While we take a short break this week, we're revisiting our countdown of the 25 greatest science ideas of the past 25 years! It all kicks off right here with a breakthrough for jetlagged hamsters, a hot tub that’ll take you on a journey, a better ketchup bottle, a solution for one of the world’s most common tech annoyances, and some very bad news: chickens are definitely judging you. Plus, we meet the man who brought the smell of outer space to earth.

Learn more about Steve Pearce’s work with fragrances and flavors here!

This episode originally aired on March 3, 2025.

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Babies! We’ve all been one, and some of us have them. But did you know that baby talk serves an important purpose? Or that babies can fake tears to get attention? Today Mango and producer Gabe dig into some big science about tiny humans. Plus: What are zusers and bofels? Only a well-rested baby can answer that!

Check out Candy Is Dandy: The Candy Review Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Photo by Minnie Zhou via Unsplash. Thanks, Minnie!

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When's the best time to surf the Amazon? Can Brazilian termites help you make a better pizza? And did you pay too much for that venomous snake? (Spoiler alert: You probably did.) Today Will and Mango are uncovering some little-known facts about the big, beautiful country of Brazil!

This episode originally aired on March 1, 2019.

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Photo of Rio de Janeiro street art by Milos Hajder via Unsplash. Obrigado, Milos!

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Grab your riding crop and hold on tight, because today we’re taking a spin through the history of merry-go-rounds! Why do British carousels rotate in the opposite direction from the rest? Which future U.S. president had a summer job sanding ponies? And what’s the connection between carousels and Eggo waffles? Saddle up your speakers, because Will and Mango have the answers! Plus: The world’s first rocket-powered carousel, and the Michelangelo of horse carving.

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Photo by Katneyl via Unsplash. Thanks, Katneyl!

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Why is there a bull on the Elmer's glue bottle? What did kids use to carry their books around before they had backpacks? And why does a giant cone tree get everyone excited about starting school in Germany? Will and Mango dig deep into their Trapper Keepers to bring you some stories you definitely didn't learn in school. 

This episode originally aired on October 16, 2019.

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Art by Henri-Jules-Jean Geoffroy via Wikimedia Commons.

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What’s more fun than financial debt? Honestly, just about anything! But the team here has a knack for finding the silly side of any subject, and the history of people owing money to each other is no exception. Today, the guys share some out-of-the-box ideas for settling a debt, including paying your rent with a bunch of dead eels (looking at you, medieval England!) and recording an IRS-themed country album (looking at you, Willie Nelson!). They also discover why a small town in Oregon decided to foot the bill for the Boston Tea Party, and reveal which country is the most reliable debtor in the EU (hint, they’re also big into saunas).

Check out Dr. Greenlee’s Eel-Rents Project at historiacartarum.org!

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Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya via Unsplash. Thanks, Towfiqu!

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If you want to build a theme park, there are some big questions to answer. Is it really a theme park, or is it an amusement park? (There’s a difference!) Also, how many Santa Clauses should you have? (Important.) And what do you need to do to be more eccentric than Walt Disney? (Start by picking a favorite juice, and then act irrationally when people don’t want to drink it.) Featuring author David Younger and Theme Park Insider's Robert Niles.

This episode originally aired on September 6, 2017.

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Photo by Sung Jin Cho via Unsplash. Thanks, Sung Jin!

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Summer may be winding down, but we’re not done traveling yet—so grab your SPF and join Will and Mango on a big trip across the world’s smallest continent! Want to know the secret to Aussie slang? Or why the country is littered with ghost towns? We cover all that and more, including the best place to spot a pod of orcas and the least sweltering time of year to visit. Plus, we answer the age old question: Which side of the dingo fence has bigger kangaroos? 

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Photo by James Wainscoat via Unsplash. Thanks, James!

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Park rangers do so much more than just keeping Yogi Bear from stealing picnic baskets. Whether it’s outsmarting poachers, fending off the Klan, protecting tourists from gator attacks, or helping tiny endangered species make their way to sea, Will and Mango celebrate the heroes who keep our national parks running. 

This episode originally aired on April 6, 2018.

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Vintage ranger photo via the National Park Service.

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Experimental archaeology is the science (and art!) of discovering what ancient worlds smelled, tasted, sounded, and felt like… a process that often involves going to some truly incredible lengths. Author Sam Kean stops by to recount his adventures researching his new book, Dinner with King Tut—from hurling stones with a 30’ tall catapult to modern mummification to an unfortunate incident involving a piece of urine-soaked salmon skin.

Buy Sam’s books: samkean.com

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Photo of the Coffin of Nesykhonsu by the Cleveland Museum of Art, via Unsplash. Thanks, CMA!

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