Interesting Things with JC
Interesting Things with JC is a new podcast mini series, with highlight on some of the more interesting historical stories, current events as well as under-told stories.
Episodes
Interesting Things with JC #1516: "When New Year’s Eve Finally Changed Television" – For decades, no scripted series dared to end on the noisiest night of the year. Then one show rewrote the rules, by making midnight the main character.
Interesting Things with JC #1515: "Brigitte Bardot" – The goddess has left us at 91. Brigitte Bardot didn't chase stardom, she embodied it with ballet grace, barefoot sensuality in "And God Created Woman" and the courage to walk away untamed. This episode mourns the legend while celebrating the woman who redefined feminine freedom on her own terms.
Interesting Things with JC #1514: "Artificial Photosynthesis" – Plants have always made food from sunlight. Now scientists are finding new ways to turn light into fuel with more power and purpose.
Interesting Things with JC #1513: "What Makes Cheese Sharp?" – You grab a slice thinking it’ll be mild, and it hits harder than expected. Let's find out why!
Interesting Things with JC #1512: "Learned Helplessness" – When effort stops changing outcomes, something subtle shifts. Born in a 1967 laboratory, learned helplessness explains why people stop testing exits that are still open. Sometimes the hardest step is believing the barrier can be crossed.
Interesting Things with JC #1511: "Faith No More – Midlife Crisis" – By the time “Midlife Crisis” hit the radio, Faith No More had already survived success. This wasn’t a song about age or fame…it was about what happens when attention replaces meaning, and a band decides it won’t play along.
Interesting Things with JC #1510: "Jesus Outside the Bible" – By every normal historical measure, Jesus should have vanished without a trace. Instead, Roman officials, Jewish historians, and rival faiths kept writing about him, often in opposition. When even his critics can’t ignore him, history itself is telling a story.
Interesting Things with JC #1509: "Christmas Eve, Earthrise" – Christmas Eve 1968: Three astronauts orbit the Moon and witness Earth rising over the lunar horizon. Bill Anders’ spontaneous photograph captured our fragile blue planet like never before, sparking wonder, unity, and the modern environmental movement in a single frame.
Interesting Things with JC #1508: “The Log That Gave Gifts” – They feed it. They cover it. They sing threats... then beat it with sticks until it finally poops out presents. Meet Catalonia’s Caga Tió: the wildest, most joyful Christmas tradition you’ve never heard of.
Interesting Things with JC #1507: "The Orange in the Stocking" – In a hard winter, a single piece of fruit could carry the weight of hope. This episode traces a quiet Christmas tradition born of scarcity, kindness, and the power of small things to last a lifetime.
Interesting Things with JC #1506: "Eating the Top Tier of the Wedding Cake" – Saving the cake wasn’t romantic at first. It was practical, hopeful, and rooted in an uncertain future. What we taste now is really a measure of time.
Interesting Things with JC #1505: "Misheard Lyrics" – Your brain does not hear what singers sing. It hears what it expects. From “kiss the sky” to “kiss this guy,” this episode explores why the wrong words feel so right, and why you can never unhear them.
Interesting Things with JC #1504: "The NCAA Football Playoff Bracket" – The outrage in 2025 wasn’t about one team getting in. It was about watching wins matter less than brands, records lose to ratings, and a system bend without needing to. When did winning stop being enough?
Interesting Things with JC #1503: "Gravity and Heavy Energy" – For most of history, gravity wasn’t debated. Things fell because that’s what they did. This episode looks at how height and position carry real consequences, and why something that isn’t moving can still do serious damage.
Interesting Things with JC #1502: “The World’s Largest Pinecone Isn’t What You Think” – Hidden inside Vatican City stands a bronze pinecone taller than a house, cast nearly two thousand years ago and quietly endured ever since. It’s not novelty or record chasing...it’s scale, symbolism, and survival that outlived an empire.
Interesting Things with JC #1501: "When Metal Touches Metal in Space" – In orbit, metal doesn’t behave. When clean surfaces meet in a vacuum, they can fuse into a single piece, locking parts forever. It’s a physics trap that nearly ended missions, and still shapes every move made in space.
Interesting Things with JC #1500: "James Brown - Inmate 155413" – On December 15, 1988, the Godfather of Soul woke up as a prisoner, not a performer. This is the moment when unmatched influence collided with consequence, and fame offered no shield.
Interesting Things with JC #1499: "Dance Hall Days" – Before the neon, before the synths, there were floors that creaked and shoes that scuffed. This one hit track holds more ghosts than glitter.
Interesting Things with JC #1498: "The History of Hot Tubs" – From ancient stone pools to backyard bubbles, people have been sinking into hot water for the same reason: relief. Greeks soaked, Romans socialized, presidents healed, and engineers added jets!
Interesting Things with JC #1497: "French Fries" – What we call fries began as a way for families to get through the bitter cold when the river froze. A simple food with a tougher story behind it.
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