Part-Time Genius

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do movie theaters limit their audiences to 299 seats? Did dishware really save the movie industry? And why is Lara Croft: Tomb Raider considered a Hollywood masterpiece? (spoiler: it has nothing to do with the plot!) Grab your popcorn and turn off your ringers as Will and Mango head to the movies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. But what exactly were malls intended to be? Why did the inventor of the mall try to distance himself from his greatest invention? And why are there never any escalators in the middle of them? Will and Mango dig in.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will and Mango dig wonder: how hard it is to bring a species back from extinction? Plus: why do people wake up in the morgue after being declared dead? Why are fish markets the best places to look for extinct species? And can resurrecting the Wooly Mammoth help us solve climate change?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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? Whatever the cause, Thurgood Marshall's life story is remarkable. From watching trials as a child to almost getting lynched for trying cases in the deep South, Will and Mango look back at the life and legacy of one of America's greatest legal minds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a billionaire realized his $125,000 bottle of wine might be fake, he hired a crack team to solve the case. This is the story of a private investigator, a motley crew of geniuses, and a fine wine that supposedly belonged to Thomas Jefferson! Plus: Will and Mango discuss Prohibition wines, the Scottish Four Loko, and why badminton gave wine crimes a bad name. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9/11 changed Rick Steves and how he wanted to approach writing about the world. In this special interview, Will and Mango sit down with legendary PBS host and travel writer Rick Steves to talk about the newest edition of "Travel as a Political Act", why watching a Sufi dance can be such a transcendent moment, and whether the best French cheeses really smell like "Angel's Feet." (They don't.) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, Will and Mango look into the long history of lotteries and the geniuses who've managed to game them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. From which drugs work best on toothaches, to which ones are best for hangovers, Will and Mango explore the strange world of painkillers. Plus: why, 5 years from now, you might be replacing your pills with a phone, a pair of goggles and some green apple air freshener. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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? Will and Mango scour the web for some fun facts on Brazil. (Plus, you probably did overpay for that snake.) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.