Endless Thread
Episodes
Giddyup: Riding Groups Tap Into Long History Of Black Cowboys
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Images of Black men and women riding horses at protests around the country have been going viral. But the history of Black cowboys goes all the way ba...
Encore: We Want Plates + Pile Of Crockery
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Endless Thread is re-releasing a crown jewel from the archives. It's the team's epic adventure to locate a mountain of dishware in the middle of the w...
Shrinkflation: Why Everything From Tuna Cans To Toilet Paper Is Shrinking, But Prices Are Not
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From the supermarket to the housing market, products are getting smaller but prices are not. Why is this happening? And can it be stopped before the t...
Black Lives Matter IRL And Online
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last few weeks, Endless Thread has been asking for stories that have caught your attention as millions of people around the country and aroun...
Bonus: Making 'Madness'
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Madness," our 5-part series about the history of CIA-funded mind-control experiments, involved a lot of research and a lot of interviews -- most of w...
Endless Thread Presents: Truth Be Told
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Endless Thread team has been watching as protests and police brutality have broken out in cities around the country, and around the world. We are...
POSTPONED: Endless Thread Happy Hour, A Zoom Discussion Of "Madness" With The Team
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join the Endless Thread team on Friday, June 5th, at 5pm ET for a happy-hour Zoom discussion of our 5-part, in-depth series "Madness: The Secret Missi...
Madness, Part 5: The Unreachable Summit
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Ewen Cameron wanted to win a Nobel Prize for his work in psychiatry. He never got one. He died of a heart attack while climbing a mountain in the ...
Madness, Part 4: Pursuit Of Justice
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 1980s, victims of Dr. Ewen Cameron’s mind-altering experiments at the Allan Memorial Institute began a slow process of finding each oth...
Madness, Part 3: Subproject 68
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the fear of communism was rising in the U.S. after World War II, government officials set their sights on developing a weapon that sounds straight ...
Madness, Part 2: Brave New World
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of people who were experimented on at the Allan Memorial Institute over the course of two decades are all connected to one man: Dr. Ewen Came...
Madness, Part 1: The Sleep Room
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In our first episode, we share powerful accounts of abuse at a psychiatric hospital in Montreal, and we introduce the renowned doctor who conducted th...
Join Endless Thread For A Zoom Party!
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This Friday, April 17th, at 7pm EST, Endless Thread is hosting a Zoom party! Join co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson and producer Josh Sw...
A Parent, A Nurse, And A Patient Talk About Dealing With Coronavirus
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Another look at the far-reaching impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In this episode, we hear from a parent who recently had an infant in the NICU, a ...
Max Brooks, Preppers, And What 'World War Z' Can Teach Us About Coronavirus
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We speak with Max Brooks about the viral PSA he made with his dad, Mel Brooks, and how his zombie apocalypse novel, World War Z, has become eerily rel...
How Reddit's Coronavirus Community Became A Global Lifeline
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Redditors share how they're coping with the coronavirus pandemic. We also take an in-depth look at r/coronavirus, which has fast become one of the mos...
Endless Thread Presents: 'Madness'
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Endless Thread presents a special series called "Madness: The secret mission for mind control and the people who paid the price." Get a sneak peek of ...
Encore: The 'Call Of The Void'
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you’re in a high place, peering over a ledge, do you ever get that super weird feeling that you should just... jump? This is a real scientific ...
Snacktime: The Story Behind A Viral, Fairy Tale Proposal
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Valentine's Day, Amory tells Ben a snack-size story about a feast-size grand gesture that has left millions of people all over the world w...
Double Life: A Jewish Boy In The Hitler Youth
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
92-year-old Robert Middelmann uncovered a secret about himself when he was very young. Keeping it was a matter of life and death. But, after many year...
Snacktime? More like Snaketime!
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Amory dissscusss sssome facsssinating ssstories about sssnakes.
'I Was Abducted:' One Woman's Mission To Remember Her Past
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Monique has always known she was abducted as a child, but specific details about what happened, and why, have been elusive. It wasn’t until she post...
Snacktime: Bushfires and Books
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Amory discuss a Reddit deep-dive about the Australian wildfires and one man's very, very long reading list.
Where Are They Now: Endless Thread Edition
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Amory get updates from a few previous guests. Then, they invite the hosts of the podcast "Food, We Need To Talk" into the studio for a final d...
Encore: Priceless Gifts From The World's Largest Secret Santa
26 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What do Bill Gates, finding your soul mate, and charting a new life path have in common? Reddit Gifts! The world's largest anonymous gift exchange has...
