Podcasts by This Week I Learned
Your audio guide to the most fascinating and fun revelations, reports, and studies on the internet. Quick, concise, and infectiously entertaining, This Week I Learned promises to make learning fun again.
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Ep. 2: This week I learned why dogs are so freaked out by fireworks, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.471336
This week I learn why your dog panics during thunderstorms, about the 'dancing plague' that swept medieval Europe, why monkeys also shed friends in old age, and which Oscar-winning actress almos...
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Ep. 3: This week I learned that we think with our hands, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.467980
This week I learned that gesturing while you talk is good for the mind, about a new and potentially better addressing system, that a poison ivy allergy is a nearly exclusively human affliction, ...
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Ep. 7: This week I learned why sleeping with the lights on is a terrible idea, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.458579
This week I learned that night light isn't doing you any favors, that cinnamon may boost your memory, that humpback whales are the superheroes of the sea, and doves have a complicated relationsh...
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Ep. 11: This week I learned there’s a mathematically correct way to sort your socks, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.388502
This week I learned there's a much faster way to sort socks, that the slang word "lit" is a century old, the post office has a floating zip code, and a low-carb diet can make your body...
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Ep. 12: This week I learned why you should celebrate airline baggage fees, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.380853
This week I learned the plus side to baggage fees, a scientific explanation for our love of carbs, that your indoor cat is probably depressed, and a species of coral fish invented a unique and d...
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Ep. 16: This week I learned dogs can tell time with their noses, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.362036
This week I learned the wonderful olfactory world of a dog, a sense of humor may extend your life, how to quickly ease feelings of regret, and how the pineapple became a symbol of hospitality.
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Ep. 20: This week I learned elevator close-door buttons don’t do anything, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.348803
This week I learned you can stop pressing the elevator close button, that having friends at the gym isn't helping you any, disgust is a confidence booster, and marijuana might just improve your ...
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Ep. 24: This week I learned your brain doesn't know the difference between feeling high and feeling spiritual, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.333781
This week I learned your brain doesn't know the difference between feeling high and feeling spiritual, that dogs may actually be self-aware, there's a spider species that's breaking the parentin...
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Ep. 25: This week I learned plants can be conditioned just like Pavlov's dog, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.290173
This week I learned that a plant can learn to change its behavior, poaching has changed the genetic pool of African elephants, sleep deprivation has mood-lifting benefits, and your digital music...
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Ep. 29: This week I learned how fake news can be good for your brain, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.274084
This week I learned that misinformation can actually be good for your memory, dinosaur eggs took ages to hatch, you really need to stop cleaning your ears, and cash may be a public health risk
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Ep. 33: This week I learned dogs dig reggae, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.193908
This week I learned that dogs are calmed by reggae music, that plants call for help with odor, that our oldest ancestor was a gross sack-like creature, and that pendulum clocks 'talk' to each ot...
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37: This week I learned the unexpected ways an asteroid could kill us all, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.171567
This week learned exactly how an asteroid would kill us, how vultures help our ecosystem, that the feeling of nails-on-a-chalkboard may be a distinct emotion, and that elephants get no sleep.
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Ep. 42: This week I learned how Las Vegas once cashed in on'atomic tourism,'and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.154861
This week I learned that going to watch atomic bomb tests was once a mini tourism industry, that we're not sleeping because our brain doesn't think we're tired, that it doesn't always pay to be ...
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Ep. 46: This week I learned squirrels were once America's most beloved pet, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.099673
This week I learned that having a squirrel as a pet was once wildly popular, that you should stop complaining at work, that NASA is running out of spacesuits, and why we wrinkle in the bath.
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Ep. 50: This week I learned flight times are longer now than they were 50 years ago, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.088010
This week I learned why airplanes are flying slower than ever, that mushrooms make it rain, why repeating words renders them useless, about the most villainous spider web in nature.
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Ep. 51: This week I learned the dark origin story of the seat belt, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.082203
This week I learned that the invention of the seat belt has a dark origin story, that ravens can keep a grudge, and that there’s a simpler way to wash your hands.
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Ep. 55: This week I learned even smelling your food can make you fat, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.070138
This week I learned your sense of smell affects how your body deals with calories, that being forgetful is good for the brain, that frogs are master survivors, and that Betty Crocker doesn't exi...
