How did an ailing Connecticut wife inspire the pay phone? Why did thousands of people flock to the Mojave Desert just to use one? And do people really talk for longer when they know someone else is waiting? Today Mango and Gabe answer the call of nostalgia by tracing the rise, fall, and possible resurgence of the public pay phone. 

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Photo by Robin Jonathan Deutsch via Unsplash. Thanks, Robin!

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How long do whales live, and how do scientists figure out their age? What does it take to sustain a whale's enormous size? And why do whales have mustaches and belly buttons? Featuring Nick Pyenson, author of Spying on Whales and curator of marine mammal fossils for the Smithsonian.

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This episode originally aired on September 12, 2018.

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Photo by Chinh Le Duc via Unsplash. Thanks, Chinh!

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Will, Gabe and Mango take the focus off the nuclear button, and put it squarely on all the other buttons out there that are feeling a little neglected, from colonial button molds to Jimmy Carter’s panic button accident in a bathroom.

This episode originally aired on January 4, 2018.

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Photo by Olga Kovalski via Unsplash. Thanks, Olga!

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What unique title do you earn if you climb Scotland’s tallest mountains? How is the Scots language being preserved? What’s the deep, dark secret behind bagpipes? And most important, do you support Will and Mango’s plan to register an official Part-Time Genius tartan with the Scottish government? Today we’ve got 9 kilt-tilting facts about Scotland!

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Photo by K. Mitch Hodge via Unsplash. Thanks, K. Mitch!

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Mostly Human is a weekly podcast that explores technology through the most important lens: the human one. Hosted by award-winning tech journalist Laurie Segall, the immersive interview and investigative show tackles some of the defining questions of our time with headline-making tech titans and the people you don't know yet, but should. Mostly Human will leave you with a sense of agency over fear, and a clearer view of how tech can actually work for you.

Listen here and subscribe to Mostly Human with Laurie Segall on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

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Forget boring toast—the world has been making all sorts of avocado advances. Why aren't you using an avocado sock? Should you be investing in diet avocados from Spain? And why aren't you drinking your lattes out of avocado shells, like Australians do? Will and Mango dive deep into the tasty world of avocados to determine why they took so long to catch on, and what Baywatch Nights has to do with their popularity. (Spoiler: Very little.)

This episode originally aired on April 27, 2018.

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Photo by Estúdio Bloom via Unsplash. 

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Strap on your sword and grab your ocarina, because today we're celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda! Join Mango and Gabe as they uncover the secrets of Nintendo's landmark fantasy series, including the real-world inspirations and technical breakthroughs that helped bring the games to life. Plus: The inspiring story of a nonagenarian Zelda fan, and the reason why Link is so darn handsome.

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On his deathbed, Winston Churchill’s last words were: “I’m bored with it all.” What a missed opportunity! In this slightly morbid but highly entertaining episode, Will and Mango dig up more last words, from Marie Antoinette's polite remark en route to the guillotine to the businessman who used his final breath to win a game. Plus: the infamous word that helped create one of the world's most famous sneaker brands.

This episode originally aired on March 22, 2018.

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Portrait of Marie Antoinette via Wikimedia Commons. 

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What’s an ear trumpet, and where can you find the world’s biggest collection of them? How did a frustrated young watchmaker transform the wheelchair forever? Why does a robotic arm make such a great dining companion? Today, Will and Mango discover some incredible inventions, past and present, that have made life a little easier for millions of people.

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Ear trumpet diagram from the National Archives & Records Administration via Wikimedia Commons.

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New Orleans is one of the most charming and unique cities in the United States… but 300 years ago, it would've been hard to see that potential. In this episode, Will and Mango dig into how French the French Quarter really is, why the local graveyards look like little villages, and whether the Peacemaker sandwich really can keep an angry couple together. 

This episode originally aired on August 26, 2019.

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Photo of the French Quarter by Rosie Kerr via Unsplash. Thanks, Rosie!

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