Part-Time Genius

Is cooking and preserving your food underground the hottest new culinary trend?! Probably not. But it is fascinating! From mummified victuals to Appalachian cabbage, bean hole suppers to Peruvian pachamancas, Will and Mango dig into a world of underground cuisines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Will and Mango as they announce the very prestigious 43rd Annual Part-Time Genius Awards, where the duo celebrates everything from 2024's greatest economic innovation (it involves Seagulls) to advances in human-snail relations, to celebrating the year's best villain (you'll definitely want to invite him over to your place). If you have a question or comment for the show, hit us up on Instagram at the handle @parttimegenius. We're waiting to hear from you!!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you're trying to spot a Michelin critic in the wild, or you're on the hunt for the world's best reindeer tartar with moss and fermented mushroom (a very common thing listeners ask us about), we've got you covered. From Katy Perry's Michelin mishap, to chefs trying to sue the guide because they want more stars, to the bizarre reason the Michelin Man prefers to pair his meals with a goblet full of nails, we've prepared a piping hot plate of facts for you. (Go ahead and tuck in!) ... Want to get in touch? Whether you want to share a fact, story, or even just let us know how we're doing, you can write our moms (Lalita and Paulette) at PTGeniusMoms@gmail.com. Don't worry. They'll pass the message along. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Mark Twain's bizarre hatred of Jane Austen, to the heated argument that launched two great grocery stores, to the strange prank that ended two comedians' legendary partnership, this episode, Mango and super-producer Mary go looking for historical beef and find plenty of sizzle! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turns out, the history of Board Games isn't as simple as just passing Go and collecting $200. From the surprising way Abraham Lincoln's beard changed Milton Bradley's career, to the socialist board game that took off on Ivy League campuses, to the ancient Sumerian board game you can still play, this episode Will and Mango go wild game hunting and come back with plenty of stories to tell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can smiling during running improve your marathon time? Will an old age app help you make better resolutions? And is there real science behind the Coffee Nap? Will and Mango examine big and little ways to improve your 2018, including why you'll probably need to carry a plunger around with you in the New Year. Featuring Mango's wife, Lizzie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab a mug of cocoa and hit play already! From Renaissance snow angels to an award-winning trick for never slipping in the snow, Will and Mango have a special wintery mix ready for your snow day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to know why George Washington's eggnog was so potent? Or how new immigrants partied on Ellis Island? Or what was the wildest party to ever take place at West Point? Or the very particular way that Thomas Edison changed the way we make shrubbery more festive? You're in luck! Will and Mango get the lowdown on just a few of the historical parties they weren't invited to. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to know why Indonesian postal workers have one of the hardest jobs in the world? Or why the country is the best place to find new bird species? Or why it's an honor when someone makes you a tall glass of jammu? From the best types of fabric to throw into a volcano to make it stop erupting, to how to track a super-short Sasquatch, Will and Mango scour the country's 17,000+ islands to bring you Indonesia's best facts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you're trying to analyze your sled dogs' athletic performance, get your pooch to stop barking at the mailman or simply trying to get an extra year or two with man's best friend, the newest doggy technologies have a solve for you and your very best boy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People have been writing by hand for thousands of years—ever since the Mesopotamians started doodling in cuneiform. That means there’s a vast, inky world for Will and Mango to explore, from the difference between scribes and scriveners to the best feathers for quill pens. They also reveal a shocking truth about fountain pens, and discover all the ways handwriting benefits our brains. (Yes, we recognize the irony of typing that.) Have a favorite pen? Upload a photo and tag us on Instagram @parttimegenius. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Tis the season for knitwear! So we’re celebrating sweaters of all shapes and sizes. Did you know that the ugly Christmas sweater trend got its start over a hundred years ago? Or that American soldiers in WWI had beef with amateur knitters? We cover all that and more, including the most expensive sweater ever sold and delightful facts about sweater-loving celebrities like Mr. Rogers, Weezer, and… Sting? Look, if this episode doesn’t give you the warm fuzzies, we don’t know what will. Show us your best, weirdest, and/or ugliest sweaters! Tag us on Instagram @parttimegenius. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pack your bags! Today, Will and Mango are taking you on a trip to Europe’s second-least visited country: Liechtenstein. Along the way, we’ll discover how this tiny spot on the map came to exist (spoiler alert, it’s all thanks to a guy named Karl), and we’ll delve into its fascinating economy, which relies heavily on tax incentives and false teeth. Need a lunch break? No problem, we’ll pull over at the country’s only McDonald’s, and learn about the world-famous Liechtenstein wines (Liechtenwines?). If you have a Liechtenstein travel story of your own, please share it with us on Instagram! We’re @parttimegenius. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… an ad for cigarettes?! For the past 102 years, people have been using airplanes to turn exhaust into ads, political slogans, birthday greetings, and more. But where did this strangely brilliant idea come from? What kind of sorcery do pilots use to make it happen? And why is it at risk of becoming a lost art? If you have a question or comment for the show, hit us up on Instagram @parttimegenius (it’s easier than renting a plane). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Which airport should you hang out at if you want to meet a mini-horse? Why is the art in the Denver Airport so evil? And are TSA agents more likely to search you if you're carrying an Almanac? Will and Mango investigate. You don’t need to travel to find us on Instagram. Just go to @parttimegenius. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Will and Mango celebrate their own wonderful grandmas by paying tribute to a whole world of awesome grandmothers. From a cuddly graffiti gang in Europe, to a group of grandmas who advanced our understanding of marine science, to a few celebrities who never would have gotten where they were if it weren't for their Mamaws, here's to all the grandmothers and grandmother-figures we're so lucky to have in our lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s an important day in Holmes history, so Mango is joined by Part-Time Genius super producer/Sherlockian Mary to explore some lesser-known facts about the greatest detective ever written. Grab a magnifying glass and your deerstalker, and discover the weird connection between Sherlock and Popeye, the real-life man who may have inspired Professor Moriarty, and the unsolved mystery of the first Sherlock Holmes movie! Yes-- that's a photo of Mangesh as a 3rd grader the first of two years in a row that he went as Sherlock Holmes for Halloween. You don’t need any deductive skills to find us on Instagram. Just go to @parttimegenius. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 2020, while the entire world was shutting down, Doug and Jason Barrow, brothers and owners of Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea, had other problems. One morning at the office, one of their employees said the building smelled like campfire. Now roasting coffee does get a little toasty—but never like this. Join Ben and Tanya as they chat with the Barrow brothers about their business's phoenix-like comeback. Discover how they rebounded, securing fresh funding, finding unexpected allies, and building a dedicated support team that propelled them to greater heights. These are The Unshakeables. The Unshakeables is brought to you by Chase for Business and Ruby Studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many years, Intel has been developing AI technologies that can empower people with disabilities, and improve accessibility in our modern world. Disabilities come in all forms, and as we develop technology and tools, the taboo associated with such disabilities lessen over time. Muteness, for example, evolved into the rich sign languages used all over the world but with the adoption of AI, those who struggle to speak have even more options for communicating. Discover how AI is breaking down barriers, enhancing mobility, and promoting inclusivity. Join the conversation with XIMERA LLC co-founder, Jagadish Mahendran, and AI Evangelist, Lama Nachman as they dive into the many ways AI is making a meaningful difference in the lives of those with disabilities. Learn more about how Intel is leading the charge in the AI Revolution at Intel.com/stories ***The voice cloning feature was developed by Klassic Studios. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Open-source innovation is the future of AI. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Tim Harford discuss the open-source AI community with Jeff Boudier, head of product and growth at Hugging Face. They chat about the history and future of open-source AI, its critical importance to AI progress, the IBM watsonx partnership with Hugging Face, and how businesses can leverage open-source AI for their specific needs. Visit us at: https://www.ibm.com/smarttalks/ Learn more about the Hugging Face partnership: https://newsroom.ibm.com/2023-08-24-IBM-to-Participate-in-235M-Series-D-Funding-Round-of-Hugging-Face Learn more about the Google DeepMind paper referenced in this episode: https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2017/file/3f5ee243547dee91fbd053c1c4a845aa-Paper.pdf This is a paid advertisement from IBM. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.