Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Sad Oligarch, with Jake Hanrahan

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In just nine months, a dozen prominent Russian oligarchs -- businessmen who run major industries in step with the Russian government -- died. Some dea...

Listener Mail: Skyborg, Misdiagnosis, Madlib and More

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Could Skyborg be even worse than we thought? Why are some conditions so often misdiagnosed in women? A listener makes a timely complaint about madlibs...

UFOs and Congress

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recently, Congress held another hearing on the idea of UAPs -- and this time, three eyewitness attended. Their claims, if even partially true, could f...

CLASSIC: Imperialism and Iran

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Islamic Republic of Iran, located in western Asia, has historically been the seat of several massively influential empires. Today, it's home to ov...

Strange News: Mystery Company in California, Japan's Were-collie, the Lunar Codex

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A mysterious group named Flannery Associates is spending millions buying up all the land around a California Air Force base -- and no one, apparently ...

Billionaires Have Strange (and Dangerous) Hobbies

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What does your average billionaire do for fun? In many ways, the world's wealthiest people are just like anyone else -- except, of course, that they c...

CLASSIC: What are Ultraterrestrials?

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite diligent, time-consuming efforts by institutions across the planet, human beings have yet to find any universally-accepted proof of extraterre...

Big Sugar, with Celeste Headlee

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that America runs on sugar -- from bread to soda, from candy to packaged food, this stuff seems to be in everything. How did this come ...

CLASSIC: Is the Palace of Versailles haunted?

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Louis XIV expanded his father's old hunting pavilion he created one of the greatest achievements in French 17th century art -- a massive, opulent...

CLASSIC: Uncaught Serial Killers, Part 3

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the third segment of this recurring series, Ben, Matt and Noel return to the grisly world of true crime, killers who not only committed multiple mu...

The EBO Post: Fact vs. Fiction

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What would you do if you had proof of non-human, intelligent life? In a recent case that shook the online UFO community, an anonymous reddit poster cl...

Listener Mail: Skyborg, Public Schools, and Divine Visitations

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Big Bean prompts a conversation about the future of drone warfare. Alice shares her experience with gifted programs in public schools. The Funky House...

The Exorcist Files, with Ryan Bethea

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When many people think of exorcism and possession, they think of horror novels, films, and other works of fiction. But real-world exorcisms still occu...

CLASSIC: Behind the Curtain of the Music Industry with J. Prince

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For most fans, the music industry can be a relatively obscure enterprise — we might know our favorite singers, MCs or bands, but often we have no id...

Strange News: Long Island Serial Killer Suspect Arrested, NPC TikTok, and the Murder of Tupac Shakur

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a strange week for serial murder: after years of dead ends, authorities appear to have captured the Long Island Serial Killer -- and there m...

Studio Conspiracies: Behind the Scenes of the Silver Screen

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, the Golden Age of Hollywood is seen as a time of larger-than-life starlets, of unprecedented innovation and modern myth-making. However, there ...

Listener Mail: Vibes, Palau, A Haunting in Atlanta and the Sinister Google Sign-in

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yenna politely asks the guys to stop ruining seafood; Little Girl on a Little Island raises concerns about US imperialism. Chris from Atlanta might be...

Was Public School Created To Make Factory Workers?

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every day, across the United States, millions of children wake up to attend school. In this country, all children are guaranteed a right to education ...

CLASSIC: Is democracy impossible?

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Stuff They Don't Want You To Know's inaugural podcast, Ben and Matt explored the strange career of Edward Bernays, the then-obscure Father of Publi...

Strange News: Gorillas Love Smartphones, Canada and Sterilization, the Taliban on Twitter, Surveillance in France

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Zoos are asking visitors to stop showing gorillas videos and photos from their phones, as this seems to fundamentally change the way the gorillas beha...

The One Where We Ruin Canned Seafood

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During the pandemic, canned seafood experienced a boom in popularity -- and it made sense for uncertain times: this stuff is shelf-stable, nutritious ...

