Best Protos Learning Podcasts (2025)

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A Fair In Washington State Is Famous For Its Spaceburgers 3:00

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1h ago3:00

3:00

If you’re near Moses Lake, Washington, in the next couple days, you can try an iconic fair food: the Spaceburger. Plus: today in 1911, Hawaii's Duke Kahanamoku breaks a world swimming record by so much that the athletic organizers can't quite believe it. History & Mysteries of the “Space Burger” in Moses Lake, WA (The Quake 102.1) Duke Kahanamoku (…

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Here’s A Robot That’s Learning To Make Us Pizzas 3:02

5h ago3:02

3:02

We've done a lot of shows about robots, and we've done a lot of shows about pizza. Now, we're doing a show about a robot that's learning to make pizza with help from a team at Virginia Tech. Plus: Baltimore is home to the world’s tallest five-sided building in which the sides are all equal length. But first, pizza: Team creates assistive robotics t…

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The Winchester Mystery House Probably Wasn’t Built To Be Mysterious 3:53

3h ago3:53

3:53

Sarah Winchester's decades-long renovation project turned an eight-room farmhouse into hundreds of rooms, and sparked endless rumors that at least some of those rooms are haunted. Plus: starting tomorrow in Ohio, it’s the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival. Everything you think you know about the Winchester Mystery House probably isn't true (SFGate) TOMA…

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Campbell’s Soup Grew To Love Andy Warhol’s Soup Can Paintings, Just Maybe Not Right Away 3:07

1d ago3:07

3:07

Today in 1928, the birthday of Andy Warhol. He made a mark with his paintings of Campbell's Soup cans, though the company wasn’t immediately thrilled with his work. Plus: starting tomorrow in Indiana, it’s the Van Buren Popcorn Festival. Why Campbell Soup hated, then embraced, Andy Warhol’s soup can paintings (CNN) Van Buren Popcorn Festival If you…

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The “ManhattAnt” Is New York City’s Very Own Ant Species 3:01

2d ago3:01

3:01

It's World Ant Day, so we’re looking at an ant species that got so comfortable living in New York City that it earned the nickname “ManhattAnt.” Plus: if you missed National Mustard Day over the weekend, check out a pizzeria in New Jersey known for making the "mustard pie." Scientists identified the ‘ManhattAnt’ — and they have theories on why it’s…

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Brad Lewis Kept His Son Safe As They Both Fell Off A Balcony 3:09

3d ago3:09

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Today in 2018, a dad in Sydney, Australia saw his kid in danger and put himself on the line to make sure that kid was safe. Here's his story. Plus: today in 1922, a very quiet moment in the history of telecommunications. Heroic father breaks skull leaping off 4m balcony to cushion son’s fall (News.com.au) Telephones Were Silenced for One Minute Aft…

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“Illustrated Songs” Were Proto-Music Videos Almost A Century Before MTV 3:10

6d ago3:10

3:10

Today in 1981, the debut of MTV. It brought music videos to the mainstream, but it didn't invent them - in fact, there were proto-music videos almost a century before the cable channel first appeared. Plus: starting tomorrow in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the 4th Annual Youth Hoop Dance Championship. The Complete History of the Music Video: From the 1890…

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One Of MGM’s Roaring Lions Lived A Life Even Stranger Than The Movies 3:12

7d ago3:12

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Today in 1928, the debut of Leo, MGM's roaring lion. One of the lions that played Leo in the movies used up more than a few of its nine lives while traveling for the movie studio. Plus: starting today in Indiana, it’s the Jasper Strassenfest. Meet ‘Leo The Lucky’—The MGM Lion Who Cheated Death 6 Times (Forbes) Jasper Indiana Strassenfest Send a lit…

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Ford Once Tried To Replace The Steering Wheel With A “Wrist Twist” System 3:12

8d ago3:12

3:12

Today in 1863, the birthday of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company. The automaker has had a huge impact on the auto industry, but not all of its ideas worked out. Like the time it tried to reinvent the (steering) wheel. Plus: starting tomorrow in Brownstown, Indiana, it’s the Jackson County Watermelon Festival. Mercury “Wrist-Twist” Steer…

