Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Episodes
What if plants are cultivating YOU?
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The story of human history is also a story of symbiosis -- since ancient days, humans and plants have grown in step with each other. Yet more and more...
CLASSIC: Is the Ark of the Covenant Hidden in Ethiopia?
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Ark of the Covenant is the legendary wooden chest said to hold Ten Commandments, engraved on stone tablets. For thousands of years people have sea...
Strange News: Mortgage Company Hacked, Operation Prosperity Guardian, Dolphin with 'Thumbs'
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mortgage company Mr. Cooper goes public with a cyber attack that compromised millions of customers' personal data. Scientists in the Mediterranean spo...
CLASSIC: Do angels have a language?
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Belief in supernatural, divine beings like angels dates back into antiquity and occurs throughout numerous religions. Even in the modern day, numerous...
CLASSIC: The End Of The World with Josh Clark
23 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How long do humans have left on Earth? As species go, humanity has had a brief, incredibly transformative run here on Earth. We've mined resources, fa...
CLASSIC: Italy's Satanic Murders
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you're an American, you're probably familiar with the famous 'Satanic Panic' of the 80s and 90s -- but did you know Italy experienced something ext...
Listener Mail: One For The Witches, Cochlear Implants and Hearing Voices, The Hidden Lithium War
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
RedScotWitch replies to the witch hunt episode, and prompts a conversation about speaking with the dead. Kitty asks for more information about the rel...
Mysterious Inventors, Part I: Crazy Cars and Creepy Islands
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humans are phenomenally inventive creatures -- problem is, some of their inventions may end up disrupting the status quo. As we explore the history of...
CLASSIC: The Control Group with Bret Wood
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the era of the Cold War, intelligence agencies on both sides of the iron curtain desperately raced to secure any possible technological advantage, ...
Strange News: Alabama's Fast Food Slave Trade, US Sweets Banned, Congress Draws A Line
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A recent lawsuit alleges the state of Alabama actively conspires to force incarcerated people into slavery under a crooked 'work release' program -- a...
What Happened to Glenn Miller?
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Glenn Miller was an international superstar when he abruptly decided to dissolve his band and join the US military during WWII. While his songs were s...
Listener Mail: UK Disaster Prep, Airplane Safety, and North Sentinel Island
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark writes in with information about dangerous chemical exposure to veterans. North Ireland Fan asks why her government wants everyone to buy candles...
Ghost Minds and Grief Tech: Should We Bring Back The Dead?
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All of human history is, at heart, a tale of people attempting to cheat death -- and, up to now, everyone has failed to do so. But what if emergent te...
CLASSIC: The Hollywood Sex Cult - NXIVM
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the surface, NXVIM seemed like any other multi-level marketing company or self-help group. It offered numerous development seminars and executive s...
Strange News: Long-term US Official Exposed as Cuban Spy, QAnon Queen Trolled, the 23andMe Hack
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
23andMe reacts to a massive hack compromising information of customers across the world. Benevolent trolls infiltrate the telegram channels of the QAn...
Extraordinary Rendition: Yes, The Government Can Kidnap You
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While there are many forms of government they all have one thing in common: they make the rules. In theory, they maintain order and safety as well. Bu...
Listener Mail: Did OpenAI Build a Non-human Entity? Water Treatment, Mandela Effect and Google Maps
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Turd Herder calls in to speak about UV light and water treatment. Agent 907 asks about the Mandela effect. Anonymous describes issues with Google ...
What is Exercise Flintlock?
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since 2005 -- officially -- the United States has conducted a training program known as Exercise Flintlock. This program, which has multiple partners ...
CLASSIC: Henry Kissinger, America's Darth Vader
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Henry Kissinger has worn many hats over the course of his long life. To some, his geopolitical career is a study in the ruthless, brilliant applicatio...
Strange News: The UK Has A Monster Problem, Saudi Arabia Conspires to Hook You on Oil, A Naked Guy at Disney.
