Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
That Time the US Government Brainwashed America into DIY Bomb Shelters
Picture this: it's just after World War II -- the world knows nuclear weapons can end civilization. So, how can a government help the public feel saf…
3 months, 3 weeks ago
CLASSIC: Idiomatic For The People, Part I
Language is beautiful and, in many cases, continually evolving. As a result, we end up with hundreds of strange idioms and figures of speech that we …
3 months, 4 weeks ago
Spontaneous Human Combustion: A Bizarre Controversy
Can people really just, for no discernable reason, catch on fire? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the centuries old folklore and invest…
4 months ago
IP, Part Three: A Copyright for Everyone!
As Ben, Noel and Max close out another year of Ridiculous History, they return to the patently baffling world of intellectual property. In part three…
4 months ago
CLASSIC: Was there a real-life Rapunzel?
Most people in the West are familiar with the old Rapunzel fairy tale -- a beautiful princess is confined to a tower until a prince, captivated by he…
4 months, 1 week ago
Ridiculous Maps: That Time Everyone Thought California Was An Island
Nowadays, pretty much anyone can easily find an accurate map of a city, a country, or the entire world. But this wasn't always the case. In today's e…
4 months, 1 week ago
The Chicago Tylenol Murders
For most people, Tylenol is nothing more than an ol' stand-by, over-the-counter pain reliever. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max learn in today's episode -- …
4 months, 1 week ago
CLASSIC: Benjamin Franklin's Advice On "Finding A Mistress"
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a man of many interests, but his endeavors were by no means limited to technical innovation, philosophy and pol…
4 months, 2 weeks ago
Wait! Can a tree really own itself?
Do you have a favorite tree? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max head over to the famous college town of Athens, Georgia where -- legend has it -- …
4 months, 2 weeks ago
Doc Holliday Was, In Fact, A Deadly Dentist
Longtime listeners are well-aware that the history of the 'Wild West' is more than a bit... embellished. Yet a grain of truth exists at the heart of …
4 months, 2 weeks ago