Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Afghanistan suspends chess due to religious concerns. Newark goes dark -- for just long enough to prompt serious questions. The world witnesses new escalations in the Great Game, as various corporations and countries race to acquire precious mineral resources. Since Ben and Matt always like to end on a good note, this week's strange news segment concludes with an optimistic discussion about octopu...

In a world where everyone feels divided by identity politics, ideology and the fear of cancellation, how does an individual navigate a cultural minefield? How can we empower and encourage direct action? In the second part of this two-part interview segment, Ben, Matt and Noel welcome returning guest John Cameron Mitchell for a wide-ranging exploration of the occult, Discordianism, saving innocent...

Could growing regional conflicts be driven by the race to control certain mineral resources? Could the United States slide into martial law -- if so, what would that mean? Join Ben and Matt for all this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

What does it mean to be 'canceled'? How do we collectively navigate the baffling, complex and contradictory world of an 'always-on' society? In the first part of this week's special two-part interview, Ben, Matt and Noel welcome the legendary writer, actor, playwright and activist, John Cameron Mitchell, creator of Cancellation Island, for a wide-ranging conversation on everything from lizard peop...

Odds are you've heard of the Dead Sea scrolls -- when the first of these ancient texts were discovered in the 1940s, the scrolls revolutionized our understanding of the past, and, in some cases, gave historians and archaeologists more questions than answers. One scroll, discovered in 1952, remains unique in the collection. It doesn't contain religious information, and it doesn't recount earlier st...

Concerns rise over human relationships with sycophantic chatbots. A town in Türkiye burns confiscated cannabis, prompting controversy. Former US officials the country spent trillions of dollars off the books to create disaster-proof underground cities for the elite. UKR-US mineral deals prompt accusations of quid-pro-quo deals. There may be a genuine MYSTERY PLANET back in play. Shoutout to N...

What if the stories and narratives you hear in the average mainstream media reporting aren't the entire truth? What if there's something else going on, a secret war between a shadowy cabal and a small group of brave, outnumbered good guys fighting back against their insidious plans for world domination? This is, according to QAnon proponents, a true story. Join Ben, Matt and Noel as they dive into...

Twenty Novel Hotels prompts a re-exploration of earlier conversations regarding backmasking and moral panics. Fellow Conspiracy Realists respond to Ben's questions about meat heists and commercial trucking. Ignicus and others ask for more information regarding the possibility of an active serial killer in New England. All this and more in this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to re...

It seemed the world paused on April 21, 2025, when 88-year-old Pope Francis passed away after a long struggle with multiple health issues. As the Catholic church and the world at large wonders what the future will bring, a once-obscure piece of writing is back in the public zeitgeist: the "Prophecy of the Popes," which purports to predict the ascension of all Popes up until the rise of the antichr...

The legendary civilization of Atlantis was first mentioned in the works of Plato, in dialogues that claimed to recount information from translations of ancient Egyptian texts. And people have been searching for this city ever since. So what was Atlantis, exactly? A metaphor, a work of fiction ... or a real, physical place? Join "Ben," Matt and Noel as they explore the fact and fiction of the ancie...

What caused the massive power blackout in Spain and Portugal? Anti-fluoridation activists gain ground in the wake of RFK Jr's newest statement. A former Disney employee gets in hot water for hacking menus. Mexico hopes to popularize anti-narcocorridos. The tariff controversy surrounding Amazon and the White House. The FBI may be close to eating its own. All this and more in this week's Strange New...

OK, it's no secret that the law can apply differently to high-level diplomats and other government employees. But how far does this concept of immunity go? In the second chapter of this special two-part episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into intensely disturbing cases of crime, conspiracy, and geopolitical cover-ups. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stu...

Cake writes in with recommendations for Australian cinema. Spooky Pants prompts a conversation about the infamous Barksdale Bubble. Starship Home (aka Sugar Homie, aka Supercool Homie) prompts a far-reaching exploration of dictatorships, El Salvador, the US's responsibility for the booming illegal drug trade. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't want you to read our b...

In modern English, we often say "don't shoot the messenger." As Ben, Matt and Noel discover in the first chapter of this week's special two-part series, diplomatic immunity is an ancient concept with real-world consequences in the modern day. So, is it true that various world powers have agreed to let some people exist beyond the rule of law? Tune in to learn more about diplomatic immunity, includ...

Have you ever experienced something bizarre -- some unexplainable coincidence, chilling interaction or even a run in with what some might call the supernatural? If so, then you may have the next story for Radio Rental. In this episode, the guys interview Payne Lindsey, creator of Up and Vanished, Atlanta Monster and more, about the inspiration behind his newest podcast, Radio Rental. They don't wa...

History's largest credit card merger looms on the horizon. Commentary on not-quite-space and a celebrity named Katy Perry. Ben takes the crew around the globe to learn more about wildlife piracy, the horrors of Kenyan cults, and the fascinating web of fentanyl, casinos, China and Mexican drug cartels. All this this and more in this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to read our book....

Picture this: you're a bad kid. You've made a serious mistake, and may be facing incarceration. Yet Lo, and Behold! The US court system decrees you may avoid years in lock-up by going to an "intermediate sanction" program modeled after the military. Proponents say this helps first-time offenders get back on the right path. Critics, with extensive evidence, argue "shock incarceration" is a politica...

Privacy Guy continues the conversation about encryption and state-level powers. Art Vandelay notes recent issues with tariffs and supply chains. Multiple Conspiracy Realists follow up with Ben and the gang on the actions of an insurance-adjacent business called Evicore. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/stati...

What if you had the perfect spy? Not some glitzy James Bond-type, but instead a person -- or an entire family -- spending decades in a hostile country, slowly acquiring information and status, while waiting for the right signal from command. It's one of the most fascinating stories in all of tradecraft: the "sleeper spy," a concept made famous in works of fiction like The Americans. As Ben and Noe...

It's one of the most enduring enigmas in American history -- how did an entire colony disappear from Roanoke island? Join the guys as they explore the facts, fiction and speculation surrounding the mysterious fate of the colonists, the clues they may have left behind and the search that continues in the modern day. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuf...

Domestic and international tensions grow as US courts square off with the administration over the rendition of innocents. A hapless, would-be internet influencer finds himself in Indian incarceration after attempting to contact the people of North Sentinel island. Over in Maryland, multiple women accuse pharmacist Matthew Bathula of egregious spying and cyber-voyeurism. All this -- and much more -...

True story - for years, Ben, Matt and Noel have wondered about the concept of sensory experience. Turns out On Air Fest was listening, and called them to New York. In tonight's episode, the guys present their live exploration: A Conspiracy of Sound, at Brooklyn's legendary National Sawdust. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See om...

Born in 1940, Samuel Little was known in multiple states as a drifter, petty criminal and man occasionally capable of violence. Like many people living on the fringe of society, he seemed to slip through the fingers of justice despite numerous arrests. Yet intrepid investigators and improvements in DNA testing eventually proved Little was more than an itinerant drug addict and shoplifter -- accord...

On 17 December 1967, Harold Holt, the immensely popular prime minister of Australia, went for a swim -- and vanished. In the decades since, his family and the public still have questions about what exactly happened. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore a mystery that remains unsolved in the modern day, along with a meditation on empathy, and a bevy of increasingly bizarre conspiracy th...

The United States invaded Afghanistan on October 7th, 2001 and remains embroiled in the conflict almost two decades later, making this the longest war in US history. Leaders from both of the dominant political parties continually argued that this was a winnable war, proposing new strategies, more troops, and more surges. Yet documents obtained by The Washington Post show that the long-running inte...