Don't Know, Do Care

Ashmita, Prakhar, and Sandy

Curious minds welcome, clueless takes guaranteed! Don't Know, Do Care is a curious mix of comedy, commentary, and casually intense learning. Every episode, one of us brings a topic the others know nothing about and tries to "educate" them, just enough for them to feign interest. Do we learn anything? Absolutely not. Do we care about the topic? Probably not. Are we curious, though? Potentially yes. We're not experts by any stretch of our already stretched imagination, but we're just trying to get a bit smarter, one strange question at a time. Curiosity might have killed a cat, but will it kill us? Only time will tell. Join us on our journey to learn something you didn't know you cared about.

  1. Don't Know If the Shroud of Turin is Indian

    4D AGO

    Don't Know If the Shroud of Turin is Indian

    This week, we dive headfirst into one of the strangest objects in human history: the Shroud of Turin, a 14-foot piece of linen that is either the burial cloth of Jesus Christ… or the world's most successful medieval scam. For centuries, this faintly creepy cloth has sat at the exact intersection of faith, science, history, and people confidently yelling at each other online. Because printed onto it is the image of a tortured man bearing injuries eerily similar to the Biblical description of the crucifixion. So we trace the bizarre history of the Shroud, from its sudden appearance in 14th-century France and accusations of forgery by medieval bishops, to fires, papal PR gymnastics, carbon dating tests, and increasingly complicated scientific studies that somehow keep making the mystery worse instead of better. And because apparently this story wasn't chaotic enough already, we also get into the recent DNA study that found genetic traces linked to India, sparking exactly the kind of internet discourse you would expect. This episode is classic offbeat learning territory: a weird historical rabbit hole full of contradictory evidence, scientific detective work, Vatican ambiguity, and the kind of mystery that refuses to sit still, all wrapped in comedy commentary and packed with quirky insights. Because at the end of the day, the Shroud of Turin is less a solved mystery and more a centuries-long argument that nobody has managed to conclusively win. Important links: 1. Shroud of Turin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shroud_of_Turin 2. Shroud of Turin - https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shroud-of-Turin 3. The Shroud of Turin: An Overview of the Archaeological Scientific Studies - https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/1/8 4. Shroud of Turin, linked by believers to Jesus Christ, has an Indian DNA trace: Study - https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/shroud-of-turin-linked-by-believers-to-jesus-christ-has-an-indian-dna-signal-study-10614146/ Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.  Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!

    1h 14m
  2. Don't Know Who's Buying This Bulls**t (Psychological Theories Edition)

    APR 6

    Don't Know Who's Buying This Bulls**t (Psychological Theories Edition)

    This episode starts at a party, takes a hard left into pseudoscience, and ends with us aggressively side-eyeing half of modern psychology. We're talking about b******t psychological theories, the ones that sound legit, get repeated everywhere, and somehow survive despite having little to no actual scientific backing.  From Stockholm Syndrome to the five stages of grief, we break down how these ideas became mainstream, and why they probably shouldn't have. Along the way, we take detours into things like left-brain vs right-brain nonsense, the Mozart effect, primal therapy, and the particularly chaotic world of marketing psychology, where "science" is often just a very expensive rebrand of common sense. This episode is peak comedy commentary meets scientific frustration, packed with quirky insights, offbeat learning, and just enough research to make you question every "fun fact" you've ever confidently repeated. Like most of our episodes, this starts as one of those seemingly random topics and slowly turns into something more uncomfortable: a reminder that just because something sounds scientific… doesn't mean it is. Important links: 1. Stockholm syndrome - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome 2. Five stages of grief - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_stages_of_grief 3. An Empirical Examination of the Stage Theory of Grief - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/205661#google_vignette 4. Cautioning Health-Care Professionals: Bereaved Persons Are Misguided Through the Stages of Grief - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5375020/ 5. Inkblot Test - https://www.kansashistory.gov/kansapedia/inkblot-test/17670 6. Rorschach test - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_test 7. Controversial psychology tests are often still used in US courts - https://www.newscientist.com/article/2233956-controversial-psychology-tests-are-often-still-used-in-us-courts/ 8. Insights from an inkblot - https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/insights-from-an-inkblot/article5335329.ece 9. Rorschach Inkblot Test: an overview on current status - https://ijip.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/18.01.075.20200804.pdf 10. Learning styles - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles 11. Roundup on Research: The Myth of 'Learning Styles' - https://onlineteaching.umich.edu/articles/the-myth-of-learning-styles/ 12. Belief in Learning Styles Myth May Be Detrimental - https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/learning-styles-myth 13. Did an honesty researcher fabricate data? - https://www.npr.org/2023/07/28/1190663435/did-an-honesty-researcher-fabricate-data Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.  Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!

    1h 10m
  3. Don't Know How Mangoes Took Over India

    MAR 30

    Don't Know How Mangoes Took Over India

    Summer is objectively the worst season. It's hot, sticky, mildly unbearable… and yet, somehow, we all tolerate it for one reason: mangoes. In this episode, we take a deep dive into India's favourite fruit, not just as food, but as a full-blown cultural phenomenon. From its origins in South Asia and its journey through Portuguese trade, to the fact that India produces nearly half the world's mangoes, this is a story that's way bigger than just something you eat after lunch. We talk about the absurd variety of mangoes across the country and how these names come from places, people, and occasionally very random backstories. We also get into why mango season is so painfully short, and why no amount of branding ("Har Mausam Aam") can override the very specific weather cycle these fruits need to actually taste good. But mangoes don't just stop at food. We explore how they became a symbol of luxury during the Mughal era, inspired the ambi pattern in fashion, and somehow went from royal gardens to being sucked directly from the seed in Indian households. This episode is classic comedy commentary meets offbeat learning, packed with quirky insights about history, agriculture, culture, and the very real emotional attachment we all seem to have with this fruit. It's lighthearted education wrapped in one of those seemingly random topics that turns out to be much deeper than expected. Because at the end of the day, mango isn't just a fruit. It's a season, a personality trait, and for some of us… a lack of self-control. Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.  Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!

    59 min
  4. Don't Know How the Dinosaurs Actually Went Extinct

    MAR 23

    Don't Know How the Dinosaurs Actually Went Extinct

    If you grew up anytime after the 1980s, you probably think you know exactly how dinosaurs went extinct: one massive asteroid, one very bad day, end of story. The problem is… we didn't actually know that for most of modern scientific history. In this episode, we go back to a time when the extinction of dinosaurs was basically a free-for-all of extremely confident guesses. We're talking climate change, massive volcanic eruptions in the Deccan Traps, eggs that were somehow both too strong and too weak, and at least one theory suggesting dinosaurs just collectively decided to stop reproducing. Which, honestly, feels like a very low-energy way to go extinct. We talk about shocked quartz, the discovery of the Chicxulub crater, and the kind of planet-wide chaos that follows when something the size of a mountain hits Earth at absurd speeds. We also explore why this theory took so long to be accepted, how it competed with volcanic explanations, and how science actually works when multiple ideas are fighting for legitimacy. This episode is a mix of comedy commentary, offbeat learning, and genuinely fascinating scientific detective work. It's lighthearted education that starts with ridiculous theories and ends with one of the most dramatic, evidence-backed stories in natural history. Along the way, there are plenty of quirky insights into how consensus is built, how evidence wins (eventually), and how even the biggest discoveries can take decades to land. Important links: Deccan Traps - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_boundary Do We Know What Killed the Dinosaurs? - https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/do-we-know-what-killed-the-dinosaurs/ Chicxulub crater - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater#:~:text=The%20Alvarezes%2C%20joined%20by%20Frank,search%20for%20a%20suitable%20candidate. Ruthenium isotopes show the Chicxulub impactor was a carbonaceous-type asteroid - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4868 Walter Alvarez - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Alvarez Luis Walter Alvarez - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Walter_Alvarez How an asteroid ended the age of the dinosaurs - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-an-asteroid-caused-extinction-of-dinosaurs.html We Know the Origins of the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/asteroid-that-killed-the-dinosaurs-came-from-beyond-jupiter/#:~:text=They%20discovered%20a%20layer%20of%20debris%20in,and%20its%20submerged%20giant%20scar%2C%20called%20Chicxulub. Asteroid dust found at Chicxulub Crater confirms cause of dinosaurs' extinction - https://www.astronomy.com/science/asteroid-dust-found-at-chicxulub-crater-confirms-cause-of-dinosaurs-extinction/ How We Figured Out an Asteroid Killed the Dinosaurs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJY5vWXZHgI&list=PLR34x9VMByzz98U_IitcV338ayr6W8-YX&index=9 Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.  Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!

