Videos

🎧 Full episode: People Stuff on Apple: https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/YsRbj0 & Spotify : https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/gz7xFY Archive @ https://www.people-stuff.com/ UFOs. Drones. Impossible speeds. Relationship conflict. Anthropology has entered the chat. Why do some people see secret tech while others see extraterrestrials? And what does that say about power, trust, and modern myth-making? This is…

🎧 Full episode: People Stuff on Apple ( https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/YsRbj0 ) & Spotify ( https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/gz7xFY ) Archive @ https://www.people-stuff.com/ ) People are waking up at 4:30am to “optimize” themselves. Anthropologists have a different suggestion: sleep more, party more, stop treating your life like a startup. 🎙️ People Stuff — anthropology for…

🎧 Full episode: People Stuff on Apple ( https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/YsRbj0 ) & Spotify ( https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/gz7xFY ) Archive @ https://www.people-stuff.com/ In Denmark, if you’re stressed, a doctor can tell you to stop working. For six months. #burnout #workculture #mentalhealth #stress #worklifebalance #modernlife #capitalism #podcastclips #shorts #reels #peopleStuff #funnyacademic #whyarewelikethis #latecapitalism #burnoutculture #workisfake…

Why does one lobster shack have a two-hour line while the identical one across the street sits empty? In this People Stuff special episode, anthropologists Dan Souleles and Michael Scroggins break down why food culture today isn’t about taste—it’s about being seen. From Red’s Eats in Maine to Magnolia Bakery…

That moment when art feels deeply personal—and then Pierre Bourdieu shows up with statistics. Is meaning real if it’s predictable? Does explanation cheapen experience? Or is this just what happens when academics think too hard about feelings? From People Stuff, the anthropological advice show that knows too much about people.…

In Japan, it’s normal for 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds to run errands alone. In Northern Europe, babies nap outside in the cold while adults eat lunch. In the U.S., this would get you arrested. Anthropology reminder: childhood isn’t universal. What we call “good parenting” is a cultural system — not…

From playground chaos to imaginary friends who know too much, Dan and Michael tackle parenting questions anthropologists actually worry about. This episode covers communal child-rearing, gender identity, TikTok surveillance, immigration panic, and why your kid’s imaginary friend might be an ancestor. Subscribe for weekly anthropological advice you didn’t know you…

An integrity firm flagged an unusual spike in betting tied to specific pitches—same pitcher, same situation, same timing. Three times. First pitch of the inning. Same cities placing the bets. This is what modern sports surveillance actually looks like: probability, pattern recognition, and someone quietly asking, “Why this pitch?” Anthropology…

Anthropologist Dan + Michael ask UCLA avian endocrinologist Michelle Rensel a deceptively simple question: Does birdwatching stress out birds? Spoiler: yes—especially when humans get a little… too into it. Bird culture, birder culture, ethics, aggression, and the Big List. #Birdwatching #BirdTok #BirdNerd #Ornithology #Anthropology #MichelleRensel #PeopleStuffPodcast #StressBiology #Birders #AvianBehavior #AcademicTikTok…

What will anthropologists 500–1000 years from now think of us? Spoiler: we’re not the heroes of the story. Dan and Michael break down how future archaeologists will dig through plastic, petroleum, and heatwaves and conclude we were living in the “High Age of Suicidal Ignorance.” Full episode + more People…

Corvids—crows, ravens, jays, magpies—aren’t just smart… they’re culturally complex. Michelle Rensel joins People Stuff to explain why these birds have some of the biggest brains (and biggest personalities) in the avian world. Full episode + newsletter: https://www.people-stuff.com/ #corvids #birdintelligence #crows #ravens #anthropology #sciencepodcast

Stress isn’t just biology—it’s culture, symbols, expectations, and the stories we tell ourselves. This week Dan and Michael are joined by UCLA’s Dr. Michelle Rensel to unpack why Americans are so stressed, why hunters get buck fever, why high-schoolers are spiraling, and why self-discipline has become a competitive sport. We…

