Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Episodes
Listener Mail: Secrets of Predictive Analytics, Train Robberies and Havana Syndrome
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listeners respond to an earlier episode exploring the controversy of the Havana syndrome. Organized crime rings are robbing Union Pacific trains with ...
Gangsters of Capitalism, with Jonathan Katz
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When retired Marine General Smedley Butler told Congress a group of wealthy business tycoons were scheming to overthrow the U.S. government, people we...
CLASSIC: The Future of Poverty
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The World Bank stated that climate change may push more than 100 million people into poverty by 2030, and innovations in robotics may eliminate the ne...
Strange News: 5G may Ground Planes, Suspicious Deaths in Pakistan, CROWS AND LASERS
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Major US airlines warn the government that an upcoming 5G rollout could lead to disaster. A medical school in Pakistan is under fire after a string of...
Why do CEOs make so much money?
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's long been common knowledge that people at the top of an organization will make more money than people at the bottom. But many folks don't seem aw...
Listener Mail: Rocky Mountain Flats Nuclear Site, Fire in the Sky, Hazards of Retail
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why don't more people know about the Rocky Mountain Flats Nuclear Site? Can listeners help the guys figure out what caused a mysterious explosion at t...
CLASSIC: Nightmares, Shadow People and Sleep Paralysis
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What's the most intense nightmare you've ever had? Have you ever felt trapped in one? Join Ben, Matt and Noel as they explore the phenomenon known as ...
Strange News: Mysterious Deaths, Farts, Chimera and Theseus
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A mysterious illness plagues New Brunswick. An internet celebrity sells NFTs and farts. The first full transplant of a pig heart into a living human p...
The Death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Decades after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a vast swathe of the American public still doesn't buy the government's official concl...
Havana Syndrome. Part II: Global Controversy
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The story started in 2016, when US and Canadian embassy staff in Havana began reporting mysterious medical symptoms -- headaches, vertigo, strange sou...
CLASSIC: Serial Killers on the Loose
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TV, film and fiction have given the public a set of stereotypes about serial killers -- one of the biggest being that they always get caught. Join Ben...
Robots in Court: China's AI Prosecutor
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most people agree that no system of justice is, in practice, perfect -- courts are often backed up with cases, officials are overworked, and human bia...
CLASSIC: What is the Highway of Tears?
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For decades women have been abducted, murdered and forgotten along an isolated stretch of Canadian highway. Join the guys and special guest CarStuff's...
CLASSIC: Superstars and Satan: Music and the Occult
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why have rumors of dark arts so often dogged musicians? Have any of the rock stars of yesteryear ever actually believed they contacted the underworld?...
Workplace Surveillance
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Of course your bosses keep tabs on you -- it's an old idea, and not, in itself, a sinister thing. Yet critics allege the rise of continually connected...
Listener Mail: Fake Towns, Foster Care and: What the heck is the national debt?
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are there really entire towns created as 'decoys'? Why are parents being billed for foster care? What exactly is the national debt, and how is it diff...
The War on Drugs, with Ethan Nadelmann
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that the War on Drugs is controversial -- and millions of people have found themselves on the wrong side of often draconian drug laws. ...
CLASSIC: Did Osama Bin Laden really die in 2011?
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When US forces finally tracked down terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden -- living in Pakistan, likely with support of the ISI -- he was killed and, accor...
Strange News: Blowing Up Teslas and Posting Tweets with the Power of Thought
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A disgruntled Tesla owner blows up his car rather than paying thousands of dollars for a new battery. In an equally explosive development, technology ...
CLASSIC: Prophecy, Predictions and Prescience
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nostradamus. Edgar Cayce. Baba Vanga. Have any of history's alleged psychics successfully predicted the future? Join Ben, Matt and Noel as look at hum...
Listener Mail: The New Silk Road, Near Death Experiences, and Strange AM Signals
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is China doing on the African continent? How can we best interpret near-death experiences? Why did one listener happen to come across a g...
CLASSIC: Big Pharma: Conspiracies and Cover-ups
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Big Pharma gets a bad name in the press, and the actions of multinational pharmaceutical companies are often the subject of various conspiracies – b...
CLASSIC: Petrodollar 101
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When oil is traded in US cash, the currency is called a petrodollar. It's a fundamental part of international trade -- but it's also a continual sourc...
Strange News: Amazon and Phones, Poisoning an Island of Mice, and the Future of Breathing Through Your Butt
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of disaster, Amazon employees petition to keep their phones with them as they work. Biologists conclude mass poisoning is the best way to ...
The Doris Duke Case, with Peter Lance: Part 2
24 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Newport law enforcement seemed anxious to cover up the true story of Eduardo Tirella's death, but Tirella's family -- as well as residents of Newport ...