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Ep. 59: This week I learned the only way to use your phone at night without messing with your sleep, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.057286
This week I learned there's hope for nighttime smartphone addicts yet, that talking to yourself in the third person can instantly reduce stress, even babies know who's boss, and that the Mona Li...
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Ep. 63: This week I learned the beloved starfish is a surprisingly brutal killer, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:37.040394
This week I learned that starfish are murderous creatures, how companies can 'own' colors, that scientists are getting fish addicted to drugs to help humans, and that surgeons performed a medica...
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Ep. 64: This week I learned your unfulfilled coffee craving is wreaking havoc with your memory, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:36.996586
This week I learned just how powerful a coffee craving can be, that swordfish heat their eyeballs to hunt in cold water, that wild dogs vote by sneeze, and that Haagen-Dazs isn’t the least bit D...
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Ep. 68: This week I learned spoilers can actually make a story better, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:36.981272
This week I learned why you no longer need to fear the spoiler, that parents' have a gender bias when it comes to their kids, the psychology of why we find clowns so creepy, and that stress caus...
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Ep. 72: This week I learned plants can smell predators coming, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:36.959735
This week I learned plants can sniff out their predators, bacteria have a sense of touch, there's a planet in another solar system where it snows sunscreen, and there might be a very good reason...
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Ep. 76: This week I learned that prehistoric women were ridiculously strong, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:36.938875
This week I learned that our stone-age female ancestors were strong as hell, that turtles breathe through their butts during the winter, that cuddling can change your genetics, and your percepti...
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Ep. 77: This week I learned dogs really are smarter than cats, and more from 2023-12-13T17:51:36.897305
This week I learned that your dog is a nerd, the trick to learning a new skill faster, the tragic reason Canada gives Boston a Christmas tree every year, and that whales also exfoliate their ski...
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Ep. 79: This week I learned that crows make up after fights, and more from 2017-12-22T05:53
This week I learned that a murder of crows has a soft side, that the Vatican paints its walls with milk, that in 1975 all of Iceland's women went on strike, and that mountain climbing can cause ...
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Ep. 78: The week I learned your ice is teeming with bacteria, and more from 2017-12-15T05:08
This week I learned the tasty way to kill the bacteria on your ice, why you should play Super Mario into your old age, that it's illegal to take a photo of the Eiffel Tower at night, and that ou...
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Ep. 75: This week I learned America really struggled to pin down a date for Thanksgiving, and more from 2017-11-24T05:36
This week I learned about the time America celebrate Thanksgiving twice in one year, where the wishbone tradition comes from, that gluten may not be to blame for your gluten sensitivity, and tha...
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Ep. 74: This week I learned the dinosaurs could still be alive today if the asteroid had hit pretty much anywhere else, and more from 2017-11-17T05:16
This week I learned dinosaurs almost weren't wiped out 66 million years ago, that wounds heal faster during the day, that bugs have certain preferences when it comes to your home, and that pengu...
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Ep. 73: This week I learned that dogs can smell happiness, and more from 2017-11-10T05:54
This week I learned that dogs can smell happiness, that bees can also be right-or left-handed, that the Polish composer Frederic Chopin's death-bed request was that his heart be sent back to Pol...
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Ep. 71: This week I learned that salmon sex literally moves mountains, and more from 2017-10-27T04:18
This week I learned how the sweet, sweet love between salmon changes landscapes, that you shouldn't fear the wandering mind, that we're born with a fear of spiders, and that a broken heart is a ...
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Ep. 70: This week I learned worms can smell danger, and more from 2017-10-20T04:09
This week I learned there's so much more to the humble roundworm, that stress can be just as harmful to your body as junk food, that fish get depressed like humans, and that we might not have th...
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Ep. 69: This week I learned how female dolphins are weaponizing their vaginas to fight the underwater patriarchy, and more from 2017-10-13T04:02
This week I learned the badass way that evolution is helping dolphins fend off unwanted males, that the placebo effect has an evil twin, that Nazis once stole an entire room made of amber, and t...