What makes a perfect game imperfect? One controversial call, one gracious manager, and the spark that eventually led to video review. In this clip, we break down how baseball’s rules began to evolve thanks to human error and understanding. Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction: The imperfect perfect game 0:12 – The…

This bonus episode comes straight from Professor Steve Black’s Intro to Anthropology class at Georgia State University, who asked us the small questions in life: – What even IS a person? – Why do kids stay with parents forever? – What will future archaeologists think of our plastic dystopia? Dan…

Do bad calls actually make sports better? Everyone wants “perfect” officiating… but perfect kills the magic. AI refs don’t remove judgment—they just hide it. Sports need humans, flaws and all. Hear the full breakdown at https://www.people-stuff.com/ #SportsCulture #AIvsHuman #SportsDebate #SportsReferees #BadCalls #SportsFans #Anthropology #PeopleStuffPod #SportsTalk #HumanError #TechInSports #KeepSportsHuman #RefereeLife #SportsPhilosophy…

An MLB ump so good they nicknamed him God. Imagine being so correct that pros won’t even complain. The rest? Just “lesser gods.” More at: https://www.people-stuff.com/ #MLB #BaseballHistory #SportsFacts #DougHarvey #Umpire #BaseballLife #SportsStory #PeopleStuffPod #SportsHumor #BaseballNerd #UmpProblems #BaseballFans #SportsTok #PodcastClips

In this episode of People Stuff, Dan and Michael sit down with author and journalist John Florio to explore the anthropology of America’s true belief system: sports. We dive into: • The explosion of prop bets and whether players should—or shouldn’t—rig their own stats • The slow creep of AI…

In a 200-person lecture hall, Dan watched half the football team cycle in and out of the bathroom during a blue-book exam. Turns out there was a toilet paper cheat scroll hidden in the handicapped stall — unrolled for answers, rolled back up like nothing happened. Michael is equal parts…

Thinking about quitting? Don’t. Just do what half of Silicon Valley allegedly does: get a second job. Maybe a third. They’ll never know—as long as you master the sacred art of laptop juggling. #PeopleStuff #Overemployment #WorkFromHome #TechLife #CareerTok

AI image fails have entered the scientific literature. Yes, really. Here’s why academic publishing is drowning in slop—and rats with unfeasibly large everything. 🎧 Listen to the full chaos at people-stuff.com #PeopleStuff #AnthropologyTok #AcademicHumor #AIArtFails #AIDoesWhat #PeerReviewProblems #ScienceTok #AICulture #AcademicLife #ScholarTok #MemeResearch #TechFail #AIWeirdness #InternetCulture #PodcastClips

“If you hire a sorority rush consultant… won’t the sorority just know?” Apparently not— not if you’ve hired the right consultant. We are through the looking glass, folks. More at: https://www.people-stuff.com/ #collegeconsultants #sororityrush2025 #greeklifetok #friendshipcoach #collegesatire #peoplepodcast #comedypodcast #anthropology #campusculture #classanxiety #parentsfundingchaos #lolhelp

Dan and Michael welcome anthropologist Steve Black to ruin the economy — emotionally, spiritually, and academically. We unpack the $30k car delusion, sorority-rush consultants, the medieval logic of letters of recommendation, and why academic publishing is drowning in AI-generated rat-penis slop. This is the economy as people actually feel it.…

Remember when the U.S. tax code wasn’t a hedge fund cosplayer in a suit? Back in the early ’60s — Kennedy hair, Cold War vibes — the top tax bracket was 92%, carried interest wasn’t a thing, and billionaires were basically a mythological species. Scott tries to explain this to…

This week, Dan and Michael bring on guest anthropologist Scott Freeman to talk about violence: historical, political, equestrian, parental, billionaire, and medieval sword-related. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: Violence Week 04:11 - Utah Mom Names, Linguistic Chaos, & Tradwife Aesthetics 14:40 - Question 1: Horses, Violence, and The Right to Roam…