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Bacteria Can Consume Used Plastic And Turn It Into Medicine 3:01

9d ago3:01

3:01

New research finds a way to take waste plastic that might end up in landfills and turn it into a common pain medicine. Plus: starting Friday in South Dakota, it's Clark Potato Days. Microbes transform plastic waste into paracetamol (University of Edinburgh) CLARK POTATO DAYS Our backers have transformed this show into what it is today, join them on…

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We’ve Tried Quite A Few Times To Send Mail By Rocket 3:30

10d ago3:30

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Today in 1934, a big day in the history of sending mail by rocket. There's a whole history of rocket mail that goes back two centuries. Plus: today in 2017, the birth of a calf in Kerrville, Texas. that looked a little like a certain fire-breathing member of KISS. The rise and fall of rocket mail (Engadget) Texas calf resembles Kiss rocker Gene Sim…

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Books And Authors Week: Meet Some Of The Oldest Books Ever Found 2:56

13d ago2:56

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This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from September 2022, National Read A Book Day brings to mind an article from HowStuffWorks called “What is the oldest book in the world?” Plus: Ithaca, New York is home to a tribute to the world of growing, eating, sharing and decorating gourds of all k…

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Books And Authors Week: Does A Book With 1,250 Endings Ever Really End? 2:50

16d ago2:50

2:50

This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from March 2020, Sri Lankan author Sybil Wettasinghe set a world record for the most alternative endings in a single book. Plus: in the early days of COVID-19, a pilot in Austria goes up in the air to do his part for social distancing. Children’s book g…

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Books And Authors Week: I Review The Body Electric 3:19

17d ago3:19

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This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from May 2019, one of the most interesting moments of Walt Whitman’s life, the time he reviewed his own book in the newspapers. Plus: Plymouth, North Carolina hosts the North Carolina Black Bear Festival. “Walt Whitman and His Poems” by Walt Whitman (Wh…

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Books And Authors Week: A Big-Time Librarian Kept “Goodnight Moon” Off The Shelves For 25 Years 3:15

18d ago3:15

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This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from January 2020, the New York Public Library didn’t have a copy of one of the most iconic children's books of all time for decades, because a librarian didn’t like it. Plus: two pranksters added silent records to a jukebox, but customers decided they …

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Books And Authors Week: Never Skip The Dedication Page Of A Book, They Can Get Wild 3:05

19d ago3:05

3:05

This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from November 2020, we look at book dedications. Most are straightforward, but there are surprises. Plus: a scientific report sheds light on the pelagornithid, perhaps the largest flying bird ever. Brilliant Book Dedications (Sad and Useless) Scientists…

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The North Pole Moved Three Feet Because Of Dams 3:02

22d ago3:02

3:02

A Harvard study finds that the thousands of dams humans have built over the last couple centuries have locked up so much water it's actually affected Earth's poles! We'll try to explain. Plus: starting today in Michigan City, Indiana, it’s the Singing Sands Sand Sculpting Festival. Water storage in dams has caused minute shifts in Earth’s poles (Ha…

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Watergate Salad Is An Actual Sweet Dish Named For Our “Long National Nightmare” 3:07

23d ago3:07

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Today in 1972, a break-in at the Watergate hotel that kicked off a huge political scandal... and also, somehow, gave a gelatin dessert the name "Watergate salad." Plus: in 2022, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington hosted an exhibit called “Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue.” Jell-O Journalism: Investigating the Origins of Watergate Salad …

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A Blood Sample From A Late Composer Is Powering A Musical Experiment 3:15

24d ago3:15

3:15

There's a new musical work that is, maybe, kind of, sort of from a composer who’s been gone three years. Plus: rice farmers in Gyoda, Japan turn their paddies into large-scale works of art. Musical Composer’s Brain Matter Is Still Making Music Three Years After His Death (My Modern Met) Tanjiro Emerges in the Fields as Gyoda Unveils 2025 Rice Paddy…

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Guitarist Cordell Jackson Was Rocking Out Before There Was Rock Music 3:13

25d ago3:13

3:13

Today in 1923, the birthday of Cordell Jackson, a guitarist who rocked out exactly the way she wanted to for over half a century. Plus: today in 2023, a Florida woman apparently took a fire truck out for a ride. Jackson, Cordell (Women In Rock Project) Woman accused of impersonating firefighter after stealing firetruck, Florida cops say (Miami Hera…

