The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Rachel Feltman, Jess Boddy

podcasts@studio71us.com

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Booking Overview

A science-fact interview and variety show focused on unusual stories from science, technology, history, and medicine, with recurring external guests including scientists, science communicators, comedians, environmental advocates, and podcast hosts. Credible pitches would include researchers, doctors, authors, environmental experts, and public-facing creators with a compelling unusual fact or accessible expertise; booking difficulty is medium because the show welcomes distinctive expert voices but has also featured recognizable public figures.

Metrics

Episodes: 231

Frequency: Biweekly

Rating: 4.6/5.0

Estimated listeners: 10k-100k

Gender skew: Unknown

Location: USA

YouTube: 138.0k subscribers

Instagram: 1.8k followers

Contact Information

podcasts@studio71us.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Host

Rachel Feltman - Science journalist and podcast host associated with Popular Science, known for explaining scientific subjects and unusual factual stories for a general audience.

Jess Boddy - Science writer, editor, producer, and digital creator associated with Popular Science.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

medium
Typical Credentials:  
Researchers, physicians, environmental experts, authors, science communicators, comedians, and other public-facing professionals with credible expertise and an engaging unusual fact or story.
Required Achievements:  
Published books or articles, Professional scientific, medical, or environmental expertise, Established media, comedy, or podcast work, Public-facing science or educational communication

Recent Guest Discussions

Ben Bradford - The Popularity Of Fallout Shelter Goods And Related Cultural Trends

Moiya McTier - Creativity And The Challenges Of Measuring It

Wyn Wiley (Pattie Gonia) - Underground Fungal Networks, Mycelium, And Ecological Mutual Aid

Priyanka Wali - The Unethical Collection Of Human Cells And Its Lasting Impact On Medicine

Hari Kondabolu - The Unethical Collection Of Human Cells And Its Lasting Impact On Medicine

Recent Topics

Science, Biology, Technology, History, Medicine

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week
:

Fallout Shelter Fads, The Library of Cocaine, Mosquito Nepobaby

July 01, 2026

Ben Bradford, host of the podcast Are We Doomed?, joins the show to talk about when buying fallout shelter goods was all the rage. Plus, Laura tells us how she's related to mosquito royalty, and Rachel explains why the Library of Congress is holding onto Freud's "friend's" cocaine. Check out Ben's show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/are-we-doomed/id1893359212 The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our ...

Creativity is Crumbling, Sarcophagus Juice Sourdough, Mycelium Mutual Aid

June 17, 2026

Pattie Gonia joins the show to talk about how secret networks of underground fungi are basically like nature's mutual aid. Plus, Moiya McTier returns to discuss creativity, why it might be crumbling, and how one measures it (spoiler: it is NOT easy). And Rachel explains how scientists used yeast from a melting mummy to bake a loaf of sourdough. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Marie Antoinette Wearing Braces, Secret Immortal Cells, Chasing the Tooth Worm

June 03, 2026

Hari Kondabolu and Priyanka Wali join the show to talk about cells taken secretly and unethically... but ended up changing human health forever. Then, Rachel divulges a plethora of facts about dental care of yesteryear, from how Marie Antoinette wore braces (yes, seriously), to how Neanderthals drilled for cavities. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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