Surprisingly Awesome

Lots of things in the world seem ordinary. But when you dig deeper, it turns out, they’re fascinating. Surprisingly Awesome tells those stories.

Apple podcasts

All Episodes of Surprisingly Awesome

April 25, 2017

A Taste of Gimlet's Newest Show, Every Little Thing

Every Little Thing, hosted by Flora Lichtman, is a show about the joy of finding things out. In this episode, learn about where office plants come from and what they're

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April 12, 2017

A message from Gimlet CEO Alex Blumberg

A goodbye from Surprisingly Awesome. And hello to Every Little Thing.

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October 18, 2016

#23 The Wedding

Something borrowed, something blue, something that explains why weddings look the way they do. Part 2 of the story of Sue and Austin's wedding. THE FACTS

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October 5, 2016

#22 Wedding Planning

This week: It's awesome in the sacred sense - but stressful in the practical sense. THE FACTS Surprisingly Awesome’s

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September 21, 2016

#21 Postal Addresses

The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s theme music is by Nicholas Britell and our ad music is by Build Buildings.

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September 7, 2016

#20 Crying

You cry when you don't want to; you can't cry when you DO want to. Tim Manley, literally the creator of "The Feels," helps us exp

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August 24, 2016

#19 Cardboard

John Hodgman hoards boxes, but he's not okay with it - yet. The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s Theme Music is “This is How We Do” by Nicholas Britell a

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August 10, 2016

#18 Yoga

This week, we found many surprising twists, turns, and holds in the story of modern yoga. The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s Theme Music is

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August 5, 2016

#17.5 Untangling Flossgate 2016

Is it really true that you never need to floss again? The Facts  Surprisingly Awesome’s theme music is “How We Do” by Nicholas Britell. Our

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July 27, 2016

#17 Flossing

Maeve Higgins joins us to explore... her mouth. Welcome to Planet Floss. The Facts  Surprisingly Awesome’s theme music is “How We Do” by Nicholas Bri

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June 28, 2016

#16 Follow-ups

Journey with us back in time - but also forward in time because this is a new episode, revisiting old topics. The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s theme

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June 14, 2016

#15 Extinct Hockey

John Hodgman learns that the advantage of extinct hockey is that it can't break your heart. The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s theme song is by Nichola

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June 1, 2016

#14 I Told You Sos

To all the haters, and all the doubters, we told you we could make anything awesome. The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s theme music is “How We Do” by N

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May 17, 2016

#13 Insults

Yo mama so fat we did a whole podcast about her. The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s theme music is “How We Do” by Nicholas Britell. Our ad music is by

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May 3, 2016

#12 Mattresses

Adam and Adam get chased out of a mattress store. The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s theme music is “How We Do” by Nicholas Britell. Our ad music is by

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April 19, 2016

#11 Boredom

Wake up sheeple, the doxa is real! The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s theme music is “How We Do” by Nicholas Britell. Our ad music is by Build Building

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April 5, 2016

#10 Circle of Fifths

What one idea from music theory can tell us about culture, biology, math, physics and The Simpsons. The Facts

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March 22, 2016

#9 Pigeons

The greatest love story ever told: humans and rats with wings. The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’

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March 8, 2016

#8 Frequent Flyer Miles

The world in a cup of pudding - or rather, 12,000 cups of pudding. The Facts Surprisingly Awes

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January 26, 2016

#7 Adhesives

If you want perfect stickiness, look to gecko feet - not a crayfish straightjacket. The reviews are in! "As a chemist, this episode has the most succ

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January 12, 2016

#6 Broccoli

The epic struggle of parents versus kids. Yummy versus gross. Humans versus broccoli! The Facts Surprisingly Awesome’s theme music is “How We Do” by

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December 15, 2015

#5 Interest Rates

Just because it has the word "interest" in it doesn't mean it's interesting to a teenage girl. The Facts Surprisingly

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December 1, 2015

#4 Tubthumping

A 1990s pop hit reveals how the Adams feel about capitalism.  Additional Reading

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November 17, 2015

#3 Concrete

From the dawn of human civilization, to the end of days: Concrete will outlast us all. Additional Reading

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November 5, 2015

#2 Free Throws

Adam McKay helps Adam "Who Cares about Sports" Davidson conquer the free throw. Here's the "Fathead" that Davidson describes as "so disturbing, so distracted, so up

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November 3, 2015

#1 Mold

Mold giveth, and mold taketh away. The same not-quite plant, not-quite animal that causes cancer can also cure infections and unite long-lost family members. The Fa

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November 1, 2015

Surprisingly Awesome Trailer

Gimlet Media is excited to announce the release of our new show, Surprisingly Awesome, hosted by Adam McKay and Adam Davidson. There are a lot of things out in the wor

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