    1h 13m
  5. Don't Know How the Oscars Decide 'Best Picture'

    MAR 16

    Don't Know How the Oscars Decide 'Best Picture'

    Every year, the Oscars announce their winners… and millions of people immediately react with some variation of "wait, that movie won?" In this episode, we dig into how the Oscars actually pick winners, and why the result often feels confusing, underwhelming, or completely disconnected from what audiences loved that year. We break down the preferential ballot system used for Best Picture, where Academy members rank films instead of voting for just one. The result is a slow elimination process that tends to reward consensus rather than passion. Then there's the money. Studios routinely spend tens of millions of dollars on Oscar campaigns, designed to keep their film top of mind for busy voters. At that point, the Oscars start looking less like an award show and more like a carefully managed political campaign. The result is a system that doesn't necessarily reward the most innovative or beloved film. Instead, it rewards the movie that feels respectable, timely, and broadly acceptable to thousands of industry voters. By the end of this episode, the Oscars will stop feeling mysterious. They'll start feeling… oddly predictable. And once you see the system, it becomes very hard to unsee it. Important links: 1. What is preferential ballot voting? Here's how a movie wins 'Best Picture' Oscar - https://www.nbclosangeles.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/preferential-ballot-voting-movies-best-picture-oscars/3640385/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 2. How are Oscars winners decided? Here's how the voting process works - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/how-are-oscars-winners-decided-heres-how-the-voting-process-works?utm_source=chatgpt.com 3. Academy Awards - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Awards?utm_source=chatgpt.com 4. Oscar bait - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_bait?utm_source=chatgpt.com 5. Oscar season - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_season?utm_source=chatgpt.com 6. Oscar academy demographics - https://criticalmediaproject.org/oscar-academy-demographics-2/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 7. T-shirts, thongs and perfect twerking: Anora spent $18m on marketing – three times its budget - https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/06/anora-spent-18m-on-marketing-three-times-its-budget?utm_source=chatgpt.com Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.  Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!

    59 min
  6. Don't Know About Feminism in India

    MAR 9

    Don't Know About Feminism in India

    Every year around International Women's Day, corporations suddenly remember that women exist. They post inspirational graphics, run aggressively mediocre ad campaigns, and pretend a century of labour struggles, suffrage movements, and fights for basic rights can be summarised in a pastel Instagram tile. This episode starts with that frustration and then moves somewhere much more interesting: the history of women-led movements in India that actually tried to change material conditions for women. Along the way, we also talk about the uncomfortable reality that feminism has always struggled with class and caste divisions. Even progressive movements have often been led by relatively privileged women, leaving the most marginalised communities to fight for representation inside the movement itself. This episode mixes comedy commentary, offbeat learning, and quirky insights into the history of socialist-feminist organising in India. It's lighthearted education only in the sense that we try to keep the tone conversational while discussing extremely serious issues, everything from caste violence to climate displacement and gender-based violence globally. And if International Women's Day is going to mean anything at all, it probably has to start there. Important links: 1. Bharat Stree Mahamandal - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_Stree_Mahamandal 2. Women in Modern India, Volume 4 by Geraldine Forbes - https://books.google.co.in/books?id=hjilIrVt9hUC&dq=Bharat+Stree+Mahamandal&pg=PA70&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Bharat%20Stree%20Mahamandal&f=false 3. Mahila Atma Raksha Samiti - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahila_Atma_Raksha_Samiti 4. A Field of One's Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia by Bina Agarwal - https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Z3pdP30OnEUC&pg=PA439&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false 5. Dalit Mahila Samiti - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit_Mahila_Samiti 6. The Dalit Women's Movement in India: Dalit Mahila Samiti by Jahnvi Andharia with the ANANDI Collective - https://www.awid.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/changing_their_world_-_dalit_womens_movement_in_india.pdf 7. 137 women and girls killed every day by intimate partners or family members in 2024  - https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2025/November/137-women-and-girls-killed-every-day-by-intimate-partners-or-family-members-in-2024.html 8. Facts and figures: Ending violence against women - https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/facts-and-figures/facts-and-figures-ending-violence-against-women Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.  Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!

    1h 44m

About

Curious minds welcome, clueless takes guaranteed! Don't Know, Do Care is a curious mix of comedy, commentary, and casually intense learning. Every episode, one of us brings a topic the others know nothing about and tries to "educate" them, just enough for them to feign interest. Do we learn anything? Absolutely not. Do we care about the topic? Probably not. Are we curious, though? Potentially yes. We're not experts by any stretch of our already stretched imagination, but we're just trying to get a bit smarter, one strange question at a time. Curiosity might have killed a cat, but will it kill us? Only time will tell. Join us on our journey to learn something you didn't know you cared about.