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iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope

Are you a knowledge junkie who loves when facts are stranger than fiction? Do you find yourself constantly tripping down Wikipedia rabbit holes (and delighting in the journey)? Have you ever been told you ask a lot of questions? If so, congrats! You’re one of us: a Part-Time Genius! Join Will, Mango, and the team as we scour the globe in search of obscure facts, offbeat locales, and hidden histories. Along the way, we’ll chat with experts, play some games, get in touch with our silly side, and celebrate the fine art of staying curious.

Part-Time Genius

Tom Freston’s resume is real, but reads like fiction: he served cocktails in the Caribbean, created a fashion brand in India, co-founded MTV, became CEO of Viacom… and after he was unceremoniously fired, he helped launch a TV network in Afghanistan and became an advocate for global health initiatives. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s written an extraordinary memoir, Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu. So today Tom sits down with Mango to talk about some of those adventures, including the time he ended up in a sauna with David Bowie and Paul McCartney, how The Real World came to be, and why he believes TV can change the world.
 
Buy Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, or request it at your local bookstore or library!
 
Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Give us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925.
 
We’re 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.

Taking Risks and Traveling the World, with Tom Freston!

Want to know what the Chanel No. 5 of Ancient Egypt smelled like? Or how the interior of Queen Elizabeth's royal car smelled? Or maybe you'd like to experience the fragrance of extinct Hawaiian flowers? In this episode, Will and Mango get nosy about how scientists have been working hard to build a scent library of disappearing smells. 
 
This episode originally aired on July 11, 2024.
 
Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.) 
 
Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!
 
Photo of Cleopatra street mural in Barcelona by r2hox via Wikimedia Commons. Thanks, r2hox!
 
Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Scientists Are Reviving Lost Smells

What a treat! It’s a fact-packed food science trivia game, created in collaboration with our good pals at Science Friday. Mango and SciFri’s Flora Lichtman put one lucky listener to the test with questions about peppers, panda diets, and more, with special prizes on the line. 
 
Check out Science Friday, and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow them on Instagram @scifri and Bluesky @scifri.bsky.social.
 
Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Give us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925.
 
We’re on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social.
 
Pepper photo by Hari Krishnan via Unsplash. Thanks, Hari!
 
Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.
 
 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Super Food Science Excellence Trivia Blow Out! with Science Friday

Everything Will and Mango read about New Zealand made them want to visit! From how Hokey Pokey became the country's favorite ice cream flavor, to why the nation is giving away free gym memberships... to birds, to the reason the coffin clubs are taking off, Will and Mango dig deep into the country's history to discover why New Zealand is so much better than the Old one. 
 
This episode originally aired on December 5, 2019.
 
Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.) 
 
Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!
 
Photo of Lake Pukaki by Casey Horner via Unsplash. Thanks, Casey!
 
 
 
Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Does New Zealand Have an Official Wizard?

Whether you love fusilli or spaghetti (actually, turns out many of you don’t love spaghetti), today’s episode will whet your appetite… for pasta facts. Join Will and Mango as they discover the rarest noodles on earth, a daring macaroni-powered prison break, and the visionary chef who paved the way for red sauce. Plus: Listeners weigh in on the best pasta shapes of all time.
 
Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, 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 Mae Mu via Unsplash. Thanks, Mae!
 

Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Saucy, Savory Facts About Pasta

Today Mango sits down with Erin McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Mental Floss, to talk about our 26th president, Teddy Roosevelt… from whether he really climbed a mountain out of spite, to how a seal inspired his fossil collection, to what made him so darn productive (hint: it helps to drink coffee from a mug the size of a bathtub). Plus, we get into just how high-pitched TR’s voice was, and why Dr. Seuss was so scared of him.
 
This episode originally aired on February 19, 2020.
 
Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.) 
 
Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!
 
Photo (actually, it's a photomechanical print) via the Library of Congress.
 
Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Did Teddy Roosevelt Do to Dr. Seuss?!

Hi, Part-Time Genius listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, Health Stuff!
 
Health Stuff: On Health Stuff, hosts Dr. Priyanka Wali and comedian Hari Kondabolu tackle all the health questions that keep you up at night with hilarity and humanity. Together, they demystify the flashy trends, and keep you informed on the latest research. You can rely on Health Stuff to bring you real, uninhibited, and thoughtful health talk of the highest caliber, and a healthy dose of humor.
 
 
 
Listen to Health Stuff on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: Health Stuff

From the super strange reason Burt Reynolds grew a mustache to why you need to invest in a mustache spoon, Will and Mango chat all things facial topiaries with their good pals Yves and Alex.
 
Special thanks to @doodlynoted on Instagram, whose amazing sketchnotes of this episode made us want to listen to it again!
 
This episode originally aired on November 2, 2017.
 
Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.) 
 
Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!
 
Photo by Alan Hardman via Unsplash. Thanks, Alan!
 
Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Mustache Facts to Kick Off Movember!

What if aliens came to earth… and helped us unlock the mysteries of the universe? That’s the premise of our pal Daniel Whiteson’s new book, Do Aliens Speak Physics?, and today on the show he tells us how thinking through this wacky scenario can tell us a lot about ourselves, our science, and the boundaries of knowledge. Plus: Why sci-fi is just as important as sci-non-fi.
 
 • Buy 
Do Aliens Speak Physics • or request it at your local bookstore or library!
 • Check out Daniel’s podcast, 
Daniel & Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe • !
 • Learn more about Daniel’s 
research and other work • !
 
Want an official, numbered, limited edition Part-Time Genius membership card? Of course you do. Get in touch and share a fun fact, your name, and your mailing address and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. (We may share your fact on an upcoming episode, but don’t worry, your contact info is private.) 
 
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.

Exploring Alien Science with Daniel Whiteson!

On today's Rec Center, Mango introduces listeners to his pal Matthew Shaer's brand new podcast Origin Stories. If you're someone who misses the Longform podcast, loves to learn about the craft of writing, or just want to hear more from your favorite author and filmmaker, Origin Stories is probably what you've been looking for. On today's episode, Matthew interviews the bestselling author Stephanie Foo about her memoir "What My Bones Know." If you want to hear about why morning pages don't work for everybody, how to approach a rewrite, and why it's ok to include more fart jokes than your editor might want, give it a listen. 
 
For more Origin Stories, including Stephanie's episode, be sure to click here. Or find it wherever you get your podcasts. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PTG Recommends: Origin Stories!

Long before there were sorting hats and Buzzfeed quizzes, Walt Whitman and Clara Barton were obsessed with personality tests. But can a scalp massage and 4-letter code really determine your potential success? And what do octagonal houses have to do with any of this? Featuring our sisters. And Jonathan Katz.

 
 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do Personality Tests Work?

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