Omnibus

Omnibus

History EN ↓ 700 episodes

Every week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.

Author

Omnibus

Category

History

Podcast website

www.omnibusproject.com

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

The NS Savannah (Entry 849.MK0436) 24.08.2023

In which the world's first nuclear-powered merchant vessel is launched in all its modernist glory, and Ken wants an infinitely long ship. Certificate #26615.

The DuMont Network (Entry 386.LK2417) 17.08.2023

In which the three nascent American broadcast networks face a challenge from a scrappy engineering lab, and John thinks gadgeteers should be certified. Certificate #28450.

Universe 25 (Entry 1350.GE0907) 10.08.2023

In which the "behavioral sink" of rodent utopias is discovered in a Maryland barn, and Ken sings about a urinal trough. Certificate #38792.

Enneagrams (Entry 415.JM0124) 03.08.2023

In which Sufi mysticism inspires a Bolivian philosopher to divide all of humanity into nine personality types, and Ken visualizes the ur-cow. Certificate #25935.

The Doomsday Clock (Entry 372.1P0407) 27.07.2023

In which a panel of concerned atomic scientists quantify the dangers of the nuclear age with a timely visual aid, and John's mother has a favorite fact about Benjamin Franklin. Certificate #26973.

Foundling Wheels (Entry 495.IS4915) 20.07.2023

In which a medieval pope's disturbing nightmare leads to the addition of "baby doors" at convents and hospitals across Europe, and John thinks robots could replace orphans. Certificate #43431.

The Sanaa Manuscript (Entry 1100.2T0316) 13.07.2023

In which a Yemeni construction crew finds a priceless trove of Quranic literature and promptly stuff it into potato sacks, and Ken would like to burn some French translators at the stake. Certificate #24503.

The Sarajevo Haggadah (Entry 1102.EX1243) 06.07.2023

In which a unique piece of Jewish medieval art barely survives two European wars, and John imagines that the Venetian papal censor was a chill guy. Certificate #48606.

Salton Sea (Entry 1098.GN1403) 29.06.2023

In which California's largest lake, created by accident in 1905, teeters on the brink of collapse, and Ken complains about a hotel sink. Certificate #44008.

101 Uses for a Dead Cat (Entry 606.LV0724) 22.06.2023

In which an asthmatic British cartoonist sells two million copies of his books of non-jokes for cat skeptics, and John knows what the handle of a gun is called. Certificate #29573.

Crackers (Entry 290.NA0302) 15.06.2023

In which a Shakespearean insult for an obnoxious blowhard comes to be used as an anti-white slur, and Ken wants to test the Appalachians for testosterone. Certificate #38163.

The Tartarian Empire (Entry 1279.NA0206) 08.06.2023

In which a QAnon-like conspiracy theory insists that fancy 19th-century architecture was all built by a mysterious, long-lost superstate, and John is concerned about neighborhood dogs with heads the size of pumpkins. Certificate #20354.

The Kruger Millions (Entry 693.JB2801) 01.06.2023

In which a vast hoard of gold and diamonds disppears near the Mozambique border during the Boer War, and Ken thinks most penguin species look like hoboes. Certificate #15845.

Project Cybersyn (Entry 993.AC0245) 25.05.2023

In which Latin America's first Marxist democracy tries to collectivize the means of production by inventing a proto-internet in 1970, and John just hopes it was orange and brown. Certificate #53432.

The Gimli Glider (Entry 528.PS6104) 18.05.2023

In which the pilots of a Canadian commercial jetliner abruptly realize over Ontario that they're entirely out of fuel, and Ken likes sad character licensing attempts at amusement parks. Certificate #41746.

Dueling Scars (Entry 385.PR0633) 11.05.2023

In which German university students create a new status symbol when they add swordplay to their drinking society meetings, and John's closet skeletons are all bar fights. Certificate #36857.

Alligators in the Sewers (Entry 033.LV1142) 04.05.2023

In which generations of New Yorkers read about, and lasso, a series of not-legendary-at-all interlopers beneath their city, and Ken doesn't think you should trim a reptile like a bonsai tree. Certificate #36161.

Magic Alex (Entry 747.JE0708) 27.04.2023

In which a self-proclaimed electronics prodigy from Greece wows the credulous Beatles with five years of inventions he will never invent, and John insists that his recursive t-shirt feature Wil Wheaton. Certificate #45939.

Saul Zaentz (Entry 1455.1S1435) 20.04.2023

In which a future three-time Oscar winner becomes the nemesis of America's favorite fake swamp-rocker, and Ken has prepared a little skit about the death of Stalin. Certificate #42240.

The Green River Ordinance (Entry 549.RV0320) 13.04.2023

In which underslept Wyoming railroad workers strike back against a tide of pushy brush and encyclopedia salesmen, and John appreciates the Jehovah's Witnesses. Certificate #12881.

Mad Cow Disease (Entry 746.GE4120) 06.04.2023

In which the unsavory feeding practices of British dairy farms introduce Europe to a new degenerative brain disease, and Ken believes Prince Edward is not necessarily human. Certificate #41602.

The Amazing Randi (Entry 038.EX0711) 30.03.2023

In which mediums and other charlatans wage a 150-year war with their sworn enemy, elite stage magicians, and John would never yell at a lake or birdbath. Certificate #44722.

Kevlar (Entry 684.EX2822) 23.03.2023

In which a pioneering chemist never sees a cent of the billions of dollars that her tough new polymer earns for her employer, and Ken wonders how many Alaskans fake their own deaths. Certificate #34836.

The Defector General (Entry 326.IS3301) 16.03.2023

In which the greatest turncoat in Chinese history betrays every single warlord or government he ever serves, and John had the 4chan version of the '90s. Certificate #40824.

The Devils Hole Pupfish (Entry 342.PS10529) 09.03.2023

In which a playful-looking but delicate little species is unable to thrive anywhere but its 11-foot wide home near Death Valley, and Ken witnesses a jellyfish tragedy. Certificate #41036.

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