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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 done our best to keep things interesting – which wasn’t very hard to do considering the world and indeed humanity’s ability to be downright weird. Here’s what we got up to this year! Podcast Update: If you've reached this far into the podcast with us, it means that you've heard all the Barely Researched Facts had to offer... for now. After two years of doing this podcast, we're finally winding things down. BRF has been our baby, it's been our place to chat about all the obscure, random things only we find interesting - and we've been so happy to find a tribe of listeners who have tuned in regularly to enjoy this with us. Thank you for being with us on this journey.  We hope we see you all soon, on some other corner of the internet. Stay in touch with all that we're up to by subscribing to the newsletter, Probably Relevant. Link to subscribe: https://mailchi.mp/9aca11ecdab2/probably-relevant-sign-up Until next time... Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barely) brought to you by ArtNowThus, a media company based in India. Born out of the infamous lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. 

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 history of holidays, the weekend and how the “Day of Rest” has evolved on the Indian subcontinent and for its many inhabitants.  It's a holiday fact-packed episode, so tune in! Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barely) brought to you by ArtNowThus, a media company based in India. Born out of the infamous lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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 obviously talk about the Fibonacci sequence, what it is, how it came to be and why the golden ratio might not be the all pervasive standard code for all of nature’s beauty. And finally, a prime conspiracy uncovered! 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 of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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 common occurrence when listening to any of our episodes - worry not, we’ll explain what that means in the episode. And lastly, we go deeper into why the chillness of longtime friends of Mary Jane is frustrating anaesthetists everywhere. Enjoy! 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 of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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-based show (barely) brought to you by ArtNowThus, a media start-up based in India. Born out of the infamous lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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. Barely Researched Facts is a facts-based show (barely) brought to you by ArtNowThus, a media start-up based in India. Born out of the infamous lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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 happened, obviously. And then there's our newest space investigation superhero - the James Webb Telescope, and its superhero cape. Enjoy the show! 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 of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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 of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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 deciding what exactly qualifies an organisation as a cult that ruins lives, breaks up families, and causes havoc in people’s lives. And then we chat about Mooning - the gift of the bare posterior that has given so much to so many over the centuries! Lastly, asking for a friend - Is the moon drifting away from Earth a problem?  Enjoy the show! 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 of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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 though, and a very famous ad mascot associated with it.    Also, it turns out Pluto’s done with our solar system and does not want to sit with the rest of the planets anymore. And while we’re in outer space, there’s a little bit about the revolutionary Keplar telescope and how it made Star Wars fans gurgle with childish excitement. Then we bring you crashing down to earth to talk about someone revolutionary to science - Thomas Kuhn. If you know, you know! Actually, if you don’t know, you sorta kinda know. Promise we’ll try to explain that - more than a few times!   Also, an album reco to keep the mood going even after the episode is done. Enjoy!  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 of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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 ArtNowThus, a content and events company based in India. Born out of the infamous lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends.

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. Listen in! 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 lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. Come take a listen!

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!

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 the names of our seasons! 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 lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. Come take a listen!

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 about Peter McAllister and his study into the deeply inadequate modern man (again, not our words and truly a legitimate study) And finally: - Why do Kenyans run so fast? - Why is a ship's speed measured in knots? - And why aren't we all panicking about being hurtled through the deep space as we stand on the ground in gay abandon. As always, enjoy! 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 lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. Come take a listen!

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 tradition around confetti and examinations and words of cautions about confetti canons and the havoc they can wreak. It truly is a celebration! 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 and enjoy!   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 lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. Come take a listen!

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 in England. After which we swiftly ran out of regular roof things to talk about, so we come back east to the Roof of the World. This segment is aces for any other anthropology nerds out there - come find us. Also what does your roofing preference say about your political leanings and what is the true point of the roof of your mouth. We've clearly covered everything about roofs that we could. And we leave you with this little riddle before you embark on your listening - what is a baby roof called? You know what to do. 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 lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. Come take a listen!

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 - so take a listen and enjoy!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 lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. Come take a listen!

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 stomach churning process of self mummification. For archeology nuts, there's a segment on the mummies of the children of llullaillaco - it's tragic, but also truly fascinating. And lastly we tell you exactly when mummies started becoming scary (spoiler alert: it wasn't that time you left the Tupperware in the school bus for the umpteenth time) and why is motherf****** such a terrible thing to say. 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 lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. Come take a listen!

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 and enjoy!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 lockdown of 2020, the show is a trip down dissection lane – of words. Every episode, the hosts Ragini and Shar choose one word and deep dive into it. Every interesting fact we can find, we research – somewhat casually – and bring to you, pairing it with some good humour and casual chat between two friends. Come take a listen!