Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Neuromarketers claim that their techniques provide new and profound insights for consumers buying everything from soda to new cars. But can they really interpret data in a way that allows them to nudge a user's subconscious mind? And, if so, what does this mean for the future? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://st...

Humans may soon be able to control lightning, pointing it at targets. Voter fraud (but not the vote you're thinking of). Russian President Vladimir Putin is giving himself lifetime legal immunity from, well... anything. All this and more 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.macmil...

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.

US veterans find themselves unfairly targeted as they pursue post-combat careers. Questions remain regarding one of the world's largest Bitcoin wallets. 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-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/liste...

In cities across Canada, the US and other parts of the world, the cost of living continues to rise -- and housing becomes increasingly unaffordable. Rental rates outpace inflation. Owning a home becomes virtually impossible for millions. Economists have debated the usual causes of this crisis for years... but it appears there's a variable many people haven't considered, something a little stranger...

Is the world really littered with underground military bases? How many are active today? Is it possible to find them on your own? Join Ben and Matt as they dive deep (underground) in today's 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.co...

Some cruise lines begin to reopen. In Virginia, locals were astonished to find a bizarre, potentially immortal creature invading -- the infamous (and alien-like) Hammerhead Worm. Tune in for more in this week's Strange News segment. 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-shoul...

From 1977 to 1978 the Brazilian Air Force investigated a series of alleged UFO sightings, with multiple witnesses, in and around a city called Colares, located in northern Brazil. The official investigation closed without concluding anything unusual was afoot -- but that may actually be where the real story begins. Tune in to learn more about the strange claims, the oddly specific commonalities be...

A caller shares a strange story of a possible curse. The guys explore the dark side of so-called conversion therapy. And a voicemail inspires the gang to finally begin exploring the controversial, conspiratorial death of the Hip Hop legend, the Notorious B.I.G. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don'...

In this episode, the guys sit down with seasoned conflict journalist Jake Hanrahan to hear his first-hand accounts of covering stories all too often ignored or misrepresented in the west -- as well learning more about his work exploring QAnon in his newest podcast, Q Clearance. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://s...

What's the difference between a cult and a religion? What are some of history's strangest cults? Are there any secret cults in the modern day? In this week's classic episode, Ben and Matt are (accidentally) prescient. 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 omn...

Confronted with multiple criminal charges, one New Hampshire woman came up with an innovative -- and bizarre -- plan: she impersonated a prosecutor and dropped the charges against herself. Nabisco has reportedly planned to create their own Oreo doomsday vault. In several cities across the US, Archbishops have performed city-wide exorcisms. All this and more in this week's strange news segment. Lea...

On August 19th, 2016 Saudi national and college student Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah was charged with first degree manslaughter for fatally hitting a 15 year old girl named Fallon Smart with his car in Portland, Oregon. Two weeks before his trial, he disappeared from the United States. Today, federal agents suspect he escaped with the help of the Saudi Arabian government -- and it seems he's not the...

Critics allege the rehabilitative program known as Narconon is a front for Scientology. Masons chime in to confirm that yes, you can get kicked out of the Masons. The disappearance of former cruise line worker Rebecca Coriam remains unsolved to this day. 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 r...

The history of human civilization is, in many ways, a history of conflict. Empires rise and fall, countries come and go, and humanity soldiers on. Yet multiple investigations have found a troubling correlation -- it seems not all revolutions are the result of social instability or external rivals. In fact, the natural world itself may be one of history's most powerful (and dangerous) revolutionari...

Could the pineal gland really have some sort of spiritual significance? What does it do, exactly, and why do so many people believe there's some sort of conspiracy to alter its function? Tune in as Ben and Matt explore the fact and fiction surrounding the pineal gland. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.mac...

Former Burundian President Pierre Buyoya received a life sentence in court for the murder of another former President: Melchior Ndadaye. A recent study confirms the issues discussed in the previous COVID series, showing worldwide trends regarding fears and misconceptions about infection. A bizarre invasive species of mutated, clonal, entirely female crayfish have been expanding across Europe -- on...

The world's most powerful has numerous policies regarding equality -- but how do the policies on paper translate to action? In today's episode, the gang dives into the all-too-often unexplored, ongoing conspiracy taking place within the US Armed Forces: Supremacists and separatists are infiltrating the military, often with the active goal of later using their training and expertise to wage war aga...

Multiple listeners reach out to share their experiences in the 'troubled teen' industry. The guys explore the fascinating -- and terrifying -- possibility of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Ongoing massive protests in Nigeria prompt a conversation about whether lasting reform is possible. All this and more in this week's edition of Listener Mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...

It's bizarre to think that -- not too long ago -- the idea of having something as powerful as a smart phone in your pocket would seem like something out of Star Trek. But now these handy devices go with us throughout most of our lives. A steady stream of feel-good chemicals from social media, dangerously convenient ways of buying things through apps, health and location tracking and more. And ever...

You're probably familiar with the horror film version of exorcisms: a righteous priest reciting holy verses as a demon-possessed person writhes and exhibits unholy powers. But what are exorcisms, really? How do they function across cultures? Is there any proof that they're real? Join Ben and Matt to find out in this week's Classic episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...

Multiple high-level government officials believed Garrison Courtney was a CIA officer offering them fat cat contracts -- by the time the FBI caught up with him, he was on the verge of getting billions -- and getting full immunity, as well. Rapper Nuke Bizzle was arrested on multiple counts of identity fraud... after explicitly bragging about his crimes in a music video. On the border of Mexico and...

How many members does the Church of Scientology actually have? What are they doing in Clearwater, Florida? Perhaps most importantly, what is the future of Scientology? Join the guys as they continue their interview with Mike Rinder, creator and cohost of Scientology: Fair Game, in the second part of this two-part series. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com They...

What actually happened to the Great Library of Alexandria, and how would the world be different if it hadn't disappeared? What made an anonymous tourist return pilfered objects to Pompeii? How are con artists, corporations and governments hacking your voice? 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...

Founded in 1953 by L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology describes itself as a religion that puts its adherents on a path toward complete and certain understanding of one's true spiritual nature. In the first part of this two-part series, the guys are joined by Mike Rinder, a former senior official of the Church and cohost of Scientology: Fair Game, for a first-hand, inside look at the organiz...