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A Burma-Shave Ad Offered A Trip To “Mars,” And A Guy Tried To Take That Trip 3:00

26d ago3:00

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A decade before Mariner 4 got to Mars (on this day in 1965), a company famous for its advertising jokingly offered its customers a chance to go to the Red Planet - and a very serious customer tried to get them to follow through. Plus: a design studio in France builds a walk-through installation out of nearly 800 old baguettes. Did Burma-Shave Offer…

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Quiet Riot’s Biggest Hit Came From A Recording Session They Tried To Tank 3:04

29d ago3:04

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Today in 1983, Quiet Riot released its massive hit single "Cum On Feel The Noize," though they kind of tried to tank the recording session at the time. Plus: for 7/11, a story about a 7/11 with a tree in the middle of the store. Cum On Feel The Noize by Quiet Riot (Songfacts) This 7-11 in Monterrey Mexico has a tree growing through it. (lostfoundar…

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Which Horse Is On Wyoming’s License Plate? It's Complicated 3:09

30d ago3:09

3:09

Today in 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state in the Union. Its license plates feature a silhouette of a person, with cowboy hat in hand, riding a bucking horse. The story of which horse and which rider inspired that silhouette is a bit of a bumpy ride. Plus: starting tomorrow, it’s the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Wyoming’s Long-lived Bucking Hor…

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The BBC Once Reported That Cows Might Have Accents 3:07

1M ago3:07

3:07

For Cow Appreciation Day, a look at the time in 2006 that news reports made it sound like scientists had proven that cows had regional accents like people do, only the story was a little more complicated than that. Plus: Solstice 2.0 is a kinetic clock that changes shape as the day goes on. Cows also 'have regional accents' (BBC) It's always silly …

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A Shop In Small-Town Nebraska Gave The World The Tin Roof Sundae 3:01

1M ago3:01

3:01

It's National Ice Cream Sundae Day, which might be a good day to visit Potter, Nebraska, the birthplace of the Tin Roof Sundae. Plus: Roswell, New Mexico is very popular with UFO tourists, but it's also home to the Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum. Why Is It Called Tin Roof Sundae? (Chowhound) The Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum …

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Tiny Swarms Of Robots Might Help Us Get Through Sinus Infections 3:03

1M ago3:03

3:03

Lots of people have warned about robot invasions, but not like this: tiny bots that don’t want to take over the world, but want to help clear your sinuses of germs. Plus: a group of 15 monkeys living at Kyoto University's primate research institute figure out a way to escape their habitat. Light-powered robot swarms may replace antibiotics for toug…

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How Fireworks Illuminate Independence Day, The Way John Adams Wanted 3:04

1M ago3:04

3:04

America's second president once said that Independence Day should always feature "illuminations." We'll explain how those pyrotechnics illuminate the sky each July 4. Plus: Seward, Nebraska is a relatively small community, but it goes big every time this holiday rolls around. The chemistry behind fireworks (University of Pennsylvania) Seward Is A S…

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The Original Version Of The Michelin Man Was Kind Of Terrifying 3:24

1M ago3:24

3:24

For National Tire Safety Week, the story of a character made of tires, one of the most famous mascots in advertising history… and one who was originally kind of a hot mess. Plus: starting today in Pittsburgh, it’s the World Beard and Moustache Championships. Michelin Man: The Inside Story (CNN) 2025 World Beard and Moustache Championships Bounce ov…

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Graham Island, The Mediterranean’s Disappearing Volcanic Island 3:01

1M ago3:01

3:01

This month in 1831, the Mediterranean Sea got a whole new island, one that European powers bickered over for a few months before the debate ended pretty abruptly. Plus: starting Friday in New Hope, Pennsylvania, it’s the Red, White & Blueberries BBQ Bash. The Mediterranean's short-lived 'Atlantis' (BBC) Red, White & Blueberries BBQ Bash Here’s hopi…

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How Canada’s Flag Ended Up With A Maple Leaf Instead Of Union Jacks, Beavers Or Mounties 3:25

