Doomed to Fail

Let's talk about the most expensive disaster of all time! The meltdown at Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. A safety test that was anything but 'routine' ended in an explosion of radioactive material, and everything became poison. We'll talk about the USSR, Nuclear Power, the disaster itself, and the aftermath.   This is episode 200!! We are so excited to have gotten this...

Sources -  Movie - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron:_The_Smartest_Guys_in_the_Room Book - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smartest_Guys_in_the_Room_(book)   For this episode, Taylor got to read the book behind her favorite documentary of all time - 2005's "The Smartest Guys in the Room" - That's right, liars and grifters, we're stuffing money in offshore accounts and shredding the paperwork -...

Today, in part 1 of Organ Donations, we talk about the history and the rules behind giving someone your organs. It does get a little gross when we learn that lungs come apart into 'lobes' but it's probably still a good thing to know! Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episodes for life!  patreon.com/DoomedtoFailPod We would love to hear from you! Please follow along!  Insta...

Today, we talk about the incident before the horror in Amityville, Long Island. 23-year-old Ronnie DeFeo murdered his entire family, parents, and four siblings, at 3:15 in the morning. He shot them in their beds while they were sleeping, then he took a bath and went to work. Ronnie would later claim it was a demon, and the grifters who moved in later would say the house was haunted. Lots of great...

Consider, of course, the definition of 'doomed.' In 1846, several families left the Midwest in pursuit of the California Dream. Eventually, George Donner would be named their leader, and they would follow the Hastings Cutoff for a quick shortcut west. The rest is history.   Of the 87 travelers, 48 will survive, mostly women & children. All will encounter incredible hunger, fear, and destitution be...

Why not do a Friday Re-release!?! Let's take a break from the horrors IRL and talk about The Mary Celeste and the MV Joyita - two ships found drifting with no people... where did the people go??   Bonus bonus - you shoud watch the movie 'Ghost Ship' from 2002 Bonus bonus bonus - Gabriel Byrne played Professor Bhaer in 1994's "Little Women"???? Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episo...

Grab your forks, friends - we're having cake! Today, we re-release Taylor's episode on our dear Marie Antoinette. Yes, we hold her dear - she was just a kid put in a ridiculous situation, YES, she cosplayed being poor, YES, she was addicted to gambling. BUT she was also a good mother. Bonus - there's a time slip in this episode that we LOVE. In the Moberly–Jourdain incident, two teachers in 1911 s...

It's a re-release! Let's revisit Episode 45, where we talked about the financial crisis of 2008—what do you remember? Taylor worked at a hedge fund, and she remembers the yearly 'work trip' moving from the Bahamas to..... the Hamptons. How did we get there, and what can we learn from the experience? Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episodes for life!  patreon.com/DoomedtoFailP...

Today Taylor tells the story of "The Professor and the Madman" - how the Oxford English Dictionary was created in the late 1800s. Professor James Murray took up the almost impossible task of cataloging the entire English Language, and asked for the public's help. One volunteer sent in over 10k definitions (which all include quotes and several references) - his return address was the Insane Asylum...

Discover the rich history of the Papal States and the evolution of the Catholic Church in our latest episode! Learn about the intriguing interplay between politics and faith from Jesus to Napoleon. Don’t miss out on this deep dive into history! #PapalStates #CatholicChurch #HistoryPodcast Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episodes for life!  patreon.com/DoomedtoFailPod We would love...

Let's talk fast cars and family rivalries! Today, we talk through the Ferrari and Lamborghini families, and how their patriarchs worked to have the fastest engine available, and not necessarily the coolest looking car. I think that just happened to happen!  Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episodes for life!  patreon.com/DoomedtoFailPod We would love to hear from you! Please f...

Join us for the sad tale of Air New Zealand's flight 901 that crashed in Antarctica in 1979. But first we need a little bit of context and we revisit several Doomed to Fail Episodes:   The Franklin Expedition Ep 58 Volcanoes - between 38 and 71 Antarctica - Ep 158 Mt. Everest - Ep 95   Then we get to the story of the trip, which sounds amazing until it isn't.  Join our Founders Club on Patreon to...