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Ep. 67: This week I learned a good mood can make the flu vaccine more effective, and more from 2017-09-29T04:57
This week I learned good moods can boost the effective rate of the flu vaccine, the benefits of identifying your cat's personality, about an extinct frog with a jaw strength to rival a lion's, a...
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Ep. 66: This week I learned you should absolutely beat yourself up a little the next time you fail, and more from 2017-09-22T04:30
This week I learned that getting emotional after failure is a good thing, that cargo ships out in the open ocean are influencing the weather, why giraffes really have those long necks, ...
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Ep. 65: This week I learned the science behind out-of-body experiences, and more from 2017-09-15T04:27
This week I learned there's nothing mystical about your out-of-body experience, that we're consuming an alarming amount of plastic, that women were also Viking warriors, and that chocolate was o...
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Ep. 62: This week I learned our brains can predict the future, and more from 2017-08-25T04:46
This week I learned your brain can predict the future, that taking photos won't rob you of the moment, why astronauts can't have fresh bread in space, and that there's one type of snake...
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Ep. 61: This week I learned late-night snacking might make you more prone to sunburns, and more from 2017-08-18T04:05
This week I learned that eating too late could make you more sensitive to the sun, that humans and mammals bold hold their babies to the left, that Walt Disney made a ton of propaganda films dur...
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Ep. 60: This week I learned it might be possible to learn while you sleep, and more from 2017-08-11T04:42
This week I learned it might just be possible to learn while you sleep, how the tongue keeps all those tastes straight, that bees understand the concept of zero, and that drugs in sports was onc...
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Ep. 58: This week I learned why so many people order tomato juice on airplanes, and more from 2017-07-28T04:57
I'm on vacation this week! So, I'm sharing some of my favorite discoveries from previous weeks: why airplane food is so bland, the science behind your attractiveness to mosquitoes, why you can s...
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Ep. 57: This week I learned what it would take to obliterate all life on Earth, and more from 2017-07-21T04:55
This week I learned that it would be surprisingly difficult to sterilize the planet, most of our DNA is thankfully useless, women used to be the ones who brewed all of the beer, and that taking ...
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Ep. 56: This week I learned praying mantises are killing your hummingbirds and eating their brains, and more from 2017-07-14T04:14
This week I learned the gruesome way praying mantises are coming for your hummingbirds, the science behind a frog's tongue, grandparents helped us survive in the wild, and that deep-sea dwelling...
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Ep. 54: This week I learned just having your phone nearby is making you dumber, and more from 2017-06-30T04:16
This week I learned your phone is draining your brain just by being around you, blinking is like a teeny tiny nap for your brain, that female vampire bats form tight friendships, and our obsessi...
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Ep. 53: This week I learned that looking at puppies can save your marriage, and more from 2017-06-23T04:07
This week I learned that puppies might be the key to a loving marriage, why heat can ground airplanes, that clownfish are exceptionally dutiful dads, and that the annual mass death of wildebeest...
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Ep. 52: This week I learned that a low-carb diet may be changing your personality, and more from 2017-06-16T04:24
This week I learned that a low-carb diet may be influencing how you make decisions, why Spaniards eat so late, that there’s a species of pine tree that grows at an angle, and why you shouldn’t ...
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Ep. 49: This week I learned how the world's hottest chili would kill you, and more from 2017-05-26T04:55
This week I learned why you shouldn't dare try the hottest chili, that your brain starts to eat itself when you're sleep deprived, why I (and maybe you?!) get an itchy throat when eating some fr...
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Ep. 48: This week I learned about a'zombie madness'that consumed medieval English villagers, and more from 2017-05-19T04:58
This week I learned medieval villagers went to extreme measures to protect themselves from a zombie apocalypse, that happy memories can alleviate stress, that orangutans breastfeed for nearly a ...
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Ep. 47: This week I learned smiling actually makes you look older, and more from 2017-05-12T05:38
This week I learned your smile is aging you, that the language you speak changes your perception of time, about the badass lady pirates of the 18th century, and why stripes mess with our brains....
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Ep. 45: This week I learned female dragonflies will fake death to avoid male suitors, and more from 2017-04-28T04:58
This week I learned female dragonflies have to go to extremes to avoid male suitors, that placebos can mend your broken heart, your dog can 'catch' your emotions, and that there’s a new space ph...