1M ago3:25

3:25

Happy Canada Day! The flag you’ll see at events across the country today has quite an origin story: one guy, one red pen and a lot of potential roadblocks. Plus: for National Postal Worker Day in the US, the story of how the Postal Service set up an office in Antarctica. A letter, a red pen and a hand-drawn sketch: How George Stanley created Canada…

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June Robertson McCarroll, The Doctor Who Painted A Line Down The Middle Of The Road 3:05

1M ago3:05

3:05

Today in 1867, the birthday of June Robertson McCarroll, a doctor in California who made a big difference for safety by painting a line down the middle of a road. Plus: starting today in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it’s the American Jump Rope National Championship. Dr. June Robertson McCarroll Was the Valley’s First Woman Doctor—but She’s Best Known…

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Fashion Week: The Jumpsuit Century 3:10

1M ago3:10

3:10

We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from May 2019, the fascinating and unlikely history of the garment that got its name because it was the outfit of choice for people jumping out of airplanes. Plus: we know there’s no jumpsuit like an Elvis jumpsuit. Quartz noted that one of the Ki…

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Fashion Week: The Fabric With A Built-In Cooling System 2:51

1M ago2:51

2:51

We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from August 2020, a research team in China invents a fabric that can transfer heat away from us and back into the surrounding air. Plus: for National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, the story of the biggest chocolate chip cookie of all time. New fabric…

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Fashion Week: The Plastic Bags Of Today Could Be The Fashionable Fabric Of Tomorrow 2:38

1M ago2:38

2:38

We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from July 2021, a multi-country research project thinks old plastic bags might be useful to the fashion industry. Plus: Many of us spend a lot of our waking hours typing, but James Cook turns his typing into art. Plastic Bags Could Be Recycled Int…

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Fashion Week: Bioprinting Clothes (And More) Out Of Algae 3:05

2M ago3:05

3:05

We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from May 2021, a research team at the University of Rochester and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands makes some big advancements in bioprinting, which is 3D printing with living materials. Plus: a pro golfer and a race car drive…

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Fashion Week: The First Top Hat Got Its Inventor Arrested 3:20

2M ago3:20

3:20

We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from January 2021, the story of the debut of the top hat, and what a debut it was. Plus: the time in 1974 that a team at MIT built a 35 pound yo-yo and dropped it from a 21 story building. History of the Top Hat (International Formalwear Associati…

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Monkeys Follow Some Of The Same Economic Principles As Humans Do 3:06

2M ago3:06

3:06

Today in 2005, the release of a study that found something interesting: monkeys appeared to have some of the same economic ideas that humans have, especially when it comes to something known as loss aversion. Plus: tomorrow in Illinois, it's the Great Galena Balloon Race. Humans Rational and Irrational Buying Behavior Is Mirrored in Monkeys (Yale U…

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How The Juneteenth Holiday Spread From Galveston, To Texas, To The Whole United States 3:22

2M ago3:22

3:22

Holidays don't just show up; people make them happen. Here's the story of how a commemoration of a key moment in ending the institution of slavery eventually became a national holiday across the United States. Former State Rep. Al Edwards, Who Helped Make Juneteenth A State Holiday, Dies At 83 (Houston Public Media) How 97-Year-Old Activist Opal Le…

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The Vatican Once Sang The Praises Of The Blues Brothers 3:14

2M ago3:14

3:14

This week in 2010, a classic movie gets a shout-out from a very unusual place: the Vatican was repping The Blues Brothers. Plus: starting tomorrow in Ingliston, Edinburgh, Scotland, it's the Royal Highland Show. Vatican beatifies Blues Brothers ... well almost (Reuters) World Highland Show You on the motorcycle! You two girls! Tell your friends! Ba…

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To Get Kids To Eat Their Veggies, A Company Sold A Line Called “I Hate Peas” 3:08

2M ago3:08

3:08

For National Eat Your Vegetables Day, the story of the time a company tried to get kids to eat French fry-shaped versions of dinner table vegetables, but with a name that may not have done them any favors. Plus: this weekend in Washington state, it's Sumner's Rhubarb Days Festival. Funky Fries and other foods that flopped (CNN) Rhubarb Days 2025 If…

