Part-Time Genius

Frozen In Time: The Great Blizzard of 1888 - The Bowery Boys: New York City History The tale of the Blizzard of 1888, one of the worst weather events in United States history.

We just re-released our Great Blizzard of 1888 show into the Bowery Boys podcast feed. Hopefully, history doesn't repeat itself with the current storm hammering the American northeast, but it's fascinating to hear how Old New York dealt with a weather catastrophe during the Gilded Age.

Does Listening to Music Make You Healthier? with Daisy Fancourt - Part-Time Genius Reading a book, going to the movies, listening to your favorite band… you call them hobbies, but acclaimed scientist Daisy Fancourt calls them public health strategies. She joins producer Mary to disc...

This just in: going to concerts is good for your health. So is baking a cake, singing (even off-key!), and curling up with a good book.

omny.fm/shows/part-t...

T-Rex: Because I could not stop for Death - Narrator: Continue not stopping for Death - you've got a MUCH more pressing concern! Turn to panel 2 Narrator: See if he'll stop for you instead: panel 3 T-Rex: (I really had to pee) - Narrator: Turn to panel 5

T-Rex: He kindly stopped for me - Narrator: Check in with your bladder: turn to panel 2 Narrator: Examine carriage: turn to panel 4

T-Rex: The Carriage held but just Ourselves - Utahraptor: And Immortality. Narrator: Turn to panel 6 T-Rex: And in the end it worked out fine - Utahraptor: I made it home to pee! Narrator: Turn to panel 6

T-Rex: I call this comic, "Famous Works Of Poetry As They Were Intended To Be Enjoyed, But We Didn't Know About Interactive Media Yet" T-Rex: But now, we DO! Narrator: THE END

CHOOSE YOUR OWN POETIC ADVENTURE WITH EMILY DICKINSON (SHE IS UNAWARE THIS IS HAPPENING; PLEASE DO NOT TELL HER ESTATE)

www.qwantz.com/index.php?co...

A screenshot of WhatsApp: Ash: Sebastián, I have one very pressing question. Sebastián Di Martino: Let me know Ash: Are jaguar soft? Sebastián Di Martino: They are very soft (two hearts on the answer)

Being a journalist is sick: I just contacted a pre-eminent jaguar conservationist in Argentine with a question that has been weighing on me for ages and he wrote back right away with an informed answer.

Hubble Space Telescope — Science Videos - YouTube Videos that take a deeper dive into science and discoveries from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Stuck inside on a snow day? May we suggest watching science videos from the Hubble Space Telescope? 🔭

For those keeping track at home, yes, this is the second time we've asked @davidnagler.bsky.social to write a song about physics. Our secret agenda is to make him write an entire EP's worth of songs about incredibly complicated science. (David is not a scientist.) Stay tuned!

How Close Are We to Teleporting? - Part-Time Genius 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...

Today we're tackling a listener question: how close are we to making teleportation a reality? The answer includes a very catchy song about quantum physics, and a chat with @danielwhiteson.bsky.social about wormholes!

omny.fm/shows/part-t...

Scientists in the Library's Preservation Research and Testing Division recently worked to analyze the colorants in this beautiful entomology book from 1705. Technical studies like this one help provide scholars with insights into where, when and how items in the Library's collection were made.

SATED Space | Award-Winning Zero-Gravity Space Galley Technology SATED Space makes deep space missions feel like home away from home for explorers with innovative, safe, and resource-efficient space galley solutions.

Breaking: SATED space oven inventor Jim Sears (winner of our 2025 Pie in the Sky Award) reached out to let us know he's working with @johnlehndorff.bsky.social, co-founder of the American Pie Council, to create *an actual pie in the sky aka space*.

This story is developing... www.satedspace.com

Cheap Solar Is Transforming Lives and Economies Across Africa

This is one current bright spot for climate and human wellbeing.

A year of mapping the world beneath our feet and advocating for the protection of underground fungal networks.

YouTube video by BionicandtheWires Mushroom in the Wild Playing Keyboard

...and if you want to hear the full-length version of "Mushroom in the Wild Playing Keyboard," it's right here. Earworm alert!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbP2...

