On the Potcast

Did you know that up until the 1970s X-ray technology was being used for shoe sales? That's right! Step right up and place your foot into the Foot-O-Scope to get your shoe fit with a side of radiation. 

In 1919, Boston was overrun by a flood of molasses. Delicious, you say? WRONG! Deadly! 

Peter Stumpp: werewolf, serial killer, or religious martyr? You decide in this week's episode. 

In the late 1800s, many members of the Brown family contracted tuberculosis. Through a series of events, one member of the Brown family was thought to be a vampire. Bram Stoker heard this story and dreamt up Dracula. 

James M. Huston Jr was a pilot who was shot down during World War 2. James Leininger is a boy born in 1998 in Louisiana. What brings these two together besides a first name? Listen to this week's episode and find out!

In September of 1900, a hurricane devastated the city of Galveston and killed 6,000-12,000 people. 

In the 1950s, the CIA started experimenting on the vulnerable and even some unsuspecting individuals with LSD. Did it start the hippie counterculture? We may never know.

Frane Selak was either one of the most unlucky, yet somehow luckiest people in the entire world. Or he's just one heck of a storyteller. Listen to Frane's traumatic life on this week's episode! 

There is a reason Brussels sprouts have a bad rap. Because up until the 1990s, they were legitimately bad. Enter science, and a new Brussels sprout was created!

Cruise ships, love them or hate them, there are some incredible stories that surround these sea beasts, including James Grimes, who fell off a cruise ship in 2022 and lived to tell the story after treading water for more than 18 hours. 

Imagine you're in 1800s London. It's been a day, and all you want is a little bit of ice cream to feel better about yourself. And BAM, you end up with tuberculosis. 

An unlikely friendship is the topic of this week's episode involving big spiders and tiny frogs. 

Astronaut John Young had a long history of space flights, but the most notable was Apollo 16, involving a hot mic and some flatulence. 

This is the tumultuous story of Centralia, Pennsylvania, and all the town has been through to lead to only 5 people living there currently. 

A man shows up in Ireland claiming the name Peter Bergmann. He has a mysterious purple plastic bag and no backstory. Listen to the unsolved mystery of this man on this week's episode. 

Christmas in July is a sales tactic, a real holiday, or something only summer camps and swim teams participate in? Find out on this week's episode! 

Tariffs got you down? Try tariff engineering! That action figure you have it's not a doll, it's a non-human toy! Learn more on this week's episode about tariff engineering. 

Spy technology that has been used since World War I and is still used today. Need we say more? On this week's episode, learn about short-wave radio communications. 

Have you ever received an email from a Nigerian prince claiming that if you give him $500 to get his money from a frozen account, he'll send you $5,000 back? You can thank Bertha Heyman for that scam, and it all started in the 1800s. 

On February 3rd, 1959 Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and Buddy Holly boarded a plane during a winter music tour that ended up crashing and killing all three men. On this week's episode, we'll tell you all about the lead-up to the crash and what was implemented after due to the accident. 

Across the world, there have been documented instances of dogs participating in riots and protecting the demonstrators. In this week's episode, learn all about riot dogs!

Mascots: love them or hate them? Lovable or creepy? Either way, we'll give you the history of mascots and a few fun facts in this week's episode. 

What do ballpoint pens, memory foam, and scratch-resistant lenses have to do with one another? Find out in this week's episode! 

In 1978, 15-year-old Mary Vincent was hitchhiking from her grandparents' house to her parents' house when a murderous driver picked her up. On this week's episode, listen to the incredible story of Mary's survival. 

This week's episode is a listener-requested topic on whether orcas eat moose. To find out the answer and settle a bet, listen to this week's episode!