Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Listener Mail: Parler and Cambridge Analytica, A Spectre in the Bed, and Berlin's Horrific Experimental Child Placement Program

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Was Parler a long con funded by the same people responsible for Cambridge Analytica? A listener shares her disquieting story of an inexplicable encoun...

The Open Skies Treaty

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On November 22, 2020, the United States withdrew from the Treaty on Open Skies. This treaty, signed in 1992, allows 34 member countries to perform una...

CLASSIC: Alternative History and You

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why do some people believe the Middle Ages never happened? Can we really trust our calendars? Do current world powers have a compelling interest in su...

Strange News: Putin's Secret Hideout, Nebraska and Ethanol, Buying the Lizzie Borden House

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While detained by Russian authorities, opposition leader Alexei Navalny released a bombshell report on a secret, opulent compound allegedly owned in s...

Psychedelics, Machine Elves and Kesha

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview, award-winning musical phenomenon Kesha joins the guys on a wide-ranging exploration of everything from UFO disclosure to deep-dive ...

Listener Mail: A 14-Minute Death, the Online Alt-right Pipeline, the Terror of Issei Sagawa

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

David recounts how he died for 14 minutes, only to return with an astonishing new outlook on life. Lucas asks about the true story of the notorious, u...

Secrets of Livestock Industry, Part II: The Animals and the Bug

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of this series, the gang dives into another aspect of the global livestock industry: the lives of the animals and humans involved. ...

CLASSIC: Can human beings create disaster?

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It sounds like the plot of a James Bond film: Some shadowy supervillain holds the world for ransom while threatening to destroy civilization with an e...

Strange News: COVID-19 Relief and UFOs, Armed Forces and the Inauguration

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 relief bill contains some surprising-- and possibly groundbreaking -- new directives for UFO disclosure, along with a 180-day timeline th...

Child Soldiers: A Hidden Horror

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

War is an ugly, abhorrent thing--and it's been with humanity since the dawn of our species. While the practice itself is chock-full of conspiracy, cor...

Listener Mail: UN Abuse Scandal, Mushrooms as Medicine, Getting Kidnapped by the CIA

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An anonymous caller asks for more details on the infamous UN and Oxfam sexual abuse scandal. A listener describes their transformative experience usin...

Strange News: Julian Assange, Tensions in Iran, Dippin' Dots and COVID

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The UK has ruled against extraditing Julian Assange to the US--not because they disagree with the merits of the accusations, but because they feel Ass...

The Attack on DC, Part II: The Aftermath -- an End or a Beginning?

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On January 6th, 2021, the Capitol of the United States was attacked in an effort to disrupt the process of certifying the recent Presidential election...

The Attack on DC, Part I: Breaching the Gates

08 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On January 6th, 2021, the Capitol of the United States was attacked in an effort to disrupt the process of certifying the recent Presidential election...

Listener Mail: Randonauts, Reality, Magic and the Transmundane

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A Conspiracy Realist arrives to defend Cyberpunk 2077. A caller's shoutout to Randonautica inspires Matt and Ben to delve into the nature of reality, ...

The Disturbing Origins of Generally Good Things

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's often said there's a great crime at the heart of every great fortune, but what about institutions, inventions and other noble pursuits? In today'...

CLASSIC: How could aliens contact us?

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Could alien life forms really contact human beings? How would they do it? Is it possible that other humans could intercept the message -- and keep it ...

Strange News: The Nashville Explosion and Super Gonorrhea

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Authorities continue to investigate a massive explosion that took Nashville, TN temporarily off the grid on Christmas Day. Experts warn that the pande...

CLASSIC: It's Our Lucky Day, With Archer's Dr. Krieger

01 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Would you clone yourself to make your own personal organ farm? What are the odds that aliens or cryptids might actually exist? Join the guys as they h...

Listener Mail: Vaccines and the Military, Microwave Energy and How to Teach Intuition

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A conspiracy realist from the military reveals a harrowing story about mysterious medical conditions, and circumstances that may mean he can never rec...

