Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Episodes
The Future of Digital ID
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most people can agree that identification is important. But what happens when you have a single ID for everything? And not just a physical ID, but an ...
CLASSIC: Cattle Mutilation
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are nefarious forces really moving through ranches in the night, mutilating livestock? How? Why? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...
Strange News: Stolen Heads, a Mysterious Z, and a Broken Stone in Japan May Have Just Released a Demon
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Someone has stolen a box of human heads from Denver's Central Park. Speculation grows regarding the 'Z' worn by supporters of the Russian invasion. Ov...
What is SWIFT?
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's globally-connected financial system, it's pretty easy to send money from one place to the next, across most of the planet -- and that's all...
Listener Mail: Red Summer, Solving the Sonic Boom Story, and the Gang Gets into Elden Ring
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben, Matt and Doc Holliday plan escapades on Elden Ring. K writes in with reliable information about the Sonic Boom described in a previous show. A le...
Russia and Ukraine: The Long Road to War
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Russian forces recently invaded Ukraine, many members of the public seemed taken by surprise. But for the people of Ukraine and others living in ...
CLASSIC: Why You Can't Win Arguments Online
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/f...
Strange News: Tin Foil Hats Make a Comeback, Marines Busted in Human Trafficking Ring, Life Really Does Flash Before Your Eyes at Death
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A group of Marines has been convicted of participating in a long-running human trafficking scheme. Terrified by the possibility of government-induced ...
What is Acquired Savant Syndrome?
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For most people, learning any skill is a long, at-times challenging journey. Humans struggle to acquire expertise and, after attaining it, they must r...
Listener Mail: Did Walmart Smuggle Explosives? Did Woody Harrelson's Dad Shoot JFK? What is The Brook?
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Honey Badger relates a story of international explosives smuggling, possibly involving one of the world's largest retail chains. Anonymous calls in af...
Neuralink: Putting the Cloud in Your Head
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What if, one day, you no longer needed your hands to interact with computers? What if you didn't need to type anything to access the cloud? These are ...
CLASSIC: What is Gnosticism?
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gnosticism may be one of the oldest conspiracy theories in human civilization - but what is it, exactly? Join Ben, Matt, Noel and special guest Joe Mc...
Strange News: Credit Suisse Leak, a Counterprotest Song, and Living at Disney FOREVER
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A massive leak reveals the secret owners of £80bn held in a Swiss bank. A raunchy counterprotest song goes viral. Out in California, Disney wants you...
The Strange History of Rocky Flats
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is free and open to the public. It's located outside of Denver, Colorado on a windy, picturesque plate...
Listener Mail: Sonic Booms, Metaverse Time Travel, and Critical Race Theory
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Big Boy shares a strange tale of sonic booms over New Mexico. Chip explores the idea of time travel via the metaverse. Lionel Putz wonders why honest ...
What are Sanctions?
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You've heard of sanctions before -- the term pops up pretty often in international news. Country A does something Country B finds objectionable, but n...
CLASSIC: Porter Ranch: Fossil Fuel Cover-ups
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's no two ways about it: oil spills and gas leaks are disastrous, causing massive amounts of ecological damage in a matter of days or hours. So h...
Strange News: Wordle Saves Lives, Cybercrime, and Qanon Hates Butterflies
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An elderly woman may well owe her survival to Wordle. Another recent Bitcoin scam is called the 'heist of the century.' Over in Texas, Qanon has found...
Does junk food target children?
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While it may not be especially great for you, there's no denying that junk food is delicious. Nowadays, all the salty, fatty, sweet and savory stuff h...
Listener Mail: Mysterious Fishing Club, Terrorism in the Metaverse, Trouble in Ottawa
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Smitty relates a strange childhood story from his time growing up near the Pisgah National Forest. Kyle notes the metaverse offers tremendous potentia...
What is ecoterrorism?
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most people can agree the proverbial writing is on the wall: Earth's climate is in trouble, and its degradation will have profound consequences of lat...
CLASSIC: Ghosts and Infrasound
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While humanity has yet to generate any universally-accepted proof of ghosts or hauntings, millions of people around the world report seeing apparition...
Strange News: China Censorship, Robots on the Border, One Guy Hacks North Korea
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a rare decision, China reverses an earlier act of censorship. Those dogbots Ben and Matt are so concerned about are deployed on the US-Mexico borde...
Project Azorian, or: the CIA Steals A Submarine
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the USSR lost a powerful submarine, the US scrambled to make the most of a grisly opportunity. In today's episode, the guys explore the strange s...
Listener Mail: Grandfathers on America's Most Wanted, North Korean Museums, and... is Facebook in your head?
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A listener learns their grandfather was on America's Most Wanted. Will shares his adventures at museums in North Korea and Tehran. Anon calls in to re...
CLASSIC: Does the UK control the US?
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What if the Revolutionary War didn't happen the way it's described in textbooks? Tune in and learn why some people believe the UK still controls the U...
CLASSIC: Congress 101
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that voters distrust Washington, D.C. In numerous polls, citizens of every political overwhelmingly disapprove of Congress. But why? Wh...
Strange News: Cartels in Your Produce Aisle, Explosions in Sacramento, Celebrity NFTs
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Authorities have made an arrest related to multiple suspicious explosions in Sacramento. Celebrities are officially in the NFT game. And while cartels...
Should We Fear the Metaverse?
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook recently made waves in the press when it announced plans to create a more immersive online experience, something it described as the 'metaver...
Listener Mail: What is the Oculus Temple? Parents in the CIA, and more on New Brunswick
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An anonymous caller wants more people to know the bizarre story of the Oculus Temple. Mr. Tin Mouse recounts how he discovered his father worked for T...
Presidents and Substance Abuse
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that being President is a stressful job (to say the least). A sizable amount of the domestic population will hate you regardless of wha...
CLASSIC: The EPA
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is tasked with safeguarding the country and its citizens from environmental harm. But how well is the agency ...
Strange News: Big Brother in Your Car, Cloning Pets, Georgia Imprisonment
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A short passage buried in recent legislation will require all automakers to introduce extreme surveillance equipment in new vehicles -- but the detail...
The Strange Story of Secret Museums
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who doesn't love a good museum? In these repositories of art, history, the natural world and so on, human beings can connect with the past, discover i...
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...