Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Modern-day Myanmar remains home to a unique cultural heritage and stunning natural beauty -- yet today it's also home to a wide range of deeply disturbing conspiracies and crimes. In part two of this special two-part series, Ben and Matt explore the booming criminal industries of the country - especially entire communities dedicated to human trafficking and online scams. They don't want you to rea...

In this week's listener mail segment: Old Makalya responds to the hubbub surrounding the tragic death of Peanut the Squirrel. Bones prompts a larger conversation about elections and conspiracies. Anonymous Owl provides a step-by-step guide for saving animals in the wild. All this and more - plus, side note, we absolutely called it on the undersea cable sabotage. They don't want you to read our boo...

Most people in the global west aren't too familiar with Myanmar. Formerly known as Burma, the Southeast Asian country has a deep history as a cultural and geographical crossroads -- and this has become both a gift and a curse. In the first part of this special two-part episode, Ben and Matt explore the history of Myanmar, its descent into chaos, and how multiple forces conspired to make it a moder...

In 1982, in Titusville, Florida, construction worker Steve Vandejagt happened across a skull amid the muck and debris of the job site. And this was only the beginning of the mystery. Steve had accidentally uncovered one of the oldest gravesites in the United States, proof of an ancient, mysterious culture that existed more than 7,000 years ago. Join the guys as they dive into the story of the Wind...

In this week's strange news segment: In the wake of the recent US Presidential Election, Russian President Putin's aide Nikolai Patrushev releases a bizarre statement about "obligations." A misprint on merchandise for the film adaptation of Wicked takes some consumers to adult content. The US FDA announced a proposal to remove oral phenylephrine from the market, citing evidence that it doesn’t wor...

On paper, Andreen and her husband Andre McDonald lived a life most Americans would envy - a self-made millionaire power couple, the McDonalds regularly contributed to philanthropic causes in their native community, as well as in their San Antonio community. On March 1st, 2019, Andreen McDonald was reported missing. In tonight's exploration, Ben, Matt and Noel map out the heartbreaking events, whil...

Don Vee shares on-the-ground experience with Amish millionaires. Wonko the Sane reaches out on the story of Chinese tech espionage. A Phlounder reacts to Ben's earlier question about social media, and the gang gives Dupont Dave some choice recommendations for tourism in Washington, DC. All this and more in tonight's listener mail segment, hurtling headward toward the American celebration of Thanks...

If you've ever had the dubious pleasure of watching daytime TV in the US -- possibly in a waiting room -- then you've probably witnessed a particular genre of programming: the TV court show. From far enough away, these shows look a lot like an actual court. You've got the usual courtroom cast, along with an escalated version of actual courtroom events. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel ask:...

Ads are ubiquitous on the internet, and even if you use an ad blocker or two, you're bound to see a few things slip through. Luckily, those ads don't really give advertisers any new information about you unless you interact with them... right? Not so fast. Eye tracking technology can glean an enormous amount about your attention, as well as your reactions to a given image or piece of language, jus...

The tragic saga of Peanut the Squirrel becomes oddly politicized. The Feds prevent a massive drone attack on a power station in Nashville. IKEA agrees to pay 6 million euros to East German prisoners. Hackers demand payment in baguettes, and the guys tease a mysterious scandal out in Oklahoma. All this and more in this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://stat...

Until the day we're able to manufacture affordable, reliable organs from scratch, organ transplants will remain the only hope for millions of sick and dying people across the planet. For this reason, organs have been a big business for decades -- and not all aspects of the business are legal. For years rumors have been brewing about the organ trade in China. Why is the waiting time for a transplan...

Viking asks about Ferengi and bank scandals. Solar Boredom follows up on the earlier episode about abuse in Amish communities. Multiple Conspiracy Realists chime in with Letters From Home, and Humorous Harry returns with several absolutely awful jokes. 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-sh...

Over in Southeast Asia, the landlocked nation of Laos remains one of the least-explored areas in the region, even today. And those few outsiders fortunate to travel to this country may encounter a mystery that's baffled investigators for centuries (if not millennia): What is the Plain of Jars? What could have inspired ancient civilizations to build hundreds upon hundreds of giant, stone jars out i...

Flying saucers are perhaps the most iconic genre of UFO -- since the 1940s they've become the mainstay vehicles for extraterrestrials in all sorts of fictional stories. But, according to declassified files, the US Government was intensely interested in building some flying saucers of its own. So far did they get? The answer may surprise you in tonight's Classic episode. They don't want you to read...

The Russian government fines Google 2.5 decillion dollars. Witch marks baffle investigators in the United Kingdom, police recover thousands of stolen Bluey coins, an ancient city is rediscovered in Mexico. Google AI makes some waves, Des Moines brings back trick-or-treating, elephants may sue for freedom in Colorado. All this and more in this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to rea...

Warning: this episode contains thoughts and concepts that may endanger your understanding of reality. You can turn back now, or [REDACTED]. 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 information.

Police release new details on the tragic, mysterious death of 19-year-old employee at a Walmart in Halifax. A Boeing-manufactured satellite exploded after experiencing an unexplained “anomaly." The US struggles to determine how -- or if -- to allow Chinese software in the US. The guys apologize to "paint-huffing maniacs." All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't want you...

For much of his early life, Paul Bergrin was a success story. A middle-class kid from Queesn, he became a veteran, a lawyer, and a prosecutor. Yet somewhere along the way, he slowly slid into true crime and conspiracy -- an astonishing and disturbing tale explored in-depth in the Wondery's new podcast, Criminal Attorney. In tonight's interview, Ben, Matt and Noel are joined with the legendary Bran...

Through the process of vaccination, millions of people have avoided serious (at times fatal) medical conditions, but opposition to the practice began almost immediately after vaccinations became widespread. And in the modern day the anti-vaccination movement has seemed to gain more ground than before -- so what's going on here? Join the guys as they dive into the history of vaccination, the claims...

Another Russian oligarch is found dead after an 'unfortunate fall.' North Korea declares holy war on South Korea as it loans out soldiers to Russia. A fake whale makes controversial waves in China (get it?), TD Bank fined $3bn in historic money laundering settlement. Boeing satellite experiences 'rapid unplanned disassembly.' AI radio journalists, the deeply disturbing Abercrombie sex trafficking...

For most people in the United States, the Amish are a sociological curiosity: a group of people motivated by theological imperatives that require them to exist within society, yet separate from all its secular trappings. However, as we dive into this episode, Matt, Noel and I learn there's something rotten within this community... a series of intergenerational, likely ongoing, conspiracies involvi...

Jasper, DJ and multiple other Conspiracy Realists reach out with first-hand knowledge on the bizarre hybrid sheep conspiracy. Mystery drones swarm US airspace. Max The Unblind hips the guys to an unfolding homicide in Kentucky, and T Bone provides an alternate theory on the exploding pagers attack. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https...

Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying: golf is one of the world's most popular -- and most lucrative -- sports. In recent years the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has raised global eyebrows as they pour billions of dollars into their own golfing initiative: LIV. Supporters find this move par for the course (get it?), yet critics allege there's a larger conspiracy afoot. Join Ben, Matt and No...

While the vast majority of people identifying as Satanists don’t buy into the idea of a nefarious, evil entity opposed to the forces of good, there are a few genuine theistic Satanists out there. Join the guys as they explore the strange story of the organization known as “The Nine Angles” in tonight's Classic episode. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/...

Conspiracy theories proliferate in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, resulting in actionable threats against FEMA contractors. Mysterious goo appears on the shore. Active shooter drills terrify local institutions. An ottoman bed kills an innocent woman, scientists explore Europa; all this and more in this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.ma...