Caustic Soda

Diving Accidents

05 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Diver extraordinaire Jonathan Martin joins us to discuss the types and hazards of diving, including decompression sickness (the "bends"), nitrogen nar...

Dennis “BTK” Rader

28 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for Kevin, Toren, and Joe to return to their Evil Dudes In History series, this time looking at Dennis "Bind, Torture, Kill" Rader. His bad ...

Leeches

21 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The wonderful world of leeches includes bloodletting, leech collectors, the tempest prognosticator, hirudotherapy, how to properly remove a leech, plu...

Benign Tumors

14 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Rob returns to talk about the terrible tumors - or at least the non-cancerous ones. Includes molar pregnancies, teratomas, fetus in fetu, gourmand ...

Griselda Blanco

07 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin, Joe, and Toren are back again with a look at our next Evil Dame In History: Cocaine Godmother Griselda Blanco. Motorcycle hits, hits on childre...

Flatulence

31 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Pull our finger, Soda Jerks! Instead of pretending fooling people is comedy this April Fools we're celebrating the gross that makes you laugh: flatule...

Grenades

24 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Grenados, jam tin grenades, the Mills bomb, potato masher, jumping hand grenades, hornet's nest grenades and chemical hand grenades. Plus falling on a...

Whales

17 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Mr. Dr. Greg Bole rejoins Joe, Toren, and Kevin to talk about the marine mammals called whales. We'll play "Whale or No Such Thing", talk about explod...

Abortion, Part 2 of 2

10 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Abortion in the news and in pop culture. Plus a Public Service Announcement on Pregnancy Crisis Centers. With guespert Katie Scoular. Part 2 of 2! Mu...

Abortion Part 1 of 2

03 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Katie Scoular returns to discuss the ins and outs (mostly outs) of abortion. We look at some basic pregnancy facts, the different types of abortion (s...

Child Labor

24 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Joe, Kevin, and Toren discuss child labor. They'll discuss the eleven worst countries for child labor, the prevalence of child labor in cho...

Clowns

17 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Coulrophobes beware! We talk about killer and suicidal clowns, including John Wayne Gacy, clown assassinations, and of course, Juggalos. Plus dangerou...

Lice

10 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Gavin Pitts joins Kevin, Toren, and Joe again via Skype to talk head lice, body lice, public lice, Strigiphilus Garylarsoni,  Aristotle's "spontaneou...

Toxicity Part 2 of 2

03 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Food tasters, Wiley's poison squad, tetra ethyl lead, pesticide-contaminated lunches, a new botulinum toxin, and the usual pop culture. Plus - what's ...

Toxicity

27 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Jenna Moccia joins us to talk nightshade, strychnine, curare, arsenic, ricin, cyanide, botulinum, chemotherapy, the 1858 Bradford Sweets poisonin...

Shipwreck!

20 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Part three of our Maritime Mishaps series continues with a look at complete loss of water-going vessels: Shipwrecks! We'll look at the wrecks of the S...

Marooned

13 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss several instances of people cast away to deserted islands in history, and provide a PSA on how to survive! We also analyze Robinsonades s...

Lost At Sea

06 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Joe, Kevin, and Toren look at getting stuck out on the open ocean. We'll cover the several dangers of being lost at sea, as well as tales o...

Ecocide

30 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Joanna Gaskell joins us to discuss dead zones, the deforestation of Easter Island, the Dust Bowl, the Great Sparrow Campaign, the desiccation of the A...

Trench Warfare

23 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Jordan "Funk Hole" Pratt joins us to discuss WWI's Western front, The Battle of the Trench, The Battle of the Crater, trench foot, dysentery, chlorine...

Followups 14

16 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Gentleman Heckler, Dungeon Master, and future Space Cabbie Eric Fell joins Joe, Kevin and Toren to talk about the antechinus, death via coital defenes...

Addiction

09 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Rob joins Joe, Toren, and Kevin to talk about the reason people just can't stop: Addiction! We'll look at the difference between use, abuse, misus...

Hominins

02 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Mr. Dr. Greg Bole is back to discuss our close human relatives: Hominins! Australopithicus, Homo erectus, Neanderthal, Homo floresiensis, their to...

Chemical Accidents

25 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Firefighter Allan Newell joins us to discuss the dirty details of toxic spills and other chemical accidents including the Seveso  Disaster, the Bingh...

Genocide, Part 2 of 2

18 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

In part 2 of 2 we discuss the Armenian Genocide, Herero Wars, and Indonesia vs East Timor. Plus news and pop culture! Trigger Warning: Rape, outrageo...

