Best Expired Podcast Do Not Use Podcasts (2025)

How did a 19th-century joke become the world’s most spoken word? This week we scan the baby name blacklist and learn why some will never make it onto a birth certificate. Sources: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/03/us-banned-baby-names/84011765007/ https://www.history.com/articles/the-birth-of-ok-175-years-ago http://www.commutet…

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Who was selling the seashells by the seashore? | Where is Jaws? 16:43

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5d ago16:43

16:43

Was the famous tongue-twister really about a Victorian-era fossil hunter? Ever notice great whites are missing from aquariums? This week, we explore why the ocean’s superstar can’t survive life behind glass. Sources: https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2017/07/she-sells-seashells-and-mary-anning-metafolklore-with-a-twist/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/art…

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Bold Faith (Intro) - Promise of Life - May 31 & June 1, 2025 (Video) 35:19

9d ago35:19

35:19

By Tom Pound

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Show Announcement. | The Drama Behind School Lunches. | Lion King Video Game Conspiracy. 20:49

16d ago20:49

20:49

It’s our 200th episode! We start with a note of gratitude and a show announcement. If you grew up in an American public school, you likely really loved or really hated your school lunches. Here’s the surprising tale of how schools came to provide lunch for students. Some 1990s era video games for Super Nintendo were notoriously challenging. One of …

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Why is Karaoke so popular? | Horse racing - all in the family. | Do animals have accents? 22:39

30d ago22:39

22:39

Karaoke is one of America’s favorite activities. Why are so many people willing to sing (so badly) in public? At the recent running of the Kentucky Derby, the horses had more in common than you’d think. Humans talk slightly differently based on geographic regions. Can the same be said for animals? Sources: https://www.si.com/fannation/rodeo/news/se…

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Empowered (Part 3) - Power for What? (Video) 39:03

1M ago39:03

39:03

By Dan Pound

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Empowered Part 2 (Worth the Wait) (Video) 35:34

1M ago35:34

35:34

By Dan Pound

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Crafting iPhone Alarms. | Can Water Expire? | Should You Be Nice to A.I.? 24:22

1M ago24:22

24:22

You can choose the wake-up sound for your phone's alarm. It took a lot of effort to create all those options. It makes sense on a gallon of milk, but does bottled water really expire? Many of us say “please” and “thank you” to the artificial intelligence systems we interact with. Maybe we should stop. Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/22…

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Empowered - Part 1 (Basics): April 26 27, 2025 (Video) 40:38

1M ago40:38

40:38

By Tom Pound

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The Birth of the Peep | Curb Your Enthusiasm Saved a Life | David Dies in This One 22:35

2M ago22:35

22:35

Easter season has come and gone and, with it, the slightly stale marshmallow juggernaut known as the peep. But every single peep has something uniquely in common… In a plot straight out of the TV show that made it all happen, an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm literally saved one man’s life. Bad news for Dave. If you’re playing a character with tha…

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Resurrection - April 19 & 20, 2025 (Video) 40:42

2M ago40:42

40:42

By Tom Pound

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Dire Wolf Returns - is that a good thing? | Minecraft Explained | How A Goofy Movie became A Great Movie 25:15

2M ago25:15

25:15

Scientists have resurrected an ancient, extinct wolf. Is there any reason to be concerned? Minecraft has been one the most popular games in the world for a decade and a half. What’s its secret? A Goofy Movie just turned 30. How did it unexpectedly resonate beyond its, well, goofy leading character to become a beloved cult classic? Sources: https://…

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Palm Sunday: 2025 (Video) 36:29

2M ago36:29

36:29

By Tom Pound

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Too Good Not to Be True (Part 3): The Power of Prophecy (Video) 41:58

2M ago41:58

41:58

By Tom Pound

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The March Madness Multiplier Effect | Goosebumps is still going | The Other Burger King 22:56

2M ago22:56

22:56

The NCAA basketball tournament is one of the most significant of all sporting events and, if you consider its impact beyond just the games, that’s an understatement. The children’s horror series Goosebumps has been keeping kids up at night since the 1990s. How does author R.L. Stine, now in his 80s, keep cranking out books? Burger King is a fast-fo…

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Too Good Not to be True (Part Two): Proving the Resurrection (Video) 36:41

2M ago36:41

36:41

By Dan Pound

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The Passing of the Cereal Box Toy. | Ocracoke’s Dialect. | Finding Marco Polo. 22:13

3M ago22:13

22:13

You may remember when buying cereal was as much about the toy inside the box as the cereal. Then it just stopped. There’s a unique island that’s less than 10 miles long, has under 1,000 permanent residents, and speaks its own language. And it’s part of North Carolina. This week, we set sail for Ocrcoke. We all know how to play Marco Polo, but no on…

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The Dance Dance Revolution | How Do Astronauts Bathe (or pee..) | The Rise, Fall, And Rise Again of Little Caesars 22:36

