Every Little Thing

Every year the TSA confiscates millions of pounds of pocket knives, sunscreen and snow globes from airport travelers. Where does it all go? ELT investigates. Plus, tips for sneaking your weed onboard from a former TSA agent.Guests: Ex-TSA “Taylor”; TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein; surplus agents for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Patrick Knight and Mike Starr; press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of General Services Troy Thompson. Thanks to caller Kimberly.

ELT answers an age-old question: When you have to use a public toilet, should you sit on the seat? A team of microbiologists weigh in. Plus, the rise, fall, and re-rise of cargo shorts. Guests: Microbiologist Jack Gilbert; comedian Prashanth Venkataramanujam; cargo pantsologist Joe Hancock; Wall Street Journal reporter Nicole Hong. Special thanks to caller Jenny and the biology experts we surveyed: Jason Tetro, William Schaffner, Chuck Gerba, Rob Dunn, Jenny Hayden, Steffanie Strathdee, Liz Scott, Kimberly Page, and Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello.

When did organ music and baseball become an item? ELT talks to some pro organ players to find out how organs and ballparks got together. Plus, meet Nancy Faust — the legendary organist who brought trolling to modern baseball music.Guests: Steven Ball, organist and Director of Sacred Music at The Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in St. Louis, Missouri; Josh Kantor, organist for the Boston Red Sox; Nancy Faust, retired organist for the Chicago White SoxThanks to caller Robert. Thanks also to Judy Scott.You can see a photo of Nancy's donkeys on twitter and instagram.

ELT goes underground to meet the creatures living in our subways and sewer systems. Plus, the 411 on another underground underdog: prairie dogs.Guests: Urban evolutionary biologist and rat expert Jason Munshi-South; animal behavioral scientist Jennifer Verdolin.Thanks to caller Jessica, and to all the listeners who demanded prairie dog facts. 

For most of human history, tooth care has been pretty bare bones. How did we go from charlatans pulling teeth in a public square, to the modern dentist’s office? ELT exposes the roots of tooth care. Plus, meet the technician who makes movie stars’ teeth look terrible. Guests: Dental historian and retired dentist J. Henry Clarke; historian Richard Barnett. Thanks to callers Amanda and Tess for the questions. 

Does swearing make you more powerful? Caller Mark’s dad thinks a well-timed “word of power” is the key to efficient yardwork. ELT asks a swearing expert about that theory. Plus, we talk to someone who turns the “mother f*ckers” into “manhole covers” for the TV versions of movies. Guests: Cognitive scientist Ben Bergen, author of What the F***; Gwen Whittle, supervising sound editor at Skywalker Sound. Thanks to caller Mark for the monkey flippin’ question, and to Mark’s dad Steve. 

Through the 1800s, babies in the U.S. were dressed in gender neutral clothing — you couldn’t tell the girls from the boys based on their outfits. So why did parents start color-coding their kids in pink and blue? Plus, ELT’s long quest to get a sports team to have a flamingo as their mascot is finally over… or is it? Guests: textiles and clothing historian Jo Paoletti; cultural historian of medicine, gender, and the body Hanne Blank; and Kuba Krzyzostaniak, Director of Fan Engagement for Forward Madison FC. Thanks to caller Elle Ve and Paige — and to scholars Elizabeth Sweet, Katherine Parkin, and Valerie Steele.

When you fly do you really need to put your phone in airplane mode? Should you fear the tray table? What’s happening in the cockpit while you’re fighting over the armrest? Two airline pilots answer your burning air travel questions. Guests: Pilot Sandy Williams of Skydive Deland; Pilot Nick Anderson of the Airline Pilot Guy podcast. Thanks to everyone who called in with their airplane questions. 

If you found millions of dollars worth of buried treasure, what would you do next? Take it to the bank? Sell it on eBay? Call 60 Minutes? ELT unearths the tale of the largest buried treasure ever found in North America. Plus, practical tips for dealing with newfound millions, and a nationwide treasure hunt, ELT-style.Guest: David J. McCarthy, numismatist.Special thanks to listeners Kurt, Elizabeth, Travis, Vicki, Nikki, Kimberly, Robert, and Rachel for helping us with our treasure hunt. And thanks to listener David for the question.

Who decides what a cheerleader looks like? Or sounds like? In part two of a two-part episode, ELT digs into the complicated legacy of an American archetype.Guests: Natalie Adams, cheerleading researcher and professor at the University of Alabama; Sharita Richardson, cheerleading researcher, instructional coach at North Carolina A&T State University, and founder of Black Girls Cheer. Thanks to caller Jessica for the question. Special thanks to Vonciel Baker, one of the original seven Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and to Dee Brock, former manager of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.