Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Strange News: Venezuela, Food Conspiracies, and More

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Oh, come on! We take a couple weeks off for the holidays, and the world goes nuts? Ben, Matt and Noel welcome you back to the first strange news segme...

The Great US Brain Drain

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Well, folks, the results are in: 2025 was a rough year for American science. Massive funding cuts to research and development aren't just slowing the ...

CLASSIC: Poltergeists: Fact and Fiction

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of spirits and apparitions, the poltergeist is a unique type of ghost -- one known for its alleged ability to move physical objects (ofte...

National Endowment for Democracy: The New CIA?

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As Ben, Matt and Noel return from a holiday break, they recall a shocking discovery from their earlier investigation into the Atlas Network. What exac...

CLASSIC: Interview: Corruption, Conspiracy and Champions: Crime in the NBA

06 Jan 2026

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 ...

CLASSIC: Did Milwaukee Police Protect a Child Abuse Ring?

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, two children went missing in Milwaukee. Despite the pleas of their parents and loved ones, the local police did not treat these chi...

CLASSIC: The Nunavut Ping

02 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Officially formed in 1999, Nunavut is the newest and most northerly territory of Canada. This sparsely-populated region is home unique wildlife, ancie...

CLASSIC: Have dreams really predicted the future? Chapter II

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Could human dreams really, in some way, predict the future? At first, it sounds like the stuff of science fiction... but the real-life answer may not ...

CLASSIC: Have dreams really predicted the future? Chapter I

31 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dreams are one of the most mysterious aspects of human existence, and we still don't fully understand the strange phenomenon known as dreaming. For th...

CLASSIC: Could Sea Monsters/Serpents Still Exist?

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since before the dawn of recorded history, humans have been haunted by rumors of monsters beneath the waves -- and, as time wore on, it seemed at leas...

CLASSIC: What is "Laying On Hands"?

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the ancient days, when medicine and spirituality were inseparable, people often used rituals and invocations to elicit help from divine sources. Th...

CLASSIC: Auras

26 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

CLASSIC: The Dark Side of the Loom, Chapter II: Pollution, Extinction, and the Fashion Industry

25 Dec 2025

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?...

CLASSIC: The Dark Side of the Loom, Chapter I: Hidden Costs of the Fashion Industry

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you're like the vast majority of people, you wear clothes. Clothing is one of the oldest pieces of human technology, and these days it's also a mul...

CLASSIC: What is 'Antifa?'

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you've been watching the news, you've probably heard journalists and pundits throwing around the word "antifa," often in relation to protests. The ...

CLASSIC: What really sank the Kursk?

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More than 500 feet long and carrying missiles the size of small planes, the giant, nuclear-powered Kursk submarine was an apex predator of the high se...

The Elf On The Shelf Is Part of the Surveillance State!

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Ben, Matt and Noel have a special, spoiler-filled episode just for you, fellow Conspiracy Realists!...

CLASSIC: The True Cost of Gasoline

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For most of modern history, the world has run on oil. In the US and abroad, the price of gasoline is often the subject of intense concern, and prices ...

Save The World and Screw The Sun: Weather Modification, 2025

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Remember when chatting about the weather used to be nothing more than small talk? Those days are long gone. As the climate becomes increasingly chaoti...

CLASSIC: Interview: Who Killed JFK? with Rob Reiner

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of the death of Rob Reiner and his spouse Michele, Ben, Matt and Noel share some of their memories working with Rob and return to their cl...

Strange News: Your Gut Predicts the Future; Quesadilla versus Flat Earth Theory, Wanted: Boomerang! And So Much More

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's strange news segment, Ben, Noel and Dylan explore how a human gut biome may predict linear future. Conversations about social media eph...

We Finally Did It: The Niburu Episode.

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight's episode: Ben, Matt, Noel and Dylan ask: How many planets exist? According to current astronomical research, a lot of speculation and tons of...

CLASSIC: The Hidden History of Africville

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you're not from Nova Scotia, you may have never heard of Africville -- it was a small community in Halifax. The larger government of Halifax seemed...

