We Were Just Wondering

We all know the feeling: hand raised, confidence high... and then nothing. The dreaded missed high five. In this episode, we dive into the curious history of one of humanity’s most celebratory—and awkward—gestures.

Where did the high five actually come from? Why did it explode into sports and pop culture in the ’80s and ’90s? And what’s really going on in our brains when we slap hands? From Little League memories and “too slow” fake...

Social Security: it sounds straightforward, like something you just “get” when you retire — right after a handshake and maybe a coupon book. But the reality? It’s a tangle of rules, deadlines, penalties, and weird exceptions that no one really explained. Until now.

In this episode, your hosts dig into the fine print behind America’s most confusing subscription plan.

You’ll learn:

– When and how to claim (and why it matters)

– What work...

I’ve lived over 50 years without Reddit. Never needed it for parenting advice, DIY projects, or settling arguments with strangers online. But lately, I’ve started to wonder — is this one of those digital rabbit holes everyone else quietly slipped into while I wasn’t looking? In this episode, we explore what Reddit actually is, how it works, what it does well (and really poorly), and whether it’s become the internet’s town square… o...

Before the internet could fact-check your older cousin in real-time, we had to rely on sleepovers, chain emails, and overheard lunchroom gossip to learn the “truth.” In this episode, we dive headfirst into the hilariously disturbing world of Gen X urban legends — from Pop Rocks and soda-induced deaths to the infamous hotdog story that somehow made it to every high school.

We explore where these myths came from, why we believed them,...

During Prohibition, Americans turned to bootleg booze to skirt the law — but what if the deadliest ingredient wasn’t added by criminals, but by the government itself? In this episode, we dig into a chilling, largely forgotten chapter of U.S. history: when federal officials knowingly poisoned industrial alcohol, fully aware it would be consumed by the public. Thousands died, and officials stood by. Was it deterrence… or something da...

What if retirement doesn’t require a million dollars, a second home, and a yacht named “Escape Plan”? What if it just takes a decent recliner, a working bathroom, and the ability to stream your favorite show without buffering?

In this episode, we wonder out loud — and maybe a little nervously — whether the traditional idea of retirement is outdated, overhyped, or just plain unaffordable. But also: maybe that’s okay?

Join us as we dig...

Once upon a time, we knew the Force. We had the action figures, the comics, the plastic lightsabers, and yes — the moon boots. But somewhere between Ewok TV specials and streaming spinoffs, we lost the thread.

In this episode, we ask the big question: If you used to love Star Wars but now feel completely overwhelmed, where do you even start? We dive into the chaos of canon, the pros and cons of different watch orders (chronological ...

We’ve been told it’s deadly, odorless, and lurking in our basements — but is radon really the threat it’s made out to be? In this episode, we dig into the science, the scare tactics, and the sealed-up homes that might be making the whole problem worse. From questionable data to booming mitigation businesses, we ask: is radon the silent killer… or just a misunderstood gas with a great PR team?

Come wonder with us — and maybe crack a ...

We’ve all been there—locked out of our own lives by a forgotten password that once followed seventeen sacred rules, three of which no longer exist. In this episode, we dig into the maddening world of passwords: why we have too many, why every site has its own weird requirements, and why the future of login tech might be even worse (looking at you, Apple).

From CAPTCHA fatigue to grandma vs. two-factor authentication, we’re wondering...

In this episode, we’re wondering why so many rules—posted on signs, etched into policy, even handed down by courts—seem to exist without consequences. From “Don’t feed the ducks” to “You must wipe down the machine,” the rules are everywhere… and almost nobody follows them. Meanwhile, at the highest levels of power, entire Supreme Court rulings are brushed aside like polite suggestions.

Are rules about justice—or just control? And wh...

Craigslist used to be the undisputed king of online classifieds — the internet’s garage sale, sketchy roommate finder, and missed connections hub all rolled into one. But somewhere along the line… it just stopped being useful.

In this episode, we wonder: What happened? Who is Craig, and is he still alive (spoiler: he is, and he’s actually doing great)? Why does the site still look like it’s allergic to modern design? And why, despit...

Libertarianism promises liberty, minimal government, and free markets. Sounds clean and simple. But has it ever actually worked — or even been tried?

In this episode of We Were Just Wondering, we dig into the origins, principles, and real-world applications of libertarianism. We explore which U.S. presidents came closest to libertarian ideals, what history tells us about its viability, and why it seems to polarize everyone.

Is libert...

Neither of us drinks. We’ve never tried anything stronger than a double espresso.

But a recent episode of The Why Files cracked open our curiosity about psilocybin — the active compound in so-called “magic mushrooms.” So, in true We Were Just Wondering fashion, we dove in.

In this episode, we explore psilocybin’s reported therapeutic benefits, its role in mental health treatment, the science behind those “mystical” experiences, and w...

From sacred guardians of ancient Egypt to apex suburban bird assassins, cats have occupied a peculiar place in human history.

In this episode, we explore the long and complicated relationship between humans and felines — from their rise as revered companions to their controversial role as an invasive species.

Are they purring pets… or precision predators reshaping ecosystems? And what happens when affection clashes with ecolo...

In this episode of We Were Just Wondering, we dig into the viral claim that a lost city has been found — kilometers beneath the Great Pyramids of Giza.

The theory? Synthetic Aperture Radar has uncovered a massive underground structure. The problem? Almost everything about that claim collapses under scrutiny.

We explore what the researchers say, why experts are calling it “fake news,” and how real science gets hijacked by hopeful head...

It started in New Jersey: strange objects in the sky, official silence, and a whole lot of speculation. Soon, sightings spread across the U.S., sparking national investigations, flight restrictions, and conspiracy chatter. But were they really drones?

In our debut episode, we unpack how a mix of authorized flights, misidentified planes, and celestial confusion turned into a full-blown national mystery — and what it says about how w...