Weird but Wonderful

Weird But Wonderful

A journey into the minds of strange people doing strange things.

  1. Are You Being Played? The Dark Psychology of Flirting & Why Size Matters

    APR 18

    Are You Being Played? The Dark Psychology of Flirting & Why Size Matters

    What happens when science confirms what we already suspected about the people who are hitting on us? And does size REALLY matter? Turns out... yeah. On this episode we're checking out a Chinese app charging lonely city dwellers a monthly fee just to confirm they're still alive. New research out of Alabama mapping exactly who is flirting for a relationship and who is flirting for personal gain. A study from the University of Western Australia letting us know once and for all, scientifically, does size matter? And somewhere in Louisiana, a mermaid is living her best life... right up until the taser. -- Topics: Are You Dead Yet app, loneliness epidemic, the psychology of flirting, relational vs instrumental flirting, the dark triad, narcissism, machiavellianism, psychopathy, the light triad, Kantian ethics, why size matters, the key male metrics, male rivalry, evolutionary biology, University of Western Australia (shouts out), dual purpose tools, the mermaid woman of Louisiana, and taser immunity. -- Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and if you have any weird but wonderful news / stories, email me at oneweirdpodcast@gmail.com. Listen to the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. -- 00:00 - It begins 00:44 - Intro + Are you dead yet? 02:18 - The dark psychology of flirting 11:31 - Why size matters: men, rivals, and evolutionary biology 27:12 - The Louisiana mermaid 33:12 - Outro

    36 min
  2. What's Going Wrong With Men?

    JAN 20

    What's Going Wrong With Men?

    What happens when the human drive for self-improvement stops being healthy and starts getting strange? Episode 99 is a descent into the strangest corners of the Internet. From a 47,000 strong online community convinced they can optimise one very specific part of human biology using supplement stacks and biblical food rules. But when optimisation fails to cure a “blah” life, the behaviour turns desperate. We explore why one man risked it all on the interstate just to feel a spark of excitement, and why a TikTok prankster faked his own passing just to see which family members would show up to his funeral. And finally, we explore the psychology of ‘fragile monsters’. New research into serial killers suggests the most dangerous people aren’t cold masterminds at all, but fragile, easily bruised, and terrifyingly reactive. A single slight or a wounded ego can be the catalyst, revealing a chilling link between the need to be seen and the drive to destroy. -- Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and if you have any weird but wonderful news / stories, email me at oneweirdpodcast@gmail.com. Listen to the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. -- Topics: The rise of nutmaxxing, the holy grail stack, biblical eating, tummy pancakes vs bun glazer, citizen scientists, frustrated ‘artists’, my blah life and the need to chase excitement, what happens when you achieve your goals too early in life, the ultimate fomo, pranks gone horribly right but also horribly wrong, the lengths tiktokers will go to for some clicks, vulnerable narcissism, the new research into serial killers. -- 00:00 - It begins 01:03 - Nutmaxxing: The world of self optimisation in 2026 03:41 - Citizen scientists and the ‘holy grail’ supplement stack 15:00 - The self-optimisation factions have fractured 19:58 - The interstate flasher seeking excitement 24:00 - Belgian man’s ‘Life Lesson’ prank 33:00 - The psychology of a psychopath: Serial killers and fragile narcissism 39:51 - Outro

    43 min
  3. Terrifying Urban Legends That Actually Happened

    10/30/2025

    Terrifying Urban Legends That Actually Happened

    What if the stories that kept you up at night as a kid weren’t just stories? In this episode you'll learn what really happened on Lovers' Lane in 1946, why the "check your backseat" warning exists, and how many times hotel guests complained about a smell before someone finally looked under the bed. This is the truth behind the terror, and it's somehow worse than the stories you remember. Lets pull back the curtain on 4 urban legends we all grew up hearing and the unsolved cases that started them all. -- Topics: The real stories behind the most popular urban legends, Urban Legend (1998), bodies under motel beds and inside the mattresses, the story of Rock-A-Dundee road, the killer in the backseat, lovers lane, the town that dreaded sundown, Texarkana Moonlight Murders, the hook man aka the hook handed killer, the bunny man, Bunny Man Bridge Virginia, Wendigoon’s the killer in the walls, freaking yourself telling scary stories, and life saving advice (you’re welcome). -- Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and if you have any weird but wonderful news / stories, email me at oneweirdpodcast@gmail.com. Listen to the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. -- 00:00 - It begins 04:35 - The Bunny Many Bridge 10:02 - The Body Under The Bed 25:18 - The Killer in the Back Seat 36:40 - Rock-A-Dundee Road (The Hook Man / Hook Handed Killer) 41:40 - The Texarkana Moonlight Murders 53:01 - Outro 54:30 - My Ghost Encounter?

