Part-Time Genius

Why is Z the last letter of the English alphabet (and why do British people insist on calling it zed)? Who stuck a tail on C and called it G? And is there a reason why the I in ‘child’ and ‘children’ sounds different? (Spoiler alert: Yes!) Linguist Danny Bate stops by to unpack the mysteries of the alphabet and discuss his delightful new book, Why Q Needs U: A History of Our Letters and How We Use Them. Buy Why Q Needs U here, or inquire at your local bookstore or library! Download SAILY in your app store and use our code PTG at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For details go to https://saily.com/PTG. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. 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.

Should goalies get more bathroom breaks? Can a daily banana basket help players feel less homesick? And did a North Korean dictator invent a secret technology to guarantee more wins? Gear up, because Will and Mango have nine strange-but-true facts about the biggest tournament in soccer (which some of you call football)! Download SAILY in your app store and use our code PTG at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For details go to https://saily.com/PTG. This episode originally aired on July 5, 2018. Photo by Connor Coyne via Unsplash. Thanks, Connor! Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. 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.

Want to know why Indonesian postal workers have one of the hardest jobs in the world? Or why the country is the best place to find new bird species? Or why it's an honor when someone makes you a tall glass of jammu? From the best types of fabric to throw into a volcano to make it stop erupting, to how to track a super-short Sasquatch, Will and Mango scour the country's 17,000+ islands to bring you Indonesia's best facts.  Download SAILY in your app store and use our code PTG at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For details go to https://saily.com/PTG. This episode originally aired on December 20, 2024. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Jeremy Bishop via Unsplash. Thanks, Jeremy! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skyline Drive season 2 starts June 9! Subscribe on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here, and we’ve reached the finale! Mangesh makes some trips to an old family home, a seaside town in South Goa,  and visits with a Tantric astrologer (it's not what you think!), as he tries to get closure.  Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Antarctica has lots of penguins, but only one ATM. Will and Mango bundle up for this look at everyday life on the iciest continent, from the plumbing challenges to the reason why the South Pole moves every year. Featuring all-star Antarctica Artist-in-Residence Jynne Dilling Martin. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on October 27, 2017. Photo via Wikimedia Commons. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They’re nature’s biggest weirdo: adorable egg-laying mammals that can inflict some serious pain. Today Will and Mango drop nine facts about the platypus, including the actual correct pluralization (hint: it’s not what you think it is) and the time scientists were convinced its existence was a prank. Which, fair! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Drawing of a platypus (1809) via the New York Public Library Digital Collections. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here, and we’re up to episode 7! Mangesh travels to India to find a horoscope written about him centuries ago and waiting for him in a shop in rural Tamil Nadu... but it isn't long before everything starts going wrong!  Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time. Subscribe to Skyline Drive wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who invented the vuvuzela, and why? Should every party include a sousaphone? And is it possible to make music with vegetables? Today Will and Mango discuss 9 instruments they don't want their kids practicing inside the house! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on August 23, 2018. Photo via Wikimedia Commons. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did so many ninjas walk around with crickets? Why did they like to keep pocket change on them? And what does it mean when a ninja sends you a packet of dried fish? Today Will and Mango look to the past to distinguish ninja truths from ninja fiction! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on November 2, 2018. Illustration of an 18th century ninja via Wikimedia Commons. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here, and we’re up to episode 6! As George navigates the Los Angeles dating scene, one thing keeps derailing his relationships: every girl he’s into is "too into astrology." Plus, Mangesh’s mom tells him about a bizarre curse that’s been plaguing his family for generations, and we discuss why your astrologer might ask you to get married to a tree.  Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time. Subscribe to Skyline Drive wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Danza. Tony the Tiger. The Tonys. What do they have in common? (Look closely and you'll get it.) Today Will and Mango are sharing nine facts about people named Tony! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Photo of Tony Danza via Wikimedia Commons. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Ben Franklin took over the USPS, he couldn’t have predicted the crazy ways the institution would evolve. From pneumatic tubes to missiles filled with mail, Will and Mango dig into the Post Office's weirdest experiments, and find out why Olympic athletes can no longer mail themselves home when they lose a wallet. Featuring Nancy Pope of the National Postal Museum. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on October 18, 2017. Note: Nancy passed away in 2019, two years after we recorded this conversation. Read about her extraordinary life and work in this obituary published by the National Postal Museum. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by David Trinks via Unsplash.Thanks, David! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here, and we’re up to episode 5! As Annie attempts to clean out her parents’ garage and sort their finances, she has an unusual question for our astrologer. Meanwhile, Mangesh learns how astrology is affecting the world of C-sections, discusses reading babies' palms in utero, and hears a surprising story from his sister. Heads up: there are explicit lyrics and curses in this episode.  Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time. Subscribe to Skyline Drive wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We bake them, fry them, mash them, and even turn them into toys, but potatoes weren't always so beloved. In fact, there was a time when they were considered such a threat to humanity, they were declared illegal! Today Will and Mango are serving up nine starch-tastic facts about the humble spud, from its long journey to our tables, to Ben Franklin's role as a potato influencer, to the ridiculous parade float that inspired the term "couch potato." EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on July 15, 2022. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Wouter Supardi Salari via Unsplash. Thanks for the new nightmare, Wouter! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From ancient Chinese lie detection methods involving a mouthful of rice, to the clever ways toddlers and birds stretch the truth, to the surprisingly honest way that Charles Ponzi got his start in business, Will and Mango have a whole lot to say about lying (honestly!). EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on January 25, 2025. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Eleonora Francesca Grotto via Unsplash. Thanks, Eleonora! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here!  We’re up to episode 4. Michelle’s friends are desperate to get her a reading. But Michelle, a devoted ARMY, is more interested in seeing what the future holds for BTS. Plus, we dig into baseball astrology and discover why you might want to swap your emeralds for bananas. Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time. Subscribe to Skyline Drive wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s name isn’t widely known, but his painting of dogs playing poker (aka “A Friend in Need”) is iconic. Today we discover the truth about one of America’s most forgotten artists, from his early days in banking to his hijinks in the Freemasons. Plus: Why we love dogs and kitsch in art. Download SAILY in your app store and use our code PTG at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For details go to https://saily.com/PTG. This episode originally aired on November 12, 2024. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. 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.