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A naked man causes chaos at Disney. Saudi Arabia courts controversy with a program meant to hook developing countries on fossil fuels. A recent UK inv...
CLASSIC: What is Agent Orange?
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Named for the orange stripe lining the 55 gallon barrels containing this herbicide and defoliant, Agent Orange was one of the most widely-used "rainbo...
CLASSIC: Stanley Kubrick: The Man and the Myths
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Legendary auteur Stanley Kubrick is considered one of the most important single individuals in the history of modern film. There’s no question that ...
Hypnosis: Fact and Fiction
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most people are familiar with some version of "hypnosis" -- at least as it's portrayed in fiction. But what is hypnosis, exactly? Why did this fancy n...
CLASSIC: The Mystery of North Sentinel Island
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
India controls numerous islands in the Indian Ocean, and they have a strange set of rules for North Sentinel Islands -- a tiny, remote place most peop...
CLASSIC: Who created the opioid epidemic?
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the U.S. doctors often prescribe opioids for pain management, and it's no secret that these substances are a big business for pharmaceutical compan...
CLASSIC: The Ariel School UFO Encounter
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On September 16, 1994, teachers and school officials at the Ariel School in Ruwa, Zimbabwe were amazed when the school's students reported that a flyi...
Listener Mail: Massive Recalls, Chicken Nuggets, the Balfour Declaration and the Shadow of Upton Sinclair
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lord of Enjoyment calls in with some additional context on the Tyson chicken nugget recall. A letter prompts a conversation about the controversy surr...
Who Killed JFK? with Rob Reiner
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sixty years ago this week, US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas. In tonight's conve...
CLASSIC: The Kennedy Curse
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Kennedy family is one of the most well-known and influential dynasties in US politics, and the family members are enormously wealthy. Yet despite ...
Strange News: Volcanic Eruptions on the Rise, Emergency Pizza, Superpigs and Missing Window Planes
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Minnesota braces for an invasion of superpigs. Domino's emergency pizza promotion backfires. A plane flies to 13,000 feet before people discover missi...
CLASSIC: What is the Key of Solomon?
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine that you could possess a genuine, real-life spellbook -- something that could enable you to summon and command otherworldly powers, to accrue ...
Listener Mail: The Mushroom Update, Bizarre Schuylkill Messages, Desalination, Colorado Bigfoot
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Conspiracy Realists from across the world hip Ben, Matt and Noel to updates on the Australia mushroom poisoning case. A new example of desalination. C...
Will Plants Stop Photosynthesis?
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Pretty much every living thing relies on plants. Through the superpower of photosynthesis, they function as the great translators of solar energy, pow...
CLASSIC: The Hidden Tomb of Genghis Khan
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Genghis Khan was one of the world's most successful conquerors, and his empire left an indelible mark across Eurasia. Yet upon his death his body was ...
Strange News: The Great Chicken Nugget Recall, Blinding Lasers at NFT Concert, Tires Are Killing Salmon
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Food giant Tyson recalls 30,000 pounds of chicken nuggets due to possible metal contamination. Bored Ape partygoers wake to find laser light may have ...
CLASSIC: How can you become a ufologist?
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
UFO researchers, also known as ufologists, make frequent appearances in pop culture, and many are professional, full-time experts in their field. But ...
CLASSIC: Can a President pardon himself?
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
According to the U.S. Constitution, the President of the United States has the power to pardon pretty much anyone. This is a broad, sweeping power tha...
CLASSIC: Will Google start impersonating you?
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you're like millions of other people, you hate making phone calls. "Why can't I just text," you might think, "and only call if there's an emergency...
CLASSIC: Conspiracies That Turned Out To Be True
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Often in the mainstream media the term "conspiracy theory" is used as a way of dismissing a claim or idea immediately -- and it's a technique that wor...
Strange News: Eyedrops, Real Estate, Site 512 and Celine Dion
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Updated studies confirm the danger of certain eyedrops. A groundbreaking class-action suit prompts disturbing questions about commercial real estate. ...