Rapa Nui: The Mystery of Easter Island

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Located in the eastern Pacific ocean, thousands of miles from other civilizations, Rapa Nui is home to an enduring mystery: hundreds of giant, stone s...

CLASSIC: A Cosmic Murder Mystery: The Star That Simply Vanished

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can a star disappear? As Ben, Matt and Noel learn in this evening's Classic episode, there's more than a bit of weirdness involved: a few years ba...

Strange News: Animal Heists, Curious Attacks, the Age of Disclosure, Radioactive Fun Guys, and So Much More

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's almost the end of the year -- Disclosure looms, raccoons and humans alike pull heists, folks are housing Faberge eggs, fungi evolves in Chernobyl...

Introducing: What Happened in Nashville

06 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What Happened in Nashville is a deeply reported investigation into the sudden collapse of a Tennessee fertility clinic, and the patients caught in the...

The Horrifying Mysteries of Chicago's Ripper Crew

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Warning: This episode contains graphic, accurate descriptions of unclean actions, and may not be appropriate for all listeners.In 1981 and 1982, an ho...

Listener Mail: Underground Bumps in the Night, Hidden Missiles, Selling Your Soul and More

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hidalgo, Jimothy and Pure prompt Ben, Matt and Dylan to dive even deeper into the bizarre world of hidden structures underground -- including bunkers ...

The Mysterious Story of Russia's "Shadow Fleet"

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Russia and the West escalate their tensions, the world enacts sanctions mean to cripple the Russian economy -- "you can't sell oil," says the West....

CLASSIC: The Deepcut Suicides

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Located in Surrey, the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut (more often known as the Deepcut Barracks) was once the headquarters of the British Army's Roy...

Strange News: Do you recall ice cream? AI Religion, Campbell's Soup, New Pesticides and More.

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recent changes in social media reveal a vast network of trolls, prompting Ben to ask the gang, once again, about the dilemma of anonymity. The FDA fol...

Uncontacted Tribes: Fact and Fiction

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt at Noel separate fact from the fiction surrounding uncontacted peoples: Who's the most off-grid person you know? Have ...

CLASSIC: Happy Thanksgiving! Also -- when did humans reach the Americas?

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did human beings first reach the continents we call North and South America by traversing a land bride across what's now known as the Bering Strait? T...

The National Debt Conspiracy

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Oof -- debt. People have it, companies have it, and a lot of countries do, too. In the US, the national debt becomes a hot-button issue every time ele...

CLASSIC: How Rigging Elections Works: Mexico, 1988

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While democracy isn't always predictable, one thing's for sure -- no matter who wins an election, for any party, in any country, some part of the popu...

Strange News: Raccoon Evolution! A Grand Theft Joyride, the Guys Predict Nvidia, Cheese gets Cast, and Much More

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recent studies argue city raccoons are evolving along with humans. A guy steals a city bus and honestly does a pretty good job. Legislation is unprepa...

3I/Atlas: We are Obsessed with the Newest (or Oldest?) Instellar Object

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While humanity's local solar system appears huge from Earth, it's actually a pretty tiny piece of real estate in the grand scheme of things. And, in r...

Listener Mail: Mysterious Booms, Near-death Experiences, the First Amendment versus the Internet, the Enchiladasagna and More

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Saturn asks about the Longfellow Boom. Good Ol' Russ inspires Ben and Matt to do a Yule Cat prank. Beuford prompts a deep conversation about the First...

Interview: The Devil You Know, with Sarah Marshall

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard the phrase: "Satanic Panic." Not too long ago, the United States -- and, later, the world -- was gripped with fear. According to the s...

CLASSIC: Russia and the US Civil Rights Movement

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ben here, with a Classic episode. Fellow Conspiracy Realists, way back in 2019 I asked Matt and Noel what we really know about the US Civil Rights mov...

Strange News: China Says Influencers Need Bonafides, a Bunch of the Usual Epstein Stuff, Space Food From Pee, and Even More

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Congress finally cosigns the release of a bunch of emails from Jeffrey Epstein, which confirm earlier conversation. Europe aims to feed astronauts thr...

The CIA Made a Bunch of Fake Websites, and Got People Killed

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ah, the Wild West days of the pre-bot internet! In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel return to the days of yore, when pretty much anyone could ano...

Listener Mail: The Legend of the Yule Lads, Near-death Experiences, the Conundrum of Price Controls, and More

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An Icelandic Volcano Nerd's recent travels to Iceland inspire an exploration of the terrifying Yule Lads. Replying to multiple episodes and interview ...

The US's Secret "Underground City"

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, former US public official and investment banker Katherine Austin Fitts made an astonishing claim: for years, she argued, the United...

CLASSIC: What is Project Blue Beam?

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It seems the nearly 8 billion people living on Earth can't seem to agree on anything, much less cooperate to achieve a goal. But what if there was som...

Strange News: Robots, the Louvre Heist is Hilarious, Your Grocery Store Conspires Against You, and Way More

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The great game for robots escalates; updates on Elon Musk. The Louvre heist is hilarious. Your grocery store conspires against you. All this and more ...

Interview: Conversate, with Killer Mike, Chapter Two: Think Global, Act Local

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In these divided times, how can communities unite? How can we, the average people, empower ourselves and our neighbors? Also -- what's the perfect day...

Listener Mail: Tom, Less Radioactive Rusty, Sarahwasme, Phlounder and More

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hunter's Point and Treasure Island. FDA transparency, the rise of a global right wing. Recalibration. All this and more in this week's listener mail s...

Interview: Conversate, with Killer Mike, Chapter One: Conspiracies and Consequence

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Was the 13th Amendment a grift? What was it like living through the Atlanta child murders? In the first part of an historic, wide-ranging conversation...

CLASSIC: Interview Segment: Women of Juarez, with Oz Woloshyn

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Juarez, located just over the US-Mexico border, has an ongoing crisis that hasn't made the news: hundreds of women have gone missing, and many of the ...

Strange News: The Looming Hunger Crisis, Mass Layoffs, Strange Stuff in the Skies, Monkeys, Minks and More

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the government shutdown continues, an estimated 42 million US residents may go hungry. Mushrooms may be the next memory chips. Ben, Matt and Noel c...

Happy Halloween: How Selling Your Soul Works

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In tonight's special Halloween episode, Ben, Matt, Noel and Super Producer Dylan lean on Ben's earlier experience with the paranormal. Tonight's quest...

The Bermuda Triangle: A Live Q&A

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After exploring the Bermuda Triangle live on international waters, Ben, Matt and Noel open the floor to their fellow Conspiracy Realists. Tune in to h...

STDWYTK Presents: The Bermuda Triangle, Live From The Bermuda Triangle

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ben, Matt, Noel and Super Producer Dylan present one of the strangest episodes in the history of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know: the long-awaited e...

CLASSIC: Tatum Salt Dome: Nuclear Explosions on U.S. Soil

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With a special shoutout to fellow Conspiracy Realist J, we present our Classic episode on some hidden history from Mississippi: Most people have heard...

Strange News: Breathe Through Your Butt, Steal Chairs, Watch the Skies and Oh, Tight: a Foreign Base in the US?

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A team of crack scientists may save lives by helping humans breathe through their butts. Europe busts an international chair heist ring. The AI war ag...

CLASSIC: The Lost City of Ubar: The True Story of "The Atlantis of the Sands"

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You've probably heard of the Atlantis before, but have you heard the legends of another lost city, somewhere out in the endless sands of the Arabian P...

CLASSIC: The Rise of the Agent Provocateur

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Protests against systemic injustice and police brutality are sweeping the United States and the world at large. In the US, protesting isn't just a tac...

CLASSIC: Stratospheric Aerosol Injections: Saving the World with Chemtrails

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Typically, when you hear someone bring up the concept of chemtrails, it's either to dismiss the idea as a conspiracy theory or to claim there's someth...

CLASSIC: The Santa Susana Field Experiment Coverup

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most US residents are vaguely familiar with the nuclear disaster known as Three Mile Island -- but that's only one of several similar stories. Join th...

