The Internet Says it’s True

In the late 1950s and early 60s, a rash of dismemberment claims were filed in the panhandle of Florida. Most of the new amputees in the whole country were turning up in the same small city. Vernon, Florida became known as "Nub City" and the story is as ridiculous as it sounds. In this episode, we talk about Nub City and then play the quiz with Comedian Jay Black! Review this podcast at https://pod...

One of the many marches for Women's Rights through the years has been somewhat forgotten by history: The right to smoke cigarettes. In the 1920s, there was a push-back against the societal and legal taboo of women smoking in public. The "Torches of Freedom" march aimed to reverse that. In this episode, we tell the story about the movement and then play the quick quiz with Comedian and frequent gue...

Tarrare was a French 18th century man who is known to history for having the largest appetite known to man. He would regularly eat ridiculous amounts of food without ever gaining weight. This included entire baskets of fruit, piles of garbage, rocks, corks, dogs, cats, a quarter of a cow, and - reportedly - an entire living 14-month old toddler! In this episode, we examine the case of the insatiab...

What happens when a person is found deceased and has no one to claim them. In the old days, they were put on display. And in this episode, we tell stories of when those displays went on for decades. We share this macabre story and then chat with Comedian Glen Tickle.  Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content av...

Originally released October 18, 2021. Charles Lightoller was the Second Officer on board the ill-fated maiden voyage of the H.M.S. Titanic. Only saved by an exploding boiler, he went on to a notable life and may have been responsible for saving hundreds of lives during the World War II evacuation of Dunkirk. In this episode, we talk about the Titanic, Charles Lightoller and the heroic actions in D...

Originally released September 14, 2020. Seneca Village was one of our nation’s first, free middle-class black communities. Its memory was nearly lost to history. In this podcast, we explore what happened to Seneca Village and speak with Nan Rothschild, Former Director of Museum Studies at Columbia University and a Research Professor at Barnard College, who has been studying Seneca Village since th...

Originally released September 27, 2021.  After the U.S. Civil War, somewhere between 8,000-20,000 Confederates fled to Brazil where they established their own colony. Even today, you'll see the Confederate Flag flying there as they celebrate the "Festa Confederada" every Spring. In this episode, we examine this strange immigration story and chat with Actress and Comedian Jackie Tohn. Review this p...

Originally released Jan 3, 2022. In 1808, a lover's quarrel in Paris led to one of the most interesting duels ever fought. Monsieur LePique and Monsieur de Grandpré both fell in love with the same ballerina. So they did what anyone caught in a 19th century Parisian love triangle would do: they fought a duel via hot air balloon. In this episode, we tell the extremely French tale and then issue a qu...

Can a tree own itself? If you visit Athens, GA or Eufaula, AL, you'll find trees that are self-owned. But is that even legal? It's certainly one way residents of those cities have found to help protect their historic Oak trees. In this episode, we discuss plants rights, how those trees even came to have self-ownership, and then we ask trivia questions to a bunch of strangers on the Internet!   Rev...

When you see a film like Tarzan or The Jungle Book, have you ever wondered if those were based on true stories? In this episode, you'll find out! We talk about the case of Dina Sanichar and multiple other cases of "feral children" who were raised by animals in the wild. Then we bring on Mindreader, Eric Dittelman to play the quiz game!  Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...

One of the stranger fascinations of humans is with things being destroyed. Whether it be a demolition derby, a "Dude Perfect" YouTube video, or trains being staged to crash into each other, we're enthralled by destruction. In 1896, a promoter named William Crush staged a planned, unmanned train collision. It didn't exactly go as planned. In this episode, we tell the story about the publicity stunt...

There are not supposed to be Burmese Pythons in Florida. Yet experts think there are anywhere from 30-150,000 of the large snakes living wild in the Everglades and some parts North. In this episode, we find out why there are so many pythons loose in Florida, what's being done about it, then speak with Matt Dillahunty for the quick quiz! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...