This is the incredible story of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II! We'll talk a little about the history of the Navajo and how the United States really wanted them to forget their heritage, and especially their language. Navajo children were sent to boarding schools and forced to learn English, so much so that they were punished if they spoke any of their native language at school. Of course...

At this point, maybe if we talk about plane crashes enough, the irony would be TOO intense if we actually died in one! Let's go back 10 years to March 2015, when Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz was absolutely not in the right headspace to fly a plane. We dig into the mental health of pilots, why some of them don't get help, and why those who do are stigmatized. Andreas, for example, was on a new...

Farz started this episode with, "I don't know if people are going to be interested in this!" and then proceeded to tell the most hilarious and interesting story! In loving memory of Val Kilmer, Farz walks us through the insane 1996 production of "The Island of Dr. Moreau." From Val being the worst to the director disguising himself as an extra to whatever the hell Marlon Brandon was doing --- it's...

Today, Taylor talks us through the story of Grafton, NH, and the "Free Town Project." Grafton, like much of New England, has been home to Black Bears for thousands of years (maybe longer? We're not Bear Historians). The Abenaki people hunted them and lived with them. The Europeans almost hunted them to extinction, but with some new regulations, the population revived Join us now in Grafton, where...

In our latest episode, we dissect the failures of the mental health system in America. With insights from experts and historical context, we explore how we got here and what can be done to make a change. Don't miss it! #MentalHealthReform #DoomedToFail Today we talk about the history of Mental Aslymns in the context of Ezra Klein's new book, Abundance.  Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-...

Today, we close out Women's History month with the story of Sarla Thakral - who received her pilot's license in 1936 and was one of the first women pilots in India. Today, the average number of women pilots in India is double the global average! We'll learn about the support Sarla got from her husband, his tragic death, and her second act as an accomplished fashion designer!    https://vivchavan.w...

We love science projects & women in STEM! Today, we're talking about a winner, Dr. Valerie L. Thomas and her contributions to science while working at NASA. Dr. Thomas broke all the barriers to lead some incredible projects. One, the Landsat Satellite Program, starting in the 1970s  is still in operation taking pictures today (We're at Landsat 9), and her work with mirrors and 3D images with her '...

We've all heard how Adolf Hitler was rejected from art school... today we'll dive into the details, how being a poor non-student in Vienna led him to the back rooms of rebellion - and eventually to the horrors of WWII. Did you know that Pol Pot of Cambodia was similarly rejected by the Paris elite while in college? Also, Stalin was rejected by the Church and kicked out of the seminary. Would histo...

In the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter, a mansion stood as a symbol of wealth and prestige—until its horrifying secrets were exposed. Madame Delphine LaLaurie was a socialite, a woman of influence, and a monster lurking behind the grandeur. What truly happened inside her infamous home? Was she a sadistic torturer, or has history twisted her tale into something even darker? Join us as we unrav...

Now, let's talk about a hero of WWII! Virginia Hall was an American woman who wanted to work in Europe, specifically France, to help the French Resistance stop the Nazis from taking over. Unfortunately, two things - she was a woman, and they only allowed women to type, and she shot her own leg off while hanging out with friends in Turkey.   Well, if the US didn't want her, the Brits would take her...

We mentioned Leni in Episode 117 when we discussed the Berlin Olympics in 1936. She is the director who created the 'Olympia' film, breaking barriers as a woman and adding invaluable skills to the craft of filmmaking.   Leni also denied and denied and denied that she was a part of the Nazi Propaganda Machine --- and she got to live to 101!! Today, we'll talk about how there is literally no way she...

History, as we know, is filled with uplifting stories - it's also full of awful stories that are sometimes difficult even to imagine, like his one.   Today, Farz tells us about one of the worst concentration camp guards, Irma Grese. Her depravity, often sexually arousing for her, stands out even among the stories of WWII. We discuss how we're sure that even if there hadn't been a war, Irma would h...

Today, we learn the adorable story of the Huskie Hachikō, who waited at the train station for his owner for years after his death. Hachikō isn't the only dog who remained loyal to his owner until his own death. There's obviously Fry's dog in Futurama & many other real-life examples.   Taylor wants to remind you that she isn't anti-dog. She just doesn't want one, and she believes that there are man...