CLASSIC: The 2001 Anthrax Letter Attacks: Who was actually responsible?

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mere days after the horrific events of 9/11, someone began sending letters laced with anthrax spores to senators and the offices of major media outfit...

The Strava Leaks

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The modern world is full of apps -- and we don't mean appetizers. Apps are tiny programs that can do countless neat, convenient things... often with a...

CLASSIC: Whatever happened to Julian Assange?

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A few years back, Julian Assange was a household name in the West. The founder and face of Wikileaks, one of the world's most well-known destinations ...

The Post-Pandemic Price Hike Conspiracy

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

During the height of the Covid lockdown, prices for all sorts of things skyrocketed -- global supply chains broke, numerous companies (and, more impor...

CLASSIC: Wells Fargo's Imaginary Customers

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wells Fargo is one of the most popular retail banks in the United States, and its gigantic customer base uses it for everything from savings accounts ...

Strange News: Put My Face on the Money, Qatar and the US, AI Censorship in Film, and More

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The United States Treasury moves to print current President Trump's face on a new coin, prompting an exploration of why the US officially doesn't put ...

What Comes After Humans? Chapter Two: The Next Dominant Species

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let's imagine the worst scenario for civilization: humans, for one reason or another, go extinct. What will rise from the ashes of the Anthropocene to...

Listener Mail: Big Tobacco, Kaikōura Lights Theories, Post-Snuff Messages and More

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Chef calls in with a fascinating theory on the Kaikōura lights. Nemesis shares an inside look at Big Tobacco, answering Ben's earlier question ab...

What Comes After Humans? Chapter One: A Brief, Brightly Burning Light

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Humans! Seems like they're everywhere these days. They've also been great for our show, so thanks! Anyhow, the Age of the Anthropocene has fundamental...

CLASSIC: Operation Infektion: Russia's AIDS Conspiracy

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

HIV and AIDS, the syndrome the infection causes, have become the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. Over the decades people have proposed the in...

Strange News: Peter and the Antichrist, Hegseth's Stand-up Bombs, Crypto Heists and More

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The world's largest crypto-related heists poses a bizarre dilemma for authorities in London. The perplexing meeting of US Secretary of War Pete Hegset...

Is there a secret room inside Mount Rushmore?

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's an image famous -- and controversial -- all the world round: in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the US government wrought four gigantic sculptur...

Listener Mail: Ben Versus the Sun, Humans Visit Savannah, Matt Airs Hot Takes On The Future

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Rutabaga Day. In this week's listener mail segment, Ben, Matt and Dylan learn about the plans to finally take the sun down a notch. Insight on S...

Snuff Films: Fact and Fiction

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The "snuff film" is a profoundly disturbing urban legend: the idea that a shadowy group (or groups) manufacture real-life acts of torture, defilement ...

CLASSIC: The Forced Assimilation of Native People

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries the U.S. government conspired to persecute, attack and marginalize the native population. When open warfare became too expensive, some f...

Strange News: A Terrifying New York Mystery, Peeing in Theaters, Pentagon Wiling Out, and More

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As world leaders convene for the United Nations General Assembly, the US Secret Service uncovers a massive telecom conspiracy -- and has no idea who c...

What is the Atlas Network?

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In theory, democracy empowers the people -- a citizen's vote is the primary campaign contribution. However, theory and practice are often two very dif...

Listener Mail: Knife Cults, Rituals of the Nacirema, The Radioactive Horrors of Coldwater Creek

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Killdeer Fake-out inspires Ben, Matt and Noel to create an episode on the radioactive scandal of Coldwater Creek. Chef Ben asks whether he crossed pat...

Who Really Controls Japan's Far Right?

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Like so many other countries, Japan has a complex mix of political parties and activist movements -- some are gigantic, and some are small. Some are l...

CLASSIC: What Happened to Emanuela Orlandi?

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On June 22nd, 1983, 15-year-old Vatican City resident Emanuela Orlandi disappeared after attending a music lesson. Over the decades, numerous people c...

