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Operation LAC: That Time Uncle Sam Sprayed Poison Across St. Louis
As the US government became increasingly concerned about the possibility of large-scale biological weapons, they decided something must be done: they needed to test— in secret. In today’s episode, th…
Published on 3 years, 5 months ago
CLASSIC - Does the US Confederacy Still Exist in Americana, Brazil?
The guys took a day off to celebrate the 4th of July -- and what better time to share a classic episode about another (very strange) form of patriotism? At the close the US Civil War, tens of thousan…
Published on 3 years, 5 months ago
Millerism, Part II: The Great Disappointment (and the Aftermath)
As the alleged End of the World drew ever closer, William Miller and the Millerism movement became a pop culture phenomenon. Thousands of people quit their jobs, sold their possessions, and prepared …
Published on 3 years, 5 months ago
CLASSIC - Did a Real-Life Rainmaker Almost Drown San Diego?
In today's episode we are revisiting a classic. Charles Mallory Hatfield considered himself a real-life rainmaker (or, as he preferred to describe himself, a 'moisture accelerator') and, when San Die…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago
Millerism: America’s First End Times Gospel
You might not have heard of William Miller, but in his time he was a pretty big deal. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the origin of William Miller and Millerism…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago
Ben Franklin Faked a Rival's Death to Promote His Almanac
Benjamin Franklin was many things: an inventor, a Founding Father, a publisher... and, it turns out, a massive troll. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into a strange story of absolute petti…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago
Why was Phrenology a Thing? Part II: A Pseudoscience (Sort of) Informs the Modern Day
While the credibility of phrenology inevitably deteriorated over time, it was neither a completely original concept, nor, in some respects, a completely useless one. In the second part of this two-pa…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago
Why was Phrenology a Thing? Part I: The Rise of Dr. Finger
Once upon a time, a young man named Franz Joseph Gall thought "That's weird... all my school chums with big eyes are good at memorizing things." Years later, he took this idea and ran with it, assuri…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago
Nancy Wake, the White Mouse of the French Resistance
Although Nancy Wake began her career as a journalist, her first-hand experience with Nazis compelled her to a new calling: the French Resistance. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the lar…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago
The US Boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and Puerto Rican Boxers Went Anyway
In a response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the US, along with more than 60 other countries, boycotted the Olympics. Yet three Puerto Rican boxers refused to allow politics to stand in their…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago