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Part-Time Genius

Part-Time Genius

By: iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
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Are you a knowledge junkie who loves when facts are stranger than fiction? Do you find yourself constantly tripping down Wikipedia rabbit holes (and delighting in the journey)? Have you ever been told you ask a lot of questions? If so, congrats! You’re one of us: a Part-Time Genius! Join Will, Mango, and the team as we scour the globe in search of obscure facts, offbeat locales, and hidden histories. Along the way, we’ll chat with experts, play some games, get in touch with our silly side, and celebrate the fine art of staying curious.

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Episodes
  • How Do People Game the Lottery?

    How Do People Game the Lottery?
    Jan 9 2026

    From the Canadian professor who found patterns in scratch-off lottery tickets, to the Michigan couple that turned a lottery flaw into their retirement savings plan, to the strange reason you should hold onto any lottery ticket that has Herbert Hoover's face on it, Will and Mango look into the long history of lotteries... and the geniuses who've managed to game them.

    This episode originally aired on June 13, 2018.

    Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Tell us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925.

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Erik Mclean via Unsplash. Thanks, Erik!

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    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    38 mins
  • Why Did the Inventor of Shopping Malls Hate Malls?

    Why Did the Inventor of Shopping Malls Hate Malls?
    Jan 6 2026

    While no one is going to malls (or so it seems), everyone seems to be talking about them: the CDC is writing up reports on mall walkers, people are growing beards to get into the mall Santa game, and writers are waxing nostalgic about them. But what exactly were malls intended to be? Why did the inventor of the mall try to distance himself from his greatest invention? And why are there never any escalators in the middle of them? Will and Mango dig in.

    This episode originally aired on May 28, 2019.

    Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Tell us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925.

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo of Boston's Copley Place Mall by Ethan Hansen via Unsplash. Thanks, Ethan!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    33 mins
  • 9 High-Flying Facts About Skywriting!

    9 High-Flying Facts About Skywriting!
    Jan 2 2026

    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?

    This episode originally aired on December 3, 2024.

    Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Tell us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925.

    Follow us on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social!

    Photo by Sebastian Davenport-Handley via Unsplash. Thanks, Sebastian!

    Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
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