Rephonic
Artwork for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

Alex Schmidt
Climate Change
Diabetes
Christianity
Insulin
Caffeine
Microsoft Excel
United Nations
Penny-Farthing
Copper
VHS Tapes
Cathode Ray Tubes
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes
World War II
California
Clouds
Pistachios
Tally Marks
Maximum Fun Drive
Crabs

A weekly podcast about the history, science, lore and surprises that make everyday things secretly incredibly fascinating. Hosted by comedy writer, emoji creator, and ‘Jeopardy!‘ champion Alex Schmidt. Join Alex & his co-host Katie Goldin for a joyful deep dive into seeing the world a whole new way! (For research sources, bonus episodes, and how you can support the podcast, visit sifpod.fun.)

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes313Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ComedySociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

Latest Episodes

Alex Schmidt and Katie Goldin explore why bismuth is secretly incredibly fascinating.

Visit sifpod.fun/ for research sources and for this week's bonus episode.

Come hang out with us on the SIF Discord: discord.gg/wbR96nsGg5

Visit ht... more

Alex Schmidt and Katie Goldin explore why prunes are secretly incredibly fascinating.

Visit sifpod.fun/ for research sources and for this week's bonus episode.

Come hang out with us on the SIF Discord: discord.gg/wbR96nsGg5

Visit ht... more

Alex Schmidt and special guests Ben Harrison and Adam Pranica explore why "23 skidoo" is secretly incredibly fascinating.

Visit sifpod.fun/ for research sources and for this week's bonus episode.

Come hang out with us on the SIF Discord: htt... more

Please enjoy this treat from Alex and Katie! It's Alex's recent guest appearance on the amazing 'Eurovangelists' podcast.

You can also hear Katie on 'Eurovangelists', and hear all their episodes, at Maximum Fun's website: maximumfun.org/podc... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Gamefully Unemployed
Gamefully UnemployedGamefully Unemployed
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided MedicineJustin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy
The Daily Zeitgeist
The Daily ZeitgeistiHeartPodcasts

Recent Guests

Ben Harrison
Guest, Best known for Greatest Generation, Greatest Trek
Max Fun network
Episode: 23 Skidoo
Adam Pranica
Guest, Star Trek writer/host
Max Fun network
Episode: 23 Skidoo
Christian Weatherford
Guest, from Max Function, Just the Zoo of Us
Max Function / Just the Zoo of Us
Episode: family leave week: two curated SIF bonus shows about bison
Mark Bramhill
Host of Welcome To Macintosh
Welcome To Macintosh
Episode: family leave week: "1 Way To Make An Emoji (the bison emoji podcast)" Episode 1
Alex Schmidt
Host of Secretly Incredibly Fascinating appearing as a guest on Creature Feature
Secretly Incredibly Fascinating
Episode: family leave week: "Creature Feature: Think Outside The Butt"
Andrew Ti
Returning guest; co-host of Suboptimal Pods network shows such as Yo Is This Racist and Starter Track
Suboptimal Pods
Episode: Human Teeth
Joey Clift
Guest, Emmy and Peabody-nominated comedy writer, author of We've Been Here The Whole Time
Author, Powell's/Native America topics
Episode: Jim Thorpe
David Bell
Co-host of Fox Mulder is a Maniac and writer/producer
Gamefully Unemployed
Episode: The Color Yellow
Tom Reimann
Writer and producer known for various shows
Gamefully Unemployed
Episode: The Color Yellow

Hosts

Alex Schmidt
Host of the show; longtime, humor-infused explainer with a focus on history, science, and culture.
Katie Goldin
Co-host known for bubbly, energetic delivery and curiosity-driven conversations on a wide range of topics.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 1.5k ratings
  • Alex is a shepherd of enthusiasm for learning.

    I love SIF. probably took longer to find this than it should have. this show, small beans, game fully unemployed, 1-900-hotdog. Some more news. funny edutainment is back!

    Audible
    5
    Steve L
    United States12 days ago
  • Luv it

    Chef’s kiss 💋

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hüsker Lü
    Canada2 months ago
  • You should do an episode on genocides!

    Unsubscribed because of Katie’s casual blood libel. Being “half Jewish” doesn’t absolve you, sorry.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    ItsOkToSaySorry
    United States6 months ago
  • Secretly incredibly wholesome

    Just a couple of sweeties goofin’ around, gabbin’ about neat stuff. 10/10.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Papa.Wheelie3
    Canada8 months ago
  • The finally did it!!!

    I just opened this app to check out the new episodes for this week and I saw the Rootbeer episode and my life became complete

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    monkeyblaster05
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some criticism notes inconsistency in topics or jokes that may not land for younger audiences.
Listeners praise the hosts' energy and the mix of facts and humor.
Guests and topics are frequently described as engaging and diverse.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#157
Poland/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

23 Skidoo
Q: What are the leading theories about where 23 Skidoo came from?
The hosts describe two dominant theories: one ties the phrase to the wind-blown dresses around New York's Flatiron Building, implying a perverse escape moment when police moved in; the other links the term to Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and Irish American slang, suggesting a cultural blending that celebrated quick exits and linguistic flair.
family leave week: "Creature Feature: Think Outside The Butt"
Q: What makes comb jellies' reproductive/defecation strategy notable, compared to other jelly-like creatures?
They open a new anal pore when they need to, effectively giving them a fresh butt with each digestion cycle, which is both visually striking and biologically efficient.
family leave week: "Creature Feature: Think Outside The Butt"
Q: Why do some animals end up with multiple butts or openings, like the flatworm example?
It's an evolutionary puzzle; researchers consider benefits beyond a single exit strategy, but conclusive evidence is still scarce, so the hosts encourage seeking expert input.
Jim Thorpe
Q: Joey, what is your relationship to or opinion of Jim Thorpe?
Joey describes Thorpe as a towering native figure who looms large in Indian country, noting his multi-sport genius and the way his life and experiences illuminate Native history beyond sports.
Alex joins MFD Spring Break
Q: Thatcher, what were the circumstances of your Spring Break death?
Thatcher recounts mixing tequila, Celsius, and falling from a collapsing balcony, which led to his 14 minutes of being legally dead.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

What is Secretly Incredibly Fascinating about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A lively, curiosity-driven show that blends history, science, and quirky trivia with humor and banter between two regular hosts. Episodes cover a wide range of topics—from ancient history and Native representation to everyday objects and cultural myths—often featuring expert guests to provide context. The format emphasizes accessible storytelling, rapid topic shifts, and lighthearted laughs, making complex ideas approachable without sacrificing depth. Noteworthy: hosts' dynamic, penchant for surprising tangents, and periodic guest episodes that broaden the show's scope while keeping a playful, informative vibe.

Where can I find podcast stats for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Secretly Incredibly Fascinating and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Secretly Incredibly Fascinating get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Secretly Incredibly Fascinating have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Secretly Incredibly Fascinating has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Secretly Incredibly Fascinating?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Secretly Incredibly Fascinating:

1. Gamefully Unemployed
2. Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine
3. Quick Question with Soren and Daniel
4. Let's Learn Everything!
5. The Daily Zeitgeist

How many episodes of Secretly Incredibly Fascinating are there?

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating launched 6 years ago and published 313 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Secretly Incredibly Fascinating?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Secretly Incredibly Fascinating?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Secretly Incredibly Fascinating. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Secretly Incredibly Fascinating?

Recent guests on Secretly Incredibly Fascinating include:

1. Ben Harrison
2. Adam Pranica
3. Christian Weatherford
4. Mark Bramhill
5. Alex Schmidt
6. Andrew Ti
7. Joey Clift
8. David Bell

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days