Genocide, Part 1 of 2

11 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is rated 'T' for TRIGGER ALERT. In part 1 of 2 on genocide, we discuss Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, The Tasmanian "Black Wars" and the Mao...

Vampires, Part 2 of 2

04 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of our Caustic look at Vampires we turn to recent news and pop culture, covering a vampire-inspired killer and recent vampire finds in Veni...

Vampires, Part 1 of 2

28 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Just in time for Halloween, it's the first part of a blood-gorged Caustic Soda Vampire episode. In part one Toren covers several vampire "facts" in a ...

Followups 13 Live at VCON 38

21 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Mur Lafferty and John Kovalic join us to discuss electrocution, toys that kill, funerals, burns, motor vehicle accidents, sleep disorders, and sports ...

Body Modification

14 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Live at EmilyCon in Vancouver, Chris "Sandstorm" Woods returns to discuss tattoos, branding, scarification, tightlacing, genital beading, scleral tatt...

Evil Duos in History: Hindley & Brady vs. The Makins

07 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

It's a duo of evil duos! We compare Ian Brady and Myra Hindley - who (among other things) murdered children in 1960's Manchester - to John and Sarah...

Floods

30 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin, Toren and Joe take a look at what happens when you get too much of a good thing like water - Floods! They'll paddle down the two Grote Mandrenk...

Nukes!

23 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

This week Joe, Kevin, and Toren are joined by Dr. Rob Tarzwell for a look at nuclear weapons. From "The Gadget" to Fat Man & Little Boy to the incredi...

Mummies

16 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Various kinds of mummies are discussed, including ancient Egyptian methods, bog mummies, saponification, and electroplating. Plus the mummies of Guana...

Stalin, Part 2 of 2

09 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin, Toren, and Joe continue their look at Joseph Stalin with WWII-era horribleness, news about the return of a Georgian monument to Stalin and pop ...

Stalin, Part 1 of 2

02 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

This week in Evil Dudes in History it's Joseph Stalin: the "Man of Steel" responsible for even more deaths than in Zack Snyder's movie! We'll talk abo...

Bad Advertising

27 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Babies in cellophane, lead for kids, bad advertiser turned propagandist Edward Bernays, Tom Vu, the Marlboro Man, Joe Camel, Pizza Hut's moon advertis...

Cruise Ships

19 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Steven Schwartz returns to discuss all of the horrible things that happen on cruise ships, including fires, collisions, murders, sexual assaults (tr...

Megafauna

12 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Can you clone a mammoth and have it build a pyramid? Baz Edmeades of megafauna.com joins us to talk about prehistoric elephants, hell pigs, terror bir...

Infanticide

05 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Rolling into flaming pits, roasting in bronze statues, or just leaving them exposed to the elements, there's a plethora of ways to kill infants. Joe, ...

Space Hazards

29 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

From our live Space Disasters (in 3D!) event at at EXP Restaurant in Vancouver, B.C. where we were joined by Sneaky Dragon and One Minute Medical S...

Duels

22 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Lisa Gemino joins us to talk judicial dueling, naked dueling, famous duelists like La Maupin and Lord Minimus, plus how dueling in a carriage and in b...

Acid

15 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Barlev joins Toren, Kevin, and Joe for a look at the caustic chemicals known as "acids". Hydrofluoric, Sulfuric, Muriatic, and more. Toren reveal...

The End of the Universe

08 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

AstronomyCast's Fraser Cain joins Toren, Joe and Kevin to talk about The End of All Things -- the death of the entire Universe. Everything, everyone, ...

Mining Disasters

01 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The science and main causes of mining disasters, and a closer look at specific mining accidents, including the 1913 Senghenhydd Pit Disaster, the 1966...

Wasps and Hornets

24 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Gavin Pitts is back with Joe, Kevin, and Toren to discuss wasps, from the world's smallest of the amoeba-sized Fairy Fly to the Asian Giant Hornet! Pl...

Patricide

17 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

This chapter of Caustic Soda's "-icide guide" explores the psychological reasons as to why children kill their fathers. In history we discuss Beatrice...

The Caustic Soda Live EXPerience (May 12, 2013)

10 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Live from the EXP Restaurant and Bar in Vancouver, BC, it's The Caustic Soda Live EXPerience! Recorded May 12, 2013 in front of a packed-house, Joe, T...

Ninja, Part 2 of 2

03 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

In the news: ninja festival and marijuana thieves. Pop culture includes: Snake Eyes, You Only Live Twice, Miami Connection, Shinobi No Mono, American ...

