Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Humanity is closer than ever before to bringing back extinct species, from the mammoth to the dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger. In South Korea, the President-elect made waves by openly using an AI avatar to reach voters. One private company thinks they have the solution to the world's ongoing energy issues -- digging the world's deepest hole. All this and more in this week's Strange News. Learn more a...

It's true - scientists around the world are increasingly concerned that antibiotics are losing their effectiveness, leading to a future filled with unstoppable bacteria. But could it actually happen? How did we get here, and what happens next? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuf...

What's going on at the Center of the Universe in Tulsa, OK? How does the fraud triangle help us understand when people are likely to commit crime? What makes counting nuclear weapons so tricky? All this and more in this week's listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-...

Most people can agree that identification is important. But what happens when you have a single ID for everything? And not just a physical ID, but an intangible, virtual one -- a form of identification that follows you wherever you go. In today's episode, Ben and Matt explore the convenience, the controversy, and the dangers of a unified digital ID system. Learn more about your ad-choices at https...

Are nefarious forces really moving through ranches in the night, mutilating livestock? How? Why? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com 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.

Someone has stolen a box of human heads from Denver's Central Park. Speculation grows regarding the 'Z' worn by supporters of the Russian invasion. Over in Japan, some locals worry that damage to an ancient 'Killing Stone' may be an ill omen for dangerous supernatural events on the horizon. All this and more in this week's Strange News. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...

In today's globally-connected financial system, it's pretty easy to send money from one place to the next, across most of the planet -- and that's all thanks to a system called the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications, or SWIFT. Many people outside of the world of finance only heard about SWIFT recently, when the US and Europe declared they'd remove Russian banks' ability t...

Ben, Matt and Doc Holliday plan escapades on Elden Ring. K writes in with reliable information about the Sonic Boom described in a previous show. A letter from Anthony prompts a discussion about the terrifying Red Summer of 1919. All this and more in this week's listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://st...

When Russian forces recently invaded Ukraine, many members of the public seemed taken by surprise. But for the people of Ukraine and others living in the region, this conflict was brewing for a long, long time. In the first of several episodes on the war, the guys explore the deep historical context behind Russia's invasion -- as well as the bizarre Russian conspiracy theories espoused by Vladimir...

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com 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.

A group of Marines has been convicted of participating in a long-running human trafficking scheme. Terrified by the possibility of government-induced sickness, some protestors have resorted to donning tinfoil hats to exposure to nebulous 'rays.' A new study suggests our lives may actually flash before our eyes when we die. All this and more in this week's Strange News. Learn more about your ad-cho...

For most people, learning any skill is a long, at-times challenging journey. Humans struggle to acquire expertise and, after attaining it, they must regularly use this knowledge or risk losing it. But what if you woke up one day, after an injury, to find you suddenly understood a certain skill? What if you never needed to practice? What if you just 'got' math or music? Tune in to learn more about...

Honey Badger relates a story of international explosives smuggling, possibly involving one of the world's largest retail chains. Anonymous calls in after receiving a mysterious book about a club called The Brook. K shares one of Ben's favorite stories from the world of JFK conspiracy lore -- the long-standing allegations that actor Woody Harrelson's father was involved in the Kennedy assassination...

What if, one day, you no longer needed your hands to interact with computers? What if you didn't need to type anything to access the cloud? These are just a few of the potential uses of future implant technology, the most well-known of which is called the Neuralink. In today's episode, Ben and Matt explore the ins and outs of the system as it is today... along with the amazing (and terrifying) pot...

Gnosticism may be one of the oldest conspiracy theories in human civilization - but what is it, exactly? Join Ben, Matt, Noel and special guest Joe McCormick as they take a closer look at Gnostic mysteries, myth and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See...

A massive leak reveals the secret owners of £80bn held in a Swiss bank. A raunchy counterprotest song goes viral. Out in California, Disney wants you to make the move from storytelling to Storyliving, the new, planned community where everything is run by Disney... and we mean darn near everything. All this and more in this week's Strange News. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart...

Today, the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is free and open to the public. It's located outside of Denver, Colorado on a windy, picturesque plateau. However, this unassuming site has a long -- and controversial -- past, one with disturbing nuclear incidents. Critics claim the government is actively covering up the full extent of the danger. Why? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad...

Big Boy shares a strange tale of sonic booms over New Mexico. Chip explores the idea of time travel via the metaverse. Lionel Putz wonders why honest examinations of US history have become so controversial. All this and more in this week's listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/stat...

You've heard of sanctions before -- the term pops up pretty often in international news. Country A does something Country B finds objectionable, but neither country wants to be embroiled in a full-scale hot war, so they have to find some other way to change their opponent's behavior. This is where sanctions come into play. In today's episode, the guys explore the ins and outs of sanctions -- as we...

There's no two ways about it: oil spills and gas leaks are disastrous, causing massive amounts of ecological damage in a matter of days or hours. So how many occur each year? How many are actually reported, versus covered up? Listen in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/f...

An elderly woman may well owe her survival to Wordle. Another recent Bitcoin scam is called the 'heist of the century.' Over in Texas, Qanon has found a new target... a non-profit butterfly center. Find out why in this week's Strange News. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-yo...

While it may not be especially great for you, there's no denying that junk food is delicious. Nowadays, all the salty, fatty, sweet and savory stuff humans evolved to covet is both cheap and easy to access -- your brain is hardwired to seek those sensations out. Most adults understand the importance of moderation when it comes to junk food, but what about the kids? In today's episode, the guys exp...

Smitty relates a strange childhood story from his time growing up near the Pisgah National Forest. Kyle notes the metaverse offers tremendous potential for terrorists. Canadian trooper calls in to ask about media bias in reporting around the current protests in Ottawa. All this and more in this week's listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don'...

Most people can agree the proverbial writing is on the wall: Earth's climate is in trouble, and its degradation will have profound consequences of later generations. However, no one seems to have figured out what to do about the problem, and multiple groups have grown tired of sticking to legal means of fighting for the environment. To some, these groups acting outside the law are heroes. To other...

While humanity has yet to generate any universally-accepted proof of ghosts or hauntings, millions of people around the world report seeing apparitions or experiencing ghostly encounters every year (and sometimes these events cluster around specific areas). Why? Is there any possible explanation for the purported appearance of ghosts? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...