Secrets of the Livestock Industry, Part I: Why is meat so cheap?

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The global livestock industry employs millions of people in one way or another -- meat is a big business, and business is booming. In communities acro...

CLASSIC: What is the Octopus?

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It sounds like something out of a paranoid political thriller - one journalist stumbles across a vast international conspiracy involving the world's m...

Strange News: The Al Jazeera Hack, the Future of Aging and the Wide, Weird World of Gaming

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dozens of journalists working for Al Jazeera were hacked in an unprecedented cyber-attack. Emerging studies indicate there may, one day, be a way to n...

STDWYTK Presents: How May I Help You?

25 Dec 2020

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...

Listener Mail: A Photo of a UFO, a Zodiac Cipher and a Nazi Conspiracy to Tune Music

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's the most likely explanation for the recently-revealed photos of pilots encountering UFOs? What can investigators learn from the recent decrypti...

The Port Chicago Disaster

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On July 17, 1944, over 300 people died in a massive explosion. These weren't soldiers fighting overseas -- they were sailors and civilians near the pi...

CLASSIC: The Future of Death

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Will someone alive today live forever? Can science create real-life zombies? Are there any real examples of the 'walking dead' around today? Tune in t...

Strange News: Counterfeit COVID Vaccines, Coups Happen All The Time, and Everyone Just Got Hacked

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's a growing industry dedicated to forging proof of COVID-19 vaccinations. Another attempted coup goes widely unreported in the west -- and it's ...

The Ghislaine Maxwell Update: Who killed Robert Maxwell?

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ghislaine Maxwell, long time associate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, is currently incarcerated, charged with helping recruit, groom and abus...

Listener Mail: Microwave Weapons, the Vanishing Triangle and Kazakhstan's (possibly) Illuminati-inspired Capital

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New reports confirm the mysterious symptoms exhibited by State department employees in Cuba were not psychosomatic, but something else entirely. A cal...

What happened to Rebecca Coriam?

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At just 24 years old, Rebecca Coriam had her whole life ahead of her. Her love of physical fitness and knack for teaching made her perfectly suited fo...

CLASSIC: Were there really 'lost races' of man?

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard about Neanderthals -- but what else was out there? Join Ben and Matt as they take a closer look at the facts behind the folklore, digg...

Strange News: Monuments, Surveillance and Secret UFO Contracts

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

More monuments continue to appear across the planet -- and there may finally be an answer to the mystery. US law enforcement in communities throughout...

Secrets of the Founding Fathers, Part II

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's true that the founders of the United States all too often failed to live up to the values they espoused in the Constitution and other related doc...

Listener Mail: Weather Modification, the Denver Airport and a Bizarre Leap through Time

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A meteorologist writes in to break down the (very real) science of cloud seeding, as well as chiming in on Ben's dream of lightning achieving sentienc...

Secrets of the Founding Fathers, Part I

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today, the Founding Fathers of the United States are some of the most well-known figures in the country's history. They're memorialized in monuments, ...

CLASSIC: Is taxation legal?

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Every year tax activists of one sort or another try to avoid paying federal or state levies -- but why? The answers get... pretty weird. Join Ben and ...

Strange News: The Amazon Protests, the Disappearing Monument and (Another) Murdered Iranian Nuclear Scientist

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The monument in Utah that went viral has disappeared - and a copycat monument has surfaced in Romania. Amazon workers in 15 different companies coordi...

The Wide World of Food Conspiracies, Part II

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Food is one of the few things that unites the human species -- so it's no surprise the world of food is chock-full of conspiracies. In today's episode...

Listener Mail: Occult Rocket Science and the Mystery of the Lake Vostok Squid Monster

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What exactly was renowned rocket scientist Jack Parsons getting up to in his free time... and how did he know Aleister Crowley? Whatever happened to t...

