Believe it or not, heavier bowls, a pair of headphones, and an electronic lollipop can trick your mind grapes into making tasty food even tastier. But how? And why?! Plus, the legend of the PB-and-mayo sandwich, and one very cute pepper to avoid. Featuring Bob Holmes.

This episode originally aired on June 30, 2017.

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Photo of tasty, tasty potato chips by Emiliano Vittoriosi via Unsplash. Thanks, Emiliano!

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Jane Austen worked at a 12-sided desk, was great at singing, and earned shockingly little money from her novels. Today’s her 250th birthday, so we’re celebrating with nine niche literary facts about the beloved author, from the way she helped soldiers in WWI to the reason why Kelly Clarkson couldn’t buy her ring. (Sorry, Kelly.)

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Drawing of Jane Austen by her sister Cassandra via Wikimedia Commons. 

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From the world's most secretive cinema to an internet for plants, to the perfect job for lazy people who also want to hide underground, Will, Gabe, and Mango go deep—very, very deep—in search of 9 weird things that lurk just below the surface.

This episode originally aired on April 20, 2020.

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Photo of the Paris Catacombs by Nico Knaack via Unsplash. Merci, Nico!

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This year marks the 75th anniversary of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so Will and Mango are uncovering some seriously surprising stories about author C.S. Lewis. Did you know he was famous for his terrible fashion… but also his financial generosity? Or that he almost converted to Hinduism for reasons that involve soup? And that he had a long, complicated frenemy-ship with J.R.R. Tolkien, which led to the two authors hating on a Disney movie together? Well, you will after this episode!

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Photo of Lewis by John S. Murray via Wikimedia Commons. 

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Did a 15-year-old really invent the snowmobile? What was the original use for a Kleenex? How come Eddie Bauer gets zero credit for his genius idea? And what's so special about Greenwood Champion Ear Protectors, anyway? Will and Mango spend a cold winter's day digging into some spectacular seasonal inventions.

This episode originally aired on January 24, 2019.

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Photo by Diana Polekhina via Unsplash. Thanks, Diana!

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Tis the season for commerce, and Gabe and Mary are standing by with answers to all the questions you didn’t know you had. Like: What was the Tickle Me Elmo of ancient Rome? Why was Black Friday almost called Big Friday? And what happened when FDR messed with Thanksgiving in order to give people more time to shop? (Chaos, that’s what happened.) Plus: Helpful suggestions for anyone struggling to find the perfect gift.

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Photo of a Macy’s holiday window display via Wikimedia Commons. 

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Is Florida the birthplace of ostrich racing? Why do male Emperor penguins get an extra stomach flap? And why should you be extra wary of a loose cassowary? Today Mango and Gabe run through some of the world's biggest questions about the world’s biggest birds.

This episode originally aired on July 20, 2018.

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Ostrich photo by Catherine Merlin via Unsplash. Thanks, Catherine!

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Tom Freston’s resume is real, but reads like fiction: he served cocktails in the Caribbean, created a fashion brand in India, co-founded MTV, became CEO of Viacom… and after he was unceremoniously fired, he helped launch a TV network in Afghanistan and became an advocate for global health initiatives. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s written an extraordinary memoir, Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu. So today Tom sits down with Mango to talk about some of those adventures, including the time he ended up in a sauna with David Bowie and Paul McCartney, how The Real World came to be, and why he believes TV can change the world.

Buy Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, or request it at your local bookstore or library!

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Want to know what the Chanel No. 5 of Ancient Egypt smelled like? Or how the interior of Queen Elizabeth's royal car smelled? Or maybe you'd like to experience the fragrance of extinct Hawaiian flowers? In this episode, Will and Mango get nosy about how scientists have been working hard to build a scent library of disappearing smells. 

This episode originally aired on July 11, 2024.

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Photo of Cleopatra street mural in Barcelona by r2hox via Wikimedia Commons. Thanks, r2hox!

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What a treat! It’s a fact-packed food science trivia game, created in collaboration with our good pals at Science Friday. Mango and SciFri’s Flora Lichtman put one lucky listener to the test with questions about peppers, panda diets, and more, with special prizes on the line. 

Check out Science Friday, and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow them on Instagram @scifri and Bluesky @scifri.bsky.social.

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Pepper photo by Hari Krishnan via Unsplash. Thanks, Hari!

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