Stuff That We Like/Enjoy at Least at This Point in Time

S8E6 (Ep 90) Attila the Hun: How One Man Collapsed an Empire Without Conquering It

He never lost a battle. He brought the Roman Empire to its knees without ever actually conquering it. And he died on his wedding night under circumstances nobody could fully explain. This week Caleb and Christina go deep on Attila the Hun. They cover how a man from the Eurasian steppe built the most feared fighting force in the known world, why the Roman Empire paid him massive amounts of gold just to stay away, and what made his style of leadership so different from every other ruler of his era. They also get into the mythology that built up around him, what was real, what was exaggerated, and what the people who lived through it actually experienced. Plus Christina makes a point about the Huns and China that will permanently ruin a Disney movie for you. Two hosts. One villain. A lot of dead Romans. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stuffThatWeLikeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuffthatwelikepodcastContact us at stuffthatwelikepodcast@gmail.com ...

S8E5 (Ep 89) Keto Was Invented for Epileptic Kids (Not Weight Loss) | Saddam Hussein's Rise to Power

A diet created in 1921 to treat seizures in children became one of the most Googled diets on the planet. And a man who reportedly joined an assassination attempt as a teenager ended up ruling a country of 22 million people for over two decades. This week: keto and Saddam Hussein. Caleb breaks down what the keto diet actually is, how ketosis works, and what the science actually says versus what influencers are selling. He traces the diet from its medical origins at Johns Hopkins through the Atkins era, all the way to bulletproof coffee and Reddit threads. Spoiler: the first 10 pounds on keto is mostly water, not fat. And most of the benefits come from cutting processed junk, not the ketones themselves. Christina covers the rise of Saddam Hussein, from his early years in rural Iraq to the moves that made him one of the most feared leaders in modern history. How does a man who authorized chemical weapons attacks on his own citizens hold power for over two decades? The answer has less to do with one man and more to do with what happens when an entire government is designed around loyalty. Two hosts. Two unrelated topics. One episode that somehow makes sense by the end. Contact us at stuffthatwelikepodcast@gmail.com with any questions, concerns, or corrections!

S8E4 (Ep 88) Organs You Can Live Without / Pol Pot And The Cambodian Genocide

You can lose seven organs and still live. You can also lose a quarter of a country's population in four years. This week we cover both. Christina takes the science chair and breaks down your organs, what they are, what each one actually does, and the surprising list of organs you can lose, donate, or have removed and still keep going. From the ones you absolutely cannot live without to the ones nature seems to have packed as backups, she walks through the body's essential machinery and where the real non-negotiables are. Then Caleb takes us inside the regime of Pol Pot — the leader of the Khmer Rouge whose four-year rule over Cambodia led to the deaths of roughly a quarter of the country's population. From his Paris education to the killing fields, Caleb traces how a quiet schoolteacher engineered one of the 20th century's most devastating genocides. Two hosts. Two unrelated topics. One episode that somehow makes sense by the end.

S8E3 (Ep 87) What Is Protein And What Does It Do?/The Origins Of The Evil Queen Ranavalona I

What does your body actually need to function… and what happens when power is taken to the extreme?In this episode, Caleb breaks down protein, what it is, how it works in your body, and why it’s far more important than most people realize. From muscle repair to hormones to everyday energy, we explore how protein truly acts as the foundation of your body’s ability to rebuild and perform. Then in our “Villains of History” segment, Christina dives into the reign of Queen Ranavalona I. One of the most feared rulers in Madagascar’s history. Known for her brutal policies and extreme methods of control, her rule led to the deaths of a massive portion of her population.

S8E2 (Ep 86) How Ideas Spread and Kill | Social Contagions/ The Origins of Mao Zedong

ow do ideas spread, and what happens when they go too far?In this episode, we explore the power of influence from two very different angles.Christina kicks things off by breaking down social contagions, how behaviors, beliefs, and movements can spread rapidly through groups of people. From historical examples to modern parallels, we look at how quickly ideas can take hold… and how dangerous that can become. Then Caleb dives into one of the most devastating examples in history through our “Villains of History” segment, focusing on Mao Zedong. We unpack how his policies, especially during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, led to the deaths of tens of millions, and how entire populations can be swept up in systems that no one feels able to challenge.