Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Whatnot is suspicious of a 'free tablet' offer from a company with unfavorable customer reviews. Anon and Kimo respond to the earlier conversation about burn pits and exposure to toxic substances -- including pills provided by Uncle Sam. Up in New Jersey, Hoboken Johnny asks for more awareness of controversial grifts and graft, prompting a stunning conversation about the role of state and religion...

The story of human history is also a story of symbiosis -- since ancient days, humans and plants have grown in step with each other. Yet more and more scientists, philosophers and scholars are asking whether civilization has misunderstood this relationship: What if, instead of humans domesticating plants, they've been domesticating us the entire time? Join Ben and Matt as they dive into the concep...

The Ark of the Covenant is the legendary wooden chest said to hold Ten Commandments, engraved on stone tablets. For thousands of years people have searched for the Ark with little to no success. However, according to the guardians of The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, the ark itself has been hidden in Ethiopia for millennia. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/sta...

Mortgage company Mr. Cooper goes public with a cyber attack that compromised millions of customers' personal data. Scientists in the Mediterranean spot a dolphin that appears to have 'thumbs' - possibly atavistic traits prompting a conversation about evolution and pollution. As instability mounts in the Red Sea, the US military announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international initiative t...

Belief in supernatural, divine beings like angels dates back into antiquity and occurs throughout numerous religions. Even in the modern day, numerous Americans are convinced that angels (or something like them) exist and intervene in human affairs. So, outside of anecdotes and personal opinion, is there any proof these creatures exist? To one enormously influential scientist, magician and philoso...

How long do humans have left on Earth? As species go, humanity has had a brief, incredibly transformative run here on Earth. We've mined resources, farmed food, hunted animals, built cities and polluted ecosystems across the globe. There's no denying we've also made tremendous technological breakthroughs -- but could some of those same innovations ultimately become the agents of our collective dem...

If you're an American, you're probably familiar with the famous 'Satanic Panic' of the 80s and 90s -- but did you know Italy experienced something extremely similar? And, even crazier, did you know that Italy has a documented case of an active Satanic conspiracy? Listen in to learn more. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnys...

RedScotWitch replies to the witch hunt episode, and prompts a conversation about speaking with the dead. Kitty asks for more information about the relationship between cochlear implants and the phenomenon of hearing voices. In a stunning first-hand account, JayBird reveals the hidden war over control of Earth's lithium. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't want you to...

Humans are phenomenally inventive creatures -- problem is, some of their inventions may end up disrupting the status quo. As we explore the history of inventors, we find history is riddled with mysterious deaths, con artists, shady business and countless allegations of conspiracy. How many of these strange stories could be true? Tune in for the first installment of this ongoing series: Mysterious...

In the era of the Cold War, intelligence agencies on both sides of the iron curtain desperately raced to secure any possible technological advantage, even if it meant breaking the law along the way. Join the guys as they interview filmmaker Bret Wood, the creator of The Control Group podcast, about the real-life events that inspired the first fiction podcast by HowStuffWorks. They don't want you t...

A recent lawsuit alleges the state of Alabama actively conspires to force incarcerated people into slavery under a crooked 'work release' program -- and keeps these people imprisoned to guarantee the grift. The UK seizes multiple US products due to illegal ingredients. The US Congress shuts down a bill that would have drastically expanded surveillance power against residents. All this and more in...

Glenn Miller was an international superstar when he abruptly decided to dissolve his band and join the US military during WWII. While his songs were still being played across the world, he took a last-minute flight from England to France... and disappeared. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into the mystery, asking a question that remains officially unsolved in the modern day: What hap...

Mark writes in with information about dangerous chemical exposure to veterans. North Ireland Fan asks why her government wants everyone to buy candles. Big Purp prompts a conversation about North Sentinel Island and the nature of language. Ground Control and Soup Sandwich share their first-hand experiences with airplane safety. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't wan...

All of human history is, at heart, a tale of people attempting to cheat death -- and, up to now, everyone has failed to do so. But what if emergent technology may allow us to, in a way, bring back the dead? In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the concept of Grief Tech. One day soon, ghosts may become real... and we'll be the ones building them. They don't want you to read our book.: h...

On the surface, NXVIM seemed like any other multi-level marketing company or self-help group. It offered numerous development seminars and executive success programs, just like those of other, similar institutions. Yet NXVIM had a sinister side, a hidden circle in which abuse, sexual slavery, fraud and physical branding were commonplace. Tune in as the guys answer the question: At what point does...

23andMe reacts to a massive hack compromising information of customers across the world. Benevolent trolls infiltrate the telegram channels of the QAnon Queen. Career US diplomat Victor Manuel Rocha is charged with spying for Cuba -- for more than forty years! All this and more in this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff...

While there are many forms of government they all have one thing in common: they make the rules. In theory, they maintain order and safety as well. But how far could a government go to defend what it sees as the 'Greater Good?' In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into the infamous global kidnapping phenomenon known as extraordinary rendition. What is this cross-country conspiracy? How di...

The Turd Herder calls in to speak about UV light and water treatment. Agent 907 asks about the Mandela effect. Anonymous describes issues with Google Maps, and GPS overall. Elijah and several other sources ask for more information about the accelerating potential -- and potential for conspiracy -- surrounding research into AI: What if something 'wakes up'? All this and more in this week's listener...

Since 2005 -- officially -- the United States has conducted a training program known as Exercise Flintlock. This program, which has multiple partners in various roles, aims to educate and prepare forces in Africa's Sahel region against the growing threat of non-state actors and terrorists. Proponents argue it saves lives. Critics allege it's another School of the Americas... and that the US may we...

Henry Kissinger has worn many hats over the course of his long life. To some, his geopolitical career is a study in the ruthless, brilliant application of realpolitik. To others, he is a war criminal responsible for massive waves of death in multiple countries across the globe. Join the guys as they delve into the strange, at times disturbing career of Henry Kissinger -- including the Stuff He Doe...

A naked man causes chaos at Disney. Saudi Arabia courts controversy with a program meant to hook developing countries on fossil fuels. A recent UK investigation finds the infamous necrophiliac, rapist and murder David Fuller was allowed to commit heinous crimes for well over a decade -- prompting the question: Why do these individuals seem to operate with impunity, so often, in that country? All t...

Named for the orange stripe lining the 55 gallon barrels containing this herbicide and defoliant, Agent Orange was one of the most widely-used "rainbow herbicides" of the Vietnam war. But it wasn't just harmful to plants. Soon after it was deployed in Vietnam, Vietnamese citizens and US veterans alike reported crippling, life-threatening symptoms. They don't want you to read our book.: https://sta...

Legendary auteur Stanley Kubrick is considered one of the most important single individuals in the history of modern film. There’s no question that his techniques, approach and body of work have influenced countless filmmakers -- but, according to some people -- he’s affected the public in much more disturbing ways. Join the guys as they dive into the conspiratorial allegations surrounding Stanley...

Most people are familiar with some version of "hypnosis" -- at least as it's portrayed in fiction. But what is hypnosis, exactly? Why did this fancy name for a trance state become such an infamous term, and why have so many people made extravagant claims about the concept? In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the fact and fiction surrounding 'hypnosis' -- spoiler: the trance state is r...

India controls numerous islands in the Indian Ocean, and they have a strange set of rules for North Sentinel Islands -- a tiny, remote place most people wouldn't visit anyway. You see, the Indian government maintains a 'zone of exclusion' surrounding the island, with no ships, helicopters or people allowed within miles of the shore. Ordinarily one might assume this is a secret military base or the...