Best ArtNowThus Podcasts (2024)

1
BRF Season II RECAP 8:43

1+ y ago8:43

8:43

It’s time for the great recap episode! We’ve done so much this year that we’ve been proud of. We've celebrated days special to us and the world; we had guests on; we discussed everything under the sun – and the moon ! From the fascinating to the bizarre, from cults to dictatorships, from the gruesome (Krampus) to the ludicrous (Moonies cult). We’ve…

1
BRF 34: Holiday - Seasons Beatings, Indian days of Rest and Rearranging Calendars 27:48

1+ y ago27:48

27:48

Getting you right into the holiday spirit, this episode we’ve chosen the word “Holidays”. Ragini jumps right into that holiday spirit with the legend of Krampus, a horned beastly figure from central and eastern Alpine folklore - scaring the poop out of misbehaving kids everywhere since time immemorial. We widen the net and go hunting for the histor…

1
BRF 33: Number - The Fibonnaci Numbers, Pythagorean Cults, and a "Prime" Conspiracy 36:56

1+ y ago36:56

36:56

This episode, we’ve chosen the word “Number”. Somehow, we’re back on the topic of cults - wait to find out how we’ve managed this. All we'll say is it has something to do with a right triangle, some misattributed discoveries (if you guessed Tesla, you’re wrong) and vegetarians who weren’t really vegetarians, which is a tale as old as time! We also …

1
BRF 32: Chill - The Etymology of Chill, Piloerection and Stoners Frustrating Anaesthetists Everywhere! 27:42

1+ y ago27:42

27:42

This episode, we’ve chosen the word “Chill”. If there’s anything that we or indeed everyone in the world needs right now, it’s a chill pill. And we’ll give you a precise recipe for one - straight from the most medically reliable century in human history - the 1800s! While you’re digesting that recipe, you might experience a hint of piloerection - a…

1
BRF Special Episode: 'Hunger' an audio drama 8:48

1+ y ago8:48

8:48

We continue our audio drama special episodes with our second short story. 'Hunger' is also a short story written by Shar and narrated by Vidyuth Gargi, an actor and writer from Mumbai. Today's story is... interesting. Struggling to say more without revealing too much, so that's all we'll say. But take a listen. Barely Researched Facts is a facts-ba…

1
BRF Special Episode: 'Homecoming' an audio drama 7:28

1+ y ago7:28

7:28

Today's episode is an experiment - we're celebrating World Audio Drama Day, with our own little tribute through storytelling. 'Homecoming' is a short story written by Shar and narrated by Yuki Ellias, a theatre director and actor from Mumbai. We don't want to ruin the story by telling you too much in the blurb, so take a listen and enjoy the tale. …

1
BRF 31: Sun - Sun’s Out - Shields and Bums Out! 24:31

1+ y ago24:31

24:31

Welcome to the seventh episode! This time we’re going the opposite direction to our fifth episode “Moon”. We discuss the importance, or lack thereof of perineum sunning - which is the scientific term for sun’s out, bums out folks! We also talk about that time North Korea landed the first man on the sun in a mere 21 hour long round trip. That happen…

1
BRF 30: Ferment - Fermented birds, 'High' Meat and God-level punning 17:08

2y ago17:08

17:08

Part of our collaboration with the amazing Kobo Fermentary, Ragini and Shar kick things off by discussing some very interesting fermented foods and Ragini makes the best pun of her life! Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barely) brought to you by ArtNowThus, a content and events company based in India. Born out of the infamous lockdown…

1
BRF 29: Moon - Werewolves on the Moon, Cults and Bare Bums! 32:18

2y ago32:18

32:18

The moon’s gravitational pull is at its strongest during the New Moon and Full Moon. Today is a new moon - so you’ve guessed it - the simple creatures at Barely Researched Facts have chosen Moon as the word for today’s episode! In this episode we discuss the scientific implications of plonking a werewolf on the moon before we spend some time decidi…

1
BRF 28: Revolution - Scientific, planetary, political and everything in between 37:00

2y ago37:00

37:00

Our word this episode is an Independence Day special. We’re going with revolution - expect all things revolutionary and all things revolving. 15th August is the Indian Independence Day. Which got us thinking - why isn’t the Indian independence movement referred to as a revolution? There’s a little bit about the famous White Revolution in India thou…

1
BRF 27: Prank - Rick rolling, Pythagoras and Saddam Hussein! 24:37

2y ago24:37

24:37

This episode had us punning on the fly, talking about a poltergeist from our (and your) collective childhoods, morbid humour in a dictatorship, our favourite redhead Rick Astley along with activist of vegetarianism and little known mathematician Pythagorus and his prank cup! Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barely) brought to you by A…

