Curated by Podcasters

It's Not Mundane, It's 'Secretly Incredibly Fascinating'

I selected these podcast moments revealing the fascinating lore behind everyday things.

Curated byAlex Schmidt, Podcaster

7 CLIPS20 MINS

Clip 1 of 7

How Fines Cost Libraries Money

Library fines are generally accepted as the cost of taking books home for free. So why are libraries around the United States doing away with them?

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

2 MINS

Clip 2 of 7

The Invention of Spirit Halloween Stores

The number of Spirit Halloween stores has been increasing each year. Alex Schmidt is joined by bestselling author Jason Pargin to discuss the history of the stores and what they say about culture.

The Invention of Spirit Halloween Stores

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

4 MINS

Clip 3 of 7

The First Clothing Tags

These days we rely on clothing tags to tell us the size and material of the item we're purchasing. But that's not the information they originally conveyed.

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

1 MIN

Clip 4 of 7

Mr. ZIP & the Slow Adoption of Postal Codes

We tend to see postal codes as a fact of life, a necessary component of every address. But it took a cartoon campaign to encourage Americans to adopt them in the 1960s.

Mr. ZIP & the Slow Adoption of Postal Codes

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

2 MINS

Clip 5 of 7

Fatbergs, FROGs & the Rotten Side of Sewers

Is it possible that sewers are even more disgusting than you'd imagined? Alex Schmidt, Jason Pargin and Jack O'Brien reveal the icebergs of the sewage system.

Fatbergs, FROGs & the Rotten Side of Sewers

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

2 MINS

Clip 6 of 7

MSG: Misunderstood Salty Goodness

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is naturally found in many foods, including tomatoes and cheese. But in 1968, the New England Journal of Medicine published a letter to the editor that set off a Chinese food scare and decades of myths surrounding MSG.

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

2 MINS

Clip 7 of 7

Spoons, the Superior Utensil

Spoons have been around for thousands of years. They're arguably the most convenient utensil. And yet, how spoons can and should be used is still a topic of debate. Like this case that Alex Schmidt brings us from Montreal in 2006.

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

4 MINS

Curated byAlex Schmidt

7 CLIPS20 MINS

The best podcast moments curated by Hark Editors

We listen to 100s of podcasts and clip the most interesting moments
These clips are turned into themed Harklists
You’ll find harklists curated just for you in your feed, based on your interests

Curated by Podcasters

It's Not Mundane, It's 'Secretly Incredibly Fascinating'

How Fines Cost Libraries Money

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

The Invention of Spirit Halloween Stores

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

The First Clothing Tags

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

Mr. ZIP & the Slow Adoption of Postal Codes

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

Fatbergs, FROGs & the Rotten Side of Sewers

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

MSG: Misunderstood Salty Goodness

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

Spoons, the Superior Utensil

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

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