The BrainFood Show

In the 1990 sci-fi comedy sequel Back to the Future Part III, intrepid time travelling late 20th century duo Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown find themselves trapped in Hill Valley, California, back in the year 1885. With their DeLorean time machine out of gas and it being, well, 1885, Doc and Marty are forced to take creative measures to accelerate their ride up to the required 88 miles per hour and get back to the future. Doc Brown’s solution for this? An elaborate plan involving hijacking a moving train, pushing its boiler to the absolute limit and beyond of its structural capabilities as it careened towards a ravine, and then if it happened to all go well, the car would get up to 88 mph, thereby sending it back to the future. If not, well… the pair’s futures would officially be something neither would ever need to worry about again after they plummeted to their deaths. But while this certainly makes for an awesome climax to one of the greatest trilogies of all time, 1885 was not that far removed from the age of the automobile; indeed, that very same year German inventor Karl Benz unveiled his Patent Motorwagen, widely considered history’s first practical, mass-produced car. Or, at least the Model 3 version was when 3 years later his wife Bertha Benz snuck out of the house before her husband got up, stole the car, and took the world’s first road trip- all to save her husband’s company, and rid him of his incessant self doubt. Along the way, she even invented the world’s first brake pad, among other tweaks she came up with along the way that were needed to improve the design for long distance travel. Much more on the genuinely incredible story of the world’s first road trip and the extreme gumption and ingenuity of Bertha Benz in the Bonus Facts later. But back to Doc Brown- surely a man of his intellect and resourcefulness, a self proclaimed “student of all sciences” to the extent that when recruited to the Manhattan Project, the General who did so questioned why Doc Brown had a book on needlepoint, to which Doc replied he didn’t like to dismiss anything, as any bit of knowledge could lead to a breakthrough… sure this man of all men could simply have made his own gasoline and gotten back to 1985 the regular way… right? Well, put on your life preserver and crank up the Power of Love as we go Back to the…origins of the petroleum industry, the first usable gas for automobiles, and figure out whether doc brown should have been able to figure all this one out in the few days he had to work with. Author: Gilles Messier Editor: Daven Hiskey Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Daven Hiskey 0:00 Intro 4:10 Origins of the Petroleum Industry 8:38 A World Changing Breakthrough 12:08 The Fuel Doc Brown Had Access to in 1885 Hill Valley 13:17 The Octane Issue 15:19 Could Doc Brown Have Solved the Octane Issue? 20:37 The Easiest Octane Solution of All 22:30 Summing Up Whether Doc Brown Could Have Just Made Usable Gasoline 23:41 The OG Car and the First Road Trip That Saved It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 3 June 2026

Dr. Harini Bhat is a clinical pharmacist and storyteller obsessed with the moments in history that still can't be fully explained. Every week she investigates real events that defy easy explanation. Mass hysterias. Vanished civilizations. Medical oddities. Strange signals. Unexplained phenomena that keep repeating across centuries, as if history is trying to tell us something. Hidden History doesn't dismiss ancient events as myth or superstition. It treats them as open case files, shaped by the limits of knowledge, technology, and record-keeping. Because the unknown isn't a failure of explanation. It's a constant in human experience, one that evolves, repeats, and sometimes deepens the more we learn. Follow Hidden History with Dr. Harini Bhat now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or watch on YouTube @hiddenhistorypod. Listen here:  https://pod.link/1895066656 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2026

J.R.R. Tolkien created one of the greatest and most influential works of fiction in history. But how did he come up with it, what was his life like, and how did it end? This is the story of the man behind the Lord of the Rings. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in South Africa. His family returned to their native England when he was a small child. Tolkien’s parents had died by the time he was 12, so he and his younger brother Hilary were raised by their family’s priest, Father Francis Morgen. Ronald, as he was called, remained a devout Catholic his entire life. Tolkien was gifted with an exceptional knack for linguistics. While attending King Edward’s School in Birmingham, he was adept at Latin and Greek, and later learned Anglo-Saxon and Finnish. He also developed his own languages, complete with grammar rules and guidelines for usage. During his studies, he became enchanted with the old stories of ancient races with their awesome gods and fated heroes on epic adventures. While he was in school, he also met a young lady named Edith Bratt... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2026

In today's episode, we start by looking at whether it’s actually safer to use a crosswalk instead of a just jaywalking as well as the actual origin of the word “jaywalk”. Next up, we jump into the main part of the show on the horrific tale of the dashingly handsome Bella Kiss, the Vampire of Cinkota, and the many, many women he murdered. Following that, we move on to a sickly sweet and more than a little morbid love story we’re calling A Rose for Carl. Relevant Pictures: ⁠Dear sweet Alive Helen⁠ ⁠Helen’s Crypt⁠ ⁠Helen’s Spaceship⁠ ⁠Helen really let herself go after she died apparently…⁠ On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 June 2026

