Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

It's no secret that Americans love cheese. It's everywhere -- in fact, some restaurants specialize entirely in cheese products, like mac and cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches. Over the past few decades, cheese consumption has consistently risen, and as of 2019 the average person in the US ate over 40 pounds of cheese per year. So what led to this? The answer, oddly enough, is a genuine conspirac...

Sure, the Trans-Pacific Partnership sounds like a snoozefest... but why does it matter? Why should you care about this secretive international agreement? 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.

El Salvador may become the first country on the planet to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, prompting massive speculation about the future of currency and corruption. The New York Times publishes (and quickly deletes) a bizarre, fake story about watermelons on Mars. A catastrophic railway crash appears to be an act of sabotage -- and perhaps a hint of more attacks to come. All this and more in this...

It's no secret that the 'wilderness therapy' and 'troubled teen' industry has been accused of unethical and illegal behavior, but just how much do we know about how these situations actually occurred? In today's episode, the guys sit down with Josh Thane, the creator and host of Camp Hell: Anneewakee, for a disturbing look into the long-suppressed story of a horrific institution in the guys' own h...

A caller reports her first-hand experience with a cult. A listener asks for more information on the bizarre rumors about a cheese conspiracy throughout the United States. A new experience with creepy social media prompts a reexamination of privacy and corporate spying. All this and more in this week's listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don'...

Few people look forward to visiting the dentist -- it can be an uncomfortable, but necessary, process. In the US, many people end up putting off their appointments due to anxiety or financial concerns, but in general everyone can agree dental hygiene is important, and dentists do incredibly important work. But how many of those procedures -- the root canals, the crowns and so on -- do you actually...

It's ancient, it's huge, and it's cited in all sorts of fringe theories, from stories of lost civilizations to ley lines and more. But what is Stonehenge, really? Find out in this classic episode. 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...

The discovery of a mass grave at the site of a Canadian Residential School leads to calls for further investigation as the country comes to grips with the horrors of the past. The US calls for further inquiries into the origins of COVID-19. A death in Japan leads to speculation regarding the upcoming Olympics. All this and more in today's strange news. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...

It's true -- back in 1999, the CIA founded its own venture capital investment firm. Unlike other, similar businesses, In-Q-Tel doesn't really need to make a profit, and their portfolio isn't particularly diverse. But they do invest, and if you can get their attention, you can get the budget of your dreams. So what exactly is this thing, and why does it have some people worried? Learn more about yo...

A caller inspires the guys to look into explanations for a strange UFO sighting in south Georgia. Investigators use a photograph of a man holding cheese to capture and analyze fingerprints. A listener breaks down some of the reasons why sexual assault kits end up getting caught in the notorious, ongoing national backlog -- and the guys explore what would happen if that backlog was fixed. All this...

Conflict has decided the course of human civilization since the dawn of recorded history, and war has evolved in step with our species. Numerous countries spend billions every year either waging war or preparing for future conflicts. But what if there's more to the story? What if, at this point, war has become an economic necessity? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...

From the Opium Wars to prohibition and the modern drug trade, human civilization has been irreversibly influenced by wars over drugs. Has it worked? Could it ever? Find out in this classic episode. 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...

It appears the government of China is testing a camera system that uses AI and facial recognition to reveal unspoken emotional states in the oppressed Uyghur population. After a creepy personal experience with social media, privacy expert Robert G. Reeve busts the myths about our phones hearing us -- and reveals, instead, what he sees as the much more disturbing reality of automated online stalkin...

From the "Employees Only" doors of local businesses to vast swathes of ocean and secret labs in some of the world's most remote locations, planet Earth is filled with restricted areas. In today's episode, the guys explore the nature of restricted zones -- and the rumors about the Stuff They Don't Want You To Know going on inside. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork...

Just how many people have spotted unusual, faerie-like creatures on the frontier? Why do some medical institutions still use electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)? What if some inanimate objects are not only self-aware, but resentful? 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://sta...

In July of 1985, Greenpeace sent a ship named the Rainbow Warrior to New Zealand, then to Moruroa to monitor controversial French nuclear tests in the area. However, the Rainbow Warrior never made it out of New Zealand -- instead, terrorists sank it. At least, that was the official story. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't wan...

Could there really be groups of people conducting Satanic rites -- not philosophical stances, but actual devil worship via ritual or even sacrifice? Where are these groups, if they exist? Find out in this classic episode. 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...

Authorities in El Salvador are excavating a clandestine cemetery at the house of a former detective which is believed to contain as many as 40 bodies – most of them thought to be women. A fungi containing psilocybin could cause emerging cicadas to become hypersexual, spreading their infection. Convicted crime boss Sedat Peker has flung accusations of rape, drug dealing and suspicious deaths agains...

Firearms are banned in many countries across the world, and it is highly difficult to acquire one. That is changing. The combination of 3D printing technology and the Internet - for better or worse - is moving the power of weapons manufacturing to the public domain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmil...

Will we ever know the true purpose of the ancient, mysterious Gobekli Tepe? Are campus police using their authority to protect students -- or to protect their school's reputation? Ben and Matt reenact a dramatic reading of one listener's encounter with disappearing (and reappearing) objects. All this and more in this week's listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodca...

How can we navigate conspiracies in a post-truth environment? Is it true that many conspiracy theories do, in fact, have a grain of truth at their heart? In today's episode, the guys join up with Langston Kerman, creator of My Momma Told Me, to discuss the world of conspiracies, their effects on communities, and how best to explore them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...

Sure, cults are weird. The doomsday prophecies, claims of superpowers and tendency toward brainwashing are all strange, but what if the situation got even weirder? What if intelligence agencies were secretly involved with everything from the Manson family. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/st...

Real estate appraisers exhibit nation-wide, currently legal discrimination against homeowners based on the perceived skin color of the owners. People are dressing up in costume and attempting to "fight crime" for attention on social media. The Pentagon may release classified info on UFOs -- which they call Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAP -- next Tuesday (Ben doubts it). All this and more in...

As authorities continue to unravel the enigmatic, at-times disturbing life of Jeffrey Alan Lash, they dig into what little is known about his past, seeking to uncover answers. How did he get all those weapons? What about all that hard currency? In the course of their investigation, they begin to notice a pattern: Lash seemed to be targeting people, turning them into supporters of his vague mission...

Could fur farms be responsible for COVID-19? Why are people burning down Masonic lodges? And over in Texas, in turns out Tesla may be building a real-life company town to support SpaceX -- and, by hook or by crook, driving the existing residents out. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you...