CLASSIC: Did Buzz Aldrin see a UFO?
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the course of his career with NASA, legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin changed the course of human history. From his groundbreaking work with EVA te...
Listener Mail: DARE, Abyssal Zones, Eat More Insects
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No One in Particular raises a fascinating point about the old-school D.A.R.E. program in US schools. Corporations want you to eat more bugs. Beeswax, ...
A Hacker Saved The Internet
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From a young age, Marcus Hutchins had a preternatural talent for code. As his online renown grew, he found himself at a series of ethical crossroads—...
CLASSIC: Expats and Espionage: The Story of Operation Chaos
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. government was desperate to maintain order and combat the growing domestic opposition to the war effort -- both the U...
Strange News: Massive Dime Heist, Big Bang Science, US Drug Stores Close
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A crew of professional heisters accidentally hits a truck from the US Federal Mint, and struggles to unload hundreds of pounds of dimes. Scientists ve...
Earwitness: The Toforest Johnson Case, with Beth Shelburne
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One July night in 1995, Deputy Sheriff William G. Hardy was shot behind the Crown Sterling Suites hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. While law enforcement ...
Listener Mail: E-girls and Military Recruitment, Diego Garcia, A Horror Story
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is the US military using 'E-girls' to manipulate young men into joining the armed forces? What is life really like at Diego Garcia? Have you sent us a...
How Witch Hunts *Actually* Worked
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nowadays people talking about "witch hunts" are usually referring to something in the realm of politics -- but not too long ago, church and state auth...
CLASSIC: What is Multi-level Marketing?
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever spent time on Facebook or Instagram, you've probably seen a few strange posts advertising tremendous opportunities to start your own bu...
Strange News: Drug Cartels Ban Fentanyl, A Cure for Forever Chemicals, Bigfoot in Colorado and a Catalytic Conspiracy
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mexico's notorious Sinaloa cartel bans fentanyl -- promising gruesome consequences for anyone who doesn't comply. Traingoers may have encountered Bigf...
Who Wants To Live Forever?
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since the dawn of human history, the great leaders of civilization sought the one thing they could neither buy nor steal: immortality. In tonight's ep...
Listener Mail: DEFCON, the QAnon Queen, a Haunted House and Divine Intervention
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A letter from a Canadian listener fleshes out disturbing information about the QAnon queen. The Beekeeper shares a story about DEFCON. Green Garnet en...
The Boy Scouts Abuse Scandal
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For around a century, the Boy Scouts of America was considered one of the country's top youth organizations -- millions of children went through some ...
CLASSIC: From Rock to UFOs: The Tom DeLonge Story
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the height of their success, the band Blink-182 became a key force in the development of pop punk. Despite their worldwide fame, guitarist and voca...
Strange News: Gaza Evacuation, Social Media Misinformation, and the Rise of New Weight Loss Drugs
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza, the world wonders how a proposed evacuation plan will actually work. Social media -- X in p...
Companies Started By Cults, Part II
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From fast food to mass media, it can be tough to know who really runs a company. In tonight's episode, the guys return to more true stories of compani...
Listener Mail: The Return of Order of Nine Angles, Letter From a Hydrologist, and the Dangers of Drug Analogs
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An FBI investigation in New York leads to the discovery of 764, an online offshoot of the occult Order of 9 Angles, dedicated to pushing vulnerable ch...
The Tartarian Conspiracy
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What if most of what we know about history is false? According to proponents of the Tartarian conspiracy, not too long ago Earth was home to an incred...
Strange News: Thailand's Most Prolific Serial Killer, Space Junk, Tupac, Resource Extraction and the QAnon Queen
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canada's QAnon Queen is back in the news, this time for occupying a rural, abandoned grade school. Someone has finally been charged in Tupac's murder....
CLASSIC: The Cult of the Garbage Eaters
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In small towns, neglected glades and college campuses across America, small groups of bearded wanderers in homespun clothes are spreading a message --...
