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. 

 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

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.  Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>

Are you a knowledge junkie who loves when facts are stranger than fiction? Do you find yourself constantly tripping down Wikipedia rabbit holes (and delighting in the journey)? Have you ever been told you ask a lot of questions? If so, congrats! You’re one of us: a Part-Time Genius! Join Will, Mango, and the team as we scour the globe in search of obscure facts, offbeat locales, and hidden histories. Along the way, we’ll chat with experts, play some games, get in touch with our silly side, and celebrate the fine art of staying curious.

Are you a knowledge junkie who loves when facts are stranger than fiction? Do you find yourself constantly tripping down Wikipedia rabbit holes (and delighting in the journey)? Have you ever been told you ask a lot of questions? If so, congrats! You&rsquo;re one of us: a Part-Time Genius! Join Will, Mango, and the team as we scour the globe in search of obscure facts, offbeat locales, and hidden histories. Along the way, we&rsquo;ll chat with experts, play some games, get in touch with our silly side, and celebrate the fine art of staying curious.

Part-Time Genius

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.

How did P. T. Barnum Trick the World into Riding Elevators? 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/af835dc1-f651-4175-bae8-ae3200711e12/transcript

Is our obsession with cleanliness keeping us from peak health? Also, can hookworm cure allergies? Will harvesting panda poop make you rich? Plus: Why Amish dust is superior to other dust (seriously!). Featuring Penny Sarchet.

This episode originally aired on June 14, 2017.

Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com.

Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

Photo by Crystal Chabot via Unsplash. Thanks, Crystal!

Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

Is our obsession with cleanliness keeping us from peak health? Also, can hookworm cure allergies? Will harvesting panda poop make you rich? Plus: Why Amish dust is superior to other dust (seriously!). Featuring Penny Sarchet.
This episode originally aired on June 14, 2017.
Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com.
Follow us on Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/parttimegenius/">@parttimegenius</a> and Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/parttimegenius.bsky.social">@parttimegenius.bsky.social</a>!
Photo by&nbsp;Crystal Chabot via Unsplash. Thanks, Crystal!
Learn more about your ad choices at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>.

Is our obsession with cleanliness keeping us from peak health? Also, can hookworm cure allergies? Will harvesting panda poop make you rich? And why Amish dust is superior to other dust (seriously!). Featuring Penny Sarchet.

How Clean Should We Be?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2e73192f-38c1-45b2-b045-b3da016ebc30/transcript

Why is it so hard to stop oversleeping and eating candy? Why is it equally hard to start going to the gym and preparing healthy snacks? If you’ve been struggling with New Year’s resolutions, you’re not alone—turns out humans have wrestled with habits for centuries, like the guy who paid his servant to drag him out of bed in the morning. Will and Mango have the answers you need, with a little help from behavior change expert Dr. Katy Milkman. 
Buy Katy Milkman’s book, How to Change, and subscribe to her newsletter, Milkman Delivers!

Remember, Monday, March 2 is the official 2026 Part-Time Genius Habit Change Fresh Start Day! Mark your calendars and let us know what habit you’re trying to change. Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com.

Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

Photo by Timm Bursch via Unsplash. Thanks, Timm!

Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

Why is it so hard to stop oversleeping and eating candy? Why is it equally hard to start going to the gym and preparing healthy snacks? If you&rsquo;ve been struggling with New Year&rsquo;s resolutions, you&rsquo;re not alone&mdash;turns out humans have wrestled with habits for centuries, like the guy who paid his servant to drag him out of bed in the morning. Will and Mango have the answers you need, with a little help from behavior change expert Dr. Katy Milkman.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Buy Katy Milkman&rsquo;s book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-change-the-science-of-getting-from-where-you-are-to-where-you-want-to-be-katy-milkman/c39e0a1c3473861a?ean=9780593083758&amp;next=t">How to Change</a>, and subscribe to her newsletter, <a href="https://katymilkman.substack.com/">Milkman Delivers</a>!</li>
</ul>
Remember, Monday, March 2 is the official 2026 Part-Time Genius Habit Change Fresh Start Day! Mark your calendars and let us know what habit you&rsquo;re trying to change. Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com.
Follow us on Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/parttimegenius/">@parttimegenius</a> and Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/parttimegenius.bsky.social">@parttimegenius.bsky.social</a>!
Photo by Timm Bursch via Unsplash. Thanks, Timm!
Learn more about your ad choices at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>.

What’s the Best Way to Break a Bad Habit?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/85c2a724-8031-4562-9105-b3fa00f30486/transcript

We have ZERO intention of eating less food! But if you had to pare down your pantry to the bare minimum, what are the only foods you'd need to survive? Is an all-potato diet healthy? And did Steve Jobs' strange diet affect his business decisions? Plus, Will and Mango discuss the Woodstock for fruit lovers and find out why the elderberry might be the most overlooked berry. Featuring Spudfit.com's Andrew Taylor.

This episode originally aired on November 1, 2017.

Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com.

Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

Photo by Lars Blankers via Unsplash. Thanks, Lars!

Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

We have ZERO intention of eating less food! But if you had to pare down your pantry to the bare minimum, what are the only foods you'd need to survive? Is an all-potato diet healthy? And did Steve Jobs' strange diet affect his business decisions? Plus, Will and Mango discuss the Woodstock for fruit lovers and find out why the elderberry might be the most overlooked berry. Featuring Spudfit.com's Andrew Taylor.
This episode originally aired on November 1, 2017.
Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com.
Follow us on Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/parttimegenius/">@parttimegenius</a> and Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/parttimegenius.bsky.social">@parttimegenius.bsky.social</a>!
Photo by&nbsp;Lars Blankers via Unsplash. Thanks, Lars!
Learn more about your ad choices at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>.

We have ZERO intention of eating less food! But if you had to pare down your pantry to the bare minimum, what are the only foods you'd need to survive? Is an all potato diet healthy? Plus, Will and Mango discuss the Woodstock for Fruit Lovers; why the Eld

What Are the Only 10 Foods You'd Need to Survive?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5dad8462-f647-4168-8f12-b3da016d4f4b/transcript

How did P. T. Barnum Trick the World into Riding Elevators?

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