Listener Mail: Creepy Dolls, Tornado Cash, and Sears in the Arms Trade
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tall Pockets hips the guys to a creepy doll named My Friend Cayla. Trusty Otter explores the potential dangers of Tornado Cash. Dark Sky asks for more...
The Doris Duke Case, with Peter Lance: Part 1
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Did billionaire heiress and socialite Doris Duke get away with murder in 1966? In the first part of this week's two-part episode, the guys join award-...
CLASSIC: What happens when we die?
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Death - the most mysterious, unknowable, and terrifying event in human experience. Some philosophers believe society is shaped, ultimately, by the fea...
Strange News: Australian DNA Profiling, NY Listening In to Prison Calls, and AI is Building Super Guns
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Australian police plan to use DNA sequencing to predict a suspect's physical appearance. In New York it appears someone is secretly listening to priso...
The Rise of Memetic Warfare
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you're like most people, you've interacted with a countless number of memes -- screenshots, gifs, classic pop culture moments in film and so on. Wh...
Listener Mail: Reincarnation, Fairy Tales, and Memes as Lifeforms
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why was Gandhi convinced one woman had truly been reincarnated? Are memes actually alive? What's going on at the Steelcase Pyramid? All this and more ...
People Knew Asbestos Was Terrible Since 1930
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, most people associate asbestos with health risks, expensive removal operations and specific forms of cancer. However, for much of human history...
CLASSIC: The Monster with 21 Faces
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1980s, a mysterious organization terrorized candy companies in Japan - then disappeared. What was the Monster with 21 Faces, and what happened ...
Strange News: China Hunts Lunar Mystery Object, Earth's Black Box, Hawaii's Poisoned Water
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Honolulu's Board of Water Supply shuts down Oahu's largest water source when a fuel leak contaminates drinking water. China's lunar drone is approachi...
Listener Mail: Doris Duke, the AMIA Bombing and a Death in Groom Lake
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Did Doris Duke get away with murder? Who was really behind the 1994 AMIA bombing in Argentina? What led to the death of General Bond in Groom Lake, an...
The Art of Money Laundering
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Who can put a price on art? Every year, anonymous buyers and sellers across the planet move works of fine art for millions of dollars, with no questio...
The Legend of the Thunderbird
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For millennia, indigenous communities in North America and other parts of the world told stories of a gigantic, predatory bird with the ability to alt...
CLASSIC: Unsolved - Tamam Shud
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On December 1st, 1948, Somerton beachgoers discovered a well-dressed, anonymous corpse. More than 50 years later, investigators still aren't sure what...
Strange News: The Pentagon Doubles Down on Aliens, QAnon Still Waiting For Prophecies, Havana Syndrome Update
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On the heels of a recent report on UFOs (or UAPs), the Pentagon officially announces plans for a new, acronym-littered initiative to investigate myste...
The Astroworld Disaster
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Houston authorities knew Travis Scott's annual Astroworld festival was going to be a huge deal, and spent a great deal of time planning for any possib...
Listener Mail: Past Life Memories, Predicting the Future through Dreams, Stories of Spycraft
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A listener relates the strange story of a name that came to him during an intense hallucination. Listeners ask whether anyone else has felt they've pr...
A World Without Plastic
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you look around, how much plastic can you see? The answer might surprise you. Current civilization runs on plastic -- it's in everything from the d...
CLASSIC: Capital Conspiracies: Washington, DC
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that DC is home to numerous conspiracy theories -- but how many are true? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...
Strange News: Crowdsourced Looting, Dumb Passwords, and the US as a 'Backsliding' Democracy
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An NGO called the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance has classified the United States as a backsliding democracy. A list o...
CLASSIC: Can hallucinogens cure addiction?
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Each year, the horrors of addiction claim thousands of lives -- but what if some substances can break the cycle of drug abuse? Join Ben and Matt to le...
Listener Mail: The Knox Mine Disaster, Lucid Dreaming and a Mysterious Lab in Idaho
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anvil Alf relates his experience with lucid dreams. A caller asks for more information about the Knox Mine disaster. Skippy wants to know what exactly...
CLASSIC: What's Beneath the Antarctic Ice?
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Antarctica is one of the most mysterious places on the planet. If the ice melted, what would we find beneath? Find out in this classic episode. Learn...
CLASSIC: Shills 101: Online Manipulators and You
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The digital age has revolutionized propaganda - how can you really know who's writing what online (and why)? Join the guys and special guest Joe McCor...
Strange News: Your Job is Stalking You, Vigilantes Fight Crypto Scams, and AI Makes Sex Tapes
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As millions of people continue to work from home, experts raise concerns about a new era of pervasive surveillance by employers. As net-based crypto s...
CLASSIC: How World War III Might Start
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pundits have predicted the beginning of WWIII since, essentially, the end of the last World War. But could it really happen? How? Learn more about yo...