Putin's Strange New Law

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Russian government may soon pass an unusual law giving any former Russian president legal immunity -- not only from any crimes committed while in ...

CLASSIC: The Great Game

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Over 200 years ago the British and Russian empires waged a largely silent war across Eurasia, vying for influence, power and access to resources. In w...

Strange News: The Future of Cannibalism, Green Slime in Canada, and a Mysterious Monument in Utah

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Would you eat a steak grown from your own cells? The question may become increasingly plausible in the next few years. What's the story with the bizar...

Did the prison industry push gangster rap?

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a genre of music successful? Ideally, the art connects on a personal level with the audience, speaking truth to power, tapping into a unive...

Listener Mail: Standardized Testing, the Terrifying Tale of Georgia Tann, and the Amazing Minds of Corvids

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An anonymous caller shares their story about learning how to learn. A voicemail inspires the guys to explore the terrifying career of Georgia Tann, an...

What on Earth is happening to Britney Spears?

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

World famous pop icon Britney Spears has sold millions of records, performed countless times, and regardless of whether you care for her music, you've...

CLASSIC: Neuromarketing: Science or Science Fiction?

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Neuromarketers claim that their techniques provide new and profound insights for consumers buying everything from soda to new cars. But can they reall...

Strange News: Laser-guided Lightning, Election Fraud, and Putin Wants to Give Himself Lifetime Immunity?

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Humans may soon be able to control lightning, pointing it at targets. Voter fraud (but not the vote you're thinking of). Russian President Vladimir Pu...

The 1969 Berkshire UFO Incidents: What actually happened?

20 Nov 2020

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...

Listener Mail: Veterans Targeted, Bitcoin Billionaires

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

US veterans find themselves unfairly targeted as they pursue post-combat careers. Questions remain regarding one of the world's largest Bitcoin wallet...

Foreign Investment and the Housing Crisis

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In cities across Canada, the US and other parts of the world, the cost of living continues to rise -- and housing becomes increasingly unaffordable. R...

CLASSIC: Deep Underground Military Bases

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is the world really littered with underground military bases? How many are active today? Is it possible to find them on your own? Join Ben and Matt as...

Strange News: Immortal Worms Invade Virginia, Cruise Lines Begin to Reopen

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some cruise lines begin to reopen. In Virginia, locals were astonished to find a bizarre, potentially immortal creature invading -- the infamous (and ...

Operação Prato: Brazil's Bizarre UFO Investigation

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From 1977 to 1978 the Brazilian Air Force investigated a series of alleged UFO sightings, with multiple witnesses, in and around a city called Colares...

Listener Mail: A Mysterious Curse, Conversion Therapy, and the Murder of the Notorious B.I.G.

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A caller shares a strange story of a possible curse. The guys explore the dark side of so-called conversion therapy. And a voicemail inspires the gang...

QAnon and Conflict Journalism, with Jake Hanrahan

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, the guys sit down with seasoned conflict journalist Jake Hanrahan to hear his first-hand accounts of covering stories all too often i...

CLASSIC: Cults (You’ve Never Heard Of)

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between a cult and a religion? What are some of history's strangest cults? Are there any secret cults in the modern day? In this...

Strange News: How To Drop Your Own Charges, The Oreo Doomsday Vault, and City-wide Exorcisms

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Confronted with multiple criminal charges, one New Hampshire woman came up with an innovative -- and bizarre -- plan: she impersonated a prosecutor an...

Why does the US let Saudi fugitives flee the country?

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On August 19th, 2016 Saudi national and college student Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah was charged with first degree manslaughter for fatally hitting a 15 ...

Listener Mail: Narconon and Scientology, Getting Kicked out of the Freemasons, and the Disappearance of Rebecca Coriam

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Critics allege the rehabilitative program known as Narconon is a front for Scientology. Masons chime in to confirm that yes, you can get kicked out of...

Natural Disaster and Revolution

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The history of human civilization is, in many ways, a history of conflict. Empires rise and fall, countries come and go, and humanity soldiers on. Yet...

CLASSIC: The Pineal Gland Conspiracies

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Could the pineal gland really have some sort of spiritual significance? What does it do, exactly, and why do so many people believe there's some sort ...

Strange News: COVID-19 Study, Ex-President of Burundi Gets Prison Time for Murdering Another President, and Female Mutant Crayfish are Taking Over the World (mainly Antwerp)

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Former Burundian President Pierre Buyoya received a life sentence in court for the murder of another former President: Melchior Ndadaye. A recent stud...

White Supremacy Infiltrates the Military

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The world's most powerful has numerous policies regarding equality -- but how do the policies on paper translate to action? In today's episode, the ga...

Listener Mail: Dangers of the Troubled Teen Industry, How the Sun can Destroy Modern Civilization, and Massive Protests in Nigeria

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Multiple listeners reach out to share their experiences in the 'troubled teen' industry. The guys explore the fascinating -- and terrifying -- possibi...

When We Become Our Phones

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's bizarre to think that -- not too long ago -- the idea of having something as powerful as a smart phone in your pocket would seem like something o...

CLASSIC: Exorcisms: An Introduction

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You're probably familiar with the horror film version of exorcisms: a righteous priest reciting holy verses as a demon-possessed person writhes and ex...

Strange News: A Fake Spy Almost Made Billions, an MC is Arrested for Fraud, the Water Wars Begin

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Multiple high-level government officials believed Garrison Courtney was a CIA officer offering them fat cat contracts -- by the time the FBI caught up...

Inside Scientology with Mike Rinder, Part II: The Future of the Church

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How many members does the Church of Scientology actually have? What are they doing in Clearwater, Florida? Perhaps most importantly, what is the futur...

Listener Mail: The Library of Alexandria, Cursed Objects from Pompeii, and How Your Voice gets Hacked

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What actually happened to the Great Library of Alexandria, and how would the world be different if it hadn't disappeared? What made an anonymous touri...

Inside Scientology with Mike Rinder, Part I: An Origin Story

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Founded in 1953 by L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology describes itself as a religion that puts its adherents on a path toward complete and cert...

CLASSIC: Ghosts 101

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stories of ghosts predate written history, and cultures around the world believe in one form of spirit or another. But why? If there's no currently ac...

Strange News: Drones and Shotguns, Paris Hilton and the Troubled Teen Industry, Harry Reid Doubles Down on UFOs

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The UK goes public with plans to mount firearms on drones. Paris Hilton provides insight on the dangers of the 'troubled teen' industry. Retired US Se...

The Dark Side of the Fashion Industry, Part II: Pollution and Extinction

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone loves looking sharp - and saving money in the process. But what if there's a hidden cost to all this fast fashion and these trendy cosmetics?...

Listener Mail: Lyme Disease Conspiracies, Hazards of the Foster System, the Bible and the Bronze Age

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Could Lyme disease be man-made? What insights can the Bible give us about the mysteries of the Bronze Age? Just how problematic is the foster care ind...

The Mystery of the Kensington Runestone

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Could a mysterious slab of stone near Kensington, Minnesota hold the key to a forgotten piece of ancient history? According to the true believers, thi...

CLASSIC: Could a solar flare destroy civilization?

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What would you do if you woke up one day and found yourself in a world without electricity, cellphones or the internet? It sounds like the plot of a s...

Strange News: The US President Has COVID-19

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Recently the US -- and the world at large -- learned that the President of the United States tested positive for COVID-19. As reporters and the public...

The Hidden History of Assassins, Part II: The Modern Day

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Almost a thousand years after the reign of the original Order of Assassins, you might think assassination tactics would be universally illegal -- howe...

Listener Mail: A Mysterious Website, LEGO Bricks in the Ocean, and Warnings From Anonymous Plastics Scientists

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The guys dive into a bizarre website that may be an art project, the ramblings of a lunatic, or something more sinister. For years, LEGO bricks have b...

The Hidden History of Assassins, Part I: An Origin Story

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between an assassination and a garden-variety murder? Where does the term 'assassin' actually come from, and how did an obscure ...

CLASSIC: Soviet Psychotronics

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's true - the Soviet government really did have its own parapsychological research program. And, unlike MKULTRA and other US operations, the Soviet ...

Strange News: Building Material on Mars, Sharks and COVID-19, Crows Wage Unending War on Owls

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Have scientists discovered a new building material for future Martian colonies? Why might a vaccine for COVID-19 lead to the deaths of thousands of de...

The Mystery of the Bronze Age Collapse

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sometime between between c. 1250 - c. 1150 BCE, civilization as we knew it simply... collapsed. Once-thriving empires fell one after another. Trade ro...

Listener Mail: Ergotism, Social Media and More

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Could the contagious schoolyard panics in Malaysia be caused by ergot poisoning or some other environmental contaminant? Join Ben and Noel as they div...

The Reality of Reality TV

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Love it or hate it, there's no denying that reality TV -- also known as unscripted television -- is a titan of the entertainment industry. In fact, if...

CLASSIC: Serial Killer Cults

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Serial killers are insane, prone to exaggeration and delusion, and often inveterate liars. Amid some of their wilder claims, several notable serial ki...

Strange News: Revelations from Venus, the FinCEN Leaks, and Facebook Whistleblowers

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What exactly did scientists find in the atmosphere of Venus? A former Facebook employee claims the company actively ignored widespread political manip...

Corruption, Conspiracy and Champions: Crime in the NBA

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The world of professional sports is a multi-billion dollar industry -- and even the most ardent fans may not know what actually happens away from the ...

Listener Mail: ICE and Hysterectomy, Eternal Blue, the End of the World on YouTube

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As recent allegations of forced hysterectomies surface in the US, Ben alleges genocide. An anonymous caller asks Matt for more information about Etern...

Plastics, Microplastics and Conspiracy

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Look around -- how many objects in your immediate vicinity contain plastic? This malleable, durable material has become ubiquitous -- you can find in ...

CLASSIC: Cicadas, Ciphers and Codes: The Weird World of Cryptography

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For much of recorded history, humans beings have been trying to devise unbreakable codes (and break the codes of their rivals). But is there any truly...

Strange News: Orcas Attack, AI Writes Op-eds, and Portland Bans All Facial Recognition

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A pod of Orcas is attacking ships. An 'artificial intelligence' writes an op-ed. Portland, Oregon, bans facial recognition. All this and more in this ...

Auras

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For millennia, people in civilizations across the planet have claimed to perceive intangible energy emanating from people, animals, plants -- and even...

Listener Mail: Reiki, Cruise Ships and Iron Mountain

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is life like for the actual staff of a cruise ship? Could Reiki function as physical healing? What exactly is Iron Mountain? All this and more in...

The Flordelis Cult

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Flordelis dos Santos de Souza is a politician and cultural icon in Brazil. For a time, she and her husband Anderson Do Carmo were an evangelical power...

CLASSIC: Operation Snow White

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What was the most widespread infiltration of the US government? According to some sources, it came from within. Tune in to learn more about the story ...

Strange News: Wildfires, Mysterious Mail Dumps, and How Plants Reveal the Dead

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A 'gender reveal' party in California has created a massive wildfire. Someone dumped loads of mail in the parking lot of a beauty salon. Science revea...

The Screaming Girls of Malaysia

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Up until July of 2018, 17-year-old Siti Nurannisaa was like many other kids finishing up their last year of high school - she was stressed out by exam...

Listener Mail: Dreams, the Bridgend Suicides, Deaths at Fort Hood, and a Ghost in Gibraltar

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do ghosts wander the tunnels of Gibraltar? Why are so many families (Ben's included) convinced they receive mysterious omens of the future in their dr...