Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
CLASSIC: Attack of the Aswang: How the CIA Used Vampires as Weapons of War
Horror fans can tell you there's more than one type of vampire -- in fact, there are hundreds of vampire-like fiends in cultures around the world. In most cases these are dismissed as spooky stories …
Published on 6 months, 3 weeks ago
The Ridiculous -- and Surprisingly Dangerous -- History of Hair Dye
Whether we're talking jet black, stunning platinum or fire engine red, there's just something fascinating about hair as a fashion statement. And, of course, forms of hair dye have been used since ant…
Published on 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: That Super Humble Statue of Zeus
Statues are sort of a big deal. Even today, most folks you meet don't have a statue of themselves. So it comes as no surprise that back in the day, one statue in particular became a wonder of the anc…
Published on 6 months, 4 weeks ago
CLASSIC: Who are the Hartlepudlian Monkey Hangers?
Years ago, if you wanted to start a fight in Hartlepool in north eastern England, all you'd have to do is start calling people 'monkey hangers'. But why? Join the guys as they explore how the Napoleo…
Published on 6 months, 4 weeks ago
HP Lovecraft Was A Super Weird Dude, Part Two: The Horror Stories That Changed The World
Newly inspired by his recent associations in amateur magazine circles, HP Lovecraft returns to fiction. In the second part of this series, Ben, Max and special guest Jonathan Strickland witness Lovec…
Published on 7 months ago
HP Lovecraft Was A Super Weird Dude, Part One: Childhood Tragedy
Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Howard Phillips Lovecraft fundamentally altered the course of horror and speculative fiction. So how did he become one of the most influential authors in…
Published on 7 months ago
CLASSIC: William Walker: Filibuster and (Fantastically Bad) President
In today's Classic episode, Ben, Noel, Casey In Spirit and Max explore a bizarrely American story. The adventurer and filibuster William Walker was, in his heyday, lauded as an American hero for his …
Published on 7 months, 1 week ago
Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part Two: The Slinky and the Post-it Note
While things like the Slinky and the Post-it Note may seem pretty ubiquitous, simple ideas today, they each have their own bizarre accidental origin story. In the second part of this week's two-part …
Published on 7 months, 1 week ago
Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part One: Penicillin, X-Rays and the Microwave Oven
Humans have always been compelled by curiosity -- sometimes, this leads to misfortune, but other times... curiosity and accident can also lead to world-changing innovations. In part one of this week'…
Published on 7 months, 1 week ago
CLASSIC: Lawsonomy: How the Father of the Modern Airline Started His Own Religion
When middling baseball player Alfred Lawson first learned of the Wright Brothers, he experienced a revelation that would guide the greater part of his life: Aviation, he believed, was the future of m…
Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago