Decoder Ring is the show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit;... more
Host Willa Paskin and producer Katie Shepherd discuss how this season of Decoder Ring came together. Slate Plus members have access... more
We’re really lucky to get a lot of listener emails, suggesting topics for the show. In this episode, we’re going... more
(This episode originally aired in March 2020.) The 1998 romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, is... more
Ross Cellino and Steve Barnes were two Buffalo-based lawyers who became the literal poster-men for personal injury advertising. They poured... more
We bring you a special episode from the Articles of Interest podcast hosted by Avery Trufelman about the incredible reach... more
For this episode, a story from Slate senior producer Evan Chung about how Yanni, John Tesh and a number of... more
For about two decades towards the end of the Victorian era, in the 1870s and 1880s, a large bustle-enhanced bottom... more
In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a... more
Decoder Ring is back with a new season of juicy topics, like.... Remember the viral phenomenon and optical mind-blower known... more
McGruff the Crime Dog arrived on the scene at the dawn of the 1980s, just as a firehose of anti-drug... more