1
BRF 26: Telegram - Big Eared Telepathic Aliens and the last telegram ever sent! 30:05

2y ago30:05

30:05

It's the anniversary of the last telegram sent, so we did an entire episode on telegrams. We talk about the last telegram ever sent (obvio), communicating telepathically and telegraphically with big-eared Martians, and why in the world the unstoppable telegram had stops in it. Answers to all your burning telegram questions in the episode right here…

1
BRF 25: Power - Gun toting shrimps, Powerpuff Girls and more! 21:03

2y ago21:03

21:03

Welcome back to Season 2 - and we're starting things off with this power packed episode! We talk about a gun toting shrimp (not making it up), a broken circle and a vertical stroke, the tapestry of 80s, 90s pop culture that is the Powerpuff Girls and how Iceland heats …. literally everything!

1
BRF Season Finale 15:11

2+ y ago15:11

15:11

One full year since we started BRF! And as we step away for a bit to take some time to reflect and renew, we leave you with the final word for this season - 'Season' (bit on the nose, this one). What's a silly season? Hint: it's not the period in the following months without the weekly BRF fix in your life, we promise. And the poetic beauty behind …

1
BRF24: "Speed" 33:51

2+ y ago33:51

33:51

Speeding towards the new year, this episode sets the tone by starting off with a great segment on speed limits! There's some pretty cute history on this one. Making things racy - Shar has a little girl crush we explore this episode. Yes, we went there! Also, if you think men today aren't manly enough (not our words), you must hear this segment abou…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 14 - "Confetti" 19:23

2+ y ago19:23

19:23

It's the end of the year and it's our favourite time and we're jumping right on to that festive wagon with our last short of the year - Confetti! Turns out human beings have always liked chucking stuff at each other - so we take you through all the not so pleasant, ever so gruesome tales about how this played out in the years gone by. Also, a great…

1
BRF23: "Roof" 43:34

2+ y ago43:34

43:34

For something that's meant to facilitate dryness, this word turned out to be anything but! We start off with one of the most famous roofs in the world - the iconic domed roofs of the Taj Mahal. Architecture aside, we managed to uncover a juicy little archeological conspiracy theory - fun! Moving west, Shar takes us to the cute little thatched roofs…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 13 "Okay" 22:36

2+ y ago22:36

22:36

Hopefully, it's lucky number 13 for us and this episode isn't just "okay". We cover the origins and the sauciness of the word OK, or is it Okay? Find out in the episode! BRF Shorts On Us are mini episodes much more home grown in production than our full length episodes, and therefore slightly varying in quality. Content is aces like always though -…

1
BRF22: "Mummy" 37:48

2+ y ago37:48

37:48

In this episode we discuss all things Mummy - the scary ones and the scarier ones :D Ever heard about mummy unwrapping parties btw? Quite the banger back in early 20th century with the European genteel. And yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. In this very cheery episode, we discuss the most famous of modern mummies - Vladimir Lenin; and the sto…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 12 "Bling" 20:06

2+ y ago20:06

20:06

Our episode on 'Bling' talks about all things bling - rappers, Nizams and burglars! Obviously. Listen to the episode for a fascinating bunch of topics! BRF Shorts On Us are mini episodes much more home grown in production than our full length episodes, and therefore slightly varying in quality. Content is aces like always though - so take a listen …

1
BRF21: "Angel" 30:04

2+ y ago30:04

30:04

What would happen if human beings could really fly? Can they ever really fly? Also, how did we ever come to think of angels as humans with wings? Is it an angel or is it an alien? So many questions and one episode to answer them all! We also cover a fun segment on drunk angels - it happens, and not just according to us. True crime must always be co…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 11 "Traffic Signal" 11:18

2+ y ago11:18

11:18

Our episode on 'Signal' left us with a lot of to want for. So we decided to do this little short on the 'Traffic Signal'! It's really a fascinating history - they've been around longer than we thought btw (think traffic signals for horses - cute!). Also, dyk traffic signals in Japan are (an absolutely lovely) shade of blue? Find out why in this epi…

1
BRF20: "Pop" 40:14

2+ y ago40:14

40:14

It's our 20th episode! And to celebrate this milestone, we have an equally celebratory word - Pop! Can't go an episode on Pop without talking about pop culture. We take you through a surprising study that details out the evolution of pop music - turns out it's not actually getting unbearable as the next generation takes over, that's just us. Also, …

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 10 "Cake" 9:02

2+ y ago9:02

9:02

We've all heard of trial by combat, and in this episode we tell you about the fascinating legal role played by the humble cake back in the day - introducing trial by cake! (we didn't make this up). Also, taking you through an extremely important day of international political significance - International Cake Day! (also not making any of that up). …

