Bat-Devouring Rodents, Penguin Retirement Home, Chicago "Rat" Hole

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Popular Science

Education, Society & Culture, Science

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Kendra Pierre-Louis joins Weirdest Thing for the season 9 finale! She talks about the rats chowing down on bats, producer Jess Boddy explains the scientific study on Chicago's rat hole, and Rachel talks about the wonderfully heartwarming penguin retirement home at the New England Aquarium. Plus, Rachel has a very special announcement! The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tweet at us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to learn more about all of our stories! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, Merch Store and More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/RachelFeltman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Rachel now has a Patreon, too! Follow her for exclusive bonus content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/RachelFeltman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Link to Jess' Twitch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitch.tv/jesscapricorn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Link to all of Jess' content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jesscapricorn.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- Follow our team on Twitter Rachel Feltman: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.twitter.com/RachelFeltman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by Jess Boddy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.twitter.com/JessicaBoddy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Popular Science: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.twitter.com/PopSci⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme music by Billy Cadden: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=5VF2r2XiQoGepRsMTBsDAQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	When it comes to holiday gifting, I want to give things people really love, beautiful, timeless pieces that they'll wear for years.
0:07.0	That's why I'm going with quince.
0:09.0	My personal quince favorites are all of the cashmere pieces.
0:12.0	Their cashmere is seriously unmatched at this price point.
0:15.0	It's soft, structured, doesn't pill.
0:18.0	It's the kind of quality I'd normally expect from a $200 sweater, not a $50 one.
0:22.7	As the holidays approach and as the temperatures dip far below zero here in Chicago, I'm bundling
0:27.9	up with the Mongolian cashmere throw blanket. Those frigid winter nights have got nothing on
0:33.9	Quince's cashmere. Find gifts so good, you'll want to keep them with Quince.
0:38.1	Go to quince.com slash Weirdest for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.
0:43.6	Now available in Canada, too.
0:45.6	That's QINCE.com slash weirdest to get free shipping and 365 day returns.
0:52.5	Quince.com slash weirdest.
0:55.2	All right, y'all, gather around because Monet exchange from sibling rivalries here with an announcement.
1:00.1	This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Google Gemini.
1:03.3	Now listen, the girls over at Google said,
1:05.5	Monet, tell the children, so I'm telling you.
1:08.0	U.S. college students get Google Gemini's Pro Plan free for one year.
1:11.9	Use the best model in the world for multimodal understanding, so whether you're uploading a
1:16.8	video to get feedback on your presentation, uploading a photo of your homework to ask for help,
1:22.0	or transcribing notes from a lecture you missed, Gemini 3 Pro can help.
1:26.2	And baby, if I had this in college,
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 18 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Popular Science, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Popular Science and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.