Moments of Hark

January 2025

The world's most famous donkey, the chin-up world record, the best pranks, and the life of a hand model... it's this month's "wow" moments.

The world's most famous donkey, the chin-up world record, the best pranks, and the life... more

Hosted byJody Avirgan

Curated byHark Editors

21 CLIPS1 HR 53 MINS

Clip 1 of 21

How People Around the World Started 2025

Different cultures have different traditions to bring good luck for the new year, from dragging a suitcase around the block, to wearing yellow underwear.

How People Around the World Started 2025

Sidedoor

5 MINS

Clip 2 of 21

Why You Can’t Trust the First Inch of Your Measuring Tape

If you measure from the end of your measuring tape, and then do it again starting from one inch, you’ll get a different result. Here’s the fascinating reason why.

Why You Can’t Trust the First Inch of Your Measuring Tape

Hyperfixed

5 MINS

Clip 3 of 21

My Skating Partner

Joel Brady loved going skating with his wife. And one day, when he tried his signature move, she finally joined in.

The Moth

5 MINS

Clip 4 of 21

The World’s Most Famous Donkey

Perry is a miniature donkey who became the inspiration for the character in ‘Shrek.’ As he passes at the age of 30, Atlas Obscura remembers the special day they visited him.

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

5 MINS

Clip 5 of 21

The Death of Bertha and Dick

It wasn’t long ago that Bertha and Dick were two of the most popular baby names. But they both fell spectacularly out of fashion.

Mobituaries with Mo Rocca

4 MINS

Clip 6 of 21

The Story Behind ‘Goodnight Moon’

The iconic bedtime story has been coaxing children to sleep for over 75 years. And the story behind how it came to be is fascinating.

This is Love

5 MINS

Clip 7 of 21

The Fascinating History of Fonts

Where did Arial or Times New Roman actually come from? Zachary Crockett reveals the surprisingly interesting history of fonts and typefaces.

The Economics of Everyday Things

5 MINS

Clip 8 of 21

How Your Alarm Clock Got a Nine-Minute Snooze Button

Did you ever wonder why your alarm clock’s snooze button gives you nine minutes extra sleep? Why not 10? Roman Mars has the answer.

How Your Alarm Clock Got a Nine-Minute Snooze Button

99% Invisible

4 MINS

Clip 9 of 21

The Proof Plants Can Hear

We know that plants don’t have ears. Or do they? This remarkable experiment proves plants actually listen for running water.

Radiolab

5 MINS

Clip 10 of 21

The Shark Attack

22% of the world’s shark attacks happen in Australia. Here’s what happened when one Aussie went for a surf and ended up battling with a deadly Great White Shark.

Flightless Bird

5 MINS

Clip 11 of 21

Breaking the Chin-Up World Record

John Orth used to have the chin-up world record, but saw it beaten a few weeks later. So he’s trying again, this time to do 10,000 chin-ups in 24 hours.

Outside Podcast

7 MINS

Clip 12 of 21

The Woman Who Made Tupperware a Status Symbol

Brownie Wise wasn’t even an employee of Tupperware, but came up with a genius idea to sell the plastic containers, and she made them a must-have among housewives.

The Woman Who Made Tupperware a Status Symbol

Slate Culture

6 MINS

Clip 13 of 21

Who Said It: Stoic Philosopher or Cartoon Character?

AJ Jacobs has a brilliant quiz for Ryan Holiday, the host of ‘The Daily Stoic’: Who is the author of this great piece of wisdom, a philosopher or a cartoon character?

Who Said It: Stoic Philosopher or Cartoon Character?

The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs

5 MINS

Clip 14 of 21

Tig Notaro’s Perfect Pranks

Tig Notaro loves to look foolish and during her appearance on ‘SmartLess,’ she told the hilarious story about a prank she pulled at a party.

SmartLess

3 MINS

Clip 15 of 21

The Life of a Hand Model

Can you make a living from being a hand model? The answer is yes, but you have to be very, very careful with them.

The Economics of Everyday Things

3 MINS

Clip 16 of 21

How to Create a Radio Station Jingle

Making a catching jingle for a radio station is a lot more than creating a 10 second song. You need to make hundreds of versions.

Twenty Thousand Hertz

4 MINS

Clip 17 of 21