CLASSIC: William Walker: Filibuster and (Fantastically Bad) President
In today's Classic episode, Ben, Noel, Casey In Spirit and Max explore a bizarrely American story. The adventurer and filibuster William Walker was, in his heyday, lauded as an American hero for his r...
17 Touko 202542min
Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part Two: The Slinky and the Post-it Note
While things like the Slinky and the Post-it Note may seem pretty ubiquitous, simple ideas today, they each have their own bizarre accidental origin story. In the second part of this week's two-part s...
15 Touko 202537min
Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part One: Penicillin, X-Rays and the Microwave Oven
Humans have always been compelled by curiosity -- sometimes, this leads to misfortune, but other times... curiosity and accident can also lead to world-changing innovations. In part one of this week's...
13 Touko 202542min
CLASSIC: Lawsonomy: How the Father of the Modern Airline Started His Own Religion
When middling baseball player Alfred Lawson first learned of the Wright Brothers, he experienced a revelation that would guide the greater part of his life: Aviation, he believed, was the future of mo...
10 Touko 202551min
Did Pirates Really Ruin the US Dream of the Metric System?
Why is the United States so culturally opposed to the metric system? According to a popular legend, this conundrum dates back to the late 1700s, when a French polymath named Joseph Dombey sailed to Th...
8 Touko 202536min
Yet More Ridiculous Historical Honorifics: Ethelred Just Ain't Ready
Have you been blessed -- or, perhaps, cursed -- with a nickname that just won't go away? Some of most terrifying, inspiring and ridiculous figures in human history are in the same boat. Join Ben, Noel...
6 Touko 202542min
CLASSIC: A Dead Pope Goes To Court
The Catholic Church is no stranger to scandal and controversy, but in January of 897 the institution was home to a new and unique scandal that put the garden variety tales of adultery and financial co...
3 Touko 202527min
History's Most Ridiculous Clothing, with AJ Jacobs: Part Two
What's the weirdest pair of shoes you've ever seen? If you were King, would you force everyone else to be shorter than you? In the second part of this week's special two-part episode, returning guest ...
1 Touko 202536min