In Their Own Words: Three Autistic Redditors On Autism
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Three autistic Redditors talk to us about their view of the world, their view of autism, and their hopes for greater representation in society.
Snacktime: Feeling Adrift
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ben shares a story about a real-life grand theft auto adventure and Amory tells the story of a dad whose new hobby may only be scratching the surface ...
No Kidding: The Childfree Movement Hits Close To Home
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
r/childfree is one of the fastest growing communities on Reddit and it's for people who do NOT want children. They don't want to be told why they sho...
The 9/11 Hoax That Wasn't
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
While we’re busy stuffing our faces over Thanksgiving, we thought we’d share a story you’ll love from another great podcast: Underunderstood. Th...
The Max Headroom Incident: Revisiting The Masked Mystery, 32 Years Later
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On November 22nd, 1987, two TV stations in Chicago had their broadcast signals hijacked by someone wearing a Max Headroom mask. In the years since, Re...
Glitter's Connection To Forensic Science
14 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready for some extra sparkle on the heels of last week’s deep dive into “The Great Glitter Mystery.” Retired Forensic Scientist Ed Jones has...
'Endless Thread' Drops a Glitter Bomb On The Great Glitter Mystery
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Endless Thread solves one of the internet’s most compelling unresolved mysteries. Inspired by a New York Times feature about glitter last year, Redd...
When Your Daughter's Imaginary Friend Might Not Be So Imaginary
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Kellie's 3 year-old daughter told her about her new imaginary friend, Kellum, she didn't think too much of it. But gradually, Kellum started to f...
More Creepy Stories From Reddit In Honor of 'Endless Dread'
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Endless Dread continues with two more spooky stories, one about “The Smiling Man” and one about an unsettling recording from a sleep app.
Olga Of Kiev: The Murderous Medieval Tale You've Never Heard Of
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Olga of Kiev executed one of the most bone-chilling revenge tours in history after her husband, Igor, was murdered. Then, with a burning city in her w...
Introducing 'Endless Dread,' Spooky Stories For Your Ears
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We kick off this year’s series of spooky stories in the lead-up to Halloween with tales about a frightening curse and a memorable first date.
Loot Crates: Gambling, Or Good Clean Fun?
03 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Loot crates are virtual prize boxes available for purchase in video games, containing mystery items like customizations, powerful weapons, or rare gea...
A 'Catastrophically' Damaged Family Photo And The Stranger Who Saved It
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Alex found an old and very rare family photo. The only problem? It was damaged to the point that the faces were completely unrecognizable. So...he tur...
'OK Google:' How Virtual Assistants Change Our Connection To The Past
20 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri know a lot about us – maybe TOO much about us. But when we’re gone, they also leave our loved ones with som...
Snacktime: Who Is 'Batbrat?'
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A Redditor named ‘batbrat’ has been quietly solving mysteries for years – identifying everything from a Victorian mourning ring from the 1800s t...
What is Hillsong?
05 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hillsong is an Australian megachurch famous for its hipster vibe, multi-platinum house band, and connections to celebrities like Justin Bieber, Chris ...
Endless Thread Hosts Swap Reddit Stories About Heavy Metal And Macaulay Culkin
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Amory swap recent Reddit gems about an obscure heavy metal band and a surprising Macaulay Culkin appearance at a comedy show.
Geedis: An Internet Mystery For The Ages... Gets Solved!
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What is Geedis? This is the question that thousands of internet sleuths have been trying to answer for more than two years. The strange, furry charact...
Snacktime: Into The Woods
16 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This Snacktime episode takes us to the woods, with revenge-filled confessions and mysterious sounds...
Gone Wild Audio
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Audio erotica is blowing up right now, from Silicon Valley-backed startups to the rise of ASMR -- not to mention a huge growth in podcasts. But the hu...
Snacktime: LSD And Hot Sauce
01 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Josh trade favorite Reddit stories about an Englishman whose bad LSD trip leads to a months-long French charade and a job seeker whose intervi...
The Amber Room
25 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Once considered “the eighth wonder of the world,” the Amber Room was a treasure of kings and architectural marvel before being stolen by Nazis and...
Bonus: Dad Bods And Guppies
22 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Remember in January when we talked about New Year's resolutions in our 'Get Motivated' episode? Well, 2019 is half over, so Ben and Amory give an upda...
Snacktime: Sharks And Aliens
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
SNACK ATTACK! I mean... SHARK ATTACK! I mean, BOTH. Another snack-sized episode for you, complete with shark attacks, the story of a chilling shipwrec...
Pile Of Crockery
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The thrilling conclusion to an internet mystery surrounding a massive pile of dishware in the middle of the woods.
