Listener Mail: The Minerva Research Initiative, India's Farming Protests, and the Hazards of Commercial Gene Mapping

In 1933, a composer named Rezső Seress created one of the world's most infamous tunes -- a melancholy, mysterious piece known as 'Gloomy Sunday.' Over the following decades, this song became notorious...

25 Dec 201938min

When corporate defense lawyer Rob Bilott first learned about Wilbur Tennant's dying livestock, the frustrated West Virginian farmer was at his wits' end. He'd sought help from numerous local authoriti...

20 Dec 201948min

For centuries, it was often understood that "seeing was believing" -- while people might embellish a story, and write whatever falsehoods they wished, visually witnessing an event was solid proof of w...

18 Dec 20191h 6min

Amelia Earhart was a living legend -- this high-flying aviation pioneer garnered international acclaim and accolades for her daring flights across the planet. On July 2nd, 1937, midway through a fligh...

13 Dec 201939min

In the United States, people accused of crimes are entitled to certain well-known protections under the law. And, in the international sphere, global agreements theoretically guarantee certain rights ...

11 Dec 201959min

Did someone really hang themselves on camera in the Wizard of Oz? Did Stanley Kubrick hide a secret message in Eyes Wide Shut? It's no secret that the world of film is fraught with conspiracy -- both ...

6 Dec 20191h 6min

For thousands of years, people have been convinced that the weather and the position of the moon can wreak profound havoc on human behavior. This belief continues in the modern day, with numerous law ...

4 Dec 201952min

Look around you as you listen to today's episode -- how far did these objects travel to meet you here? In centuries past, the average person would be surrounded by local objects. Today, the most munda...

29 Nov 201944min