Fascinating Nouns

Today, we give little thought to just how common it is to find chicken on our plates at meal time. In truth, the cultural popularity of this fantastic fowl is an amazing journey that starts all the way back in the Roman Empire. A true under-bird story, chicken had to overcome the VAST popularity of beef as a meal staple. It did this by becoming the most efficient protein producer the world has eve...

I LOVE antique cars, but I also love the environment. I thought I would have to choose one or the other, but thanks to Michael Bream "The Dream" of EV West, I don't have to. What does EV West do? They electrify antique cars. What does that mean? They pull out the engine and everything it needs to run. Then they put in an electric motor and battery (sometimes re-purposing Tesla parts), and viola, y...

The Mother Road - Route 66 Everybody loves to travel, and the United States has one of the most comprehensive interstate systems on any country. You can get on a road anywhere on the continent and end up almost anywhere else. The whole concept of interstate travel can be credited to one singular stretch of highway: The Mother Road - Route 66. This incredibly important asphalt line that ran from Ch...

Ever since the 1968 publication of the highly influential book 'Chariots of the Gods?', Erich von Daniken has championed the concept of paleocontact: the belief that ancient human cultures were visited, and therefore influenced by, extraterrestrial beings. This is an extraordinary concept, although I am not sure where I fall. Luckily I had an hour to discuss all aspects of this with EVD. We talked...

Popularized during the Cold War, Game Theory was developed to predict how rational people would act under various situations. For example, how opposing governments would respond to a tactical nuclear strike. Set against an epic struggle between several families vying for absolute power, Game of Thrones is the perfect backdrop to illustrate how Game Theory would play out. In this bonus episode, we...

The Simpsons has always intrigued me for several reasons. First of all, it is way smarter than people thought a cartoon could be. Secondly, it was the first television show that had really perfected the Easter Egg: Hidden jokes, messages, and meaning. One such layer is complex philosophical thought, which makes sense, since creator Matt Groening was a philosophy major. This was not lost on Dr. Joh...

This interview wouldn't be complete without a conversation with John's partner Stan Milford. Stan has had some truly mind-boggling experiences, including a haunting where coins appeared out of thin air, a ghost throwing a butcher knife into a cantaloupe, and a UFO case involving the abduction of 8 puppies!

One of the problems with paranormal stories is a lack of evidence and credibility. That is where the Paranormal Rangers excel. Federal Rangers on the Navajo Nation, John Dover and Stan Milford are assigned the most inexplicable cases that come through the station, meticulously investigating each one with an objective scrutiny that is unheard of with these types of topics. From Bigfoot and UFO's, t...

Even though gambling is hardwired into our DNA, and it is a global phenomenon, few would question that Las Vegas is the Casino Capital of the world. As such, it has quite an interesting history, from the days of silver prospecting, to the modern days on online sports betting. Listen as Dr. Schwartz and I discuss the poker boom, drive-thru divorces complete with a pastor Elvis, Howard Hughes buying...

*From His Bio* Dr. David G. Schwartz directs the Center for Gaming Research and teaches history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, writes articles and books, and only occasionally pines for his days working as Mr. Peanut on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. His research interests include gambling and casinos, Las Vegas, tourism, and games. Obviously we got into his days as Mr. Peanut, but we also...

The building of The Transcontinental Railroad really parallels the settlement of the west. It wasn't long after its completion that the U.S. took its modern form of 48 contiguous states. The Telegraph, another Western innovation, was built right along side the railroad so that progress could be communicated back East. From the Central Pacific's groundbreaking in Sacramento, until the Golden Spike...

For years Hollywood has experimented with the concept of living in an extremely realistic simulated world, and with Virtual Reality advancing in leaps and bounds, it may soon become difficult to distinguish between our reality, and a fabricated VR world. What if we are already living in a virtual reality simulation? Tom Campbell believes that we are, and is putting together a series of experiments...