What’s the worst way to die? Maybe drowning? Maybe suffocation? Being buried alive? What about suffocating, drowning and being buried alive all at the same time…. in a pit of human waste?! That's exactly what happened in Erfurt, Germany in 1184. In this episode, we tell the story about this disaster and what led up to it. Then we play the quick quiz with strangers on the Internet from Jordan, Syri...

Sometimes an attempt at a world record ends in disaster and lawsuits. At least, that was the case when an attempt at the World's largest balloon launch was attempted in downtown Cleveland in 1986. In this episode, we tell the tragic story of the 1986 Cleveland BalloonFest and then play the quick quiz with Ballon Guy, Rob Balchunas!  Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-...

Did you know Han Solo's iconic blaster, the "DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol" in Star Wars was actually based on a handgun used by the Nazis? In this episode, we talk about the Mauser C96 Pistol, the origin of a few interesting Star Wars props and I quiz Comedian, Writer and Producer, Jay Black who is a much larger Star Wars nerd than I ever knew. This is a good one! The Blastech DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pi...

Was film star Hedy Lamarr responsible for the invention of wireless internet? In this episode, we find out about her amazing (and somewhat tragic) life and find out if the internet says it's true! Then we play a quiz game with Cameron Zvara! Originally released March 29, 2021. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and c...

In a departure from our regular style of episodes, this one is a strange tale that I stumbled on by mistake. I was doing some wildlife photography in a cemetery in Columbus, OH and saw a grave marker upon which people had left all types of coins. When I googled the person's name, I was shocked at the story. I tell that story in this episode, and then play the quick quiz with Magician, Erik Tait. ...

You won't believe why graham crackers were invented. When Sylvester Graham invented this snack in the 19th century, it had nothing to do with hunger. Well, at least not THAT kind of hunger. In this episode, we learn about the "Grahamites," Sylvester Graham, and the invention of the snack that bares his name. Then we play the Quick Quiz with Mindreader Eric Dittelman!  Review this podcast at https:...

In our history, we've had at least 32 "Broken Arrow" incidents: instances of nuclear weapons accidents that don't cause a nuclear war. One of those was in 1958, in which an Air Force B-47 Bomber almost nuked Mars Bluff, South Carolina. In this episode, we talk about the B-47, it's staggering 10% loss rate and the Mars Bluff incident. Then we catch up with actor and podcaster Michael Spedden for th...

Originally released August 30, 2021. For a very short time period, the Pepsi Cola Company had the sixth largest navy in the world. It was the result of a crazy trade deal with the Soviet Union and the Soviets' love for the soft drink. In this episode, we explore how this came to be and then play the Quick Quiz game with Comedian & Magician Erik Tait! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.c...

In the mid-1940s, there was a rash of very strange calls to police in the small city of Mattoon, IL. More than a dozen people believed they were being gassed by a mystery assailant. In this episode, we talk about the "Mad Gasser of Mattoon" and then chat with Comedian and Screenwriter, Jay Black! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589...

It turns out that it's pretty easy to convince people that a race of giant humans used to roam the Earth. Because of a biblical passage in Genesis 6, lots of people still believe it to this day, but in the 19th century, the belief was much more widespread. One non-believer named George Hull devised one of the greatest hoaxes known to man in an attempt to make them look foolish. In this episode, we...

Through a strange misunderstanding, a small town in France maintained the grave of a fallen American soldier for several decades. It wasn't a soldier's grave at all, but a spot where General George Patton had marked an abandoned latrine pit. In this episode, we learn a little about Patton and how this story came to be. Then we chat with Comedian, Magician and Author Nick Paul. Review this podcast...

One of the largest examples of sabotage during World War I happened half a mile from the Statue of Liberty and hardly anyone knows the story. On July 30, 1916, an explosion at Black Tom Island rocked New York Harbor. In this episode, we talk about German Saboteurs and then chat with Author of "Branding Democrats," Ken Weber. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet...

In sideshow exhibits around the world, George and Willie Muse were known as "Eko and Iko, the Ambassadors from Mars." The truth was they were African American Albino brothers who were essentially tricked into slavery until their incredible brave mother found and rescued them. In this episode, we tell the amazing tale of George and Willie Muse and then chat with Comedian Lisa Berry! Review this pod...