It’s our annual mailbag episode! We get a lot of wonderful reader emails suggesting topics for the show — and... more

The mullet, the love-to-hate-it hairstyle, is as associated with the 1980’s as Ronald Reagan, junk bonds, and breakdancing. But in... more

In 1980, a variety show debuted on NBC called Pink Lady and Jeff. Its stars were a pair of Japanese... more

The fear that the Earth could be destroyed by a killer asteroid is an anxiety that pops up all the... more

There is a prominent bird in the 2000 film Charlie’s Angels that makes absolutely no sense. This so-called Pygmy Nuthatch... more

Whatever happened to selling out? The defining concern of Generation X has become a relic from another era. How that... more

Oscar-winner Warren Beatty first secured the rights to the comic book character Dick Tracy in the lead up to his... more

Adults have a long history of trying to find morals and lessons in children’s literature. But what happens when a... more

In the late 1970s, a new and unusual concept for a restaurant chain emerged in California—video games plus bad pizza... more

“Hysteria” is an ancient word carrying thousands of years of baggage. Though the terminology has changed, hysteria has not gone... more

If you’re lucky, it’s possible you’ve never thought much about sitting. It’s just something your body does, like breathing or... more

Lawn ornaments are everywhere—but for something so ubiquitous, they’re also mysterious. What’s the person with the flamingo or the gargoyle... more

Axolotls. Narwhals. Llamas. Sloths. Every few years, it seems like American kids and parents collectively decide they cannot get enough... more

30 years ago, the Stanley Cup playoffs ignited a rumor that has been messing with Jane Macdougall’s life ever since.  In... more

In 1990, the cartoon superhero Captain Planet swooped onto TV screens all over the world. He was the brainchild of... more

A fat suit is a custom-made costume with one goal: to make an actor appear fat without them actually having... more

The jalapeño is the workhorse of hot peppers. They’re sold fresh, canned, pickled, in hot sauces, salsas, smoked into chipotles, and... more

We’re bringing you an episode of The Last Archive from our friends at Pushkin Industries. In this episode: an exploration... more

Pop culture is full of fictional bands singing songs purpose-made to capture a moment, a sound. This music doesn’t organically... more

Magazines have fallen on hard times – especially the weekly news, fashion, and celebrity mags that once dominated newsstands. The... more

In 1986, Andrew Wyeth was the most famous painter in America. He was a household name, on the cover of... more

Like a manager or an agent or a publicist, a stylist has become a kind of must-have accessory for well-dressed,... more

Thirty years ago, a new kind of soda arrived in select stores. Instead of crowing about how spectacular it was,... more

The eerie similarity of coffee shops all over the world was so confounding to Kyle Chayka that it led him... more

We’re back with a new batch of cultural mysteries! This year, we’re putting out more new episodes—like many more of... more

In 1992, a Minnesota-based software company known for its educational hit The Oregon Trail released another simulation-style game to school... more

From the moment it was released in 1995, The Rules was controversial. Some people loved it—and swore that the dating... more

We receive a lot of fantastic show ideas from our listeners—and we’re grateful for each and every one. For our... more

In the mid-1990s, the prime time drama Melrose Place became a home to hundreds of pieces of contemporary art—and no... more

Judging from teen dramas on Netflix, the slow dance seems to be alive and well. But when you talk to... more

We’re back with a new batch of cultural mysteries! This season, Decoder Ring explores the decline of an awkward yet... more

Once you start listening for catchphrases in everyday life—you can’t stop hearing them. From the radio era’s “Holy mackerel!” to... more

When Slate’s Evan Chung was a kid, he was obsessed with a mysterious advertisement that ran for decades in the... more

Kissing—the romantic, sexual, steamy kind—is so ingrained in us that it just seems like a fact of life. Like breathing... more

The mosh pit has a reputation as a violent place where (mostly) white guys vent their aggression. There’s some truth... more

Parmesan is a food—but it’s not just a food. Italy’s beloved cheese is often paired with a deep craving for... more

Join Decoder Ring as we unlock a whole new season of cultural mysteries. First, we’ll sniff around Italy’s best-loved cheese... more

We pride ourselves on being grounded, rational beings, but flitting amongst us is a mystery: the Tooth Fairy. This flying... more

Parking is one of the great paradoxes of American life. On the one hand, we have paved an ungodly amount... more

We bring you a special episode from Sidedoor, a podcast about the treasures that fill the vaults of the Smithsonian.... more