Ninja

27 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Nels "Mark of the Ninja" Anderson joins us to discuss facts and controversy surrounding history, technology, and countermeasures of shinobi no mono!...

Falling

20 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Joe, Toren, and Kevin take a look at plummeting to your death (and other outcomes) from heights both great and ridiculously small. We go from history...

Alchemy

13 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Joanna Gaskell of the Standard Action web series joins us to discuss the history and "science" of alchemy, including the philosopher's stone and elixi...

Regicide, Part 2

06 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Regicide continues — surprisingly — in the news with the Nepalese royal massacre! From there we jump right into the regicide-filled world of A Son...

Regicide, Part 1

29 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Green Ronin Publishing’s Chris Pramas joins Kevin, Toren, and Joe to discuss the deaths of royalty like Mary, Queen of Scots and Charles I as well a...

Bed Bugs

22 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Entomophile Andrew Scott joins us to talk about Cimex lectularius including a science quiz, traumatic extravaginal insemination, old timey bed bug tre...

Marijuana

15 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Joe, Kevin, and Toren discuss marijuana's many odd nicknames, effects, history of use, and some of the outrageous anti-marijuana propaganda of the 20t...

Ilse Koch

08 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The second in our ongoing Evil Dames in History series features "The Beast of Buchenwald", Ilse Koch. Kevin, Toren, and Joe look at this concentration...

Pranks, Practical Jokes, and April Fools

01 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The history of April Fools Day and other mischievous occasions, famous pranks gone wrong, practical jokes in the news and in comics, cartoons, movies ...

Malaria

25 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenna joins Joe, Kevin, and Toren to look at the mosquito-borne peril of malaria. We discuss the life cycle of the this protist parasite from mosq...

Biblical Apocalypse, Part 2

18 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of our look at the biblical apocalypse, we discuss news and pop culture, including "Left Behind," "The Omen," "End of Days." and "The Ra...

Biblical Apocalypse, Part 1

11 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Our apocalypse series continues with noted biblical scholar Robert M. Price discussing the biblical apocalypse! Noah's flood, The rapture, tribulation...

Followups 11

04 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Zoophiles and penile cancer, recto-vaginal fistula, coughing up cancer, window vomiting, an improvised giant egg weapon, a failed assassination attem...

Urban Fires, Part 2

25 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Part two of this episode on urban fires deals with the Kiss nightclub fire in Brazil, The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, Bradford Stadium fir...

Urban Fires – Part 1

18 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

In part one of this two-part episode, firefighter Allan Newell returns to discuss the science and classification of fire, the Great Fire of Rome, the ...

Jellyfish

11 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Mr. Dr. Greg Bole is back with Toren, Joe, and Kevin to discuss jelly fish and their amazing gelatinous friends! Immortal jellyfish, the intense pain ...

Hunting Humans

04 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The most dangerous game! Drag hunting, paintball, tons of pop culture, plus the true horrible story of Robert Hansen. Alsoplus: Which is the lesser of...

Four Horsemen – Death

28 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The Grim Reaper, Ereshkigal, the pale rider... it's the fourth horseman (or woman, as you'll hear) in a series of four: DEATH! This episode Joe, Toren...

Depression

21 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What is the cause of depression? Are incidents of depression increasing? Can you cure depression with a bullet? None of these questions will be answer...

Four Horsemen: War

14 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The personification (and deification) of War is the focus of our third "Horsemen" episode. Ares, Belatu-Cadros, Murugan, Morrigan, and of course the a...

Bats

07 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Bat expert Yvonne Morrin joins us to talk about those weird and scary-to-some nocturnal flying mammals. Rabies, bat fellatio, guano, bat bombs, histop...

Four Horsemen – Famine

31 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

"Famine" is part 2 in our Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse series. We discuss the Russian Famine of 1601, The Irish Potato Famine, the Holodomor, the G...

Bad Books

24 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

We tried to bind this episode in human flesh but the MP3 codec's lossiness kept causing it cancer. This episode, Toren, Joe, and Kevin talk about Dr. ...

Pestilence

17 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In part one of our four part series on the Horsemen of the Apocalypse we discuss various gods of pestilence, plague amulets, pest houses, plague docto...

Improvised Weapons

10 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Violence expert Lisa Gemino returns to discuss shivs, French nails, Millwall bricks, donkey jawbones, thrown animals, petrol bombs and many other impr...

Motor Vehicle Accidents

03 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Allan Newell brings his firefighter expertise to discussions on notable car wrecks, risk compensation, the car industry's built-in-hazards, the Mont B...

