Stuff You Should Know

. lecture : 2 minutes

Logo for the Stuff You Show Know podcast.

Last time, I mentioned the show "Stuff you should know", another podcast about interesting topics, hosted by Charles (Chuck) Bryant and Josh Clark (see "about SYSK").

I subscribed to it a while back, but I had stopped listening, mostly in favor of Radiolab. But I've since downloaded all the episodes I'd missed, and I can't stop, there's so much stuff I should know ! winking smiley

SYSK is part of the "How Stuff Works" family of blogs & shows. Follow this link at your own peril, if you like interesting and odd stuff, you will lose some time there : howstuffworks.com.

Also, since earlier this year, SYSK is also a TV show !

The TV show's promo picture
Stuff You Show Know, the TV show promo picture

In the "What’s the deal with diplomatic immunity?" episode, we learn that it is a 4,000 years old law concept, dating at least back to the Code of Hammurabi ! Since the beginning of History, diplomats are supposed to be protected from harm, by the host country/city.

So, during the second Persian invasion of Greece (and the movie 300), king Leonidas of Sparta was actually not supposed to kill the Persian diplomatic envoy, even if he was kind of a jerk. It is said that, upon learning of his ambassador's demise, Xerxes decided not to kill some Spartan nobles that were with him, respecting the rule of law even if Leonidas did not. Go Xerxes ! (Although I can't find a source that mentions this fact, except the podcast thinking smiley)

What a diplomatic faux pas
Still from the picture 300, Leonidas kicks the diplomatic envoy

If you don't have time to listen to the podcast, you could only read the blog, their articles serve as the the basis for the shows. In the episode on diplomatic immunity for example, you can either read the blog post, or listen to the podcast.