Masochistic Trees, Lean Mean Sex Machines, Ancient Doodles

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Popular Science

Science, Education, Society & Culture

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian joins the show to talk about horny eels. Plus, Sara Kiley explains the tree that loves getting struck by lightning, and Rachel goes into detail about kids passing notes in ancient times. 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 Balint's Twitch: ⁠⁠https://www.twitch.tv/sciants_streams ⁠⁠ -- 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 Thanks to our Sponsors! Give yourself the luxury you deserve with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠https://Quince.com/weirdest⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to ⁠⁠https://www.Zocdoc.com/WEIRDEST⁠⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Okay, friends, do you know which best-selling water toy was invented in a NASA engineer's bathroom?
0:05.8	Or which Taco Bell invention involved a literal paint sprayer to coat taco shells in Dorito dust?
0:11.6	And did you know that Levi's jeans wouldn't exist without the California Gold Rush?
0:16.4	I know. Crazy, right?
0:17.9	These are just a few of the delightfully weird and wildly true stories featured on the best idea yet, a podcast all about the surprising origin stories behind the products you're most obsessed with. From the Happy Meal to Google Maps to good old Costco's Kirkland brand, each episode unpacks how these icons went viral thanks to a whole lot of trial, error, and
0:38.3	awesomeness. If you love learning how stuff works, who made it, and why on earth it caught on,
0:43.2	follow the best idea yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen
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