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The Founding of the Smithsonian, Part Two: James Gives America a Fortune -- and a Mission
There's no way around it: James Smithson had a tough life. Yet his unhappiness may, in an indirect way, be the prime reason the Smithsonian Institute…
1 year, 10 months ago
The Founding of the Smithsonian, Part One: The Remains of the James
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex -- but how did it get here? Join Ben, Noel and Max as they…
1 year, 10 months ago
CLASSIC: Arsenic: The Assassin's Dream Weapon
For centuries people from all walks of life sought to eliminate friends, strangers and enemies using the devious, subtle poison known as arsenic. Ars…
1 year, 11 months ago
The Orphan Train: That Time the US Auctioned Children Via Rail
New York was a pretty terrible place in the late 1800s. The population was riddled with disease, crime, and terror -- things were especially bad for …
1 year, 11 months ago
20 Questions: A Ridiculous Crossover, Part Two
Long-time listeners will know Ben, Noel and Max are big fans of their peer podcast, Ridiculous Crime -- but what happens when the guys join forces wi…
1 year, 11 months ago
CLASSIC: The Killer Marketing Campaign Behind Guy Fawkes
Nowadays people across the planet are familiar with the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. People even celebrate the anniversary of the even…
1 year, 11 months ago
CLASSIC: When Ancient India Beat Machiavelli to the Punch
Commonly regarded as one of humanity's premiere works on the art of pursuing and securing power, Niccolò Machiavelli's book "The Prince" has become s…
1 year, 11 months ago
The Preposterous History of Artificial Flavors, Part Two: Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
What makes a flavor "artificial," exactly? Why doesn't banana candy taste like bananas in the grocery store? What on Earth is the flavor behind "Juic…
1 year, 11 months ago
CLASSIC: The Rise of Harvey Wiley's Poison Squad
Nowadays U.S. grocery shoppers can be reasonably certain that the foods they purchase are safe (if not healthy). Yet this wasn't always the case. In …
1 year, 11 months ago
The Preposterous History of Artificial Flavors, Part One: The Vanilla Problem
For most of human history, people were locked in a continual struggle to find food and avoid starvation. Eating for pleasure wasn't really a thing th…
1 year, 11 months ago