Back in 2008, I had no idea what a podcast was. The term had been coined about four years earlier (which is earlier than I would have guessed), and Apple launched it’s support for the medium within iTunes in June 2005. But it would be more than a decade before podcasting became a sustainable way to support oneself.
In March of 2005, HowStuffWorks.Com wrote an article titled “How Podcasting Works,” which in hindsight is funny since in a couple years, they would launch what would become one of the most successful podcasts ever. (In February of 2023, Stuff You Should Know would become the first on iHeart radio to reach three BILLION downloads! I couldn’t find specific number, but it looks like they average 2.5 million downloads per episode. This doesn’t include folks that listen via streaming on other platforms.)
Podcasts were just getting going back in ’08 when Stuff You Should Know dropped it’s very first episode on April 17, 2008. The episode, titled “How Grassoline Works,” was five minutes and discussed whether or not we could fuel cars with grass (in 2008, the answer was yes, but the process was intricate and too expensive to be worth it). The show didn’t yet include Josh Clark’s future co-host Chuck Bryant or listener mail, which would become a staple at the end of their episodes. The early episodes seemed to attempt to drive listeners to the articles posted on the HowStuffWorks.Com website, though it wasn’t long before the podcast outshone the site. (And they eventually moved to iHeartRadio.) Originally, Clark was joined with one (sometimes two) of the How Stuff Works editors, with Bryant first joining him in episode seven, called “Why Does Toothpaste Make Orange Juice Taste Bad?” Their chemistry was immediately apparent, and it’s no surprise that the duo soon took on the podcast and have continued all this time. (Chuck cycled through every couple episodes until July 24, 2008, when he was announced as the permanent co-host at the start of the “Why Do People Blush?” episode).
At first, they dropped episodes sporadically, one on April 7, then another April 30, two on May sixth, before they settled into (generally) two a week, which eventually became their full episodes (45-55 minutes) dropped on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In April 2017, they started releasing “Selects” episodes where they pulled an episode from the archive and replayed it on Saturday. Then, Short Stuff was introduced in Oct 2018 (dropping each week on Wednesday). This allowed them to address smaller topics in ten to fifteen minutes.
As of this writing, there have been 1,712 full episodes and 308 short stuff episodes (not counting replayed selects episodes). For a complete list of episodes and topics, check out this Google doc compiled and maintained by Jill Hurley. I did a little (Excel) math, and there are enough episodes that you would need to listen nonstop for 58 days, 16 hours, 33 minutes, and 45 and a half seconds to get through all of them.
When the duo announced they were touring this summer, and that Chicago was one of their stops, I decided it was finally time to see them in person (I kept talking myself out of the expense on previous tours – but not this time). You don’t get to know the topic going in (and aren’t allowed to reveal it until the episode airs), but that’s fine. That’s part of the appeal of the show. They talk about so many topics I never would have sought out on my own – but which they always deliver in such an interesting way.
When I purchased my ticket, I thought I was buying a front-row theater seat. Turns out, it was front-row pit – I felt like I was ON the stage. 😛
The show began with Clark and Bryant bantering, which that alone was worth going for. After about fifteen minutes, they sat at the table and began recording. Now, I had always assumed that when they did these tours, that the topic was different at every show. I guess that’s not the case. So *fingers crossed* that the show they post is the one from Chicago (which I’m super hopeful of since the topic is something IL-related).
It was great getting to see the show in person – to see behind the scenes as it were. Along with their usual banter and flow, getting to see them interact in the same space, and exchange looks, added a fun layer to episode. This is definitely something I will jump at the chance to see again.
After they finished recording, they hosted a bit of a Q&A when audience members could ask questions. (I had one, but not the nerve to get up and ask.) The best question goes to a kid named Logan who simply asked – “How do you know all this stuff?” 🙂
One of my fav episodes:
You can check out other episodes on David Mayes’ website, which includes transcripts. (Last I checked, though, the site hadn’t been updated since last June – but that still leaves you with fourteen-ish years of episodes.) The site also has a ‘random episode’ button at the top in case you’re up for some topic roulette.
Ami Maxine 