Sputnik

Sputnik

Author: Citation Needed Media March 4, 2026 Duration: 33:27

Sputnik 1 (/ˈspʌtnɪk, ˈspʊtnɪk/RussianСпутник-1Satellite 1), often referred to as simply Sputnik, was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for three weeks before its three silver-zinc batteries became depleted. Aerodynamic drag caused it to fall back into the atmosphere on 4 January 1958.


Ever wondered how confidently incorrect a person can become after a ten-minute internet deep dive? Citation Needed is a comedic exploration of that exact phenomenon. Each episode, the hosts from Citation Needed Media pick a topic-which could be anything from the history of a bizarre invention to the biography of a semi-forgotten public figure-and their sole source material is a single Wikipedia article. They then proceed to discuss, dissect, and wildly extrapolate from that one page, adopting the unearned authority of online experts. The result is a hilarious and often insightful collision between earnest curiosity and total improvisation, revealing just how fragile our shared understanding of culture and society can be. You’ll hear genuine attempts to parse dense, dry information immediately derailed by personal tangents, absurd hypotheticals, and the inevitable realization that the wiki text itself might be deeply flawed. It’s a podcast that celebrates the joy of learning something new while simultaneously mocking the platform where most of us go to do it. The conversations are loose, funny, and surprisingly informative, not because the hosts are actual experts, but because they’re so willing to follow a strange fact down a rabbit hole and see what they find. Tune in for a unique blend of casual research and comedic commentary that holds a mirror to our own online habits.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Citation Needed
Podcast Episodes
Coin Operated Machines [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:20
A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or…
The Making of Apocalypse Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:19
Production problems—among them bad weather, actors' poor health, and other issues—delayed the filming of Apocalypse Now, increasing costs and nearly destroying the life and career of its director, Francis Ford Coppola.
The Salt Path [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:46
The Salt Path is a 2018 memoir, nature, and travel book by Raynor Winn. It details the long-distance walk along the South West Coast Path, in South West England, by Winn and her husband, Moth, after they lost their home,…
Queen Nzinga of Angola [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:55
Nzinga or Njinga Ana de Sousa Mbande (/nəˈzɪŋɡə/; c. 1583 – 17 December 1663) was a southwest African paramount ruler who ruled as a queen of the Ambundu Kingdoms of Ndongo (1624–1663) and Matamba (1631–1663), located in…
Looksmaxxing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:17
Looksmaxxing is a 21st century Internet neologism referring to the process of maximizing one's own physical attractiveness. The term originated on male incel (meaning: "involuntarily celibate")[1] message boards in the 2…
Oceans 91 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:38
https://www.gq.com/story/91-year-old-bank-robber-jl-hunter-rountree
April Fools' Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:40
April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day[1]) is an annual custom in many Western countries on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their act…
The Placebo Effect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:03
A placebo (/pləˈsiːboʊ/ pluh-SEE-boh) is a medicine or treatment intended to appear genuine to its recipient, but which has no pharmaceutical effect.[1][2] Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert…
Guy Fawkes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:50
Guy Fawkes (/fɔːks/; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606),[a] also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.…
Enshit*ification [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:34
Enshit*ification, also known as crapification and platform decay, is a process in which two-sided online products and services decline in quality over time. Initially, vendors create high-quality offerings to attract use…