Strange News: COVID-19 Relief and UFOs, Armed Forces and the Inauguration

Zoos are asking visitors to stop showing gorillas videos and photos from their phones, as this seems to fundamentally change the way the gorillas behave. The Taliban weighs in on the Twitter/Threads rivalry. France passes a disturbing law about wide-spread surveillance. All this and much more in this week's strange news segment.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.

17 Juli 202354min

During the pandemic, canned seafood experienced a boom in popularity -- and it made sense for uncertain times: this stuff is shelf-stable, nutritious and affordable. But, as Ben and Matt discover in this evening's episode, the seafood industry hides a dark, ongoing conspiracy at its heart: as you hear this episode, thousands upon thousands of people are currently enslaved in a complex trafficking ring, all to keep the prices down.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.

14 Juli 20231h

Hopeful Cynic and Binyomin write in with excellent -- and disturbing -- responses to Ben's earlier questions about what happens when corporations are able to vote. Max Tout hips the gang to the mysterious death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe. HoboBob asks about the possibility of a UAP arms race. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.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.

13 Juli 202343min

Almost everyone hears about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World in grade school. Although the majority of these human-made marvels have been destroyed, their legacy remains in the modern day. And, according to some experts, at least one of these wonders may have never actually existed. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into the mystery of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.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.

12 Juli 202347min

Love it or hate it, Facebook is one of the biggest success stories of the past century. Billions of people have profiles, and for many users it's the only source of online news or social interaction. And Facebook collects as much information as possible on each of these users, ostensibly to better target advertising campaigns. So what happens when someone starts using this vast collection of data for something else? What is Cambridge Analytica, and how deep does this rabbit hole go?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.

11 Juli 20231h 10min

The World Health Organization lists near-ubiquitous artificial sweetener aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." Entrepreneur Aron d’Souza wants to create an 'enhanced' Olympic games. In an extremely weird move, the Biden administration floats the idea of combating climate change by... well... blocking out the sun. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.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.

10 Juli 202356min

Let's face it: finance can be weird. The stock market is confusing, money as a concept is bizarre, and a lot of people feel awkward just thinking about anything dollar-related. Why is that? In today's interview, Ben and Matt sit down with author, podcaster and financial expert Paco de Leon to explore their work with Weird Finance, the Hell Yeah Group, and some of the conspiratorial concepts surrounding money. 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.

7 Juli 20231h 5min

A fellow Conspiracy Realist prompts a conversation about propaganda, crowds and social dynamics. Anonymous writes in with first-hand experience in the world of body donation. Ben reads letters from Conspiracy Theorists across the planet. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.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.

6 Juli 202343min