Strange News: The Great US Science Exodus, Exotic Support Animals, New Mexico Childcare Revolution and More

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A new Brain Drain: funding cuts and political chaos cause scientists to leave the US -- and other countries love it. Wal-Mart bans an emotional suppor...

The Mystery of New Zealand's Kaikōura Lights

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In December of 1978, New Zealand's Kaikōura mountain ranges gained international attention as a series of unidentified glowing objects appeared to fo...

Listener Mail: Barbie Power Wheels, Panama Strangeness, A Time Warner Conspiracy and More

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A bizarre Power Wheels heist goes awry. TikTok loses its mind over an unidentified ...thing in Panama. A fellow Conspiracy Realist hips Ben, Matt and ...

The Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At the height of the Cold War, both the Soviets and the United States raced to hold supremacy across the globe. Over in North Dakota, you can find a s...

CLASSIC: Betty and Barney Hill: The UFO Case that Changed Everything, with Toby Ball

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In September of 1961, on an empty country road in rural New Hampshire, Barney and Betty Hill experienced the most profound, bizarre night of their liv...

Strange News: ICE Raids in Georgia, Swedish Teen Assassins, LSD and Mass Surveillance in China

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

US authorities raid a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, detaining nearly 500 workers and sparking an international crisis with South Korea. The QAnon ...

Governments and AI, Chapter Two: Everything Is Precedent

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As human civilization hurtles headlong toward technology it still does not fully understand, your favorite world governments are in a new arms race to...

Listener Mail: Undersea Cable Shenanigans, Anunnaki Pirates, Cat Conversations

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

HR prompts an exploration of the world's internet -- and what happens when it fails. Dale pitches the concept of Anunnaki Pirates. Moose shares some i...

Governments and AI, Chapter One: New Tools, Old Game

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Corporations across the planet are going crazy for AI -- and governments are no different. So what happens when new technology revolutionizes the same...

CLASSIC: At What Price Safety: The Conundrum of Clearview AI

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's "AI" week here on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. In tonight's Classic episode, Ben, Matt and Noel revisit their 2020 original exploration of ...

Strange News: China Throws a Party -- and Not Everyone is Invited

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fan of the show Uncle Xi just threw a big party to commemorate the end of World War II. In this week's strange news segment, the guys explore the FOMO...

Can We Talk With Animals? Chapter Two: AI is Another Animal

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People have attempted to communicate with other animals since before the dawn of recorded history. Today, almost every pet owner feels they have deep,...

Listener Mail: PoodleCrab, The Messenger, and Oz Woman

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Messenger prompts a conversation on video games and divinity. Oz Woman replies to the earlier series on the Anunnaki. Following up on the earlier ...

Can We Talk With Animals? Chapter One: Your Pets Know Way More Than You

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have a bond with a household pet? Do they understand what you say to them -- and, if so, how much? In the first part of this two-part series, B...

CLASSIC: Your News Agency or the CIA: The Story of Operation Mockingbird

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Propaganda has always been a powerful tool, and humanity's recent technological innovations have only amplified its reach. Long-standing laws in the U...

Strange News: An Orgy Dome Disaster, Cardboard Conspiracies, Insults on Airplanes and More

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

US Nationals captured attempting an info war to destablize Greenland. A lawsuit emerges on an airline. A cardboard cartel is in play and, it appears, ...

The Anunnaki, Chapter Three: A Future in the Sky?

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Oh, praise Enlil! This is our final -- for now -- episode on the concept of the Anunnaki. 'Ben,' Matt, and Noel explore the arguments for 'ancient ali...

Listener Mail: Cryptid Hunters, Tricorders, The Blackpool Underworld and Abandoned America

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Phlounder responds to Ben's earlier point about Friday news stories. A friendly Chef also named Ben prompts a conversation between Matt and Noel about...

The Anunnaki, Chapter Two: Rebranding G-ds

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let's be honest, oh mortals: history proves time and time again that one civilization's angels may become another civilization's demons. In Chapter Tw...