Listener Mail: UAP Arms Race, the Death of Officer O'Keefe, What Could Go Wrong when Corporations Vote?

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hopeful Cynic and Binyomin write in with excellent -- and disturbing -- responses to Ben's earlier questions about what happens when corporations are ...

The Mysterious Hanging Gardens of Babylon

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Almost everyone hears about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World in grade school. Although the majority of these human-made marvels have been destro...

CLASSIC: Cambridge Analytica and Facebook

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Love it or hate it, Facebook is one of the biggest success stories of the past century. Billions of people have profiles, and for many users it's the ...

Strange News: Aspartame and Cancer, Steroid Olympics -- and the White House Wants to Block Out the Sun

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The World Health Organization lists near-ubiquitous artificial sweetener aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." Entrepreneur Aron d’Souza w...

Weird Finance, with Paco De Leon

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's face it: finance can be weird. The stock market is confusing, money as a concept is bizarre, and a lot of people feel awkward just thinking abou...

Listener Mail: Propaganda, Body Brokers, and Letters From Home

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A fellow Conspiracy Realist prompts a conversation about propaganda, crowds and social dynamics. Anonymous writes in with first-hand experience in the...

Are "Vibes" Real?

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard of 'vibes' -- it's a street name for seemingly inexplicable bursts of intuition, and often otherwise skeptical people can find themsel...

CLASSIC: Could a thought be alive?

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From imaginary friends to tulpas, the idea that that the human mind can create life through focused thought alone is as old as recorded civilization. ...

Strange News: Corporations Get The Vote, A Navy Cover-up, and the Russian Coup that Wasn't

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The US Navy may be midway through a continuing cover-up out west. Ben, Matt and Noel speculate about the recent news from Russia. Over in Delaware, a ...

Tipping: A Conspiracy Afoot?

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In recent years, the concept of tipping has become increasingly controversial -- but where does tipping come from? In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and...

Listener Mail: Winchester Mansion, A Hotel Of Terror, Update on VW Conspiracy

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An update on the Volkswagen emissions scandal. A Conspiracy Realist explores the Winchester Mansion. There's a Hotel of Terror in Springfield, Missour...

Bone Valley, with Gilbert King

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when an innocent person goes to prison for a crime they didn't commit? Is there any way for the average individual to escape a wrongful c...

CLASSIC: Several Terrifying Things You Just Ate

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays it seems like a few times a year we’ll hear about a food scandal -- contaminated meat, perhaps, or recalled yogurt. We’ll also inevitably...

Strange News: Fake Priests, Body Brokers and the Titan Sub Disaster

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A California restaurant is caught using a fake priest to spy on employees. A Harvard morgue manager is caught selling body parts. The Titan submersibl...

Should Any Books Be Banned?

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should any books be banned? In recent years, the US has again wrestled with the concept of banning books -- in other words, controlling access to info...

Listener Mail: Can AI hallucinate? Glioblastoma and Cellphones. An Incredibly Upset Australian.

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can an "AI" hallucinate? Bob calls the show with a warning about wireless technology and medical conditions. The One They Call Ben befriends an enrage...

Lava for Good Live: The War on Drugs - Did Anyone Win?

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In tonight’s episode the guys go live on stage, exploring the war on drugs, criminal justice reform, and corruption with top-notch subject matter ex...

CLASSIC: The Great Volkswagen Cover-up, with Scott Benjamin

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades one the world's largest auto manufacturers lied to governments and the public, polluting the planet and evading the same environmental sta...

Strange News: Secret Chinese Spy Station in Cuba, UFOs in Vegas, A Saturn Moon is Habitable

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The US confirms China has operated a spy station right off the coast of Cuba since at least 2019. A 911 call leads to a bizarre encounter in Las Vegas...

What is snake oil?