1
BRF19: "Whisper" 33:00

3y ago33:00

33:00

This episode is anything but quiet - in fact, it's quite a riot! Ragini and Shar talk about whispering in every form - from whispering to ghosts to whispering to the Gods! Humans are strange, aren't they? Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barely) brought to you by ArtNowThus, a Mumbai-based experiential arts company. Born out of the in…

1
BRF Shorts on Us! 09: "Charkhas and Chick Flicks" 21:50

3y ago21:50

21:50

On Gandhi Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we also celebrate another auspicious day - Mean Girls Day! This episode smooshes two very interesting, very different topics together making a super-quirky short! Enjoy! BRF Shorts On Us are mini episodes much more home grown in production than our full length episodes, and therefore sligh…

1
BRF Shorts on Us! 08: "The Origin Of Geek" 6:34

3y ago6:34

6:34

What do Geeks have in common with carnivals? The answer is a fascinating insight into the origins of this seemingly innocuous, commonplace word. Listen on! BRF Shorts On Us are mini episodes much more home grown in production than our full length episodes, and therefore slightly varying in quality. Content is aces like always though - so take a lis…

1
BRF18: "Signal" 40:03

3y ago40:03

40:03

Take a trip down many lanes of great historical significance all the way into outer space with this banger of an episode! There's a lot in here about ancient systems of signaling in times of war and peace - super fascinating! And to keep things contemporary we also take you through the history of the (truly cathartic to execute) signal of the middl…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 07 "Dude" 18:27

3y ago18:27

18:27

The origin of dude, the coolest dude, all things dude! From religions to leather boots, this short will make you have a long think about what dude actually means to YOU. To us? - Fermented Quail Eggs. Listen to find out more! BRF Shorts On Us are mini episodes much more home grown in production than our full length episodes, and therefore slightly …

1
BRF17: "Beard" 38:31

3y ago38:31

38:31

Today is World Beard Day! And we celebrated by putting together this episode! Listen in to find out all the wonderful traditions you can now begin annually to celebrate the togetherness of person and beard. As always we have lots of history - stories we never really imagined we'd be talking about, but there you have it. The many medical marvels and…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 06 "Idioms" 11:12

3y ago11:12

11:12

What does an 'Indian Summer' actually mean? Where does the phrase 'Raining Cats And Dogs' come from? Hint: while you might not encounter cats pouring out of the sky, there are some wonderful other creatures you could. Not recommended. And the surprising origins of the phrase 'Buttering Someone Up'. Take a listen and level up your idiom game with th…

1
BRF16: "Fire" 38:50

3y ago38:50

38:50

This episode is on Fire! (pun :D) What happens when the God of Fire gets indigestion? What happens to fire in space? Can the human body spontaneously combust on its own? Does pyrokinesis exist? Also, is that the correct term for it? And how do dragons breathe fire? We answer all these and other burning questions. Also, as a treat - find out the ver…

1
BRF Shorts on Us! 05: "Whisk(e)y" 17:04

3y ago17:04

17:04

Welcome to another episode of BRF Shorts on Us! From women in whiskey-making to recommendations in the world of whisk(e)y to lexicography, this episode is a short but has it all! There's also a surprise announcement at the end that you're not going to want to miss. BRF Shorts On Us are mini episodes much more home grown in production th…

1
BRF15: "Fairytale" 38:15

3y ago38:15

38:15

History, Politics, Medicine, Astronomy, Psychology - this episode really took us places! Find out where it all began, the amazing journey of the Indian fairytales book the Panchatantra across the world, the dark historical story that inspired a much told tale and some expert psychological and medical diagnosis for our favourite fairy characters! Li…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 04 "Pastafarianism" 9:05

3y ago9:05

9:05

What is this strange word you ask - listen to the episode to find out! Find out about our holiest saviour, the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the devoutness of his followers. Ramen to that! BRF Shorts On Us are mini episodes much more home grown in production than our full length episodes, and therefore slightly varying in quality. Content is aces li…

1
BRF14: "Pasta" 35:52

3y ago35:52

35:52

From the expected - like where the word 'Pasta' comes from and the history of this fascinating dish - to the absolutely unexpected, this episode covers so much ground. Take a listen to explore the creep-tastic internet world of Creepypasta, pasta wars, punny pasta religions and the latest in pasta shapes! Also, if anyone has a better explanation fo…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 03 "Birthday" 15:25

3y ago15:25

15:25

Happy Birthday to Ragini! We decided to do a fun little short on birthdays right from the history of these special days to birthday traditions around the world. And Shar spills the beans on some stories about Ragini - all of which gave birth to this amazing podcast! So more than one birth day being celebrated on this one today. Happy listening!…

1
BRF13: "Cake" 37:49

3y ago37:49

37:49

Our first ever guest episode and this one's a tasty one! Find out about the history of cake, and a charming little story of how a little town in southern India grew to become a global hotspot for Christmas cakes. There are stories about conjoined twins, examination practices at Oxford and folklore from China. Also a really fun segment on some total…

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 02 "Fairytale" 13:00

3y ago13:00

13:00

June 26th is celebrated as Rat Catcher's Day in the town of Hamelin in Germany. This episode we take you through the disturbingly true stories that inspired some of our much beloved fairytales - including the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin that inspires the celebrations today! There's also a fun little music video about the Three Little Pigs. Y…

1
BRF12: "Palm" 27:34

3y ago27:34

27:34

Our word for this episode: Palm! From experts who predicted their own death to Ragini's newly acquired palm-reading skills, to Los Angeles and its infamous arboreal mascot, this episode is short but packs a punch! Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barely) brought to you by ArtNowThus, a Mumbai-based experiential arts company. Born out …

1
BRF Shorts On Us! 01 - "Pride" 10:40

3y ago10:40

10:40

Our first ever BRF Shorts On Us! Mini episodes where we pick words, phrases, idioms and tease them out for you. This episode features the word 'Pride'. We take you through the evolution of this very topical word - it's had a fascinating journey! And of course, there's a fair bit on Pride in its political use today. Jump in! Barely Researched Facts …

1
BRF11: "Dream" 38:57

3y ago38:57

38:57

Our word for this episode: Dream! In this episode, dreams were a royal road indeed - to super interesting facts! Our chosen word for this episode took us from the supernatural to the surreal! Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barely) brought to you by ArtNowThus, a Mumbai-based experiential arts company. Born out of the infamous lockdo…

1
BRF10: "Octopus" 41:25

3y ago41:25

41:25

We chose a listener-submitted word to dissect this episode and boy, did it deliver! Thank you to Akshai for suggesting “Octopus”. We have to admit – at first, it didn’t seem very promising but that’ll just teach us to trust in our listeners from now on, because it was quite the opposite in the end! All we know is – whether they’re having weird sex,…

1
BRF09: "Riddle" 38:14

3y ago38:14

38:14

Riddle us this dear listeners... In this episode we answer why that statement leaves you feeling like you're the champion of the world or in a broken pile of anxiety on the floor. To put things in perspective, especially if you're one of the latter - we also take you down the history of riddling, where a mess-up on the answer could lead to public h…

1
BRF08: "Mirror" 33:27

3y ago33:27

33:27

Our word for this episode: Mirror! In this episode, we take listeners through the history of the mirror and ponder the magpie-like nature of humans in their obsession for shiny things. We journey from the sands of the Egyptian civilization to a janitorial closet in an American club - what a ride! Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barel…

1
BRF07: "Memory" 27:55

3+ y ago27:55

27:55

Our word for this episode: Memory! This one's going to be a hard one to forget. And if you do, we'll tell you exactly why that happened in this episode. From setting world records to some crazy stories about some crazy memories - newly self appointed Drs. Shar and Ragini take you through some incredible facts about all that we remember. Barely Rese…

1
BRF06: "Geek" 24:38

3+ y ago24:38

24:38

Our word for this episode: Geek. Bite the head off a chicken and get ready for a "galloper" of an episode! Since our word for the episode is "Geek", it's obvious we bring up carnivals, right? Right! We go through a range of emotions with this one. From talking about early American carnivals to Geek culture, to Don Quixote this "Ding Show" would be …

1
BRF05: "Ash" 28:44

3+ y ago28:44

28:44

Our word for this episode: Ash! Disclaimer: the content in this episode may not be suitable for everyone. Volcanic erections, hacks to keep your pets flea-free and your chickens parasit free and more! This episode, we talk about all things ash - some predicatable and some unpredictable. We did have to cover the obvious - crematorial practices but w…

1
BRF04: "Echo" 28:19

3+ y ago28:19

28:19

Our word for this episode: Echo! From mythology to ancient civilizations to astronomy, this episode takes us on a comprehensive journey through time - as much as you can in twenty eight minutes anyway! Does a duck's quack echo? Can a human echolocate? Do we play the card game bridge? Is the Big Bang speaking to us across space from the past over ti…

1
BRF03: "Mask" 34:14

3+ y ago34:14

34:14

This episode features an abrupt great segue into talking about the plague, the miasma and germ theories in science, rotting organic matter (Yay!), mask wearing in the western medical world in the 1900s and a fifteen minute long death scene! Intrigued yet? Well how about a guest appearance by one of our mums? Now that's a clincher! Barely Researched…

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