Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be asteroid miners. This week on the pod, Dan and Michael examine how hyper-capitalism ruined the dream of becoming an astronaut. And while we're up in space, can conspiracies about aliens exist in a pre-nuclear age? Plus: Dick rockets and everyone's favorite…
Listen to PEOPLE STUFF wherever you get your podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/4y26Ed2 🟢 https://bit.ly/4hxGybS Ask Dan and Michael anything: https://www.people-stuff.com/contact/ Join the discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/zDePB3auj Hosted, written, and researched by Michael Scroggins and Daniel Souleles Produced and edited by Matt Silverman
Advertising creates problems that don't exist, with claims that make no sense, to sell us products we don't need. So why does it work SO damn well? This week, Michael and Dan dissect the tried-and-true formula of negative political ads, how pharma commercials changed the doctor/patient relationship, and the mysterious…
More at: https://www.people-stuff.com/ #Canada #constitution #democracy
Did you know diplomats visiting the UN are only allowed to travel within 26 miles—and yet, Iranian diplomats were banned from Costco? More at: https://www.people-stuff.com/ Costco diplomacy might be the pettiest form of geopolitics ever invented — or maybe the most human. It’s a small detail, but it reveals how…
Season 3 of People Stuff is arriving soon — theoretically. Dan and Michael read off-season listener mail, confront accusations of academic indolence, hear from a trucker philosopher, and discover what happens when teenagers start demanding anarcho-syndicalist households. 🎧 Full episodes @ https://www.people-stuff.com/
🎧 Full episode: People Stuff on Apple: https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/YsRbj0 & Spotify : https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/gz7xFY Archive @ https://www.people-stuff.com/ During the long winter, one woman’s boyfriend starts bingeing true crime—all night. Nordic noir. Pacific Northwest serial killers. Commenting on who looks “alone.” Working odd hours. Totally normal… right? Dan and Michael unpack why true…
🎧 Full episode: People Stuff on Apple: https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/YsRbj0 & Spotify : https://peoplestuffpod.short.gy/gz7xFY Archive @ https://www.people-stuff.com/ In ancient Athens, citizens could vote to exile a politician for 10 years. No trial. No scandal required. Just: you’ve worn out your welcome. Anthropologists call this ostracism—and it might explain why modern politics feels……
🎧 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