Conspiracy Theories

After the mysterious death of his father in 1993, Michael Jordan retired unexpectedly. The decision sparked rumors of mob connections, gambling addictions, and covered-up suspensions that NBA fans are still trying to get to the bottom of.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was the 1985 NBA draft lottery rigged? Facing disillusioned fans and dwindling TV viewers, NBA commissioner David Stern changed how the draft was done. Goodbye coin toss, hello televised lottery. But some fans think he did more than change the rules — he bent them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When do conspiracy theories stop being theories? Today’s episode visits real accounts of deadly misconduct committed at scale by governments and businesses. Poisoned alcohol, contaminated medicine, mind control experiments — in every case, the truth came out… eventually.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reptile overlords. Pizzagate. QAnon. What makes conspiracy theories so alluring, and why are some more unshakeable than others? Today’s episode breaks down the driving forces behind false narratives, and what happens when true believers take extreme actions.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even expert primatologists can’t agree on whether Bigfoot exists. Is it all a hoax, or is the creature more intelligent — or cosmic — than we give it credit for? Maybe there really is undeniable evidence that could lay the sasquatch question to rest… but it’s being squashed by government agencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the most-glimpsed creature that doesn’t exist. A mysterious ape-man whose legends date back centuries. But while the stories shift and morph, some elements remain the same: The giant footprints. The rancid smell. The hairy, humanoid shape. And the lingering question — if Bigfoot isn’t real, why does he keep showing up?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They say a Bonesman is for life… Their secret bond might have led to the creation of another clandestine organization: the CIA. Some even wonder if it was the Bonesmen who ordered the hit on JFK. But these might just be a few small steps in a master plan for a new world order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formed at Yale in 1832, a fraternal secret society counts media moguls, CIA operatives, even U.S. presidents in its roster. But with only 800 living members, those odds seem too good to be true — which is why some wonder if Skull and Bones is part of a plan for world domination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In April 2021, Bitcoin hit its all time high of over 60K per coin — and it's still growing. While Bitcoin's creator still remains in the shadows, there are whispers that the cryptocurrency will one day replace the U.S. dollar as the world's global currency. Although some fear it will lead to the apocalypse… since Bitcoin was seemingly predicted in the Bible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

An enigmatic creator. A much-hyped cryptocurrency. Bitcoin might be paving the way for a financial revolution, but critics say the digital dollar is a perfect cloak for criminals and cybercrimes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

RFID tags have become a paper-thin, barely detectable building block of our economy — but they aren’t without controversy. Skeptics cite concerns over data theft and privacy violations, while rumors of a Bill Gates-funded government plot to implant chips in people exploded in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A spy device developed during the Cold War has evolved into ubiquity, used for everything from tracking cow medications to locating nuclear materials. But when companies began using the technology to gain intel on their customers, consumer and privacy groups sounded the alarm — igniting fears of unprecedented surveillance and even associations with the antichrist.   Learn more about your ad choice...

After boarding a plane to visit her estranged husband in 1986, Marcela Basteri disappeared. Her whereabouts are still a mystery. Some believe she suffered a psychotic break, or abandoned her family to start a new life. But others point to a different theory: the mother of the famed Luis Miguel was murdered.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As one of Mexico’s biggest pop stars, Juan Gabriel’s talent and rags-to-riches story were legendary. But despite his fame, he was able to keep an astonishing number of secrets — ones that resulted in speculation over his life and death, and a fight over his vast estate.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To this day, no one knows what made Berenger Saunier so incredibly wealthy. Some believe he uncovered ancient treasure from the Knights Templar. Others claim he held secrets about Jesus Christ. Maybe the priest was nothing more than a conman with a side hustle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year, thousands of people flock to a tiny French village to solve an ancient mystery. A 19th-century priest acquired a massive fortune while renovating a local parish, but was it treasure — or knowledge — that garnished him with such wealth?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the threat posed by global warming as imminent as it seems? Is it possible that corporations are manipulating data (and exploiting our fears) to make an extra buck? And how likely is it that humans aren’t to blame after all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the last century, the fossil fuel industry has exploded. Carbon emissions are at an all time high. Wildfires and hurricanes are on the rise. Our planet's temperature is heating up at an exponential rate. But is global warming a misunderstood phenomena — and is it too late to turn back the clock?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world looked on in shock when an assassin shot Pope John Paul II in May 1981. The official story was that a crazed lone gunman was to blame, but some theories suggest the attack may have been part of one of the biggest international coverups of all time…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1917, three children in Fatima, Portugal received a series of prophetic messages that were kept secret for decades — first at the behest of the heavenly message-giver, and then by the Vatican itself. When all three secrets were finally revealed, they made for an apocalyptic story of war, destruction… and redemption.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the centuries, a stash of secret documents kept by priests ballooned into millions of documents. Known as the Vatican Secret Archive, it’s rumored to contain the world’s largest collection of pornography, proof of Jesus Christ, and even predictions of the end of the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, Vatican City is known as an elegant seat of divine power and prestige. But the centuries-long history of the Vatican is marked by bloodshed, corruption — and more secrets than the Church would like to admit.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to government surveillance, most people likely have little to hide. But did a partnership with Silicon Valley unlock unprecedented levels of personal data? And how effective was the PRISM program at catching terrorists after all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the aftermath of 9/11, the government-approved PRISM surveillance program was meant to help keep America safe from terrorist attacks. But NSA contractor Edward Snowden blew the whistle in 2013, implicating an invasive system that spied with impunity on everyday citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Cold War, many believed the Soviet’s greatest weapon was fear. Did they fake a UFO landing in New Mexico to terrify Americans? Or were they actually equipped with highly advanced aircraft that was only confused for — or inspired by — alien technology? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices