Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
00:00
00:00

Episode's summary

Following a series of iHeartRadio trailers, the hosts dive into the personal preferences and cultural history of peanut butter. The discussion traces the peanut's journey from its South American origins through the transatlantic slave trade to its status as an American staple, covering key figures like George Washington Carver and John Harvey Kellogg. The episode also explores the industrial evolution of the product, including the impact of hydrogenation on shelf life and the rise of major brands like Skippy. Finally, the hosts examine the regulatory standards set by the FDA and discuss health considerations, ranging from the nutritional benefits of natural fats to the risks of aflatoxins.

Chapters

Click on a chapter to go directly to that moment

Highlights

a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich is one of the best things in the world.

00:05:12 · Chuck shares his unconventional and highly specific favorite way to eat peanut butter.

the peanut, you think of the peanut as just American as it comes and then even as Georgia as it comes. But the idea that it wouldn't have been here had it not been for the importation of African slaves that reintroduced the peanut to the Americas, that's a pretty circuitous and weird route for it to take.

00:15:09 · The speaker reflects on the surprising historical reality that peanuts were reintroduced to the Americas through the West African slave trade.

that was the turning point for peanut butter, maybe even tied for first with its invention, was the introduction of hydrogenation

00:32:59 · The host identifies hydrogenation as a pivotal technological advancement in the history of peanut butter.

How about 87%? And they said, we're the FDA. We meet people in the middle. Let's settle on 90% peanuts and peanut butter.

00:48:54 · The hosts recount the historical compromise between the peanut butter lobby and the FDA regarding peanut content standards.

And apparently there's studies of humans that found that it's been linked to certain types of cancer, potentially birth defects, cognitive disabilities, all sorts of horrible stuff.

00:56:22 · The host discusses the potential health risks associated with long-term exposure to aflatoxins found in peanuts.

Episodes

3676-

Selects: How Peanut Butter Works

Following a series of iHeartRadio trailers, the hosts dive into the personal preferences and cultural history of peanut butter. The discussion traces the peanut's journey from its South American origins through the transatlantic slave trade to its status as an American staple, covering key figures like George Washington Carver and John Harvey Kellogg. The episode also explores the industrial evolution of the product, including the impact of hydrogenation on shelf life and the rise of major brands like Skippy. Finally, the hosts examine the regulatory standards set by the FDA and discuss health considerations, ranging from the nutritional benefits of natural fats to the risks of aflatoxins.

01 Aug 2026
3675-

How Russia Shapes What the World Thinks

This episode of Stuff You Should Know explores the sophisticated tactics used in Russian disinformation campaigns, such as the 'Doppelganger' operation and the use of troll farms to spread falsehoods via cloned websites. The discussion details how these operations exploit existing political tensions and utilize high-volume content strategies to sow discord and undermine support for Ukraine. The hosts also examine the broader implications of the 'dead Internet theory,' focusing on how AI-generated content, bots, and shell companies are degrading online information quality and making disinformation harder to trace. The episode concludes with a look at how these tactics may poison future AI training data and ends with listener mail regarding a debate over the pronunciation of 'biopic'.

30 Jul 2026
3674-

Short Stuff: Shark Arm Murders

This episode explores the bizarre 1935 'Shark Arm Murder' in Sydney, where a tiger shark regurgitated a human arm that was later identified as belonging to Jim Smith. The discussion delves into the investigation of the Sydney underworld and the connection between the murder and an insurance scam involving Reginald Holmes. The episode also covers the aftermath of the case, including Holmes's dramatic suicide attempt in Sydney Harbor and his eventual death from gunshot wounds. The hosts examine various theories regarding these unsolved murders, ranging from underworld retaliation to a staged suicide designed for insurance purposes.

29 Jul 2026
3673-

The Beloved Judy Blume

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, hosts Josh and Chuck delve into the life and literary legacy of Judy Blume. The discussion explores her childhood imagination, early anxieties, and the formative experiences that shaped her transition from a homemaker to a groundbreaking author of realistic adolescent literature. The episode also examines the impact of Blume's work on young readers, the controversies and book banning she faced due to her honest themes, and her later shift into writing adult novels. The show concludes with a look at her activism against censorship and a heartfelt message from a listener.

28 Jul 2026
3672-

Selects: Plant Migration

25 Jul 2026