3M ago22:36

22:36

It transformed arcades into performance halls by asking people to dance in public. We’ll explore the cultural impact of Dance Dance Revolution. Just because you’re an astronaut doesn’t mean you still don’t need to shower - so how does one do it outside the Earth’s atmosphere? Little Caesars is the go-to meal for social gatherings everywhere. This w…

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When The Preview Lies | (Drunken) Origins of NASCAR | The Most Expensive Typos 23:57

3M ago23:57

23:57

A good movie preview should show just enough to excite us about the upcoming film. What about if the previews show a scene that doesn’t end up in the movie? Professional drivers are very good at what they do - but NASCAR’s origins are as much about spirits as they are about skills. Typos are embarrassing. Sometimes they can be costly. Sources: http…

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(Ep. 161 Rebroadcast) The Cost of Free Bread. | The Surgeon General turns his Attention towards … Pac-Man. | Starry Rebrand. 22:45

3M ago22:45

22:45

The basket of bread often appears before you even place your order and is never listed on the final bill. How did restaurants get started giving away free food? The Surgeon General’s recent New York Times op-ed, warning of the potential harm social media can have on young people, provocatively equated internet risks to smoking cigarettes. This isn’…

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How long could you hold your breath? | When did storks start delivering babies? | We’ve got the skinny on Weight Watchers’ woes. 24:00

4M ago24:00

24:00

Kate Winslet owns the record for the longest breathhold in cinematic history. No matter how long you think it is, it’s longer than that. Every parent must face the dreaded question - “Where do babies come from?” How did the poor stork get involved? Weight Watchers has been synonymous with weight loss for decades. That all may be coming to an end. S…

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Did a Mascot wreck Rax? | Who-o-o knows the Ghostwriters? | The Identity of Jack the Ripper 21:56

4M ago21:56

21:56

Fast-food chain Rax filed bankruptcy in the early 1990s. Could a short-lived, ill-timed mascot be partly to blame? Your favorite author may have some help, thanks to the world’s best-kept open secret: a ghostwriter. Advances in DNA testing finally tell us who Jack the Ripper really was. Maybe. Sources: https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/jack-the-r…

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I’m going to Disney World! | Can you say “Super Bowl” in a Super Bowl ad? | The scratch-off lottery ticket effect. 20:45

4M ago20:45

20:45

For decades the Super Bowl MVP has been telling the world they’re going to Disney World. How did it get started? In Super Bowl commercials you rarely hear the words "Super" or "Bowl." Why? Scratch-off lottery tickets are cheap but promise life-changing wealth. They have brought changes, both good and bad. Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/articl…

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New Place Sleep Woes. | Do Dogs Watch TV? | Will Pluto Ever Become a Planet Again? 23:09

4M ago23:09

23:09

The first night in an unfamiliar place is usually not great for sleep. We look to the research to tell us why. Many dog owners leave the TV on to entertain their pet when they go out. Does the dog actually care? It wasn’t that long ago that Pluto was our 9th planet. How did it lose that status? Could it ever regain its place in our solar system? So…

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The 15-year wait for a 24-hour event. | Crazy Celebrity Contracts. | Living Longer on a Budget. 22:30

4M ago22:30

22:30

We’re very close to something that hasn’t occurred in a decade and a half. Just don’t blink or you might miss it. Celebrities ask for some strange things in contracts. We’ll tell you about some of the best requests. Instead of cryogenic chambers or infrared lights, here are seven affordable and attainable ways to increase your life span. Sources: h…

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The Not-So-Great Wizard of Oz. | Guess Who: A Love Story. | Presidential Bible Usage. 21:40

5M ago21:40

21:40

The Wizard of Oz is a beloved cinematic classic. What happened behind the scenes was far from lovely. The board game Guess Who has been a best seller for nearly 45 years. It’s the way that happened you’ll want to tell your friends about at your next social gathering. Today, Donald Trump will be sworn in (for the 2nd time) as President of the United…

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Decoding ZIP Codes. | Waffle House Alert System. | Popeye Goes Public. 21:06

5M ago21:06

21:06

Did it take a cartoon mascot to convince the public to include five-digit codes on mailing addresses? When natural disasters strike, most people look to established news outlets for the latest updates. Others look to … Waffle House. First Winnie the Pooh, then Mickey Mouse, and now our favorite sailor man enters the public domain. Why does this kee…

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Nosferatu - the Movie that Would Not Die. | Can You Trademark a Smell? | Why New Year's Day is January 1st. 20:51

5M ago20:51

20:51

Some reviewers have called the recent remake of the horror classic Nosferatu “the perfect horror film.” However, its source material, a silent film from the 1920s, almost didn’t exist. This week, that complicated history and the story it tells us about the challenges of preserving films from the silent era. We know a product or service can be trade…

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Holiday Movie Formula. | Why We Kiss under Mistletoe. | Which State has the most Christmas Cheer? 21:15

6M ago21:15

21:15

It’s that time of year—Christmas trees, twinkling lights, too many sweets… and endless holiday movies! An update on one of our most popular segments tells how (and why) original holiday films are made. Why are we supposed to kiss if we meet under mistletoe? Here’s everything you could want to know about the festive berries. Which U.S. state has the…