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Ep. 44: This week I learned United once offered men-only flights complete with'manly'services, and more from 2017-04-21T04:27
This week I learned that businessmen could fly in men-only flights, that the look of disgust has evolutionary value, about a new species of shrimp that kills its prey with sound, and why two li...
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Ep. 43: This week I learned you're tying your shoes wrong, and more from 2017-04-14T04:52
This week I learned there's a better way to tie your shoes, that new Supreme Court justices have special humbling duties, that women were recently forbidden from wearing pants on the Senate floo...
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Ep. 41: This week I learned that sleep walking is an evolutionary trait gone terribly wrong, and more from 2017-03-31T05:30
This week I learned why some people walk in their sleep, that leaves could one day heal our hearts, that not so long ago married women couldn't get their own passports, and that emojis are not a...
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Ep. 40: This week I learned the word pink used to mean yellow, and more from 2017-03-24T05:14
This week I learned the word pink used to describe a murky yellowish color, that big eyes helped ancient creatures move from sea to land, that the brains of the blind are super enhanced, and tha...
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Ep. 39: This week I learned some metals have memory, and more from 2017-03-17T05:28
This week I learned that solid metal can remember its former liquid life , that living in the city changes the way you view your future, that your dog is lying to you, and why itching is so cont...
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38: This week I learned you could probably outrun a T. Rex, and more from 2017-03-10T06:47
This week I learned dinosaurs weren't all that fast, there's an ant species that doesn't appear to age, that tattoos may boost your immune system, and that you really shouldn't be drinking so mu...
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Ep. 36: This week I learned why we're all suckers for the good cop/bad cop routine, and more from 2017-02-24T06:44
This week I learned how the good cop/bad cop routine works, that dads also go through hormonal changes after becoming parents, that fish "talk" with their urine, and that Earth has a s...
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Ep. 35: This week I learned honeybees say'oops'when they're startled, and more from 2017-02-17T06:38
This week I learned the sound bees make when they bump into each other, that a well-timed cup of coffee can boost your memory, that goats know their friends, and that giant pandas are FedExed ba...
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Ep. 34: This week I learned that Brazil and France almost went to war over lobster, and more from 2017-02-10T06:54
This week I learned about the Lobster War, the weird reason UPS trucks are so efficient, why whales leap into the air, and that there was once an astronaut who was allergic to the moon.
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Ep. 32: This week I learned ancient otters were terrifyingly huge, and more from 2017-01-27T06:08
This week I learned ancient otter species were terrifyingly huge, that nicotine can neutralize a schizophrenic brain, that rituals can be a performance boost, and that the Declaration of Indepen...
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Ep. 31: This week I learned the CIA once hired psychics for intelligence gathering, and more from 2017-01-20T06:27
This week I learned the CIA spent two decades trying to harness the power of psychics, that vampires are hungry for humans now, that sharks can reproduce without mates, and that the dinosaurs di...
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Ep. 30: This week I learned your appendix might be useful after all, and more from 2017-01-13T06:48
This week I learned your appendix isn't useless, that cramming exercise into your weekends does you some good, what doomed the world's biggest shark, and that adult dogs don't care for your baby...
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Ep. 28: This week I learned 1 in 8 people is carrying around remnants of a twin consumed in the womb, and more from 2016-12-30T06:00
This week I learned there's a pretty good chance you consumed your twin in utero, that garlic can make you smell better, the fascinating story behind a classic tongue twister, and that reindeer ...
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Ep. 27: This week I learned cavemen brushed their teeth, and more from 2016-12-23T06:18
This week I learned our earliest ancestors brushed their teeth, the story behind one of the most delightfully bizarre photos on the internet, that doctors can detect cancer from your breath, a...
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Ep. 26: This week I learned how to tell if a rat is smiling, and more from 2016-12-16T06:54
This week I learned how to tell if a rat is smiling, that viruses may be evolving to go easy on women, the science of why you shouldn't go to bed angry, and the bizarre ways movie producers made...
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Ep. 23: This week I learned'ahoy'was nearly the universal telephone greeting, and more from 2016-11-25T06:19
This week I learned why we say "hello" when we pick up the phone, why making eye contact can seem so impossible, that there was another Gettysburg Address, and the one government agenc...
