Part-Time Genius

For this International Women's Day episode, Will and Mango handed the mic to their good pal Jo Piazza. Here are the lady geniuses you should be thanking for your trash can foot pedal, your quieter airplane, and so much more!

Remember how fun it was to save up your quarters and go to the arcade? These are the games you didn't want to play. From the Tetris sequel that features Abe Lincolns and Frankensteins, to a game that somehow blends Honey, I Shrunk the Kids with an anti-smoking campaign, to the greatest (maybe only?) game based on Noah's Ark; Will, Gabe and Mango try to out-do each other with the most ridiculous video games they can find.

Ever wonder what the Royal family's preferred way to eat fruit is? Or why the British Monarchy insists on weighing dinner guests before a meal? Or what type of humor makes the Windsors the happiest (spoiler: it's plane humor.) Join Will, Gabe and Mango as we serve up a boatload of royally silly facts.

When Mango's kids show off their bad table manners, he scolds them for being Philistines... but do the Philistines actually deserve their bad rap? Was Goliath the actual underdog? And why did someone make a video game that featured them? Will, Gabe and Mango answer one of the most important question on everyone's minds in today's 9 Things: What's so bad about the Philistines?

From the world's weirdest cinema (it serves couscous with viewings?!) to an internet for plants, to the perfect job for lazy people who also want to hide underground, Will, Gabe and Mango dig deep in search of 9 great facts.

This episode Will, Gabe and Mango raid the US Patent office to find some of the weirdest, funniest, and most confusing inventions of all time. Plus, the trio discusses the easiest way to scam $6 off of us.

Gabe loves monster moves! And Will and Mango... tolerate them. But, it turns out, we all love facts about Godzilla. From how Godzilla changed paleontology, to the giant monster's (secret) signature move, to why flattened buildings aren't the worst part of a Godzilla attack, this episode we tip our hats to the King of the Monsters.

Elevators seem pretty mundane, until you realize a certain king used them to hide his mistresses; a certain politician used them to exaggerate the height of his buildings, and all of America refused to ride them until a certain marketing genius (the one and only P. T. Barnum!) designed a stunt to get everyone on board.

Will, Mango and Gabe are stuck inside this week, and decide to hop on the phone to chat comics... specifically, some of the worst comic creations in all of history. Want to know what killed Captain Tootsie? Or why Arm-Fall-Off-Boy was rejected from super hero glory twice? Plus, we discuss why you should never, ever try to crash an X-Men birthday party disguised as a food product. (There's a good reason.)

In today’s special episode, Mango sits down with Erin McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Mental Floss to talk about everything Teddy Roosevelt… from whether he really climbed a mountain out of spite, to how a seal inspired his fossil collection, to what made him so darn productive (hint: it helps to drink coffee from a mug the size of a bathtub). Plus, we get into just how high-pitched TR’s voice was, and why Dr. Seuss was so darn scared of him.

Trash pandas. Nature's ninjas. Sure, these ring-tailed rascals go by plenty of names. But whether you love 'em or hate 'em, they're clearly taking over Toronto. Will and Mango discuss everything raccoons, and why they deserve a little respect.

Will and Mango go deep into their chess cave to determine: what's the most dangerous styles of chess, why did the game move from the battlefield to the royal court, and if a billion people to play chess, can that stop an alien invasion?

Why can't princes wear pants? Why does Prince Charles carry a bag of blood with him on his vacations? Is the Queen allowed to use a Pooper Scooper? Why is it so hard to make a perfect tuna sandwich for the royal family? And who is responsible for ironing the Queen's money so that it is perfectly crisp? Will and Mango dig into all the Queen's business and find some delightful stories in the process.

Researcher Gabe joins Will and Mango in the studio to talk about why his family likes to Christmas carol so slowly. (They take over a week to to sing one song!) Plus, the crew discusses bird boxes, conspiracy theories and whether 12 days of gift giving from your true love is just a little excessive. (It is.)

Forget Dr. Evil and his ridiculously evil plans... lasers are so much more practical than that! In this episode, Will and Mango discover why lasers are perfect for precision-cooking your bacon, how they can be used as chopsticks, why washing dishes is so much better when it's done by laser, and a simple laser trick for keeping pesky pirates at bay. Plus, we take a look at the very strange way Texas tried to educate aliens about queso. (Spoiler: It involved a laser.)

