Part-Time Genius

Why is Z the last letter of the English alphabet (and why do British people insist on calling it zed)? Who stuck a tail on C and called it G? And is there a reason why the I in ‘child’ and ‘children’ sounds different? (Spoiler alert: Yes!) Linguist Danny Bate stops by to unpack the mysteries of the alphabet and discuss his delightful new book, Why Q Needs U: A History of Our Letters and How We Use Them.

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Should goalies get more bathroom breaks? Can a daily banana basket help players feel less homesick? And did a North Korean dictator invent a secret technology to guarantee more wins? Gear up, because Will and Mango have nine strange-but-true facts about the biggest tournament in soccer (which some of you call football)!

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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. 

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Skyline Drive season 2 starts June 9! Subscribe on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here, and we’ve reached the finale! Mangesh makes some trips to an old family home, a seaside town in South Goa,  and visits with a Tantric astrologer (it's not what you think...

Antarctica has lots of penguins, but only one ATM. Will and Mango bundle up for this look at everyday life on the iciest continent, from the plumbing challenges to the reason why the South Pole moves every year. Featuring all-star Antarctica Artist-in-Residence Jynne Dilling Martin.

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This episode originally aired on October...

They’re nature’s biggest weirdo: adorable egg-laying mammals that can inflict some serious pain. Today Will and Mango drop nine facts about the platypus, including the actual correct pluralization (hint: it’s not what you think it is) and the time scientists were convinced its existence was a prank. Which, fair!

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While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here, and we’re up to episode 7! Mangesh travels to India to find a horoscope written about him centuries ago and waiting for him in a shop in rural Tamil Nadu... but it isn't long before everything starts going wrong! 

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Who invented the vuvuzela, and why? Should every party include a sousaphone? And is it possible to make music with vegetables? Today Will and Mango discuss 9 instruments they don't want their kids practicing inside the house!

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This episode originally aired on August 23, 2018.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

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Why did so many ninjas walk around with crickets? Why did they like to keep pocket change on them? And what does it mean when a ninja sends you a packet of dried fish? Today Will and Mango look to the past to distinguish ninja truths from ninja fiction!

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This episode originally aired on November 2, 2018.

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While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here, and we’re up to episode 6! As George navigates the Los Angeles dating scene, one thing keeps derailing his relationships: every girl he’s into is "too into astrology." Plus, Mangesh’s mom tells him about a bizarre curse that’s been plaguing his family for generations, and we dis...

Tony Danza. Tony the Tiger. The Tonys. What do they have in common? (Look closely and you'll get it.) Today Will and Mango are sharing nine facts about people named Tony!

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Photo of Tony Danza via Wikimedia Commons.

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When Ben Franklin took over the USPS, he couldn’t have predicted the crazy ways the institution would evolve. From pneumatic tubes to missiles filled with mail, Will and Mango dig into the Post Office's weirdest experiments, and find out why Olympic athletes can no longer mail themselves home when they lose a wallet. Featuring Nancy Pope of the National Postal Museum.

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While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here, and we’re up to episode 5! As Annie attempts to clean out her parents’ garage and sort their finances, she has an unusual question for our astrologer. Meanwhile, Mangesh learns how astrology is affecting the world of C-sections, discusses reading babies' palms in utero, and hears a surprisi...

We bake them, fry them, mash them, and even turn them into toys, but potatoes weren't always so beloved. In fact, there was a time when they were considered such a threat to humanity, they were declared illegal! Today Will and Mango are serving up nine starch-tastic facts about the humble spud, from its long journey to our tables, to Ben Franklin's role as a potato influencer, to the ridiculous parade float that inspired the term "...

From ancient Chinese lie detection methods involving a mouthful of rice, to the clever ways toddlers and birds stretch the truth, to the surprisingly honest way that Charles Ponzi got his start in business, Will and Mango have a whole lot to say about lying (honestly!).

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This episode originally aired on January 25, 2025.

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While Mangesh (aka Mango) is busy working on season 2 of his other show, Skyline Drive, we’re revisiting season 1 right here! 

We’re up to episode 4. Michelle’s friends are desperate to get her a reading. But Michelle, a devoted ARMY, is more interested in seeing what the future holds for BTS. Plus, we dig into baseball astrology and discover why you might want to swap your emeralds for bananas.

Skyline Drive...

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s name isn’t widely known, but his painting of dogs playing poker (aka “A Friend in Need”) is iconic. Today we discover the truth about one of America’s most forgotten artists, from his early days in banking to his hijinks in the Freemasons. Plus: Why we love dogs and kitsch in art.

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For all our schooling, no one ever taught us the best way to sit. Also, no one told us the ideal office temperature for maximum productivity. Or explained why cracking jokes might be helpful for elevating status in the workplace. And certainly none of our professors told us why writing in the nude is a great hack for hitting deadlines. To bridge these important educational gaps, today Will and Mango explore all the very best ways t...

Hey PTG fans, Mangesh (aka Mango) has another show, Skyline Drive! On Sundays we’ll be sharing episodes from season 1 right here, so you can get excited for season 2, which drops in June.

We’re up to episode 3, in which Mangesh and producer Mary travel back in time to the 1980s, to uncover the truth about Nancy Reagan’s obsession with astrology and how that changed the course of American history.

Skyline Drive was...