This week, Stuff You Should Know examined how empires crumble and how people fill the spaces they leave behind. The podcast devoted two episodes to the Soviet Union's collapse while also exploring lighter cultural phenomena—from a parasitic disease to Dolly Parton's enduring appeal and the bizarre early 20th-century trend of flagpole sitting—suggesting that history moves on multiple timescales and in multiple registers at once.
Episodes This Week
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Other Weeks
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2026)
4 episodes · Aug 17 – Aug 23
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Aug 10 - Aug 16, 2026)
4 episodes · Aug 10 – Aug 16
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Aug 3 - Aug 9, 2026)
5 episodes · Aug 3 – Aug 9
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Jul 27 - Aug 2, 2026)
3 episodes · Jul 27 – Aug 2
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Jul 20 - Jul 26, 2026)
4 episodes · Jul 20 – Jul 26
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Jul 13 - Jul 19, 2026)
4 episodes · Jul 13 – Jul 19
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Jul 6 - Jul 12, 2026)
4 episodes · Jul 6 – Jul 12
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Jun 29 - Jul 5, 2026)
4 episodes · Jun 29 – Jul 5
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Jun 22 - Jun 28, 2026)
4 episodes · Jun 22 – Jun 28
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Jun 15 - Jun 21, 2026)
14 episodes · Jun 15 – Jun 21
This Week in Stuff You Should Know (Jun 8 - Jun 14, 2026)
4 episodes · Jun 8 – Jun 14
