How to Fight a Shark
When Endless Thread producer Grace Tatter heard a friend confidently assert that she could ward off a shark because of TikTok, Grace was both concerned for her friend's safety, and curious. Why are th...
12 Juli 202435min
Introducing Outside/In: 'The Papyrus and the Volcano'
Endless Thread presents an episode from the podcast Outside/In. While digging a well in 1750, a group of workers accidentally discovered an ancient Roman villa containing over a thousand papyrus scro...
5 Juli 202433min
This is Not a Pyramid Scheme
Every year, thousands of Americans lose money participating in multi-level marketing (MLM). So, last year, when a new business idea that promised to correct MLM's sins bubbled up on Instagram and TikT...
27 Juni 202437min
Worm Wars
When Endless Thread producer Nora Saks learned that a "toxic, self-cloning worm that poops out of its mouth" was invading Maine, she started sounding the alarm about the impending eco-doom. Until, th...
21 Juni 202434min
Looking for a Man, Finding a Record Deal
In April, a TikTok creator mused, "Did I just write the song of the summer?" Girl on Couch's "Looking for a man in finance" song spawned hundreds of remixes, and won her a record deal. While it might ...
14 Juni 202427min
Scamming the Scammers
Border Patrol is calling: A drug cartel has your bank information, so you need to transfer all your money to a safe Bitcoin account—right now! Millions of people will be familiar with calls like this...
7 Juni 202439min
SwordTube, En Garde!
Sword influencers abound on YouTube. Those who specialize in the historic European martial arts, or HEMA, have gained legions of fans showcasing the fantastic, bladed techniques of yore. But talk of ...
31 Maj 202421min
Gen Z wants you to take political action, one TikTok at a time
Gen Z is over it. The youngest generation of adults is inheriting a climate crisis, the ongoing fallout from a global pandemic, a polarized political landscape, and a tenuous economic reality. And ma...
24 Maj 202431min