I have been fascinated with Out Of Body Experiences for a long time. I even read the classic work on the subject: Robert Monroe's 'Journey's Out Of The Body'. While researching Tom Campbell for an interview on his work proving we live in a virtual reality simulation, I stumbled across his past as the physicist that helped scientifically quantify Robert Monroe's first Out Of Body experiments! We ta...

What do Vanilla Ice, Chuck Lorre, Venus de Milo, Leatherhead, and Brian Henson have in common? They are all vital to the history of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Learn the connections in my bonus ep with the mysterious Farago.

As you well know, I am a big fan of anything comic related, so of course it was inevitable that I would cross paths with the curator of the Cartoon Art Museum: Andrew Farago. We didn't just talk comic books, but two of my other favorites: cartoons and comic strips. Specifically we discussed Foghorn Leghorn, Vanilla Ice, He-Man, Wile E. Coyote, Calvin and Hobbes, The Ghostbusters, & The Real Ghostb...

Ever since first hearing about the Great Pacific Patch, an island of garbage 3x the size of Texas sitting in the pacific Ocean, I was fascinated. How could something like be accumulated, and what was being done to fix the problem? The answer to the first question is extraordinarily complex, and the answer to the second one is non-existent. This legendary captain is a modern day Christopher Columbu...

Known as "The Street Smart Psychic", Lisa knows how to spot a fake fortune teller. Listen as she gives some great tips on how to get a great psychic reading, while steering clear of the phonies. Also, learn how her first psychic reading involved the gift of a spaghetti dinner!

I have always been intrigued by tattoos. While not having any myself, I do appreciate the outward artistic expression. I never really thought of them as more then large, persona, permanent pieces of art. That is, until I talked to Lisa Barretta. She puts forth a paradigm that every aspect of a tattoo, from color, body placement, symbol, and intention, is critically important and imbues the tattoo...

Every concept has an origin story. Dubbed 'The Forlorn Hope', the first attempt at a rescue spawned two of the darkest and most infamous ones of the entire ordeal known as The Donner Party: Cannibalism and Murder. Listen as we discuss the treacherous events that lead this insidious course of action.

While the name "The Donner Party" sounds like a good time, it definitely was not. It is a macabre tale from the Wild West that *Spoiler Alert* famously ends in cannibalism. But that is only 5% of the story. Bestselling author Michael Wallis tells the twisted tale of this ill-fated and terribly timed wagon train. We discuss Johnny B. Goode, the infamous Hastings Cutoff, how President Lincoln was al...

Using poison to gain power and quiet dissidents did not end with the Renaissance. While trying to avoid becoming victims ourselves, we discuss how Vladimir Putin has turned Russia into the modern day center of political poisonings.

Since the dawn of time, man has clamored for sex and power, hellbent on eliminating of all rivals in this pursuit. Since most cannot be killed outright, the murderous minded had to find more clandestine methods of eradication. The best poisons have to be administered secretly, remain undetected, and appear to be a natural occurrence. I talk with historian and bestselling author Eleanor Herman abou...

It seems like machine intelligence is advancing at an exponential rate. The convergence of advanced artificial intelligence with highly skilled robots is inevitable, and imminent. How will this affect the human race? Where does virtual reality fit into this scenario? Linda and I discuss the ramifications of a robot-filled future, as well as several other topics including biological EMP's, Jack Par...

After discussing this world, it makes sense to explore all the creatures that inhabit it. We discuss plants that feed on sound, a deer like animal with seven legs, some poisonous, others nutritious, as well as the difference between biologically & culturally aquatic.

Eames Demetrios is an artist and filmmaker, who is best known as the creator of a parallel universe called Kcymaerxthaere. So what is this K word? It is the name of a fictional world that mirrors our own, with its own geography, flora, fauna, cultural identity, languages, and history. Looking to create an interactive story accessible to everyone, Eames installs story markers and historic sites all...