Perfume: The Stink Behind the Scent

Perfume: The Stink Behind the Scent

Today Kendall talks perfume — even though she refuses to wear it. What's actually in that bottle you're spritzing on your pulse points? From whale vomit to beaver glands, the occasionally stomach-turning ingredients of fragrance — and why humans have never, ever stopped wanting to smell good.

Face Blindness- Every Face a Stranger

You've probably forgotten a face before. But what if you couldn't remember any face — ever? Roxanne shares the debilitating and mind-boggling neurological condition of Face Blindness (prosopagnosia) with Kendall. A condition where the brain can't hold onto faces, not even your closest friends, not even yourself in a mirror. Join us while we learn about the wild neuroscience behind why some brains just can't make faces stick.

Lice, Lies and Powdered Wigs

This week, Kendall grosses out Roxanne with the squirm-worthy backstory of the powdered wig — fashion's most glamorous lie. At the height of 17th and 18th century European society, the bigger and whiter your wig, the more powerful you appeared; but underneath all that flour and horsehair, the reality was anything but refined. Think rancid animal fat, lice-ridden shaved heads, and yes — rodents actually nesting inside those towering hairstyles. The golden age of fashion was, quite literally, crawling with secrets.

The Wolf-Whistle

The wolf whistle — two notes that have echoed through pop culture, construction sites, and Hollywood films. On this episode Roxanne digs into the history of how a cheeky chirp became an unsettling intrusion. This is one whistle that's hit some very sour notes.

Southpaw, Cack-Handed, Lefties

On this episode of "Interesting Nuggets" we have one for the left-handed folks out there. To the 10-12% of the population who struggle with scissors, smear their pen, and wage daily war against ring binders — this one's for you. Lefties have been cast as outsiders for most of recorded history. In fact, the Latin word for left — *sinister* — tells you everything you need to know about how they were once regarded. Join us as Kendall traces the fascinating history of left-handed prejudice, and how the world is slowly coming around.