In the video today, we're looking at why Americans refrigerate eggs and most other countries don't, the Canadian who invented Hawaiian Pizza, why people say twice boiled water is bad for you, why pineapple kills jello, how much caffeine the human body can take, and much, much more. 0:00 Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs and Most Other Countries Don’t 12:38 The Very Canadian Origin of “Hawaiian” Pizza 23:59 Why Are You Not Supposed to Use Twice Boiled Water for Tea? 37:50 Why Can’t You Put Pineapple in Jello? 43:38 How Much Caffeine Would It Take To Kill You? 54:55 Why is Ham Traditionally Eaten on Easter? 58:07 How Were Raisins Made Before Seedless Grapes? 1:02:59 Why Some Cheeses Come in Wheels and Others in Blocks 1:07:14 The Surprisingly Heartwarming Story of the Man Who Invented Sriracha Sauce 1:16:23 That Time Campbell’s Put Marbles in Their Soup 1:28:57 An Ode to Glorious Chips (And Who Invented Nachos) 2:02:12 What Happens to Big Food Made to Break World Records? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2026

The tiny transistor revolutionized modern electronics, from radios to supercomputers. Discover its fascinating origins, unexpected twists, and the minds behind this world-changing invention. Watch now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 May 2026

Nations can often be petty and spiteful when it comes to post-war relations, but rarely, if ever, in history did one nation get more petty with not an enemy, but their former ally than when the U.S. military created what is known today as "Million Dollar Point" out of sheer spite. 1,750 kilometres or 1,090 miles off the coast of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean lies the island nation of Vanuatu. Just off the southeast coast of the island, on the outskirts of the main settlement of Luganville, lies a truly remarkable sight: a giant underwater junkyard containing thousands upon thousands of pieces of WWII American military equipment, from tanks, artillery pieces, and bulldozers down to rifles, pistols, food tins and Coca-Cola bottles- all slowly rusting away on the ocean floor. Known as “Million Dollar Point”, every year this submerged museum of wartime logistics attracts hundreds of curious snorkelers and scuba divers from around the world. But what is all this abandoned equipment doing here? Are these the remains of an epic naval battle? A tragic shipwreck? Some gigantic whoopsie-doodle? Nope! The origins of Million Dollar Point are far, far sillier - and pettier - than that! This is the story of one the greatest acts of political and economic spite in modern history and how it helped inspire a Naked Cult that in turn helped lead this region to independence. The islands that make up modern Vanuatu, formerly New Hebrides, were first settled around 1300 BCE by peoples from Melanesian islands to the west such as New Guinea and the Solomons, followed by successive waves of migration by Polynesian peoples from the East, with later European overlords arriving and variously controlling the islands. For example, at one point the region had a complex and unwieldy bureaucracy, with separate British and French police forces and a judicial system presided over by a neutral judge appointed by the King of Spain - and by the way, while most commonly used today to describe a building with multiple individually-owned living units, the term condominium can also refer to a geographic area where multiple sovereign powers agree to share administrative duties. But for most of its history, Vanuatu remained a quiet colonial backwater, subsisting mainly on the trade of coconut meat, fish, sandalwood, and other natural resources. However, in the wake of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941 and the subsequent Japanese blitzkrieg across southeast Asia and the Pacific, the archipelago suddenly found itself in danger of invasion. In May 1942, American forces arrived on the islands, setting up a command post on Efate. Engineers from the U.S. Navy’s 1st Construction Batallion - better known as the Seabees - were soon dispatched to Espiritu Santo to construct a crushed-coral airstrip to support the then-ongoing battle on Guadalcanal. In an incredible feat of wartime logistics the Seabees, working round-the-clock, constructed Turtle Bay Airfield in only 20 days. Soon more CB detachments arrived and constructed three more airstrips, one of which is Santo International Airport today. Throughout the war, thousands of bombers, fighters, and other aircraft from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Army Air Corps as well as the Royal New Zealand Air Force operated from these airfields in support of operations throughout the South Pacific. In addition to the airstrips themselves, the Seabees also built extensive supporting infrastructure including barracks, repair shops, hangars, hospitals, fuel and ammunition depots, and water desalination plants. Espiritu Santo also served as a major supply and repair depot for U.S. Navy ships, stocking millions of tons of the fuel, food, ammunition, spare parts, and other materiel needed to fuel the gruelling island-hopping campaign against Imperial Japan. In particular, Espiritu Santo Naval Base was home to USS AFD-1, one of four Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks stationed in the South Pacific to repair and maintain U.S. Navy ships. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 27 May 2026