Listener Mail: Haunted Pianos, LED Lights, Astroworld and the Shadiest Church's Chicken
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
ZZZ asks for more details about Astroworld. Starlight calls in with questions about LEDs and planned obsolescence. ChickenGuy prompts an investigation...
Listener Mail: The Voicemail Edition
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is a Vardøger? Why does the CIA so desperately need electricians? In this special edition of listener mail, the guys dive into phone calls on ev...
CLASSIC: What is Qi?
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We hear about this mysterious force all the time in fiction and film -- but what is it actually supposed to be? Is there any evidence that it might be...
Strange News: Virgin Condor Births, Ethical AI, Facebook and Facial Recognition
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists discover that the endangered California Condor is capable of producing offspring without the presence of male condors, prompting troubling ...
The JFK Episode, Part Two: Down the Rabbithole
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of our deep dive into the assassination of John F. Kennedy, we examine some of the more plausible theories of what really happened ...
Listener Mail: Memes and War, Recurring Dreams and Blue-blocking Cosmetics
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anne asks for more information about the weird world of memetic warfare. Voodoo shares a strange story about a recurring dream that just might have pr...
The JFK Episode, Part One: The 'Official' Story
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Almost 60 years have passed since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. A 1992 law mandated all records of the assassination be made public. In ...
CLASSIC: What is "Skinwalker Ranch"?
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is there really a secret hotspot of paranormal and UFO activity just southeast of Ballard, Utah? Join Ben and Matt as they explore the fact (and ficti...
Strange News: Someone Stole a House, A Joker Attempts Mass Murder, Soon We May Talk To Whales
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A man in Luton learns his identity was stolen -- and someone sold his house. In Shinjuku, a man dressed as the Joker unsuccessfully attempts mass murd...
Cults: Indoctrination and Escape
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When most people hear the word "cult," they immediately think of people like Charles Manson, or any number of controversial organizations strewn acros...
Listener Mail: Gerald Cotten, Lucid Dreaming and Ghost Stories
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What actually happened to Bitcoin tycoon Gerald Cotten, and why do some people believe he faked his death? Could there be a relationship between lucid...
Crypto, Crime and Conspiracy: The Death of Gerald Cotten
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At the height of its success, Canada's QuadrigaCX was the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the country, perfectly positioned to ride the booming mai...
CLASSIC: What is media manipulation?
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How often do you think news outlets bury, skip or distort an important story? The answers -- or, at least, the accusations -- might surprise you. Lea...
Strange News: JFK, Crypto Scams and the Arrest of a Robot Artist
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The US once again declines to declassify documents related to the JFK assassination, citing fears of 'identifiable harm.' Scammers get away with an au...
Flame Witches and the Will O’The Wisp
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever followed a ghostly light into the woods? For many, it sounds like a story straight out of the world of folklore -- yet these strange lig...
Listener Mail: Ghost Stories, Santa Claus and the New Chronology
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What if part of known history never actually happened? What can Santa teach us about the power of language in folklore? Multiple Conspiracy Realists w...
Is 'witchcraft' on the rise?
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nowadays, the word 'witch' conjures a few common images for most people: a crone, clad in all black, perhaps wearing a pointed hat, astride a broomsti...
CLASSIC: Who killed Robert Kennedy?
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Assassins murdered President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Five years later, his brother Robert was assassinated. Coincidence? On the anniversary of RFK's ...
Strange News: Robo-dog Snipers, New Zealand Just Fired Their Wizard
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand has officially fired its state wizard after the 88 year-old made a series of controversial comments that finally crossed the line. Over in...
Spies and Spying Part II: The Present and the Future
22 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do people become spies -- and why do some people end spying against their will? In the second part of this two-part series, Ben and Matt dive into...
Listener Mail: Planned Obsolescence, the Cow Urine Surplus and Ghosts
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A caller asks for more information about the infamous Phoebus cartel. Road Dog asks about what people are supposed to do with all that urine collected...
Spies and Spying Part I: The Past and Present
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Most people know the life of a real-life spy bears little resemblance to the stories of fictional agents like James Bond -- but what exactly is spying...
CLASSIC: The Deep Web With Alex Winter
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's the future of online privacy? Filmmaker Alex Winter joins Matt and Ben to talk about his new documentary "Deep Web", following the story of the...
Strange News: Spies and Sandwiches, a Principal's T-shirt, NY Gasses the Subway
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A would-by spy is caught by the FBI, attempting to trade nuclear secrets for cryptocurrency via a peanut butter sandwich. A Canadian principal sparks ...
The Death of Leah Freeman
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
15-year-old Leah Freeman's body was discovered near her hometown of Coquille, Oregon, in 2000, and her former high school boyfriend Nick McGuffin was ...
Listener Mail: Mysterious Handprints, the death of Winston Smith, Ghost Stories
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nick asks his fellow Conspiracy Realists for help explaining mysterious handprints. Becky asks why more people aren't talking about the death of Winst...
Luxottica: One Sunglass Company to Rule Them All?
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sunglasses are enormously popular these days, and even prescription spectacles have evolved into fashion accessories -- people routinely spend hundred...
CLASSIC: Is there a real-life warp drive?
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The news about the so-called "EM Drive" was all over the headlines in 2015... but was it true? Join Matt and Ben to learn more in this classic episode...
Strange News: The Pandora Papers, YouTube and Anti-vax, a French Serial Killer
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Reporters reveal a new, massive leak detailing a shadowy international network the rich and powerful use to squirrel away billions -- but will this in...
CLASSIC: The Rise and Fall of the Comics Code
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nowadays comics are considered anything from light-hearted entertainment to a unique art form and genre of literature all their own. Yet for decades t...
Listener Mail: The Looming IATSE Strike, a Sunglasses Cartel -- and why do UFOs need lights?
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Multiple listeners in the entertainment industry write in about a looming, massive strike as TV/Film professionals fight for better working conditions...
The True Story of the Men in Black
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine you've just seen a UFO. A few days later, mysterious men appear on your doorstep in anachronistic black suits, cryptically warning you: if you...
CLASSIC: What is genocide?
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Modern historians generally mark the beginning of the Armenian Genocide as 24 April, 1915. However, people and nations still can't seem to agree on wh...
Strange News: Rolls Royce Wants To Nuke The Moon, Creepy Clowns and the Rush To Mine The Ocean Depths
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rolls Royce is considering using nuclear power to mine the moon. A Singaporean academy comes under fire for hiring clowns to promote classes to childr...
Seismic Anomalies, with Sarah Wayne Callies
01 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you ever experienced an earthquake, you remember the terrifying feeling of the ground beneath you shifting, shaking, and trembling. Scientists stil...
Listener Mail: Guan Yu, the Tytler Cycle, and a Ghost Story
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A listener with experience in China breaks down the cultural context of the Guan Yu statue. A caller asks to learn more about the Tytler cycle, which ...
Majestic 12: An Origin Story
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When the US government confirmed it had been secretly monitoring reports of UFOs for years, the news caught many people by surprise. However, for some...
CLASSIC: False Flag Attacks
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine if a government disguised its operatives as members of some other organization -- and then attacked itself. While this might sound crazy, seve...
Strange News: Gabby Petito, Potty-training Cows and Google's Bizarre Time Crystals
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Authorities discover a body they believe to be the remains of Gabby Petito. Scientists wonder whether toilet training cattle may help the environment....
ABCs in Europe: Abnormally Big Cats
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, people across the United Kingdom have been reporting something strange: enormous, cat-like beasts popping up on the edges of cities, only...
Listener Mail: Big Almond, Fitbit and the Nature of Addiction
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What makes California's almond industry so controversial? Is Fitbit gamifying physical fitness? What more can people learn about video game addiction ...
Guantanamo Bay, Part Two: The Future
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What will happen to one of the world's most infamous modern prisons? How long can a person be held without trial -- and what happens when the governme...
CLASSIC: Big Data and You
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We hear about "big data" more and more these days - but how much of it is sensationalism, and how much is true? The answers may surprise you. Learn m...
Strange News: The US vs. Prince Andrew, China Moves World's Largest Guan Yu Statue, Facebook Makes Ray-Bans
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the UK, Prince Andrew's legal team attempts to dodge US rulings regarding Virginia Giuffre. In China, local protests trigger the relocation of a ma...
Guantanamo Bay, Part One: An Origin Story
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, the word "Guantánamo" is, for most people, synonymous with one of the world's most infamous prisons -- but, as it turns out, the troubled stor...
CLASSIC: Operation Gladio: Invisible Armies and The Secret War
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At the close of WWII, US allies created secret, "stay-behind" armies, designed to protect the population in the event of a Communist invasion. So why ...
A Cartel Runs the Maple Syrup Game
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Most people are aware of maple syrup -- it's a welcome addition to pancakes and waffles on breakfast tables across the planet. Other than that, you mi...
CLASSIC: Did a UFO crash in Kecksburg, PA?
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On December 9th, 1965, multiple witnesses saw a bright object shoot through the sky and - allegedly - land in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. So what actuall...
Strange News: The Satanic Temple Vs. Texas, President Calls For 9/11 Transparency, the World Ignores the Coup in Guinea
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Satanic Temple challenges the controversial new abortion law in Texas. The Biden administration pushes to release still-classified documents conce...
Are video games addictive?
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the span of just a few decades, video games have moved from a niche pursuit to the mainstream, growing into a multibillion dollar, continually-evol...