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Don’t go to Court in the Afternoon. | When Banana doesn’t Taste like Banana. | The Lost Michael Jackson Tapes stay Lost. 23:36

6M ago23:36

23:36

Judges surely get hangry in the afternoons, like the rest of us. Does that impact their job? Banana candy, you’ve probably noticed, tastes nothing like banana. That’s intentional. A collection of never-before-heard Michael Jackson songs were found in a storage unit. That doesn’t mean you’ll ever hear them. Sources: https://www.randomactsofmedicine.…

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Helium’s Future is Up in the Air | Could We Ever Achieve Utopia? | Creepy Smuggler 21:59

6M ago21:59

21:59

Helium, that we use to blow up parade floats and birthday balloons, is a uniquely one-of-a-kind element. That’s not necessarily a good thing. What if we lived in a world where we wanted for nothing, where our every wish and need was cared for? Scientists ran an experiment and, as always, things did not go as expected. Ever tried to sneak a drink in…

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(Ep. 133 Rebroadcast) On the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog. | Rotting Pumpkins. | Porta-Potties, Explained. 22:26

6M ago22:26

22:26

More than three decades ago, the New Yorker Magazine printed a cartoon about the internet that is just as accurate today as it was then, setting records for reprints. It’s still setting records. It’s after Halloween. What happens to all the pumpkins? Porta potties - everyone uses them; no one wants to. We’ll tell you more than you ever expected to …

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The Sideways Effect. | Rats Can Now Drive! | The Bannister Barrier. 20:39

7M ago20:39

20:39

The film Sideways, about male bonding in wine country, was released in 2004. Twenty years later, it’s still has an impact on one industry. A scientific experiment taught rats to drive. That’s not even the most amazing part. In the 1950s, Roger Bannister did what was previously thought impossible - run a mile in under 4 minutes. Why did multiple run…

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40 Years of BookIt. | Who Owns Stonehenge? | A McFix for the McFlurry. 21:04

7M ago21:04

21:04

Some corporate programs really do work. One has convinced millions of kids to read millions of books for more than 40 years by promising them the perfect incentive - free pizza. Have you ever set out to buy one thing but ended up with something else? That’s what happened to Cecil Chubb, though his unintended purchase was a little bigger than typica…

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The Closest Election Ever. | God Bless ... Canada? | Unstoppable Daylight Savings Time. 22:14

7M ago22:14

22:14

You may hear these days of unfair or too close-to-call elections, but this isn’t a recent development. It’s not the national anthem, but God Bless the USA sure feels like it could be … until you hear this segment. Everyone hates changing their clocks twice per year. More than 80% of Americans say we should stop. Why don’t we? Sources: https://www.h…

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Silk Road = Evil Amazon. | Election Texts. | The Dr. (Pepper) Is In. 21:12

7M ago21:12

21:12

The dark web is a largely unregulated version of the internet where many kinds of questionable things go on. Much like Amazon, the dark web even has its own marketplace. The similarities end there. Political campaigns have likely been texting you for months; asking for your money, your time and, of course, your vote. How did they get your number? F…

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Ring Finger. | The Magazine that is a Publishing Phenomenon. | Spirit of Halloween Comes to Town (again). 19:28

8M ago19:28

19:28

We wear wedding rings on the left-hand ring finger. Would another finger work? Magazines are losing subscribers at an alarming rate. You’ll never guess which one is an exception. It’s time to get your Halloween costume! Many come from a pop-up store named “Spirit of Halloween.” Where do these stores come from and, maybe more importantly, where do t…

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Why is Election Day in November? | Pitt Bulls! | The Dangerous Sneeze. 21:40

8M ago21:40

21:40

The first Tuesday in November we head to the polls to vote. Why that day, in that month? Could it ever change? Pitt bulls are the meanest, nastiest, most dangerous of dogs … aren’t they? Have you tried to hold in a sneeze? You might want to rethink that. Sources: https://www.history.com/news/why-is-election-day-a-tuesday-in-november https://www.vox…

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Lawyer Advertising Legalities. | Economics of Gift Cards. | Birth of the Chicken Tender. 22:24

8M ago22:24

22:24

It’s hard to go on a busy highway without seeing a billboard for an accident lawyer. Is it legal to advertise such a service? Well, it hasn’t always been. Gift cards are big business. We are good at buying them but not always so good at using them. Chicken tenders are one of the most popular foods in America. One city wants all the credit. Sources:…

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(Ep. 132 Rebroadcast) Say, “Cheese!” | Halloween’s Classic Catchphrase. | That Creepy Michael Myers Mask. 18:42

8M ago18:42

18:42

In honor of the calendar turning to October, this week we re-air one of our most popular episodes from the archives. We'll be back next week with an all-new episode! How did “cheese” become the universal smile word used by photographers? You’ll never guess what word it replaced! It’s the official slogan of Halloween, but where and when did it begin…