Podcast
Part-Time Genius
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope · EN
Are you a knowledge junkie who loves when facts are stranger than fiction? Do you find yourself constantly tripping down Wikipedia rabbit holes (and delighting in the journey)? Have you ever been told you ask a lot of questions? If so, congrats! You’re one of us: a Part-Time Genius! Join Will, Mango, and the team as we scour the globe in search of obscure facts, offbeat locales, and hidden histories. Along the way, we’ll chat with experts, play some games, get in touch with our silly side, and celebrate the fine art of staying curious.
177episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
9 Awesome Facts about Opossums
Feb 1700:33:27Tap to summarizeWe honk at them in the street and shoo them away from our trash cans, but opossums are so much more than nocturnal nuisances. In today’s episode, Mango and Gabe get better acquainted with America’s only native marsupials, including the truth behind their famous talent for playing dead and their surprising connections to President Taft and Captain John Smith. Plus: A stirring ode to the opossum on Mango’s balcony and a tongue-in-cheek recipe for “planked possum.” Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by The New York Public Library via Unsplash. Thanks, NYPL!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Why Are Humans So Obsessed With Chocolate?
Feb 1300:37:32Tap to summarizeWill and Mango are on a mission to uncover chocolate's darkest secrets. What's the difference between cacao and cocoa? Why have Swiss scientists been working on a pink chocolate for so long, and what does it really taste like? Plus, why does chocolate melt so perfectly in our mouths? This episode originally aired on February 21, 2018. Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Tell us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Tetiana Bykovets via Unsplash. Thanks, Tetiana! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Is There Such a Thing as “Authentic” Food?
Feb 1000:34:42Tap to summarizeLet’s be real: eating at Olive Garden isn’t the same as dining in Tuscany. But does that mean the food is inherently worse? Today Will and Mango explore the concept of culinary authenticity, including how it’s measured, who it benefits, and what it really means for one dish to be “more authentic” than another. Plus: The political calculus of wolfing down corn dogs, and the shocking origin of Outback Steakhouse (spoiler alert: it does not involve Australia!). Did you know that instant mashed potatoes are authentic Canadian cuisine? Check out this episode on Great Inventions from the Great White North to learn more! Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Maximilian Zahn via Unsplash. Thanks, Maximilian!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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How Did the Winter Olympics Change Sports?
Feb 600:41:47Tap to summarizeWho's the Michael Phelps of the early winter games? Why did the 1924 British curling team just get their gold medals? And what are the greatest sports we wish were still in the Olympics (who's up for a round of Korfball)? Will and Mango dive into Olympic history and investigate how one little rule change affected how future sports were played. Featuring American ski archer Dave Bergart. This episode originally aired on January 17, 2018. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Todd Trapani via Unsplash. Thanks, Todd! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Does Listening to Music Make You Healthier? with Daisy Fancourt
Feb 300:40:15Tap to summarizeReading a book, going to the movies, listening to your favorite band… you call them hobbies, but acclaimed scientist Daisy Fancourt calls them public health strategies. She joins producer Mary to discuss her new book, Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives, and shares insights from her research—like the fact that engaging with the arts reduces the risk of depression, and listening to music before surgery results in faster healing. Daisy also explains why she’s hopeful in the face of widespread cuts to arts funding, and why you don’t have to be good at the arts to benefit from them. Buy Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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25 Greatest Science Ideas Countdown: Day 4
Mar 6, 202500:24:13Tap to summarizeIt’s the home stretch! Buckle up for ideas 8 through 5, which include some magical molecules, a sea creature that helped reinvent plywood, a medical treatment with terrifying origins, and a discovery that practically upended the world of classical music. We’re giving away great prizes every day this week! Head over to our Instagram @parttimegenius to find out how you can win. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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25 Greatest Science Ideas Countdown: Day 3
Mar 5, 202500:30:44Tap to summarizeToday we’re covering ideas 13 through 9! These include a fascinating discovery about NASCAR and psychology, a clock that’s so accurate it’s reshaping our understanding of time, a tasty way to make concrete stronger (and more environmentally friendly), and some truly delightful revelations about dinosaurs. Plus: We explain particle physics through song. We’re giving away great prizes every day this week! Head over to our Instagram @parttimegenius to find out how you can win. Check out musician David Nagler’s website and his band, As For the Future! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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25 Greatest Science Ideas Countdown: Day 2
Mar 4, 202500:30:33Tap to summarizeOur countdown continues with ideas 19 through 14! Today we’re talking virtual dolphins, a bike helmet you’ll actually want to wear, glass that un-breaks itself, unusual diet tips from the Amazon, personal germ clouds, and a high-tech approach to eating lobster. We’re giving away great prizes every day this week! Head over to our Instagram @parttimegenius to find out how you can win. Check out Shucks Maine Lobster here! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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25 Greatest Science Ideas Countdown: Day 1
Mar 3, 202500:35:38Summary readyWe’re kicking off this series 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. We’re giving away great prizes every day this week! Head over to our Instagram @parttimegenius to find out how you can win. Discover Steve Pearce’s work with fragrances and flavors here! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Summary
What Caused the Golden Age of Novelty Songs?
Mar 1, 202500:35:55Tap to summarizeWill and Mango get serious about novelty songs, learning: why there was a Golden Age of this unique music; how the Monster Mash got invented; who was really doing the kung-fu when "everyone" was kung fu fighting; and why a song about Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny, Yellow Polka Dot Bikinis isn't what you think it is. Plus: Will and Mango reveal two shocking truths about The Purple People Eater. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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