PODCAST · education
Every Little Thing
by Gimlet
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].
Episodes
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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 we know what people ate thousands of years…
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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
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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 choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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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 like cat urine, beware. Learn more about your ad choices....
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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 her own auctioneer chant. Learn more about...
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Important Message from Flora
Flora is back with some news, and a request. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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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 have today. Plus, local zoning officer Sonya Abt walks Jake through the red...
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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 the soft light and high-tech of the modern dentist's office? ELT asks retired...
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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 the stubborn 19th-century...
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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 Mikel Maria Delgado exposes the secrets of squirrel pantry maintenance. Thanks...
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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 love to hate? ELT dishes symphony secrets with violinist Akiko…
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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 what happens when space travelers come home....
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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 about a project to name all the streets in rural West Virginia…
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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 looks at the birth of the PG-13 rating, and how the movie rating system came to be.…
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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 director of product at Spotify), and human-robot interactions…
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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
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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 processed cheese expert Lloyd Metzger. And a cicada...
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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 intervention, with cicada killer wasp expert Chuck Holliday. Thanks to...
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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 callers Lauren, Rachel, Iris, Zach and everyone who...
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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, Steve Davis, and Dan Potoczak. Learn more about your ad…
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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 it all. Special thanks to Toby Phillips.…
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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 thanks to Gary Griggs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
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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 Cousteau of glow,” a scientist who has spent decades deep diving for answers. Guest:...
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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
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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 help Megan assess if she's got a killer just a whisker's length...
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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 cold hard truth about whether some…
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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 the memory in question. Learn more about your ad...
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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 wants to know: Why are these ants torturing us? Entomologists Dino Martins and Piotr...
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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
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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 take us behind the scenes of the dog show...
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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
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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 Simon Gane fills us in on COVID-related smell…
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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 your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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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, the only person known to have been hit by falling space debris, and Ted...
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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 “cleanspiracies” like: Will vodka clean my clothes? For more cleaning…
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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 update. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
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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
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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 connect the dots with red…
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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 most embarrassing story? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
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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, bear biologist Rae Wynn-Grant, and Sarah Shea…
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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, Bruce Owen, Alan Covey,...
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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 “Where Should We Begin,” helps Christina...
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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 pandemic. Thanks to Rob, Justin, Tamasha, Lucy, Jacob, Kaleb, Ian, and Dawn. Learn more...
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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 to Carl Gabbard and Michael Wade. Learn more...
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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 in Dublin sift...
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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 the people we love. So we invited ourselves to your place. We asked...
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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 of horticulture and pumpkin expert Steve Reiners…
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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 the cause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
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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: The Natural and Cultural History of Tears, talk…
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Is Your Pet a Righty or a Lefty?
Caller Juanita wants to know if her cats are southpaws. ELT calls in animal behavior researcher Deborah Wells and neuroscientist Sebastian Ocklenburg for an answer. Plus, why would slugs ditch the shell? Biologist Robert Cowie fills us in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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].
HOSTED BY
Gimlet
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Every Little Thing have?
Every Little Thing currently has 164 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is 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].
How often does Every Little Thing release new episodes?
Every Little Thing publishes regularly with 164 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Every Little Thing?
You can listen to Every Little Thing on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Every Little Thing?
Every Little Thing is created and hosted by Gimlet.
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