    57 min
  4. Survive The Fright: Scream 4 (2011)

    10/23/2025

    Survive The Fright: Scream 4 (2011)

    Welcome back to Woodsboro, where everyone's trying to get famous! Sidney Prescott is back in town for the anniversary of the original events, but this time Ghostface is killing for clout. In the new YouTube era, why wait for Hollywood when you can make your own movie? To survive the fright this time you're going to need to log in, join the chat, and trust no one... not even family. -- Watch this episode on YouTube: Survive The Fright: Scream 4 (2011) -- Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and if you have any weird but wonderful news / stories, email me at oneweirdpodcast@gmail.com. Listen to the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. -- 00:00 - It begins 03:16 - What’d we think of Scream 4? 05:02 - The Summary 09:02 - 01 :: General Admission 09:49 - Breaking down the Intros & the Prequel 20:21 - Ranking the Scream intros so far (Movies 1-4) 22:39 - Getting into Scream 4 35:04 - Sydney’s dark secret that launches the scream universe into a Friday the 13th franchise fever dream 38:10 - The evolution of Gale 44:00 - The first kill 01:08:23 - The new rules 1:18:56 - Our love of Stabbathon 1:31:58 - The killer revealed 1:42:21 - 02 :: Survive The Fright 1:57:34 - 03 :: Nosferat-Who?

    2h 3m
  5. Survive The Fright: Scream (1996)

    10/07/2025

    Survive The Fright: Scream (1996)

    It’s the spooky season, so what better time to grab a friend who never watches scary movies and enjoy the horror meta-classic, Scream (1996). David and I are diving into the Scream series and covering all the important topics like Gale’s murder blindness. Sid’s magic cupboard, and how hot Billy Loomis is. After making our way through the eerie halls of Woodsboro high, we ultimately have to decide how we would survive the fright! -- Watch this episode on YouTube: Survive The Fright: Scream (1996) -- Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and if you have any weird but wonderful news / stories, email me at oneweirdpodcast@gmail.com. Listen to the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. -- 00:00 - It begins 00:33 - How James got into horror 03:31 - David’s haunted history 06:00 - The origins & cleaning up the Wiki 08:02 - Watching Scream for the first time 16:07 - The Summary of Scream (1996) 19:04 - 01 - General Admission: What’d we think / Can you make the original Scream today? 40:21 - Let’s talk about Billy Loomis 44:12 - Childhood fears unlocked & one of the best kills in horror 52:39 - The final kills 58:49 - 02 - Survive The Fright: How we’d survive Scream 1:14:14 - 03 - Nosforat-WHO: What is horror about Scream?

    1h 26m
  6. The science of conspiracies, cool & creativity

    09/02/2025

    The science of conspiracies, cool & creativity

    What if science could explain why some people radiate cool, why others tumble down conspiracy rabbit holes, and why inspiration always seems to strike out of nowhere? This week we're digging into the psychology of influence, belief, and creativity. From the six universal traits that make someone truly “cool,” to the subtle ways conspiracy theories can compound like interest, to the brain patterns that predict an “aha” moment before it happens. -- Topics: Keanu Reeves is the epitomy of cool, The 6 traits of cool according to science, Cool is psychological profile, Ahead of the curvedness is max cool, Living with openness courage and authenticity, The hottest conspiracies of 2025, LA wild fires & the beams from the sky, Positive self talk - we’re working on it, Believing in one conspiracy theory leads to believing in others, The compouding interest of conspiracies, 28 Years Later is not cannon, Positive conspiracy theories, Aliens are real and helping us with tech, Secret societies guiding for good, Uncovering the multi-verse live in media res, Hiding ufos to keep us safe, Unlocking the ‘aha’ moment, Creativity’s micro dynamics and anticipating break throughs in real time. -- Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and if you have any weird but wonderful news / stories, email me at oneweirdpodcast@gmail.com. Listen to the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. -- 00:00 - It begins 01:38 - New study uncovers what makes someone cool 12:15 - Conspiracy theory rabbit holes 13:17 - My personal experinece with conspiracy theorists 16:17 - New research supports rabbit hole model of conspiratorial thinking 19:35 - My apocalypse experience 24:51 - Positive conspiracies? 28:35 - Science finds the aha moment 32:06 - Outro

    34 min

Ratings & Reviews

4
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A journey into the minds of strange people doing strange things.