Everything Will and Mango read about New Zealand made them want to visit! From how Hokey Pokey became the country's favorite ice cream flavor, to why the nation is giving away free gym memberships... to birds, to the reason the coffin clubs are taking off, Will and Mango dig deep into the country's history to discover why New Zealand is *so much* better than the Old one.

Every holiday season, Will and Mango rewatch The Peanuts classics. But how did Charles Schulz get his inspiration for the comic strip?

Why do short people dominate soccer? Is owning a library more important than actually reading the books? And is being handsome important to being taken seriously as a scientist? Will and Mango delve into some super weird ways people wield advantage.

Will and Mango dig into all the biggest bicycle questions: From how bikes seriously altered the dating scene, to how blind people ride bikes through traffic, to the ingenious way Kermit pedaled his Schwann in the Muppets Movie. Grab a helmet and join us!

How did Agatha Christie churn out so many novels? Was Woodrow Wilson more important to the mystery genre than Sherlock Holmes? And what happened to Inspector Gadget's mustache (because he used to have one!) Also, Mango uses incredible deduction skills to squash a neighborhood lie.

Will and Mango have so many questions about the dollar store business: Why have so many more of these stores cropped up recently? How do you make a profit when everything in your store sells for under a buck? Is a $1 steak a good deal? Plus: the tea on why dollar store employees hate Hot Wheels so much!

Why is there a bull on the Elmer's glue bottle? What did kids use to carry their books around before they had backpacks? And why does a giant cone tree get everyone excited about starting school in Germany? Will and Mango dig deep into their Trapper Keepers to bring you some stories you definitely didn't learn in school.

New Orleans is one of the most charming and distinct cities in America… but 300 years ago, it would have been hard to see that potential. In this episode, Will and Mango dig into how French the French quarter really is, why the graveyards look like little villages, and whether the Peacemaker sandwich really can keep an angry couple together.

Will and Mango take a look around the office, from why cubicles were actually a forward-thinking invention, to how knives became a wonderful way to show your applause at the workplace in Cuba to why that office rumor we’re spreading this week about Tristan is probably true (studies prove it!) Plus, nap pods, office ferris wheels and so much more!

Sure, they nuzzled their way into Mike Tyson's heart (and Nikola Tesla; and Bert from Bert and Ernie!), but how intelligent are pigeons? Have scientists really trained the birds to read? Did they actually play a role in discovering the Big Bang? And why are they so darn good at finding their way home? Plus: are catfish their new nemesis?

Is Cap'n Crunch Really a Captain? Is the Silly Rabbit using psychological tricks on kids? And why did everyone stop putting prizes in cereal boxes? Will and Mango take a trip down memory lane, exploring why America is so nostalgic for those sugary sweet breakfast treats. Featuring Cereal Time TV's Gabe Fonseca.

Why do movie theaters limit their audiences to 299 seats? Did dishware really save the movie industry?

While no one is going to malls (or so it seems), everyone seems to be talking about them: the CDC is writing up reports on mall walkers, people are growing beards to get into the mall Santa game, and writers are waxing nostalgic about them.

Will and Mango dig wonder: how hard it is to bring a species back from extinction?

Maybe it was his dad? Or all the punishments he got as a naughty high schooler? Or perhaps it was inspired by watching so many Soap Operas?

When a billionaire realized his $125,000 bottle of wine might be fake, he hired a crack team to solve the case.

From the Canadian professor who found patterns in Scratch-off lottery tickets to the Michigan couple that turned a lottery flaw into their retirement savings plan to the strange reason you should hold onto any lottery ticket that has Herbert Hoover's face on it.

When you've got a headache, those bottles of over-the-counter medicines can feel interchangeable. But the truth is, the drugs work in different ways... and each has their own benefits and side-effects.

When's the best time to surf the Amazon? Can Brazilian termites help you make a better pizza? And: did you overpay on the black market for that venomous snake?

What do sauna culture, "Right to Roam" laws and all-you-can-eat buffets (for monkeys!) have to do with putting smiles on citizens faces?

Sure, we know Lafayette as a street. And a college. And some of us know him as the charismatic Frenchman from Hamilton. But did you know he was France's richest orphan? And that his real name was Gilbert?

From the worst Valentines cards in history, to why candy necklaces are so meaningful in Alabama, to a few salmon that are not excited about this special day, Will and Mango have cobbled facts to warm your heart.

