Human ingenuity knows no limits! Today Will, Gabe, and Mango raid the United States Patent Office to find some of the weirdest, funniest, and most confusing inventions of all time.

This episode originally aired on April 7, 2020.

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Photo of a gerbil (not in the gerbil transport vest) by Silje Roseneng via Unsplash. Thanks, Silje!

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Join Will and Mango as they try to mediate the world’s weirdest arguments about borders, including the ongoing fight for an island of puffins and a centuries-old struggle to control a quarter mile of mountain. Plus: One man’s efforts to make his daughter an abandoned desert princess, and “the turducken of border disputes,” which involved a corner of India inside Bangladesh which was inside India but also inside Bangladesh.

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Photo by Kyle Glenn via Unsplash. Thanks, Kyle!

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Why are people getting plastic surgery on their fingerprints? Why was the Civil War such a golden era for procedures? And why is everyone suddenly obsessed with the length of their philtrums? Will and Mango take a brisk walk through the history of plastic surgery.

This episode originally aired on January 25, 2019.

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Photo of Civil War veterans by the American Press Association via the Library of Congress.

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Teleportation is a major mode of travel in science fiction, but when will it become a reality? To find out, Mango and Gabe are grappling with the history and theoretical science behind one of humanity’s most anticipated technologies. Along the way, they explore the surprising connection between teleportation and ancient stage magic, and introduce you to the most romantic song about quantum entanglement that you’ve ever heard. (Probably.)

• Check out David Nagler’s website and his band, As For the Future!
• Listen to Mangesh’s conversation with Daniel Whiteson about aliens, physics, and alien physics!
• Learn more about Daniel’s work, books, and podcast at his website!

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Photo by Logan Gutierrez via Unsplash. Thanks, Logan!

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From the treasury joker who snuck his face on some cash, to Theodore Roosevelt’s drastic redesign for the penny, to the very best reason Harriet Tubman belongs on the $20, Will and Mango are diving into dollar bill facts Scrooge McDuck-style.

This episode originally aired on January 31, 2019.

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Photo by Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash. Thanks, Giorgio!

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Will and Mango are starting the new year strong by counting down their favorite cultural works that just entered the public domain. From cartoon queens and detective stories to Dutch abstract art and one of the most recorded songs in history, this year’s crop has something for everyone. Plus: How the Harlem Globetrotters got their theme song, and the origin of the Dagwood sandwich!

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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.

This episode originally aired on June 13, 2018.

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Photo by Erik Mclean via Unsplash. Thanks, Erik!

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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.

This episode originally aired on May 28, 2019.

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Photo of Boston's Copley Place Mall by Ethan Hansen via Unsplash. Thanks, Ethan!

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