From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies, history is riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or learn the Stuff They Don't Want You To Know ... an audio podcast from iHeartRadio.
Strange News: New Cryptid Just Dropped, Chernobyl's Wolves, A Lawyer Saves The Day
A new study shows wolves in Chernobyl have developed resistance to cancer. A scammer tries to refinance house behind owner’s back, lawyer saves the day. Shocking new research reveals human beings are host to a previously-unknown, bizarre collection of life forms called "obelisks" -- and no one knows what they're doing. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
That Unclaimed Land: Terra Nullius
How do human civilization decide who owns what? It's a devilish, dangerous, and disturbing question absolutely riddled with conspiracy. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the concept of "terra nullius" -- the idea that, if you have the right flag and a solid army, you can just rock up to any place on Earth and call dibs. Tune in to learn how this conspiratorial concept came to be, why it's sometimes hilarious, and why it's mostly evil. Perhaps most importantly: What does "terra nullius" tell us about the future of exploration?They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Hey Google, Operation Overmatch, Healthcare and Cartel Firearms
An anonymous listener shares the unpleasant consequences of Ben, Matt and Noel's prank from years ago. Scurvy Earl prompts a renewed, long-running conversation about the broken healthcare system. Rob asks for more information about Operation Overmatch. Emma H weirds Ben out with compliments, and JBB1351 responds with key information about cartels and US military ordnance. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Every US National Park is Apparently Haunted
The United States National Parks system is a stunning system of over 85 million acres of natural wonders, attracting millions of visitors from across the world every single year. Within the parks, you can find a cavalcade of unique animals, plants and monuments. But there's a stranger side to all this wilderness: according to centuries worth of legends, the parks are also home to ghosts. Join Ben, Matt and Noel to learn more.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CLASSIC: The Dark Alliance: Did the US government and druglords kill Gary Webb?
Stubborn, determined and tenancious, Gary Webb was the quintessential investigative journalist. In his work for a newspaper called The Mercury News, Gary explored the relationship between right-wing revolutionary Contras in Nicaragua, the crack cocaine epidemic in the United States, and the actions of the Central Intelligence Agency. While the series was published, multiple mainstream newspapers joined together to write editorials criticizing him, and ultimately his own editors turned on him, as well. Gary Webb later died from two gunshots to the head. This was officially deemed a suicide, and there's no wonder people think there's more to the story.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Strange News: CERN Wants a New Collider, Deepfake Scam, Bears on Crack, A Toothbrush Hack, and More
CERN wants to spend the next two decades -- and twenty billion euro -- building a new collider. AI seems to escalate warfare in strange, unpredictable ways. A deepfake scam. Claims of a massive botnet army of toothbrushes seem terrifying -- but there's more to the story. South Carolina claims executions don't need to be painless. Florida pushes for a bill that makes it easier to hunt and kill bears, on the off chance they may be doing crack cocaine. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Squonk: The World’s Saddest Cryptid
It's Cryptid Time! On the heels of a somewhat... titillating social media video, the guys dive into the story of the world's saddest cryptid. Out in the hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania, numerous hunters have tried and failed to capture a uniquely upsetting, lachrymose little cryptid with bad skin, weird legs and a penchant for continually weeping. He can be lured by the sound of crying... but if you try to catch him, he'll vanish, leaving only a slurry of bubbles and tears. Join Ben, Matt and Noel as they explore the bizarre story of the Squonk.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Massive Reaction to Oklahoma Cannabis and Human Trafficking, the Apple Vision Pro, Music Inspired by STDWYTK
Divine Bovine prompts a conversation about the Apple Vision Pro. Moons of Athos shares some of the (awesome) music he creates while inspired by Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. A ton of fellow Conspiracy Realists write in to confirm our earlier story on Oklahoma and cannabis-related human trafficking, assuring us the problem is much, much worse than the news is letting on. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thailand's Worst Serial Killer is a Woman: The Story of "Am Cyanide"
Thailand's authorities recently closed an investigation on the most notorious serial killer in the country's history: Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, commonly called "Am Cyanide," poisoned more than 14 people in a murder spree that left local police baffled -- until they learned the full story.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CLASSIC: The Strange Story of the GhostNet
The rise of the Internet Age allowed billions of people to access virtually endless stores of information, but it had a dark side -- one of which was the rise of a new kind of army: Groups that used viruses and software the way other militaries use missiles, spies and bombs. Join the guys as they explore the rise of the mysterious entity known as GhostNet -- what it did, how it got away with it, and why no one's been able to stop it.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Strange News: Mexican Cartels Carry Heavy US Ordnance, Taylor Swift, Bayer to Pay More than 2 Billion in Latest Roundup Trial, Woman Non-consensually Running for Presidency
Mexico demands answers as cartels seem to wield massive amounts of US-manufactured military ordnance. Pop musician Taylor Swift inspires bizarre, panicked reactions among America's conservatives. Pharmaceutical giant Bayer is under the gun yet again as the dangers of Roundup, once dismissed as a conspiracy theory, result in a lawsuit putting the company on the hook for more than 2 billion US dollars. A woman in Colorado discovers she is on the Minnesota presidential primary ballot -- she doesn't want to be president, and she can't get her name off the list. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did A Harvard Astronomer Find Wreckage From Outer Space?
Storied Harvard theoretical physicist Avi Loeb made some waves with his recent discoveries: through a deep search of astronomical records, he and his team found an interstellar object that crashed into Earth off the shores of Papua New Guinea. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the nature of this discovery, the controversy surrounding the ongoing research, and the bizarre question: Have humans found proof of extraterrestrial life?They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Carbon Monoxide Crisis in Utah, Hunting Ghosts, Ghost Kitchens
Mama Dino prompts an examination of carbon monoxide poisoning in Utah. Veteran ghost hunter George shares a guide to exploring Electronic Voice Phenomena. Multiple Conspiracy Realists weigh in on the earlier ghost kitchens episode. The Rise of Nicky Biscuits. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Project For The New American Century: Part Two
In the wake of unimaginable disaster, the supporters of the PNAC saw their chance to transform their theories into policy. At least, that's how critics often portray the group -- why? In the second part of this two-part series, Ben and Matt dive deep into the story of the short-lived think tank, from the global aftermath of the attacks on September 11th to the official end of the PNAC.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CLASSIC: Ancient Civilizations in Antarctica?
Among all the continents of Earth, Antarctica remains both the most inhospitable and the most mysterious. Today the only humans on the landmass are researchers and their support staff, charged with studying climate change, the local ecosystem and the unique creatures that call the freezing, ice-riddled continent home. Yet for centuries various researchers have argued there's more to the history of Antarctica -- that, before it was ever 'officially discovered', Antarctica was home to a long-forgotten civilization, the existence of which could fundamentally rewrite the story of human history.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.