From the best place to do your book shopping to a very sweet rodent with too much to carry, Will and Mango explore some of the World Wide Web's weirdest corners.

Whether you knew him as a conservationist, an explorer, a spy or a fashion icon, Jacques Cousteau showcased the sea's mysteries to a curious world.

From the treasury joker who snuck his face on some cash, to Theodore Roosevelt’s drastic redesign for the penny, to the very best reason Harriet Tubman belongs on the $20.

Why are people getting plastic surgery on their fingerprints? Why was the Civil War such a golden era for procedures?

Did a 15-year old really invent the snowmobile? Why was the original use for a Kleen-Ex?

In 2019, a new cache of works entered the Public Domain— from Charlie Chaplin to Jane Austen stories to Felix the Cat cartoons. But what does that really mean?

What was the worst cartoon inspired by Happy Days? Why did The Golden Girls try to open a hotel? And which dysfunctional character from The Office almost got a starring role on Parks and Rec?

Want to know who to blame for your coffee addiction? From goats, Turks to the Archangel Gabriel...

Sure, Genghis Khan pillaged lands with glee and killed millions of people in his ruthless quest for power. But was he kind of a good person?

Whether you're an amateur bear enthusiast or prepping for a bear convention, these are the bear facts you'll need!

From Ulysses to sinful Bibles, Will and Mango dive into the story of banned books to tell you all about the titles they don't want you to read.

From why a giraffe might want your Christmas tree leftovers, to why your tree is so darn thirsty all the time, to why a traditionalist might want to start mounting their trees upside-down...

From plumbing to catering, everything’s a little harder in Antarctica. Will and Mango dive into everyday life on The Ice.

There are a lot of people named Tony. (Tony Hawk is one of them!) Will and Mango share some wonderful facts about 8 Tonys (Tony Hawk is not one of them.)

Why can't princes wear pants? Why does Prince Charles carry a bag of blood with him on his vacations? Is the Queen allowed to use a Pooper Scooper?

Park rangers do so much more than just keeping Yogi Bear from stealing picnic baskets.

Did Shirley Temple like Shirley Temples? Do you need a screwdriver to make an authentic screwdriver?

Trash pandas. Nature's ninjas. Sure, these ring-tailed rascals go by plenty of names. But whether you love 'em or hate 'em, they're clearly taking over Toronto.

Every holiday season, Will and Mango rewatch The Peanuts classics. But how did Charles Schulz get his inspiration for the comic strip?

Will and Mango pay tribute to one of our favorite humans, Mr. Fred Rogers. Featuring journalist Tom Junod.

Will and Mango dig into their favorite ballpark treat to talk about the surprisingly layered story of nachos.

Will and Mango go deep into their chess cave to determine: what's the most dangerous styles of chess, why did the game move from the battlefield to the royal court, and if a billion people to play chess, can that stop an alien invasion?

Sure, Halloween's over. And the candy is gone. But these facts about the most searched costumes of the season will last a lifetime!

Will and Mango dust off some ninja history and discover some pretty strange facts... like: Why did so many ninjas walk around with crickets?

In Iowa, you can't just show up on your neighbor's doorstep with a costume... kids have to work for the treats! Will, Mango and Gabe scour for the sweetest Halloween facts they can find in this special 9 Facts.

What part of the turkey are turkeys most attracted to? Can a scene out of a ghost story make you stop biting your nails?

Remember when monograms were considered tacky, squash was played in back alleys and barn-yard flavored beers weren't expensive?

For some reason our hearts keep going on and on for the Titanic. But what was life actually like on the ship?

For decades, North Korea has been an outlier. How did the country get to be so isolated? Why do they export so many statues?

Want to know where you can indulge in a massive, massive omelet, or why Niceville, Florida has a festival dedicated to the mullet?

Why is Japan's adult adoption rate so high? Why don't American car dealerships succeed in the country?

Will and Mango have so many questions about pirates: did they really exaggerate their R's? Did they all have parrots?

There are the things you accidentally bury, and then there’s everything on this list. Will, Mango and Gabe discuss the weirdest facts they've unearthed about things that have been unearthed.

Will and Mango have their good pal AJ Jacobs on the program to talk about his new book Thanks a Thousand, where he decided to thank the thousands of people who made his cup of coffee possible.

Which airport should you hang out at if you want to meet a mini-horse? Why is the art in the Denver Airport so evil? And are TSA agents more likely to search you if you're carrying an Almanac? Will and Mango investigate.