Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

In the wee hours of February 25th, 1942, air raid sirens resounded across LA. Anti-aircraft guns fired the better part of 1500 shells at something. To many people, that mysterious UFO has yet to be identified, more than half a century later. So what really happened? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmil...

In September of 1961, on an empty country road in rural New Hampshire, Barney and Betty Hill experienced the most profound, bizarre night of their lives in what would become the first widely-publicized account of an alien abduction in US history -- the case that would go on to influence hundreds, if not thousands, of abduction cases to follow. But what exactly happened that September night? Join t...

It's finally happened -- the long-awaited US report on UFOs (which the government calls Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAPs) is public. Some observers consider it revelatory, while others think it's a smoke screen. So what's the truth? What exactly does the report say, and what does this mean for the future? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't wan...

Multiple Conspiracy Realists write in to ask about the death of John McAfee. A listener wonders about the history of newspaper slogans, and a call asks for more information about the bizarre story surrounding the death of John Lang. 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:/...

At the close of World War II, infamous Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele fled in secret to South America, successfully evading justice for the rest of his life. Modern experts still wonder what exactly he was up to during his time there, from 1949 to 1979. Some are convinced he continued experimenting on human beings, seeking a way to create twins -- and one settlement he visited, Cândido Godói, has...

Did North Korea really wage cyberwar to stop The Interview from airing? How did this happen -- and is there a conspiracy afoot? Join Ben and Matt as they welcome tech expert Jonathan Strickland onto the show for a discussion of the recent Sony hacks. 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...

In Miami, the search continues for survivors of the Champlain Towers South collapse -- as well as the cause. A satirical campaign arguing that birds are drones picks up steam online. Unprecedented fossil discoveries in China and Israel are redefining our understanding of human evolution, with some researchers arguing one skull indicates an entirely new species. Learn more about your ad-choices at...

19-year-old Arne Cheyenne Johnson was, by most accounts, a good kid. He had a steady job, a girlfriend, and a future. Until, that is, he murdered his landlord, Alan Bono. What would have been an open-and-shut case became stranger and stranger as more details emerged. Arne, it appeared, had been attending exorcisms conducted by the self-styled demonologists and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorra...

Can backmasking really brainwash people who hear it? Did the CIA assassinate an American monk? Why are some gamers convinced legendary game creator Hideo Kojima is conspiring to work in secret on a new game? 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/sta...

When Scottish politician Willie McRae was found unconscious and on the edge of death in his car, the couple that discovered him rushed to contact emergency services. He expired in the second hospital he was sent to -- and as authorities looked deeper into his death, disturbing questions arose. Years since McRae's death, people still wonder what exactly led to his death. Learn more about your ad-ch...

We always hear stories about Big Oil and other conspiracies, but are any of these true? 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 for privacy information.

More than a hundred thousand people sign a petition arguing that, once Jeff Bezos visits space, he shouldn't bother returning. A new study reveals numerous well-known makeup brands contain incredibly harmful chemicals. A would-be theatre mogul finds himself in hot water after lying on his resume. All this and more in this week's Strange News. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp...

According to the legend, there's a spot in Durango, Mexico where radio signals fail -- where compasses spin wildly and strange, giant figures appear from nowhere before vanishing into thin air. This area, the zone of silence, is sometimes referred to as Mexico's Bermuda Triangle. But what is it, exactly? Where did this legend come from, and why does it continue today? Learn more about your ad-choi...

Thomas writes in for more information on the mysterious 'Big Hole' in North Carolina. Notta Sockpuppet gives a first-hand account of their time working with a CIA-funded tech company. Cynthia wants to know more about the man who recently got swallowed by a whale and survived. All this and more in this week's listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com Th...

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...