Experimental archaeology is the science (and art!) of discovering what ancient worlds smelled, tasted, sounded, and felt like… a process that often involves going to some truly incredible lengths. Author Sam Kean stops by to recount his adventures researching his new book, Dinner with King Tut—from hurling stones with a 30’ tall catapult to modern mummification to an unfortunate incident involving a piece of urine-soaked salmon skin.

Buy Sam’s books: samkean.com

Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.

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

Photo of the Coffin of Nesykhonsu by the Cleveland Museum of Art, via Unsplash. Thanks, CMA!

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

Experimental archaeology is the science (and art!) of discovering what ancient worlds smelled, tasted, sounded, and felt like&hellip; a process that often involves going to some truly incredible lengths. Author Sam Kean stops by to recount his adventures researching his new book, Dinner with King Tut&mdash;from hurling stones with a 30&rsquo; tall catapult to modern mummification to an unfortunate incident involving a piece of urine-soaked salmon skin.
Buy Sam&rsquo;s books:&nbsp;<a href="http://samkean.com">samkean.com</a>
Got a question you&rsquo;d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should explore? Email higeniuses@gmail.com or leave us a message at (302) 405-5925.
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 of the&nbsp;Coffin of Nesykhonsu by the Cleveland Museum of Art, via Unsplash. Thanks, CMA!
Learn more about your ad choices at&nbsp;<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

What Did Ancient Egyptian Bread Taste Like? with Sam Kean

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2a14c347-168c-4dca-8107-b32800e2d8c7/transcript

How rude! After author Danny Wallace got the world's worst customer service (and possibly the world's worst hot dog), he decided to search for the root causes of rudeness. Danny joins Will and Mango to talk about snarky celebrity judges, why surgeons are in dire need of a rudeness vaccine (it's for our own safety!), and how one politician effectively fought rudeness... with mimes!

This episode originally aired on February 23, 2018.

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 Walid Hamadeh via Unsplash. Thanks, Walid!

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

How rude! After author Danny Wallace got the world's worst customer service (and possibly the world's worst hot dog), he decided to search for the root causes of rudeness. Danny joins Will and Mango to talk about snarky celebrity judges, why surgeons are in dire need of a rudeness vaccine (it's for our own safety!), and how one politician effectively fought rudeness... with mimes!
This episode originally aired on February 23, 2018.
Got a question or idea for the show? Call our hotline at (302) 405-5925 or email higeniuses@gmail.com.
Follow us on Instagram <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 Walid Hamadeh via Unsplash. Thanks, Walid!
Learn more about your ad choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>.

After author Danny Wallace received the world's worst customer service (and possibly the world's worst hotdog) from a hotdog vendor, he decided to search for the root cause of rudeness. Danny joins Will and Mango on this week's episode to talk about snark

Are We Living Through a Rudeness Epidemic? ft. Danny Wallace

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b8c03f96-6dac-4d5f-bcf4-b4de00d060e7/transcript

Spoiler: No. But crystals are still pretty magical! Producer Mary visits the American Museum of Natural History’s Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals to find out how crystals are formed, what makes them so colorful, and why you should never leave your collection in a department store window. Meanwhile, Mango’s got plenty of research about ancient crystal beliefs and the modern healing crystal movement—plus, the surprisingly dark side of crystal sourcing.
Learn more about the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals and their incredible collections!
Visit Rockhounding.org.
Get a DIY education in minerals at Mindat.org.

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 Franco Antonio Giovanella via Unsplash. Thanks, Franco!

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

Spoiler: No. But crystals are still pretty magical! Producer Mary visits the American Museum of Natural History&rsquo;s Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals to find out how crystals are formed, what makes them so colorful, and why you should never leave your collection in a department store window. Meanwhile, Mango&rsquo;s got plenty of research about ancient crystal beliefs and the modern healing crystal movement&mdash;plus, the surprisingly dark side of crystal sourcing.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Learn more about the <a href="https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/gems-minerals">Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals</a> and their incredible collections!</li>
<li aria-level="1">Visit <a href="http://rockhounding.org">Rockhounding.org</a>.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Get a DIY education in minerals at <a href="http://mindat.org">Mindat.org</a>.</li>
</ul>
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 Franco Antonio Giovanella via Unsplash. Thanks, Franco!
Learn more about your ad choices at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>.

Do Healing Crystals Really Work?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1978e06e-c7d3-4f65-8e08-b4e10162f123/transcript

What do Smokey the Bear and the Beatles have in common? How did Mr. Peanut influence Canadian politics? Whatever happened to Tony the Tiger's mom? And why on earth does a tire company represent itself with a guy who looks like a pile of marshmallows? Today Will and Gabe dive into the bizarre world of corporate mascots!

This episode originally aired on June 28, 2018.

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 via WIkimedia Commons.

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

What do Smokey the Bear and the Beatles have in common? How did Mr. Peanut influence Canadian politics? Whatever happened to Tony the Tiger's mom? And why on earth does a tire company represent itself with a guy who looks like a pile of marshmallows? Today Will and Gabe dive into the bizarre world of corporate mascots!
This episode originally aired on June 28, 2018.
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 via WIkimedia Commons.
Learn more about your ad choices at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>.

Why is the Michelin Man white when tires are always black? What do Tony the Tiger and Christopher Columbus have in common? And why did they give The Noid a video game?

Why Is the Michelin Man White, If Tires Are Black?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/eaba3f6e-ec90-4c12-9fdc-b4d80116e555/transcript

What Did Ancient Egyptian Bread Taste Like? with Sam Kean

In 1 playlist(s)

Part-Time Genius

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips