro Rico-Guevara fills us in on their feeding, flying, and fighting feats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
05.31.2021 Is My Cat Trying to Murder Me? While Flora’s out, we’re revisiting an old favorite — caller Megan’s cat has zero empathy and tries to trip her on the stairs. Could he be a psychopath? Jon Ronson, author of The Psychopath Test, and cat psychologist Eva Waiblinger ...
05.24.2021 Ever Felt Someone’s Pain… In Your Butt? While Flora's out on parental leave, we're unswaddling some of her favorite babies. Favorite podcast babies. Like this one: Caller Lisa wants to know why her butt hurts whenever she sees someone else get injured. Neuroscientist Stuart Derbyshire shares the ...
05.10.2021 Memory Game: Did This Meal Really Happen? Caller Liz has a cherished childhood memory about a special meal with her great-grandmother. But she isn’t sure it really happened. How can she tell? Memory researcher Charan Ranganath, director of the Dynamic Memory Lab, fills in the blanks about ...
05.03.2021 When a Million Ants Come Marching In Listener Gĩtaũ has a serious problem: every so often his home in rural Kenya is invaded by an army of ants. They coat the floors, climb the walls, and rain down on Gĩtaũ and his family while they sleep. Gĩtaũ ...
05.03.2021 A Message From Flora Flora has a 6- to 9-pound piece of news to drop! She’ll be out on parental leave for a little while. Meet the hosts who’ll be filling in while she’s away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
04.19.2021 Dog Show Drama: Is There an Anti-Dachshund Conspiracy? Terriers have won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show 48 times. Dachshunds? Never. Listener Yona wants to know why terriers triumph but dachshunds don’t get their due. Dog show judge Laurie Williams and dachshund-diehard Kim McCalmont ...
04.12.2021 Chasing Ghosts: Searching For Endangered Animals Listener Diksha wants to know: when an animal species is endangered, how do we know when it’s really gone? Professional frog counter and disease ecologist Jamie Voyles has answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
04.05.2021 Skewed Smells: A Weird COVID Mystery Caller Leña had COVID-19 last October and temporarily lost her sense of smell. As it started to come back, she noticed something strange — fruity things smelled like burnt hair and condoms. Where are Leña’s mystery smells coming from? Rhinologist ...
03.15.2021 Embarrassing Little Tales: The Finalists We asked you to share your fail tales, and you delivered. Now we need your help picking a winner. Thanks to Erica, Dallas, Ryan, Mary, Nasja, David, Samantha, and everyone who called to share their worst moments. Learn more about ...
03.08.2021 Space Trash: Is It Coming For Us? The Earth is surrounded by a halo of trash — defunct satellites, discarded fuel tanks, one of Elon Musk’s Teslas. Listener Ryan wants to know: Does any of it ever fall down to Earth? ELT talks trash with Lottie Williams, ...
03.01.2021 Vodka, Spit, and Coke: How to Spring-Clean Like an Adult It’s spring-cleaning time! To help get you in the mood, we’re dusting off an episode from our archive. Cleaning expert Jolie Kerr tells us when it’s OK to use your own saliva as a cleaning agent, and addresses some listener ...
02.15.2021 A Nasal-Gazing Mystery Solved Listener Paige heard a rumor: we only breathe through one nostril. Can it be true? ELT gets an answer from someone in the nose — rhinologist Simon Gane. Plus, Science Vs. host Wendy Zukerman joins Flora for an important wombat-butt ...
02.01.2021 How Did Dogs Land in Our Laps? Listener Malik wants to know how wolves became pugs, poodles, and chihuahuas. Zooarchaeologist Angela Perri digs up the answers. Special thanks to Michael Worboys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
01.18.2021 Hollywood Punches: How to Make a Knockout Sound Listener Charlotte has been rewatching “The Sopranos” and the punches keep hitting her ear. Why do Hollywood wallops sound so punched up? Foley artist and Emmy Award-winning sound editor Joanna Fang shares her punch recipe. Plus, do real-life investigators actually ...
01.11.2021 Scrabble’s Scramble to the Top Listener Malenia wants to know how her favorite word game came to be. It turns out it took a while for Scrabble to score big. Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak, fills in the blanks. Plus, can you beat Flora's ...
12.28.2020 How Old is Winnie-the-Pooh? We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes this week. A few years ago, listener Annie asked ELT to settle a longstanding family debate: exactly how old is Winnie-the-Pooh? To hunt down an answer, we consult with professional age-guesser Ben Ramey, ...
12.21.2020 How Potatoes Took Over the World Listener Taylor was making a medieval stew when she noticed a prominent ingredient was missing from the recipe: potatoes. Potato biologist Maria Scurrah and journalist Charles Mann explain the potato’s twisting route to stewpot domination. Special thanks to Graham Thiele, ...
12.14.2020 Why Does the Wind Make Me Angry? Listener Christina gets ruffled by a stiff breeze and wants to know if she’s alone in her wind rage. Atmospheric science historian Vladimir Jankovic introduces Christina to her people, and iconic couples therapist Esther Perel, host of “How’s Work” and ...
12.07.2020 Essential Workers 8 Months Later How are essential workers doing now? We check in with some of the essential workers we talked to back in April and hear what it’s been like to teach, fly on planes, ship packages, and drive a truck during a ...
11.23.2020 How To Be Less Clumsy Listener Gab is clumsy — white sweaters, stemmed wine glasses, and sharp edges are off the table. Can Gab learn to be less clumsy? Professional steady hand Bryan Berg and kinesiologist Priscila Tamplain share tips for foiling fumbles. Special thanks ...
11.16.2020 The Dirt on Houseplants Attention all you #hortihotties, this week caller Esther asks about houseplants: When did we start keeping them, and has there ever been another houseplant heyday? Guests Catherine Horwood, author of Potted History, and Charlotte Salter-Townshend of the National Botanic Gardens ...
11.02.2020 Crashing Your Most Memorable Meals This week, some comfort food. For a lot of us, the holidays won’t be the same this year. Instead of arguing around the table with our extended families, we’ll be stuck at home with a single-serving of mashed potatoes, face-timing ...
10.26.2020 WTF Happened to My Pumpkins? Flora’s sister Ruth claims last year’s jack-o’-lantern seeds sprouted... a litter of decorative gourds. ELT gets to the bottom of this pumper stumper. Plus, a spooky Face ID mystery, and a peek under the husk of corn mazes. Guests: professor ...
10.14.2020 A Meal You Can't Forget: Tell Us Maybe it’s the spaghetti you ate sitting on the kitchen floor in your first real apartment. Or the congee your best friend made you when your heart got broken. Call and tell us the story about a home-cooked meal that ...
10.05.2020 What Sparked That Wildfire? Caller Sadera has a burning question: When there’s a wildfire, how do we figure out what caused it? Fire investigator Paul Steensland tells ELT what he searches for in the burnt landscape, and the clues that can lead him to ...
09.28.2020 Why Do We Cry? Listener Lily called in about a crying shame: She thinks she cries too much. ELT investigates why we cry, and whether wet cheeks were once très chic. Ad Vingerhoets, crying researcher and clinical psychologist, and Tom Lutz, author of Crying: ...

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