We Want Plates!
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A Redditor stumbles upon a huge pile of plates in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Reddit sleuths across the globe try to figure out where the plates ar...
Endless Thread Presents: Pride Stories From 'Kind World'
24 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Pride month, the Endless Thread team shares a pair of stories from another WBUR podcast -- Kind World. Co-hosts Yasmin Amer and Andrea A...
Snacktime: In A Pickle
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Snacktime returns with the story of a Redditor who got into quite the sticky situation. All he needed to get unstuck was a captive Reddit audience…a...
Shipwrecked
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When someone close to you dies, it can be a struggle to feel normal again – and to have people TREAT you normally again. When T.J.’s long-time par...
Infectious, Part 5: Talk To Me
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of the day, our species only survives if we can communicate. In our fifth and final episode of "Infectious," we hear from those whose lives...
Infectious, Part 4: Anatomy Of An Outbreak
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Even considering the winding road of scientific advancement and the new expressway that is the internet, what the heck happened in Clark County? With ...
Infectious, Part 3: Going Viral
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You can’t tell the story of today’s anti-vaccine — or “vaccine hesitant”— movement without telling a story of technology and social media....
Infectious, Part 2: The Flintstone Dilemma
03 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There was a time when the measles were common enough to be a source of comedy on TV shows like "The Flintstones." So how did we go from joking about t...
Infectious, Part 1: Scabs, Pus And Puritans
03 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The problem with being healthy is that you completely forget what it feels like to be sick. In 2019, many people assume that the history of vaccinatio...
'Endless Thread' Presents: 'Infectious'
26 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Endless Thread" presents "Infectious: The Strange Past and Surprising Present of Vaccines – and Anti-Vaxxers."
Bonus: Jon Favreau, Live At CitySpace
26 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
T-minus one week until Endless Thread returns with new episodes! In the meantime, let's talk politics -- because Ben recently interviewed Jon Favreau,...
Bonus: Endless Thrones
12 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In advance of the season 8 premiere of HBO's "Game of Thrones," we talk to one of the head moderators of r/gameofthrones and to a couple of in-house ...
Encore: Pitch Perfect
29 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of the start of the MLB season, we revisit our baseball-themed episode from last year, featuring everything from Snoop Dogg... to a ver...
Four Love Stories From The Wild World Of Reddit
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Valentine's Day, we took our favorite love stories from previous episodes and created one epic love-centric monster mix. xoxo
And... It's Good!: A Look Into Football On Reddit
01 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hey football fans, ever heard of the Chicago Bears Principle? How about Winter Magic? Or the UFL? In this Super Bowl-themed episode, Redditors educate...
Harvard Astronomer On Why Aliens Aren't Science Fiction
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Superstar astronomer Avi Loeb discusses mysteries surrounding the interstellar space object known as 'Oumuamua, why it could be a probe sent by an ali...
Stuck Between The Rock And Deep Space
24 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
News of a mysterious interstellar object flying through our solar system inspired Redditors to collaboratively pen a perfectly cheesy sci-fi action mo...
Coming Soon... An 'Endless Thread' Sci-Fi Radio Drama
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This Friday, Endless Thread releases one of its wackiest, most ambitious episodes yet: a sci-fi radio drama based on a movie script, based on a Red...
One Couple's Experiment With Consensual Non-Monogamy
17 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Chris and Kim have been married for 13 years and things have been going really, really well. So well, in fact, that they wondered... what's next? Thei...
Bonus: R. Kelly Vs. The Savages
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The release of Lifetime's 6-part documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly" has sparked new conversations about the R&B singer -- at the water cooler, on...
Delete Facebook, Lawyer Up, Hit The Gym, Or, How To Change Your Life
10 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jared Wells was ready to accept death just one year ago. But a year in the gym with a bodybuilding legend has totally changed his perspective on life....
Something Wicked
03 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Our landlord isn't letting me talk to you, but it's important we do." This text was written on one of several creepy post-it notes that mysteriously ...
The 'Most Ambitious' Species Restoration Project In The World
28 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of the nuttiest stories of near extinction and resurrection ever seen in the United States. It involves genetic engineering, warring factions of t...
A Celebration Of 'Humans Being Bros'
20 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A Santa who went above and beyond. Emotionally-exhausted parents who received a well-timed helping hand. A surprising invention that warms the heart.....
Feast Your Ears: All You Ever Wanted To Know About All-You-Can-Eat
13 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Chicken patrol. Tiny plates. Purses lined with plastic bags. We peek behind the curtain of the strange world of all-you-can-eat buffets, from the stra...