For all our schooling, no one ever taught us the best way to sit. Also, no one told us the ideal office temperature for maximum productivity. Or explained why cracking jokes might be helpful for elevating status in the workplace. And certainly none of our professors told us why writing in the nude is a great hack for hitting deadlines. To bridge these important educational gaps, today Will and Mango explore all the very best ways to work. (Note: the answer may involve Amtrak.)    Download SAILY in your app store and use our code PTG at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For details go to https://saily.com/PTG. This episode originally aired on August 9, 2024. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Jonathan Cosens via Unsplash. Thanks, Jonathan! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey PTG fans, Mangesh (aka Mango) has another show, Skyline Drive! On Sundays we’ll be sharing episodes from season 1 right here, so you can get excited for season 2, which drops in June. We’re up to episode 3, in which Mangesh and producer Mary travel back in time to the 1980s, to uncover the truth about Nancy Reagan’s obsession with astrology and how that changed the course of American history. Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time. Subscribe to Skyline Drive wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did a beloved children’s author become an expert on a rare breed of sheep? Which rock star is also an astrophysicist? And what happens when a famous actor becomes a clown, literally? Today, Will and Mango are pulling back the curtain on celebrity side hustles! Download SAILY in your app store and use our code PTG at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For details go to https://saily.com/PTG. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Deirdre Boys via Unsplash. Thanks, Deirdre! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s National Superhero Day, so we’re celebrating the animals who deserve their own Marvel spin-offs. Move over, Wolverine and Iron Man, we only care about mole rats, alligators, and salamanders now. Featuring science communicator and YouTuber Emily Graslie! Download SAILY in your app store and use our code PTG at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For details go to https://saily.com/PTG. This episode originally aired on June 21, 2017. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Salamander photo by Iuliu Illes via Unsplash. Thanks, Iuliu! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mangesh meets Jean, a 74-year-old romantic who decides she's finally open to astrology as she works to rebuild her life. Meanwhile, NYC astrologer Janelle Belgrave joins the team to offer some much-needed counsel; we interview a midwestern therapist who secretly uses astrology to better understand her clients; and Mangesh and his family hold on to hope in the face of some alarming news. Hey PTG fans, Mangesh (aka Mango) has another show, Skyline Drive! On Sundays we’ll be sharing episodes from season 1 right here, so you can get excited for season 2, which drops in June. Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time.Subscribe to Skyline Drive wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the Greek actor who destroyed his career by mispronouncing a single word, to the mysterious collapse of a high-tech Mayan city, to a very wonky pyramid, today we're discovering some of the strangest gaffes in ancient history. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on October 24, 2024. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo of the Bent Pyramid via Wikimedia Commons. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gabe loves monster moves! And Will and Mango... tolerate them. But, it turns out, we all love facts about Godzilla. From how Godzilla changed paleontology, to the giant monster's (secret) signature move, to why flattened buildings aren't the worst part of a Godzilla attack, in this episode we tip our hats to the King of the Monsters. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on April 3, 2020. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Still of Godzilla (the monster) from Godzilla (the 1954 movie) via Wikimedia Commons.  Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey PTG fans, Mangesh (aka Mango) has another show, Skyline Drive! On Sundays we’ll be sharing episodes from season 1 right here, so you can get excited for season 2, which drops in June. Skyline Drive was selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential! Listen ad-free for a limited time. Mangesh begins his journey into the weird, wonderful world of astrology with a little help from his mom, a science writer, a famous musician, and one very sneaky author! But when an ominous prediction suddenly comes true, his life turns upside down. Subscribe to Skyline Drive wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finally, an episode that scratches at all those answers you've been craving (in the most satisfying way)! Did an itching epidemic really halt the Revolutionary War? What happens when you scratch an itch and look in the mirror? And can tiny electrocutions really help your itchy skin?  EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode originally aired on September 26, 2024. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Coline Haslé via Unsplash. Thanks, Coline! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you enjoy biking in Finland, eating a bagel with cream cheese in New York, or avoiding the sun in Italy, bad news: you may owe tax on that. The good news is, we’ve got nine of the world’s most unusual tax laws to distract you from the pain in your pocketbook. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash. Thanks, Kelly! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ptg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Robin Jonathan Deutsch via Unsplash. Thanks, Robin! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Buy Spying on Whales! This episode originally aired on September 12, 2018. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Chinh Le Duc via Unsplash. Thanks, Chinh! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Olga Kovalski via Unsplash. Thanks, Olga! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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? (You absolutely should.) Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by K. Mitch Hodge via Unsplash. Thanks, K. Mitch! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Estúdio Bloom via Unsplash.  Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Follow Jon Cartwright on Bluesky and subscribe to his YouTube channel, Good Vibes Gaming! Follow Killer Carp on Instagram and subscribe to his YouTube channel! Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Ben Hamler via Unsplash. Thanks, Ben! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Portrait of Marie Antoinette via Wikimedia Commons.  Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Ear trumpet diagram from the National Archives & Records Administration via Wikimedia Commons. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo of the French Quarter by Rosie Kerr via Unsplash. Thanks, Rosie! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel identification has taken many forms over the years, from stone tablets to an exhausting process that involved posting your itinerary on a church door. But how did we arrive at the standardized booklets many of us carry today? How do different countries use art and technology to distinguish their passports? And what’s the best (and worst) passport in the world, according to experts? Plus: Why you can blame a German spy for your embarrassing passport photo. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Spencer Davis via Unsplash. Thanks, Spencer! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does Germany use five different bins for recycling? Can you trick people into being greener by putting wolves on packaging? And is recycling a good business to be in? Plus, why Totes McGoats is one of the worst phrases of all time... but also perhaps the best recycling mascot ever. Featuring Christopher Hassiotis from HowStuffWorks. This episode originally aired on January 24, 2018. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Pawel Czerwinski via Unsplash. Thanks, Pawel! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did people start (and stop) dyeing pistachios red? How do thieves pull off high-stakes nut heists? What’s up with the coconut that looks like a butt? And why do so many members of the PTG team have beef with pine nuts? Today, we’re cracking the delicious mysteries of nuts (and, yes, things that aren’t technically nuts). Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Mae Mu via Unsplash. Thanks, Mae! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is our obsession with cleanliness keeping us from peak health? Also, can hookworm cure allergies? Will harvesting panda poop make you rich? Plus: Why Amish dust is superior to other dust (seriously!). Featuring Penny Sarchet. This episode originally aired on June 14, 2017. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Crystal Chabot via Unsplash. Thanks, Crystal! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is it so hard to stop oversleeping and eating candy? Why is it equally hard to start going to the gym and preparing healthy snacks? If you’ve been struggling with New Year’s resolutions, you’re not alone—turns out humans have wrestled with habits for centuries, like the guy who paid his servant to drag him out of bed in the morning. Will and Mango have the answers you need, with a little help from behavior change expert Dr. Katy Milkman.  Buy Katy Milkman’s book, How to Change, and subscribe to her newsletter, Milkman Delivers! Remember, Monday, March 2 is the official 2026 Part-Time Genius Habit Change Fresh Start Day! Mark your calendars and let us know what habit you’re trying to change. Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Timm Bursch via Unsplash. Thanks, Timm! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have ZERO intention of eating less food! But if you had to pare down your pantry to the bare minimum, what are the only foods you'd need to survive? Is an all-potato diet healthy? And did Steve Jobs' strange diet affect his business decisions? Plus, Will and Mango discuss the Woodstock for fruit lovers and find out why the elderberry might be the most overlooked berry. Featuring Spudfit.com's Andrew Taylor. This episode originally aired on November 1, 2017. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Lars Blankers via Unsplash. Thanks, Lars! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We 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 [email protected]. 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.

Will 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 [email protected], 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.

Let’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 [email protected]. 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.

Who'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.

Reading 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 [email protected]. 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.

Human ingenuity knows no limits! Today Will, Gabe, and Mango raid the United States Patent Office to find some of the weirdest, funniest, and most confusing inventions of all time.  This episode originally aired on April 7, 2020. 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 [email protected], DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo of a gerbil (not in the gerbil transport vest) by Silje Roseneng via Unsplash. Thanks, Silje! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Will and Mango as they try to mediate the world’s weirdest arguments about borders, including the ongoing fight for an island of puffins and a centuries-old struggle to control a quarter mile of mountain. Plus: One man’s efforts to make his daughter an abandoned desert princess, and “the turducken of border disputes,” which involved a corner of India inside Bangladesh which was inside India but also inside Bangladesh. Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo by Kyle Glenn via Unsplash. Thanks, Kyle! Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are people getting plastic surgery on their fingerprints? Why was the Civil War such a golden era for procedures? And why is everyone suddenly obsessed with the length of their philtrums? Will and Mango take a brisk walk through the history of plastic surgery. This episode originally aired on January 25, 2019. 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 [email protected], DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social! Photo of Civil War veterans by the American Press Association via the Library of Congress. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.