This week on Always Wondered, we explore your brain’s favorite pastime - Phobias! Why does something that seems totally harmless suddenly have our knees knocking? We’ll try to make sense of it all. Also, how come one of your shoelaces always comes untied before the other? Science has actually studied this, and we’ll have the details. Plus, we dive into one of the great mysteries of grocery shopping. Why do hot dogs come ten to a pack, but buns only eight to a pack? So join host Rick Peterson as he answers more of the questions you’ve Always Wondered about.

On this episode, St. Patrick’s Day is filled with tradition. But it turns out that many of those myths were invented by someone who probably had one too many green beers! We’ll cut through all the blarney. Also - hear the story of what may be the craziest toy ever marketed to kids. (Spoiler alert: you might want to have a Geiger counter handy!) Plus - why do we say “shh’ whenever we want quiet? Is it science? Instinct? Or just humanity’s universal sound for “zip it”? So join host Rick Peterson as he answers more of the questions you’ve Always Wondered about.

On this episode, St. Patrick’s Day is filled with tradition. But it turns out that many of those myths were invented by someone who probably had one too many green beers! We’ll cut through all the blarney. Also - hear the story of what may be the craziest toy ever marketed to kids. (Spoiler alert: you might want to have a Geiger counter handy!) Plus - why do we say “shh’ whenever we want quiet? Is it science? Instinct? Or just humanity’s universal sound for “zip it”? So join host Rick Peterson as he answers more of the questions you’ve Always Wondered about.

On this episode, we dive into the surprisingly spooky reason we throw salt over our shoulders. Are we trying to season evil spirits or simply wasting perfectly good sodium chloride? We have all the salty details. Also, why did Fairy Tales originally seem like nightmare fuel? There was actually a very good reason, and you’ll hear the story. Plus, we explain the origin of the phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve”. It turns out it’s much more than just a dramatic fashion statement! So join host Rick Peterson as he answers more of the questions you’ve Always Wondered about.

On this upcoming episode, we dive into the surprisingly spooky reason we throw salt over our shoulders. Are we trying to season evil spirits or simply wasting perfectly good sodium chloride? We have all the salty details. Also, why did Fairy Tales originally seem like nightmare fuel? There was actually a very good reason, and you’ll hear the story. Plus, we explain the origin of the phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve”. It turns out it’s much more than just a dramatic fashion statement! So join host Rick Peterson as he answers more of the questions you’ve Always Wondered about.

In this episode, we explore the concept of Karma. Is it really an ancient cosmic justice system, or just the universe’s most aggressive rumor? Also, the weather can be weird, but what fell from the skies over Kentucky in 1876 defies description! You’ll probably want an umbrella handy when you hear this one. Plus - we tackle one of humanity’s boldest experiments in collective confusion. Yup, it’s Daylight Saving Time. (Need we say more?) So join host Rick Peterson as he answers more of the questions you’ve Always Wondered about.

On this upcoming episode, we explore Karma. Is it really an ancient cosmic justice system, or just the universe’s most aggressive rumor? Also, the weather can be weird, but what fell from the skies over Kentucky in 1876 defies description! You’ll probably want an umbrella handy when you hear this one. Plus - we tackle one of humanity’s boldest experiments in collective confusion. Yup, it’s Daylight Saving Time. (Need we say more?) So join host Rick Peterson as he answers more of the questions you’ve Always Wondered about.

On this episode, we tackle the prickly mystery of goosebumps. Why is it whenever we get scared, our skin decides to do tiny hair push-ups? We’ve got the details. Also, we’ll reveal what may be the strangest Cold War military plot ever devised. Spoiler alert: you’ll never look at the Moon the same way again! Plus - it’s our very first Always Wondered Pop Quiz. (But don’t worry. This test won’t count toward your final grade.) So join host Rick Peterson as he answers more of the questions you’ve Always Wondered about.