The Deadly Double Dice Game: Pearl Harbor Conspiracy? Or All In Good Fun?
07 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A Redditor finds a mysterious dice game in his grandparents’ basement. It reads “The Deadly Double: A Game to Play at Your Own Risk.” The Endles...
How Reddit Helped Solve A Missing Persons Case
30 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
An unidentified man died in a car crash in 1995 with Grateful Dead ticket stubs in his pocket. Twenty years later, Reddit sleuths helped solve the cas...
Encore: The GOAT
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Italian cyclist Gino Bartali could rightfully be called "the GOAT" -- the Greatest of All Time -- for his athletic achievements alone. But in this...
Priceless Gifts From The World's Largest Secret Santa
16 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What do Bill Gates, finding your soul mate, and charting a new life path have in common? Reddit Gifts! The world's largest anonymous gift exchange has...
When Your Brain Goes Haywire And Doctors Are At A Loss
09 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Redditor Stephanie Graham started feeling a bit off in the third trimester of her pregnancy. Then, things got weird. Really weird.
The Greatest Squirt Gun Ever Built
01 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of the bestselling toys of all-time, the Super Soaker, was invented by a rocket scientist nicknamed "The Professor." This is the story of the man,...
Bonus: Magic Mushrooms With Michael Pollan
29 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Author Michael Pollan talks about all things magic mushrooms, including their potential for upending the brain's hierarchy and helping people cope wit...
Screamtime: Zombie Fungus
25 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a fungus that could infiltrate your whole body, turn you into a puppet, and grow right out of the top of your head. Actually, you don't have t...
Screamtime: Roof Man
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Paranormal activity has haunted Darcy throughout her life. But it wasn’t until a nighttime ritual with her daughter turned spooky that she wondered ...
Bonus: Australian Scientist Offers First-Hand Account Of Steve Irwin's Tragic Death
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Australian scientist Jamie Seymour was friends with the famous "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin. He was even there when Irwin was fatally stung by a st...
Screamtime: Doom Jellyfish
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine sitting in a hospital room for 24 consecutive hours in the most agonizing pain you can possibly imagine. You feel a sense of impending doom. Y...
Screamtime: Haunted House, Holy Water
05 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When Alex was in high school, he and his best friend used to break into abandoned houses. Alex was a tough guy, giving people hell. Until one night, i...
Turning Hate On The Internet Into Humor
28 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
An elite unit of trolls is engaged in an existential battle against hate speech on the internet. This is their story.
Snacktime: 'Last Seen' Edition
24 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We’re popping into your feed to share a project we think you’ll love. It’s a new podcast called “Last Seen,” about the largest unsolved art ...
The Great Mattress Conspiracy: Why Are There So Many Mattress Firm Stores?
20 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Why are there so many Mattress Firm stores? How did they end up catty-corner across intersections and in the same shopping centers? Are the mattresses...
What Happens When One 'Nerd's Lunchtime Fantasy' Goes To Hollywood
14 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Could a unit of Marines destroy the entire Roman Empire if they traveled back in time? That is the question that inspired the now-legendary Reddit thr...
The Story Of Tim From Texas
06 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Rose was driving home in February 2015 when he got into a car accident. He was mostly fine, though he went to the hospital just to be safe. That's...
'Cursed' Spanish Novel Published After 400 Years
30 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A 17th century monk using a nom de plume pens what could have been the blockbuster of its time: a teenage boy embarking on an epic voyage to the Ameri...
Endless Thread Hosts Participate In Bucket List Challenge
23 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A Reddit comment about a chance encounter on a train inspires Ben to get hypnotized and Amory to face her fears in front of an audience at an open mic...
Love That Withstands The Test Of Time
16 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Did you ever receive a love note in elementary school? What happened to the person who wrote it to you? Or what about that person you went to a music ...
King David Kalākaua: The Original Most Interesting Man In The World
09 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
King David Kalākaua was the last king of Hawaii. But he was much more than that -- he was a traveler, a dreamer, a tech nerd. Or maybe he was fond of...
Season 2: First Listen
06 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Endless Thread team has been hard at work on a new season of episodes. Don't believe us? We have proof! Take a listen to our trailer for Season ...
Snacktime: Cake, Camels And Catfish
02 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's snacktime! Some more of our favorite quick-hits from Reddit.
Snacktime: A Trade Of Their Own
27 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this "Snacktime" episode, we chow down on two stories that were sent to us by listeners. The first, a look at how baseball fans on Reddit mark Majo...
Snacktime: Steak And Potatoes
19 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Two of Amory and Ben's favorite Reddit posts, both of which have to do with food.