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Snake oil -- it's a strange phrase for all sorts of sham treatments and fake cures. But where did it come from? Why do so many hucksters conspire to s...

Listener Mail: Gremlins, Race Horse Deaths, and Solving the Toothpaste Heist

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An email clarifies some questions about gremlins. Brockness weighs in on the controversial horse racing industry. Multiple Conspiracy Realists write i...

Cryptids of Ohio

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard of bigfoot -- but what about the frogman? Or the grassman? In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into the strange cryptozoology o...

CLASSIC: What was the Chappaquiddick Incident?

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On July 18th, 1969, campaign strategist Mary Jo Kopechne and Senator Ted Kennedy were involved in a single-car accident while departing a reunion held...

Strange News: The USA has UFOs? A Slow Collapse, and Psychedelic Cryoptography

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Former intelligence official David Charles Grusch rocks the world of UFOlogy with a stunning claim: extraterrestrial craft are real, and the US govern...

The Stuff Hotels Don't Want You To Know

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hotels are part of an ancient history -- one dating back into antiquity. For most people, hotels are a pleasant place to pause and relax during a trip...

Listener Mail: An Apartment Collapse, Big Pharma vs. Healthcare; The Rise of DarkBERT

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ziggy writes in with a tragic story of an apartment collapse in Iowa. Ryan wonders about the future of gene editing, big pharma and health care. Spect...

Silenced: The Radio Murders, with Oz Woloshyn

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When a string of brutal murders rocked the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida, the community and authorities grew increasingly certain the de...

CLASSIC: Was Benjamin Franklin a serial killer?

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today Benjamin Franklin is known as one of the founding fathers of the US, and there’s no doubt that he played a tremendously influential role in th...

Strange News: AI Debt Collectors, a Toothpaste Heist, and a Mysterious Boat Accident

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian police stop a bizarre toothpaste heist. Companies aim to automate debt collection with AI. In Italy, a mysterious boat accident leaves multip...

CLASSIC: Ernest Withers: Civil Rights Hero, FBI Spy

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

55 years ago, the American Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His legacy lives on in recorded speeches,...

Listener Mail: Human Expansion, Tipping in America, and Shoutouts

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Disco Funk inspires a strange series of thought experiments. Amdroid writes in on the controversy surrounding tipping. An author gives the gang a spec...

A Conversation with Johnny Drinks

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The guys sit down with special guest John Rondi, Sr., the co-creator of the legendary Johnny Drinks, for a wide-ranging conversation about everything ...

CLASSIC: A Digital Cult? The Strange Story of Bentinho Massaro

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One person's cult is another person's inarguable truth, and over millenia many spiritual or cultural belief systems have been called cults. Typically ...

Strange News: The Rise of Blood Boys, A Narcocorrido Ban, and a Jail Break Foiled

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tech mogul Bryan Johnson causes a stir when it's revealed he uses his own son as a 'blood boy' to stave off the effects of aging. Cancun authorities b...

Yes, the Government Can Take Your Stuff

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's an active series of conspiracies taking place every single year in the United States -- through the practice of eminent domain, local governme...

Listener Mail: Three-Parent Babies, Vancouver Drugs, and Hotel Secrets

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly discusses the strange state of drugs and drug policy in Vancouver. Samurai poses fascinating questions about mitochondrial DNA and three-parent ...

The Setagaya Family Murders

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In December of 2000, an unknown assailant brutally murdered the Miyazawa family as they slept in their home, preparing to celebrate the new year. This...

CLASSIC: Are exorcisms on the rise?

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays, most people in the West associate exorcism with horror movies instead of real-life terror. However, people around the world still feel that ...

Strange News: The Kenyan Death Cult. A Mormon Whistleblower and a Staged Plane Crash

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A whistleblower alleges the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hides billions of dollars. A horrifying, continuing investigation in Kenya rev...

The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential figures in all of American literature -- and his death is just as mysterious as his stories. In today's...

Listener Mail: The Great Coin Shortage, A Sobering Plea, and More

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Could someone have purposely manufactured the great coin shortage during the pandemic? Anon calls in with a sobering plea. A fellow Conspiracy Realist...

The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1978, a young pilot named Frederick Valentich disappeared somewhere off the coast of Australia. His last recorded message to authorities -- "it's n...

CLASSIC: The Modern Vampire: Longer Life Through Younger Blood

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve heard the legends of vampires for thousands of years, and while the vast majority of modern humans relegate the stories to the domain of myth ...

Strange News: The Nashville Toe Sucker, the Canadian Drug Pop-up, and the Rise of Three-Parent Kids

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A Nashville hotel employee is arrested on charges of assaulting a guest's toes. A Canadian man attempts to start a pop-up selling all manner of illega...

A Bridge in Scotland Kills Dogs

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, residents of Dumbarton, Scotland have been convinced something's deeply wrong with the Overtoun Bridge. According to local lore, somethin...

Listener Mail: Spy Balloons Have a "Season," A Temporal Tizzy, and What Happens When Banks Fail

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Flummoxed calls in to report a baffling temporal tizzy. A fellow Conspiracy Realist asks what happens when banks fail. Balloon Boy writes in with an a...

Wrongful Conviction, with Jason Flom

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays virtually everyone can agree the US Justice system has profound, serious issues -- the problem is people just don't agree on how to address t...

CLASSIC: How The US Secretly Tracked UFOs with Jeremy Corbell

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018, the New York Times broke a story that baffled most ordinary readers -- until about 2012, the Pentagon had run a multi-million dollar, secreti...

Strange News: White House Meets on AI Concerns, Woman Orgasms During Orchestra Performance -- and It's a Bad Time to be a Spy

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The White House holds a meeting with tech luminaries to discuss concerns about the potential of "AI." A concertgoer apparently experienced an orgasm d...

La Llorona is Older Than You Think

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's a common campfire tale -- a mysterious, ghostly entity roams the land, lamenting the loss of her children... and perhaps kidnapping living childr...

CLASSIC: Cryptocurrency Conspiracies, Part II

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the first part of this two-episode series, the guys interviewed tech expert Jonathan Strickland on the mechanics of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. I...

Michael Talks to Errbody, with Michael Colyar

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What's the secret to success in entertainment? What really happens backstage in the world of show biz? In today's episode, the guys welcome legendary ...

CLASSIC: Cryptocurrency Conspiracies, Part I

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard of bitcoin before. It's the entirely digital, decentralized currency that supporters tout as the next step in financial evolution -- and ...

CLASSIC: Is someone using sonic weapons in Cuba?

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A few years back, employees at the US Embassy in Cuba reported a strange and disquieting phenomenon. They complained of vertigo, nausea, hearing loss ...

The Strange Case of Benjaman Kyle

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Virtually everyone's experienced a slip in memory -- in most cases, the slips are thankfully short-lived. But what happens when your own brain conspir...

Listener Mail: Smurfs and CERN, A Possible Cult in LA, and Solving Wartime UFOs

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mortgage Man prompts an exploration of alchemy, smurfs and CERN. Summer Frog hips the gang to a controversial commune initiative in Los Angeles. Kevin...

The Houston, Texas Lovers' Lane Murders

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On August 22nd, 1990, Cheryl Henry and Garland Atkinson set out for a night on the town. By the next morning, they had disappeared. A few hours later,...

CLASSIC: Hollywood’s Abuse Epidemic

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades people knew that sexual abuse occurred in Tinseltown. It was an open, dirty secret just behind the curtain of the most popular films, tv a...

Strange News: Baby Powder and Voting Lawsuits; Deputies Plan Murders; US Feds Arrest Leaders of 'Secret Chinese Police Stations'

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, tons of people are getting sued -- everything from Fox News to baby powder -- further, law enforcement in Oklahoma got caught planning the ...