Journalism, Part 2 of 2

26 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Steven M. Schwartz is back for the second part of our caustic look at Journalism. "Shrieking harpy" Nancy Grace, terrorist victim Daniel Pearl, Janet ...

Journalism, Part 1 of 2

19 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Honest-to-goodness journalist Steven M. Schwartz joins Kevin, Joe, and Toren to talk about the caustic side of news gathering. We discuss bad journali...

Rhinoceros

12 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

All things rhinoceros including poaching, attacks on people, woolly rhinos and Operation: Crash. Plus pop culture and the Lesser of Two Evils: being a...

Followups 10

05 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

We got requests for a more gross and offensive follow up episode, and we delivered. Pop culture artist Chris Woods joins us to talk about female genit...

Ghosts

29 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, Toren, Joe, and Kevin are joined by Chris "Stewie" Stewart for a look at the spiritual remains of the dearly departed: Ghosts! We ...

Toys That Kill

22 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Deadly toys discussed include Steven's Model Dockyard Locomotive, Slip 'n' Slide, lawn darts, Cabbage Patch Snack Time doll, the Gilbert Atomic Energy...

Dogs

15 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Sit! Lie down! Roll over! Now sacrifice your face for our safety! Good boy! In this episode of Caustic Soda, Joe, Kevin, and Toren fetch the weird and...

The Post-Apocalyptic World

08 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Live from VCON 37 in Surrey BC, the regular nerds talk about life in the post-apocalyptic wasteland with the help of Hugo Award-winning author and Sci...

Smuggling

02 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Sorry we're late. We had trouble getting this episode over the border! This week involves animals, drugs, and even drugs in animals! Kevin, Toren, and...

Mormonism

24 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Brigham Young University faculty member Stuart Parker helps us discern Mormon doctrine from folklore as we discuss Joseph Smith's assassination, the M...

Bubonic Plague

17 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Joe, Toren and Kevin are joined by Dr. Jenna to talk about not just the bubonic, but all things yersinia pestis-y: Bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic ...

Followups 9

10 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Follow ups, listener mail and updates on spina bifida, screech, cannibalism, running amok, cyclopea, parasitic barnacles, snake venom party drug, meso...

Booby Traps

03 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Panji, door, spike, tiger, and whip traps, military applications and those more... "personal". From Vietnam to Hollywood to video games, Kevin, Toren,...

Body Snatchers

27 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Mortsafes, Chinese Corpse Brides, and stealing corpses for profit -- Kevin, Toren, and Joe look at the creepy world of the body snatcher! Music: "All...

Psychosis

20 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Rob returns to explain post-partum psychosis, Capgras delusion, Fregoli delusion, alien hand syndrome, wendigo psychosis, koro syndrome, Paris synd...

Feral Children

13 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Toren, Joe and Kevin discuss Leopard Boy, "Baby Hospital", Peter The Wild Boy, the Wild Child of Champagne, Tarzan and more children raised by animals...

Countess Elizabeth Bathory

06 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Our first entry in the "Evil Dames in History" series has the hosts separating mact from fyth on the supposed "blood countess" Elizabeth Bathory. Incl...

Sibling Rivalry

30 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Mister Doctor Greg Bole - B.Sc. (Biology) and Ph.D. (Evolution and Ecology) - joins us to talk about sibling rivalry in the animal kingdom, which of c...

Zombies, Part Two

23 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Robin Thompson is back for part two of our look at zomb...b... braaains... braaaaaaainsssss....

Zombies, Part 1

16 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How do zombies and science connect? Very tenuously. "Zombie Jesus" creator and zombie connoisseur Robin Thompson is our fourth man this week. We discu...

Followups 8

09 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Chris "Stewie" Stewart joins us for brain tapeworms, murder by testicle crushing, cannibal cook cultists and more in our latest grab-bag "Followup" ep...

Cold War (Part 2)

02 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The Cold War part two of two, with guest Allan Newell, includes: the nuclear arms race; Project: Ice Worm, LSD & the CIA; bungled Fidel Castro assassi...

Cold War (Part 1)

25 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Allan Newell joins us to talk about as many caustic facets of the cold war that we could fit into a 2 hour mini-series. In part one we talk about the ...

Censorship

18 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Live from the Roundhouse Community Centre and the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival, Toren, Joe, and Kevin are joined by Cinema Sewer's Robin Bougie to ta...

Music

11 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

For our "music" episode, Canadian comedy legend Sean Cullen joins us to talk about music-inspired riots, castrati, music as torture, Norwegian black m...