How Lie Detectors Work
Episode Date: September 1, 2011Instead of actually detecting lies, polygraph machines sense physiological variations, ostensibly brought on by guilt. The results are subject to inte...
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.
2402 episodes transcribedInstead of actually detecting lies, polygraph machines sense physiological variations, ostensibly brought on by guilt. The results are subject to inte...
In 1964 The Prospect of Immortality laid out a plan for placing humans in suspended animation. The first person was placed in cryonic suspension three...
Up to 24 million people worldwide have schizophrenia. Despite the vast amounts of research, the disorder remains mysterious. In this episode, Josh and...
The U.S. Government's Consolidated Terrorist Watch List keeps track of people who are known or suspected terrorists. But what how do people end up on...
Years back, Josh recorded this show without Chuck, and the old version's omitted facts bugged him. In this new version, the pair delve into the people...
The response to humor starts with electrical activity, potentially translating to physical responses that make up laughter. Science still can't pin do...
It's tough to predict the future. Instead, the future looks a lot like it does now: Faster data transfer rates, more social networking, ubiquitous mob...
In 1820, most of the drugs listed in the American Pharmacopoeia were plant-based; by 1960, it was a mere 5 percent. Yet in the late 20th century this...
A condition known as chromhidrosis can be jarring: The sufferer excretes colored sweat from the eccrine or the apocrine sweat glands. Join Josh and Ch...
SPAM is a canned meat product made from pork shoulder and ham. First introduced in 1937, this iconic food has spread to stores across the world. But w...
Wildfires consume an annual average of 5 million acres in the US. But what causes wildfires? How do they become so powerful? More importantly, how do...
While it's kind of perverted in the West, the concept of karma is a central tenet of several Eastern religions. Karma isn't just good or bad -- it's...
You smile because you're happy, yet happiness research suggests the opposite can also hold true. Smiling may actually improve your mood. Open interpr...
What makes America unique? In the second segment of this special two-part episode, Josh and Chuck join up with guests from The Daily Show and The Onio...
What makes America unique? In the first segment of this special two-part episode, Josh and Chuck join up with guests from The Daily Show and The Onion...
There's no question that human cannonballs are daredevils. They pack themselves into the confines of huge cannons, which shoot them into the air. But...
Hate is generally defined as an extreme hostility to something or someone, usually stemming from fear, anger or a sense of injury. But how does it wor...
John Billington didn't just sign the Mayflower Compact -- he was also the colony's first criminal, and had the dubious honor of being the first Europe...
There may be trillions of dollars' worth of resources in asteroids, and some scientists believe we could mine nearby asteroids. Join Josh and Chuck as...
It 1981 the first modern suicide bomber blew himself up. But this was by no means the first suicide bombing. Israeli psychologists evaluated the motiv...