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Ep. 22: This week I learned Australia wiggles back and forth, pigs can be optimists, and more from 2016-11-18T06:53
This week I learned that the Earth's shifting center of mass moves Australia, that pigs can be optimists, that George Washington was a medical marvel for his time, and that "baby shows"...
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Ep. 21: This week I learned there's a bright side to the gripping fear of death, and more from 2016-11-11T06:02
This week I learned how the fear of death improves your athletic game, that it's better if you don't wash your office coffee mug, why we get a lump in our throat when we cry, and that American w...
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Ep. 19: This week I learned stressful jobs can actually prolong your life, and more from 2016-10-28T05:39
This week I learned the caveat that makes stressful jobs good for your health, the phrase "Patient Zero" was coined accidentally, exposure to a second language during infancy leaves a ...
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Ep. 18: This week I learned fish have accents, and more from 2016-10-21T05:46
This week I learned fish 'speak' with accents, you can trick your brain into relieving an itch, your fridge is destroying your tomato, P.T. Barnum was the Donald Trump of the 1800s.
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Ep. 17: This week I learned your avocado is radioactive, and more from 2016-10-14T05:00
This week I learned you're surrounded by radioactive objects, you'd be smart to use your middle initial, the existential origins of the Nobel Prizes, and some suffragettes used martial arts to ...
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Ep. 15: This week I learned your dog may be smarter than your kid, and more from 2016-09-30T05:20
This week I learned dogs have a problem-solving edge on kids, that your pimply complexion will repay you in old age, a happy spouse improves your health, and your favorite holiday dessert is lyi...
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Ep. 14: This week I learned why turbulence isn’t as scary as it feels, and more from 2016-09-23T05:31
This week I learned we can stop freaking out about air turbulence, that pigeons have reading skills, why we should all be fidgeting at our desks, and what the shape of our ears affects our heari...
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Ep. 13: This week I learned binge watching TV is good for your relationship, and more from 2016-09-16T05:48
This week I learned how your favorite TV shows can help your marriage, your nicotine addiction may be all in your head, science behind a small paper cut's big pain, and how to defend yourself ag...
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Ep. 10: This week I learned how screen addicts can get a good night's sleep, and more from 2016-08-26T05:38
This week I learned some good news for screen addicts, why humans are so hairless, that the Caribbean emits a whistle we can't hear, and that a goat may have helped JFK launch his political care...
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Ep. 9: This week I learned just thinking about exercising improves your fitness, and more from 2016-08-19T05:58
This week I learned you can imagine yourself fit, that Olympians are taxed for their medals, that your brain plays a sweet trick on you when you're rejected, and that there are rules for how you...
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Ep. 8: This week I learned a massive solar storm nearly sparked a nuclear war, and more from 2016-08-12T05:51
This week I learned we very nearly started a nuclear war with the Soviet Union over science, that jewel wasps can turn their prey into zombies, that reading books extends your life, and that the...
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Ep. 6: This week I learned you're charging your phone wrong, and more from 2016-07-29T05:11
This week I learned what stresses out your smartphone battery the most, the mystery behind the most lightening-prone place on Earth, that human speech may have evolved from apes after all, and t...
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Ep. 5: This week I learned why people in old movies talk weird, and more from 2016-07-22T05:18
This week I learned the origins of that old Hollywood accent, about the woman who first invented Monopoly, science-backed tips for curing your gnarly garlic breath, and that NASA hires a team of...
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Ep. 4: This week I learned eating more fruits and veggies makes you happier immediately, and more from 2016-07-15T05:35
This week I learned there's a short-term boost to eating healthy, that dinosaurs didn't roar, that in the 1920s a flood of female mayors were elected into office, and that artificial sweetener m...
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Ep. 1: This week I learned that parts of our body come back to life after we die, and more from 2016-06-23T20:02
This week's fun and interesting facts include a primer on our zombie genes, how delayed exercise can boost your memory, the brief and tasty history of election cakes, and the science of why oni...
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Welcome to This Week I Learned! from 2016-06-22T13:12
This Week I Learned is a weekly curation of fun and fascinating scientifically backed and historically based information from the internet. Quick, concise, and infectiously entertaining, This We...
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