Cosmic Conspiracy: The New Space Race
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As more and more countries -- and corporations -- make astonishing breakthroughs in space exploration, the public becomes increasingly convinced the w...
Listener Mail: Hearing Voices, Hacking Everything, and Med Beds
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Samurai shares his perspective on hearing voices. Anon relates the strange story of medbeds. Glass Gate reveals a terrifying look into just how easily...
Have You Experienced Divine Intervention?
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could some supernatural or spiritual forces really speak to human beings, or intervene on their behalf? While there is no scientific proof of God, hum...
CLASSIC: Children and Prison
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Compared to other countries, the US has a massive incarceration rate. While the prison system has passionate supporters and ardent opponents, there's ...
Strange News: Saltwater Invades New Orleans, Danish Artist Forced to Repay Museum, Germany Raids Occult Neo-Nazi Sect
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The US Army takes action as saltwater further compromises Louisiana, threatening hundreds of thousands of people in New Orleans. Danish artist Jen Haa...
The Cop City Episode
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
According to its supporters, The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center -- known locally as Cop City -- will be a crucial training ground for law enfor...
Listener Mail: Did the government tap your phone? The seedy Reedley Biolab, Fyre Fest and Atlanta Recommendations
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with paranoid family members prompts Saturday Mourning Cartoons to ask whether the government really does tap people's phones. Bro Dude...
The Stuff Casinos Don't Want You To Know: Live in Vegas
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While casinos work around the clock to create a glitzy, glamorous, spontaneous feeling, it turns out they are some of the most tightly-controlled envi...
CLASSIC: Google, the Pentagon and AI
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Google -- or, more properly, Alphabet -- is a huge company, and is at the bleeding edge of numerous technological innovations. So, while it wasn't nec...
Strange News: Armenia Under Attack, A Missing Jet and Murders in LA
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Azerbaijan wages war against Armenia -- and from the US to Europe, from Russia to Iran, it seems no one will intervene to protect civilians. The US lo...
How Hearing Voices Works
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been convinced you heard a voice -- shout, a whisper, someone speaking directly to you -- only to turn around and realize no one was the...
Listener Mail: Astral Travel, Real Estate as Crime, Voluntary Adrenaline
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Hill recounts a disturbing story of Chinese forces buying up family farmland in the United States, prompting a conversation about the multibillion...
The Underwater Internet
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How does the internet get information from across the planet to your house? While many people might guess it's a matter of satellites and synchronous ...
CLASSIC: What is the Windsor hum?
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For years residents of Windsor, Ontario have been haunted by a strange, disruptive noise. Sometimes compared to a truck idling or distant thunder, num...
Strange News: Secret Service Agent Speaks Out on JFK, FDA Calls BS on Decongestants, Mexican Congress Views (Alleged) Alien Corpses
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The FDA concludes the primary active ingredient in over-the-counter decongestants may be nothing more than the placebo effect. A retired secret servic...
The Wagner Update
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With Yevgeny Prigozhin and the rest of Wagner leadership apparently confirmed dead in a suspicious airplane explosion north of Moscow, the merc army W...
Strange News: Harvard Astrophysicist Finds 'Spaceship Wreckage,' Rise of Superpigs Update, Massive Auto Recalls on the Horizon
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Harvard luminary Avi Loeb rocks the world with his discovery of bizarre, tiny objects off the coast of Papua New Guinea -- objects that don't just app...
The Future of The Past: Who Will Control History?
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For thousands of years groups of humans have each told their own religious and social narratives, building a past that attempts to explain the present...
CLASSIC: Have psychics solved any actual crimes?
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's a common trope in film and TV -- a police department at their wits' end calls in a favor and makes contact with a genuine psychic, someone in tun...
Listener Mail: Can You Be Anonymous Online? Murders at the Brooklyn Mirage. A Haunting Story From Disney's Haunted Mansion.
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nemesis updates his fellow Conspiracy Realists on the growing difficulties of remaining anonymous online. Pink Fairy Angel calls in to relate an immen...
