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The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Vintage Antivaxxers, Horror Flick Psychology, Robin-Eating Bats

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Popular Science

Education, Society & Culture, Science

4.62.2K Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2025

⏱️ 59 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Coltan Scrivner joins the show to talk about the strange empathy of horror movie enjoyers. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about bats dogfighting and devouring birds, and Rachel delves into the bizarre history of the first anti-vax movement. 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

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0:00.0

Finding precisely the right gifts this holiday season can be tough, but Quince helps you get it right with ease.

0:06.0

I'm always so pleasantly surprised when I feel my Quince cashmere.

0:10.0

It's super soft, but still holds its structure.

0:13.0

And of course, it doesn't pill.

0:15.0

It makes a great gift, honestly.

0:17.0

If you have gamer friends like I do, they might be sitting at their computers in chilly

0:20.9

apartments this winter, or, you know, just normal friends in chilly apartments. Quince even has a

0:26.2

home section with cashmere throws that would make excellent gifts. Find gifts so good, you'll want

0:31.4

to keep them with Quince. Go to quince.com slash Weirdest for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.

0:39.3

Now available in Canada, too.

0:41.2

That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com slash weirdest to get free shipping in 365-day returns.

0:48.6

Quince.com slash weirdest.

0:51.1

All right, y'all, gather around because Monet exchange from sibling rivalries here with an announcement.

0:56.0

This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Google Gemini.

0:59.3

Now listen, the girls over at Google said, Monet, tell the children, so I'm telling you.

1:04.1

US college students get Google Gemini's pro plan free for one year.

1:07.9

Use the best model in the world for multimodal understanding. So whether

1:11.9

you're uploading a video to get feedback on your presentation, uploading a photo of your homework to

1:17.0

ask for help, or transcribing notes from a lecture you missed, Gemini 3 Pro can help. And baby,

1:23.0

if I had this in college, oh, she would have been unstoppable.

1:32.7

Picture it. Monet exchange in the library, uploading a picture of my music theory homework like Gemini, please, help a diva out.

1:35.3

Or recording my rehearsal videos for feedback instead of crying at the practice room for three hours.

...

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