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Skylab Is Falling
Skylab Is Falling

Season 1 Episode 60

In 1979, the world watched as NASA’s 77-ton space station made its fiery plunge back to Earth. When Skylab broke apart over a sleepy Australian town,…

3 months, 1 week ago

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Introducing: What Happened in Nashville
Introducing: What Happened in Nashville

What Happened in Nashville is a deeply reported investigation into the sudden collapse of a Tennessee fertility clinic, and the patients caught in th…

3 months, 1 week ago

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The Fundamental Magical Element
The Fundamental Magical Element

Season 1 Episode 59

Two Jamaican musicians are making a bold claim. They say they invented the now-ubiquitous reggaeton beat on a specific track in 1989. They're suing s…

3 months, 2 weeks ago

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A Very Special Thanksgiving Mailbag
A Very Special Thanksgiving Mailbag

Season 1 Episode 58

It's Fandemonium! This week Dana, Zaron, and Jason respond to listener emails. They tell their Very Special origin stories, pick their favorite episo…

3 months, 2 weeks ago

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The Dogs of Chernobyl
The Dogs of Chernobyl

Season 1 Episode 57

When Russia invaded Ukraine, hundreds of starving dogs were trapped inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. For years, Oregon-based veterinarian Dr. Jen…

3 months, 3 weeks ago

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The Grocery Store That Killed Communism
The Grocery Store That Killed Communism

Season 1 Episode 56

In 1989, Boris Yeltsin walked into a Houston supermarket — and walked out ready to end an empire. What he saw in Texas that day would shake the found…

4 months ago

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The Arctic Balloon
The Arctic Balloon

Season 1 Episode 55

In 1897, a Swedish engineer set out to reach the North Pole ... by balloon. With two companions, a crate of champagne, and the faith of a nation, he …

4 months, 1 week ago

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Being Joe Isuzu
Being Joe Isuzu

Season 1 Episode 54

In the golden age of 1980s television, few faces were more familiar — or more dishonest — than Joe Isuzu’s. Actor David Leisure brought the fast-talk…

4 months, 2 weeks ago

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A High School Brawl in the Panama Canal Zone
A High School Brawl in the Panama Canal Zone

Season 1 Episode 53

In the 1960s, there were 36,000 Americans living in the Canal Zone. They had Friday night high school football games, sock hops, and Hollywood movies…

4 months, 3 weeks ago

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Introducing: Hoax! with Dana Schwartz and Lizzie Logan
Introducing: Hoax! with Dana Schwartz and Lizzie Logan

Hi, Very Special Episodes listeners! We're hard at work on the next season of VSE, which lands October 22nd. In the meantime, did you know our own Da…

5 months, 2 weeks ago

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