A real-life sci-fi experiment! The bizarre wingless aircraft from The Six Million Dollar Man was not a Hollywood invention. This is the incredible story of NASA’s lifting body program. 🚀 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2026

⁠⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we’re looking at the story of an intelligent, sweet little girl who was given up to an orphanage and then grew up to have a rather successful career as a nurse… and just so happens to be one of the most notorious female serial killers in history. On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 May 2026

In the video today, we're looking at who invented the assault rifle, why do people drop when shot, can you make a gun that shoots around corners, how dangerous are rubber bullets and stun guns, the Canadian genius who attempted to launch satellites using an absolutely massive gun, a deep dive into the bullet proof vest and how they work, the story of the Tommy Gun, shooting guns in space, how to shoot two guns at once, how pilots shot through propellers in WWI, and the longest sniper shot. 0:00 What Actually Defines an ‘Assault Rifle’ and Who Invented Them? 18:14 Why Do People Suddenly Drop When Shot? 28:21 Can You Really Make a Gun Shoot Around Corners? 52:38 How Dangerous are Rubber Bullets and Stun Guns? 1:03:38 The Canadian Genius Who Attempted to Launch Satellites Using an Absolutely Ginormous Gun 1:17:48 A Deep Dive Into The Bullet Proof Vest and How They Work in Reality vs Hollywood Depictions 1:46:44 The Story of the Iconic ‘Tommy Gun’ 2:07:48 Has Anyone Ever Fired a Gun in Space, Space Cannons, and the Guns Designed for Astronauts? 2:26:34 Is There a Proper Way to Fire Two Guns at Once? 2:40:58 How Did WWI Pilots Shoot Through Their Aircraft Propeller? 2:54:26 The Longest Sniper Kill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 May 2026

Discover the incredible story of how the world's greatest archaeological rescue mission saved Egypt’s ancient wonders from destruction—engineering marvels, lost temples, and an unprecedented battle to preserve history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2026

While there are a few dates that could be pointed to for the sun setting on the British Empire, in fact, it's never literally been the case... But all that's set to change- after centuries of the sun always shining on some part of the British realm, this year, that will end. Here now is the story of the origin of the expression "the sun never sets on..." and the twisting, turning way it's been true for Britain and how it's about to end. While now commonly associated with the British Empire, slogans like “the sun never sets on our territory” have been used since antiquity. For example, Mesopotamian texts from the rule of Sargon of Akkad, who reigned from around 2334 to 2279 B.C.E, declare that the king: “…[rules] all the lands from sunrise to sunset.” While in his foundational 430 B.C.E. work The Histories, Ancient Greek historian Herodotus quotes Persian Achamaenid king Xerxes I as declaring: “We shall extend the Persian territory as far as God's heaven reaches. The sun will then shine on no land beyond our borders.” However, the territories controlled by these rulers were very small by modern standards, and it was not until the explosive expansion of overseas exploration, trade, and conquest in the Early Modern Period that the first truly global empires began to emerge. And among the very first was the Spanish Empire, which by 1780 covered 13.7 million square kilometres or 5.3 million square miles and included most of South and Central America and the West Indies; a large swath of what is now the Southwestern United States; various African colonies like Fernando Po, Oran, Ceuta, Guinea, and Rio Muni; and Asian and Asian and Pacific territories like Palau, New Guinea, the Marianas Islands, Guam, and the Philippines. This led contemporary writers like British polymath Francis Bacon to write: “…both the East and the West Indies being met in the crown of Spain, it is come to pass, that, as one saith in a brave kind of expression, the sun never sets in the Spanish dominions, but ever shines upon one part or other of them: which, to say truly, is a beam of glory…” Interestingly, for 60 years the Spanish Empire was even larger. In 1580 King Henry of Portugal died... Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 May 2026

Instant ramen: a global staple born from postwar hardship. Discover how Momofuku Ando revolutionized fast food, from Chikin Ramen to Cup Noodles, shaping history one slurp at a time! 🍜 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2026

⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we begin by discussing a random quick fact involving the parents of Ferris Bueller on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Next we move into the main content for today’s episode which is discussing how exactly people used to get human heads to shrink and why they did this in the first place. Moving on from that, we look at the fascinating saga of famed philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s head and body. Finally we move into some feedback and then an interesting Star Trek Fact related to skeletons. And for those interested: ⁠Picture of Jeremy Bentham’s Head⁠ Our mentioned video on the history of passwords: ⁠Who Invented Passwords and the Guy That Made Them Suck⁠ A sampling of Marina Sirtis talking at various conventions: ⁠The Riker Maneuver⁠ ⁠Riker and Picard Badass Walk Loop⁠ On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 May 2026

In the video today we're looking at what happens in the real world when you find a buried treasure. What happens when someone objects during a wedding and why ministers ask. What happens if you commit a crime aboard an aircraft or in International waters. What happens when you give a homeless person $100,000. What happens if a cemetery goes under. What exactly happens to animals swallowed alive. What happens if you accidentally damage or destroy a priceless work of art in a museum. What happens when a town votes for a dog or a cat to be mayor. What really happens when someone enters the witness protection program. And, finally, what happens when you stick your head into a particle accelerator. 0:00 What Happens in the Real World if You Find a Buried Treasure? 11:09 What Happens When Someone DOES Object During a Wedding and Where Did This Practice Come From? 16:37 What Happens if You Commit a Crime Aboard an Aircraft or in International Waters? 32:25 What Happened When You Give a Homeless Person $100,000 43:08 What Happens If a Cemetery Goes Under? 48:39 What Exactly Happens to Animals Swallowed Alive and Do Any Animals Ever Get Out Alive After? 1:00:25 What Happens if You Accidentally Damage or Destroy a Priceless Work of Art in a Museum? 1:09:49 What Happens When a Town Votes For a Dog or Cat to Be Mayor? 1:15:25 What Really Happens When Someone Enters the Witness Protection Program 1:19:59 What Happens When You Stick Your Head Into a Particle Accelerator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 15 May 2026

Discover the untold story of WWII's Lookout Air Raids—Japan’s daring bombing of U.S. soil—and the unexpected journey from fear and devastation to forgiveness and reconciliation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 2026

There are countless bizarre guns that have been created since humans began gunning, but few are as bad, or as famous and widely produced, as one in WWII produced with the hope of equipping insurgents against their German overlords. This is the story of the worst gun of WWII The Second World War was by far the deadliest and most destructive conflict in modern history in part as it saw the combat debut of dozens of legendary weapons, from the American M1 Garand (or Gare-und if you want to pronounce it like the original designer pronounced his name instead of how most say it today) - the first self-loading combat rifle to be issued as standard in any Army; to the Soviet PPSh-41 and PPS-43 - simple but reliable submachine guns greatly prized and feared for their blistering rate of fire; then there was the German Stg-44 Sturmgewehr, the ancestor of the modern assault rifle. But not all weapons developed during the conflict were so iconic or effective. Some were downright questionable, and none more so than the American FP-45 Liberator, an alarmingly crude single-shot, smoothbore pistol made entirely of cheap metal stampings. Yet despite looking like a cross between a children’s toy and a petty criminal’s homemade zip gun, a whopping one million Liberators were manufactured in only eleven weeks - a herculean feat of wartime production. Here now is the fascinating story of the Liberator, WWII’s strangest gun. Author: Gilles Messier Editor/Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 May 2026

The laugh track: a bizarre, reviled, yet oddly influential piece of television history. How did it rise, why did it fall, and—most importantly—did it ever actually work? Let’s find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2026

⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we begin by discussing a random quick fact involving the curious old practice of mailing children. Next we move into the main content for today’s episode which is the gruesome tale of William Burke and William Hare and their year long murder spree. Moving on from that, we look at a man who decided to raise his son as a native speaker of Klingon and how that all worked out… Then briefly we touch on whether it’s actually true that kids learn languages faster than adults. *Note: the clip of Alec singing the Klingon Anthem is no longer available online anymore, but you can ⁠hear it sung here if you’re curious⁠. On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2026