A beauty pageant for buffaloes in Thailand raises status of the humble animal The humble water buffalo has become a prized show animal in Thailand. They were celebrated Monday at an annual buffalo racing festival in the city of Chonburi.

And for anyone wondering, there is a photo of Tod the water buffalo about halfway down this page. He really is good looking. The George Clooney of water buffaloes.

apnews.com/article/thai...

Cake in Space, a Musical Mushroom, and a Very Lonely Snail - Part-Time Genius It’s the 44th annual Part-Time Genius Awards! We’re honoring the people—and creatures—behind the year’s best stories, including a fungus that plays keyboards, a rare snail looking for love, a very ner...

It's the greatest day of the year: the annual Part-Time Genius Awards! Our honorees include a guy who invented an oven for astronauts, an especially handsome water buffalo, and the team that finally figured out why ice is slippery.

omny.fm/shows/part-t...

erinmdouglas

Lots of people have written in to request an official Part-Time Genius membership card, so we want to take a moment to shout out the amazing graphic designer who made them: Erin Douglas!

www.erinmdouglas.com

Check out her work, and DM us your address and one fun fact if you want a card too.

Elder Millennial in a green fabric energy dome.

A screaming Kermit the Frog mouth inside an energy dome. My sister Beckett in the background.

Behold, my one of a kind Kermit The Frog Energy Dome! And inside? A screaming Kermit mouth!

Absolutely incredible replies/quotes here. We love archivists and librarians and their archives and libraries SO MUCH

Welcome back, Ratty: water voles return to London With their main predator, the American mink, thought to be eradicated there is hope that one of the stars of The Wind in the Willows will thrive again

Water voles are on the verge of a renaissance in London.

A little Christmas good news story about American mink getting lured to their doom:
www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

We want to share with you this charming piece of holiday ephemera from the Library's Rare Book and Special Collections Division: An 1858 interactive Christmas card featuring a patriotic Santa Claus. 🎄🎅🇺🇸

I hope you replied MAYBE ;)

"They conjure up these really emotive conditions in our soul... We know that something is out there in the dark doing something that we can't do. I think that's one of the real fun things about owls." —Dr. Rocky Gutierrez

Dressed in a spotted owl sweater handmade by his wife, ecologist Rocky Gutierrez explains why he thinks so many people share his love for owls. 🦉

'Tis the season, etc. If you know a nerd who has it all, do they have letterpress posters with motivational science messages?

I've built an old-timey print shop in my basement where I use old printing presses to make modern prints. And you can purchase them!

www.etsy.com/shop/Indispe...

This PEANUTS comic strip was published #OTD on December 11, 1972.

I like that your inner commentators are so complimentary!

I'm not in the West, so I'm going to have to figure out a strategy for working "atmospheric river" into conversations, but believe you me I'll find a way #riversinthesky

Red Lobster never released a commercial with a jingle that went “Shrimply having a wonderful Fishmastime.” That’s why they went bankrupt.

Why Were C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien Frenemies?! Podcast Episode · Part-Time Genius · 12/09/2025 · 36m

While we await Greta Gerwig's Narnia, let's discover some surprising things about C.S. Lewis, like the fact that he had very strong opinions about the movie version of Snow White.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

In North America, you can be attacked if you raise your voice at a goose.

9 Door-Busting Facts About Holiday Shopping - Part-Time Genius Tis the season for commerce, and Gabe and Mary are standing by with answers to all the questions you didn’t know you had. Like: What was the Tickle Me Elmo of ancient Rome? Why was Black Friday almost...

This week we dive into holiday shopping traditions, many of which involve the city of Philadelphia for some reason. Plus, listen to the end for our exclusive gift recommendations! Two words: trash calendars.

omny.fm/shows/part-t...

Attention, Trivia Nerds! It’s A Food Science Fact Feast Flora and “Part-Time Genius” co-host Mangesh Hattikudur put one lucky listener to the test with food science trivia.

🍬 Are you sweet on food science trivia, or does it leave a sour taste in your mouth? From panda diets to hot peppers, we’re teaming up with the @parttimegenius.bsky.social podcast and one lucky listener to deliver a real treat.