Stonedhenge: History and High Thoughts

If you know King Richard the Lionheart, you probably know him as the "good" king from the Robin Hood movies who was off fighting the Crusades while his evil brother John took over. But the real history of Richard is way more complicated and absolutely wild. In this episode, we are digging into the real King Richard the Lionheart—a man who reigned as King of England for 10 years, but spent only abo...

When we last left Hernán Cortés, he had taken an emperor hostage and everything had blown up in his face. In this episode, we are tracking the brutal and chaotic end of the Aztec Empire. We cover: The Sad Night : How the Spanish made a daring escape out of the city in the middle of the night , and how men literally drowned to death because they refused to drop the gold they had stolen. The Microsc...

When Hernán Cortés sailed for the New World, he wasn’t just exploring...he was actively ignoring his boss and bringing "emotionally unstable men with swords" to a continent that had never seen them. In this episode, we are tracking the absolutely chaotic, blood-soaked story of Spanish colonialism and the conquest of the Aztec Empire. We cover: Sinking the Ships: Why the famous "burn the ships" mot...

Long before anyone was making movies about staring at goats, the US government panicked over a rumor and spent 20 years and millions of dollars trying to win a "psychic arms race" against the Soviet Union. In this episode, we are tracking the absolutely unhinged history of Project Stargate and the CIA's remote viewing program. We cover: The Psychic Submarine: How a remote viewer accu...

Long before the US was a global superpower, they were just a 30-year-old country that decided to pick a fight with the strongest navy in the world. Why? Because the British were essentially pulling a massive kidnapping spree and stealing American sailors right off their boats. In this episode, we are tracking the absolute chaos of the War of 1812. We cover: Revolutionary War 2: Why the US thought...

Long before competitive eating was a televised sport, getting kicked out of your parents' house for eating a quarter of a cow in a single day was just the start of the wildest medical mystery in French history. In this episode, we are tracking the absolutely revolting life of Tarrare, the 18th-century human garbage disposal. We cover: The Traveling Sideshow: Why eating live puppies, swallowing...

What if J. Robert Oppenheimer didn't actually invent the atomic bomb, but just rediscovered it? Today, we are flipping the script. Travis is taking a break from the research, and Tom is putting on his tinfoil hat to dive into the ultimate ancient conspiracy: The destruction of Mohenjo-Daro. We look at the impossible evidence suggesting a Bronze Age utopia was wiped off the map by a nuclear blast 4...

Long before anyone knew what a germ was, or had any basic common sense, getting sick basically meant a demon was pissed at you, or the moon was just in a bad spot. In this episode, we are tracking the absolute chaos of historical medicine from ancient Mesopotamia all the way to the Renaissance. We cover: The Humoral Theory: Why ancient doctors (and the guys who bled George Washington) thought drai...

In the Bible, humanity tried to build a tower to heaven, and God responded by smashing it and scrambling everyone's languages. Fast forward to the Middle Ages, and European Crusaders found the ruins and thought, "We should probably try that again." In this episode, we look at humanity's repeated urge to touch the sky and immediately regret it. We cover: The Literal Crime Scene: H...

What happens when thousands of heavily armed sailors suddenly get laid off? They steal an island and start their own businesses. In the early 1700s, unemployed privateers took over the Bahamian port of Nassau, declaring it the lawless "Republic of Pirates". In this episode, we hoist the black flag and dive into the Golden Age of Piracy. We cover: The Pirate Constitution: How pirate ships were actu...

Before coffee, humanity ran on "low battery mode"—mostly beer, wine, and going to bed at sunset. Then, an Ethiopian goat herder noticed his goats were dancing after eating some weird red berries, and suddenly, the world woke up. In this episode, we pour a fresh cup and trace the history of the world’s favorite legal drug. We cover: The Goat Origin Story: Did a goat named Kaldi actually d...

What happens when you put 2.5 million people in a city with no plumbing during a heatwave? You get the "Great Stink," a disaster so bad it literally stopped the gears of the British Empire. In this episode, we explore the summer of stench. We cover: Miasma Theory: The belief that "bad air" was the killer, leading doctors to prescribe "good smells" while ignoring the poop in the water. The "Committ...

In 1859, a failed businessman named Joshua Norton did the only logical thing left to do: he declared himself Emperor of the United States. Surprisingly, the city of San Francisco just... went along with it. In this episode, we dive into the life of America’s first and only monarch. We cover: How he tried to dissolve Congress (and why they ignored him). His vision for the Bay Bridge 60 years before...

In July 1518, a woman named Frau Troffea stepped into a street in Strasbourg and began to dance. She didn't stop for a week. Within a month, 400 people had joined her in a deadly, non-stop mania that baffled doctors and killed dozens. In this episode, we break down the strangest mass hysteria event in history, including: The "Cure" that Killed: Why city officials decided to try to cu...

In January 897 AD, Pope Stephen VI ordered his predecessor, Pope Formosus, to stand trial for perjury and illegal ambition. The only problem? Formosus had been dead for seven months. In this episode, we unpack the "Synodus Horrenda," the most gruesome ecclesiastical trial in history. We cover: The Setup: Why the church dug up a rotting corpse, dressed him in full papal vestments, and pro...

In late 1932, the Australian government declared war on a new enemy: 20,000 emus destroying wheat crops in Western Australia. They sent the Royal Australian Artillery armed with Lewis machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. The birds won. In this episode, we break down the most embarrassing military operation in history, including: The Commander: Major Meredith, who famously claimed the emus...

Augustus II (1697–1733), also known as "Augustus the Strong," was the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland who cared more about his bench press than his politics. He was famous for literally breaking horseshoes with his bare hands and folding silver plates like tacos to impress dinner guests. In this episode, we cover the chaotic life of Europe’s strongest monarch, including: The Feats o...

In the 5th Century AD, the Roman Empire faced a threat it couldn't bribe or bully: Attila the Hun. Known as the "Scourge of God," he united the barbarian tribes, ravaged Europe, and forced the Romans to pay him massive amounts of gold just to stay away. In this episode, we break down the life of history's most terrifying warlord, including: The Pope Meeting: The mysterious moment...

In 1429, a 17-year-old illiterate peasant girl named Joan of Arc showed up at the court of the French King and claimed God had sent her to save France. Even crazier? They gave her an army. In this episode, we cover the short, fiery life of the Maid of Orléans, including: The Impossible Victory: How she lifted the Siege of Orléans in just 9 days after seasoned generals had failed for months. The Vo...

The legend of Miyamoto Musashi concludes with the most famous duel in history: The Battle of Ganryu Island. In this episode, we cover the climax of Musashi's life. We discuss: The Oar Duel: How Musashi arrived late to fight his rival Sasaki Kojiro, carved a weapon out of a boat oar on the way there, and won with a single blow. The Book of Five Rings: The philosophical masterpiece he wrote in a...

Miyamoto Musashi is arguably the greatest swordsman who ever lived. An undefeated ronin (masterless samurai), he won his first duel at age 13 and went on to win over 60 life-or-death battles. In this episode, we track the early blood-soaked years of Japan’s ultimate warrior, including: The Style: How he invented "Niten Ichi-ryu" (Two Heavens, One Style), the technique of fighting with tw...

In 1453, Sultan Mehmed II showed up to the most fortified city on earth with a simple plan: "What if we just built a cannon the size of a barn?" In this episode, we break down the most metal siege in history—The Fall of Constantinople. We cover: The Basilic Cannon: A 27-foot gun that fired 600-pound balls and occasionally exploded, killing its own crew (OSHA was not involved). The Land S...