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Cracker Jack Originally Came With More Peanuts And No Prizes 3:37

2M ago3:37

3:37

Today in 1893, the invention of the beloved snack Cracker Jack, though there was a time when its signature sweet blend of peanuts and popcorn was considerably different, and the prizes were nowhere to be found. Plus: today in 2006, the end to a more than a century-long war, one that was only ever on paper. 14 Classic Facts About Cracker Jack (Menta…

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The Man Versus Horse Marathon Is Pretty Much What The Name Suggests 3:01

2M ago3:01

3:01

Tomorrow in Wales, a race where there are human runners and horses with riders on the same course, trying to get to the finish line ahead of each other. And it all started with an argument in a pub. Plus: starting tomorrow in Brooten, Minnesota, it’s Redhead Creamery Curd Fest. 44th MAN VERSUS HORSE Redhead Creamery Curd Fest Race on over to our Pa…

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Easy Listening Emerged From When Radio Programmers Tried To Target Women 3:10

2M ago3:10

3:10

Today in 1971 that the magazine Record World published an article about a new and very chill radio format that was the precursor of Easy Listening. Plus: this Saturday in New York City, it’s Pigeon Fest. Music Only for a Woman: The Birth of Easy Listening (JSTOR) Pigeon Fest Help keep this show chill as a backer on Patreon…

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The Centuries-Long Quest To Choose A Punctuation Mark For Irony And Sarcasm 3:25

2M ago3:25

3:25

Today in 1841, a newspaper publisher from Belgium put out an article that included a mark he called “un point d’ironie.” The history of punctuation is full of efforts to choose a mark that would make it clear to readers when the writer is being ironic or sarcastic. Plus: a couple in Sweden finds a way to make their home more eco-friendly while keep…

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The US Once Had A National Raisin Reserve 3:08

2M ago3:08

3:08

Today in 2013, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that put an end to something called the National Raisin Reserve. Here's why the US used to have a massive government stockpile of raisins. Plus: Memoria is a concept for a device for people with Alzheimer’s disease, prompting patients with information they might be trying to remember or use at tha…

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Don Ritchie, “The Angel of the Gap” 3:38

2M ago3:38

3:38

Today in 1926, the birthday of Don Ritchie, a man who helped hundreds of people in the most difficult moments of their lives and helped them find ways to carry on. (If today's topic is uncomfortable for you, no worries, we'll talk with you again tomorrow.) Plus: now underway in Michigan, it's the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival. If you or someone yo…

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As The Allies Stormed The Beaches On D-Day, Bill Millin Played The Bagpipes 3:04

2M ago3:04

3:04

Today in 1944, D-Day, the largest invasion force ever. There were hundreds of thousands of troops, tens of thousands of vehicles, over 100,000 tons of equipment, and at least one guy playing bagpipes. Plus: today in Franklin, Indiana, it’s the Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival. Bill Millin (The Economist via Archive.org) Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival Mak…

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When Teenager Michael Chang Beat The World’s Top Tennis Player At The French Open 3:17

2M ago3:17

3:17

On any given day, anybody can defeat anybody else. Today in 1989, a not very well known American tennis player proved it with an upset for the ages against one of the top names in the sport. Plus: starting Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska, it’s the Flatland Juggling Festival. How Michael Chang defeated Ivan Lendl at the French Open in 1989 (The Guardi…

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Tyromancy Is The Practice Of Fortune Telling Through Cheese 3:20

2M ago3:20

3:20

It's National Cheese Day, and while cheese is one of the world’s most influential foods, that's not the whole story. Some people claim that they can tell the future through cheese. Plus: for athletes who get tired just thinking about triathlons now have a race of their own: the Nice Tri. The Un-Brie-Lievable History of Tyromancy (Saveur) The Nice T…

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Living Wall Coatings Could Make City Buildings Greener 3:01

2M ago3:01

3:01

Researchers in Austria and Slovenia have been developing a set of living surfaces to apply to the sides of buildings, that can filter pollutants and capture carbon from the air, and maybe even repair cracks to the buildings' exteriors. Plus: this Friday in Indiana, it’s the Strawberry Festival in downtown Kokomo. Living tattoos for buildings could …