Selects: Flagpole Sitting: A Real Fad

Wasps have a bad rap. Because their sting really hurts and they don't make honey like their cousins. But they are super cool and you shouldn't kill them. Listen to this classic episode and learn!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does the story of The Odyssey endure this many years after it was first spoken? Listen in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1920s, a certain set of women wanted to loosen up and have a good time. Today, we get into it with the flappers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we tell the story of the kids TV network that changed it all, Nickelodeon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blacksmiths? You got that right. Learn all about this age old occupation in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 80s, a pair of psychologists theorized why being part of a group can change people’s thoughts and feelings, both about themselves and other people. It sounds dry, but SIT explains everything from how people justify genocide to football rivalries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japanese nuclear worker Hisashi Ouchi is often called on the internet “the world’s most radioactive man.” That’s not exactly true, but it gets the point across about how severe the fatal dose of radiation he received was.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is to the great nation of Canada’s lasting credit that it has prized Terry Fox as one of the most beloved and admired citizens for nearly 50 years now. It’s difficult to get across how much he means to Canada. Lucky for us, his story speaks for itself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1920s were just absolutely nuts. People got into weird fads really intensely and one of the strangest of all was flagpole sitting. It’s just what it sounds like – sitting on top of a flagpole for as long as you can. One man sat above them all. Learn all about him and many of these wild fads in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The break-up of the USSR was a tough one for Russia, being the jilted republic. For the entire decade after, the country plunged into a type of controlled chaos, with a rampantly corrupt kleptocracy taking the place of the toppled socialist society.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.