Oh, The Places You Can't Go
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's a wide, beautiful, and at-times terrifying world -- and, these days, it may seem more connected than ever. However, make no mistake: it's also fu...
Listener Mail: Ghost Weddings, Bob Berdella, Maldives and A Proxy War
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A listener asks the gang for more information about Ghost Weddings. GP Scoothe writes in to tell the tale of Bob Berdella. A story about a burgeoning ...
How Corn Took Over America
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The US is a corn superpower. Over the past few decades, corn has infiltrated all sorts of things, from soda pop and snacks to your own gas tank. But h...
CLASSIC: What is Predictive Programming?
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What if everything you encounter in your day-to-day interactions is somehow prescient? Are the games you play and the films you watch meant to normali...
Strange News: Flannery Associates Revealed, A Hunt for Nessie, and Worms Move Into Brains
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The mysterious group buying thousands of acres around Travis Air Force Base turns out to be a group of tech luminaries and investors -- and they plan ...
How To Build An Urban Legend
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From ghostly hitchhikers to tales of insidious alien conspiracies, everyone loves a good spooky campfire story. But where do modern legends come from?...
Listener Mail: Divine Intervention, Smoking Wet, Billionaire Names and Deadly Mushrooms
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nightshift calls in with a stunning tale of a harrowing brush with death. Anon wants to become a billionaire named Poo-poo-pee-pee Hands (and there's ...
Is Reality a Computer Simulation?
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What if the world we experience isn't ...well... real? The question has haunted countless human civilizations since antiquity, and we continue to wres...
CLASSIC: DNA and Crime: The Original Night Stalker
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s official -- after decades of dead ends, tantalizing theories and frustrating leads, justice has finally caught up with The Golden State Killer,...
Strange News: Wagner Leaders in Plane Crash, Fyre Festival, and Modern Moon Missions
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leaders of the notorious Russian mercenary group Wagner are believed to have died in a plane crash north of Moscow just a few months after what appear...
A War For Chips: The Semiconductor Episode
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The modern world runs on microchips and semiconductors. There's no way around it -- and the semiconductor business is perhaps one of the most importan...
CLASSIC: The Murky World of Serial Killer Memorabilia
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether in fiction or in real life, the concept of the serial killer occupies a unique space in the American zeitgeist. Audiences across the planet fl...
Speak to Us: Voicemail Edition
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The guys play some of the most intriguing messages you've sent them. Listen in for unidentified aerial vehicles, giant sun-umbrellas, and much (much) ...
CLASSIC: From the Past to the Modern Day: Does torture actually work?
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's one of the most ancient practices in human civilization, and one that continues in the modern day. In recent decades experts, military officials ...
Strange News: Peruvian Aliens, the Sackler Family and Prison, Robotaxis and Newspaper Raids
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Peruvian authorities attempt to calm a rural community by telling them they're not being harassed by aliens -- but by illegal gold miners who, for som...
Does Aspartame Give You Cancer?
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, health-minded consumers have sought alternatives to natural sugar -- aspartame, marketed under any number of brand names, is one of the m...
Listener Mail: Celebrity Murders, Jewish Exorcisms, Billionaire Hobbies and Trading Card Heists
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An anonymous LEO writes in to explain part of the reason public figures' murder cases seem to garner more investigation. Mosche prompts a conversation...
Is the US Navy Covering Up Radioactive Waste?
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you're not from the San Francisco area, you may never have heard of Hunters Point -- but, back in the day, this was a tremendously important shipya...
CLASSIC: Are frogs really changing gender?
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might have heard this one before -- for years, various fringe researchers and commentators have argued that the government or some other shadowy e...
Strange News: 'Death Cap' Mushroom Poisoning, Criminal Bear Apprehended, Mysterious Leprosy Outbreak in Florida
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Three people have died under mysterious circumstances, apparently due to ingesting 'death cap' mushrooms in Australia. Hank the Tank, a bear known for...