Listener Mail: The Psychedelic Devil's Bread, Invasive Species and Q Hydrogen

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ishmael writies in about Q Hydrogen, a company that claims to have discovered a revolutionary new source of power. Batboy raises concerns about invasi...

Astroturf and Cancer

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At first, it sounded too good to be true: grass that never died, never wilted, and never gave way to weeds. Major league baseball hailed it as one of ...

UFOs in the Korean War

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As chaos reigned across the Korean peninsula from 1950 to 1953 in a war that has still not officially ended, one group of US soldiers found themselves...

CLASSIC: Should we be conCERNed?

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sure, we worked way too hard for that pun in the title, but it's a serious question: CERN, or the European Organization for Nuclear Research is one of...

Strange News: Furbies Reveal Plan For World Domination, Pentagon Leaks Rock Uncle Sam, and More Details on Ye's Donda Academy

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When University of Vermont student Jessica Card modified a Furby to use ChatGPT, it eventually informed her of plans to take over civilization. The US...

What is the RESTRICT Act? TikTok and Beyond

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even if you're not a fan of social media, you've probably heard of TikTok. In recent months, countries around the planet have enacted bans on this app...

CLASSIC: Is there really a lost civilization in the Grand Canyon?

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Grand Canyon is a breath-taking natural formation, and every year more than 4 million people visit. Despite its popularity, areas of the canyon re...

Conspiracy, Congress and Crime: The ABSCAM Story

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do we ensure rulers of a country obey the laws they create? Not too long ago, the FBI ran against this question during a sting called ABSCAM. Whil...

CLASSIC: What exactly are "Ghost Lights"?

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries people in countries across the planet have reported seeing mysterious, glowing lights that appear to move of their own volition through ...

Strange News: A Death in St. Petersburg, International Sperm Donor Sued for Incest, US Actor Works for Russia

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Influencer Vladlen Tatarsky dies in an explosion. A serial sperm donor is sued for actively misleading clients across countries. Longtime US-based act...

How Ouija Boards Work

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since the dawn of civilization -- and likely before -- human beings have searched for a way to commune with the dead. While the methods vary across ti...

Listener Mail: The Sinister Truth Behind the TikTok Ban, Juggalos, EMTs, and Medically-assisted Suicide in Canada

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tone prompts a terrifying warning about the RESTRICT Act, which is being soid to the American public under false pretenses. Mohawk Mick talks about th...

The COVID Lab Leak

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It seems strange to remember that Covid-19 swept the world years ago -- and, perhaps, stranger still to realize how many questions remain about the or...

CLASSIC: The Strange World of Inexplicable Skeletons

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What’s going on with all these stories about strange skeletons? From legends of the crystal skull to allegations of ancient extraterrestrial remains...

Strange News: Astrotrurf is Potentially Deadly, the Nashville School Shooting, and Columbian Police vs. the Occult

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial turf at Veterans Stadium has been potentially linked to the cancer deaths of six Phillies ball players. In the wake of the Nashville school...

Illumination Global Unlimited

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The time has come. After narrowly surviving some misadventures on the road, Ben, Matt and Noel return with a new-found appreciation of their Original ...

CLASSIC: Biomedical Big Brother

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the near future, your doctor may begin prescribing "smart pills" -- medicines that remain in contact with your hospital, pharmacy or doctor's offic...

CLASSIC: STDWYTK Presents: See You Next Time

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1933, a composer named Rezső Seress created one of the world's most infamous tunes -- a melancholy, mysterious piece known as "Gloomy Sunday." Ove...

CLASSIC: Are there any real underwater military bases?

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We've all seen the space-age secret bases in science fiction and blockbuster films, but could a government or corporation really build a secret, perma...

CLASSIC: What happened to Commander Crabb?

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode comes from the heart of the Cold War -- when Lionel 'Buster' Crabb disappeared on a mysterious spying mission, his relatives and colle...