In today's episode, we're looking at how Switzerland managed to remain neutral with WWI and WWII raging around them, how Germany was so successful at the start of WWII against vastly superior numbers, the forgotten harrowing peace flight that nearly torpedoed the Japanese surrender, and much more! 0:00 How Switzerland Managed to Remain Neutral with WWI and WWII Raging Around Them 16:09 How was the German Army so Successful at the Start of WWII Against Vastly Superior Numbers? 51:22 The Forgotten Harrowing, Near Disaster Japanese Surrender Flight That Ended WWII 1:11:55 How on Earth Did Winston Churchill Lose the Election Directly Following Germany’s Defeat? 1:36:07 How WWII Made Everybody Think Carrots Were Good for Eyes and Why It Didn’t Really Have to Do With Tricking the Germans 1:44:37 The Steampunk Flight Simulator That Helped Win WWII 1:58:19 Could the Allies Really Have Crushed Germany Right at the Start of WWII 2:10:19 Gravy Stockings and TNT Hair Dye: The Fascinating Fashions of WW2 2:19:27 That One Time a Parachuting Soldier Took Down a Zero Fighter Plane With Nothing but a Handgun 2:25:47 The Red Devil: The Only Axis Prisoner to Escape from North America And Make It Back to Germany 2:39:32 A Tale of Two Brothers- The Devil and the Absolute Legend 2:48:51 The Forgotten Pearl Harbor Before Pearl Harbor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2026

I'm excited to share a preview of a new podcast we think you’d enjoy: No Such Thing No Such Thing is a show where three best friends and journalists settle their dumb arguments — and yours — by actually doing the research. Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to experts, and conduct some experiments. Finally, the guys bring their findings back to the group to see if they can change minds, enlighten each other, and move past their emotional truths. Find No Such Thing on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. New episodes out Wednesdays Listen here: No Such Thing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 2026

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 2026

Ever wonder what the best way to survive a nuclear blast is? Well, wonder no more! There was a turtle by the name of Bert, and Bert the turtle was very alert. When danger threatened him he never got hurt, he knew just what to do: He'd duck and cover! Duck and cover! So goes the title tune of the infamous Cold War instructional film Duck and Cover, released by the United States Federal Civil Defense Administration in January 1952. In the film, the cartoon character Bert the Turtle, along with narrator Robert Middleton, explain how best to survive and avoid injury in the event of a nuclear attack- duck and cover. Happen to be out in the open when the bomb drops? No problem: just dive into a ditch, behind a fence or wall, or lie flat on the ground - making sure, of course, to cover your neck and head as before. It’s that simple! In the present day, Duck and Cover and similar Cold War instructional films have become widely mocked, emblematic of America’s dangerously naive and optimistic attitude during the Atomic Age. Indeed, today the entire premise of the film seems patently absurd; after all, a school desk can’t possibly offer any protection against a nuclear weapon! But is that mocking actually valid? After all, scientists then, as now, are pretty incredibly smart. This now brings us to the question of the hour- how effective was “ducking and covering” and just what is the best way to survive a nuclear blast? Well, grab your survival rations, Geiger counter, and squeeze yourself into your refrigerator, and let’s find out, shall we? Author: Gilles Messier Editor/Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 May 2026

Is the phenomenon of toast always landing buttered side down actually real, or is it a myth, a product of selective memory and general pessimism? Surprisingly, this supposedly trivial question has attracted a large amount of rigorous scientific research - the results of which may surprise you, including the millions year old reason buttered side down toast was inevitable. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 May 2026

In the video today we're looking at World War 2's slightly absurd secret weapons and the Japanese battleship with guns that weighed more than entire American battleships. Moving on from there we cover the Russian KV Tanks that were so tough they literally would take out anti-tank guns by driving over them. Next up we do a dive into the German space shuttle, that time Germany teamed up with IBM for mass murder, the insane way British pilots would take out one of Germany's greatest weapons, the German designed, one man spherical tank, the Russian flying tank, the sad story of the exploding anti-tank dogs, the forgotten metal can that made Blitzkrieg possible and ultimately won WWII for the Allies when they stole it, the tiny submarine that changed the course of WWII, and the bizarre fake army that defeated the Axis. Next up a flying adventure looking at the insanely amazing story of the Night Witches, followed up by another flying adventure looking at if planes actually scream when they dive. Finally, we look at the pivotal WWII gun that you'd never want to put down... Because of its propensity to accidentally fire when you did so. 0:00 WWII’s Most Absurd ‘Secret Weapons’ 16:37 The Japanese Battleship with Guns that Weighed More than Entire American Battleships... 25:43 Driving Over Anti Tank Guns: The Remarkable Russian KV Tanks 31:34 The Nazi Space Shuttle 45:38 How the Nazis Teamed Up with IBM for Mass Murder (And How the First Ethical Hacker Fought Back) 1:01:57 A Wingtip and a Prayer: the Insane Way British Pilots Defeated Germany’s Secret Weapon 1:19:47 The Mysterious Kugelpanzer: The German Designed, One Man Spherical Tank 1:25:26 That Time the Russians Built a Literal Flying Tank 1:29:10 The Exploding Anti-Tank Dogs of World War II 1:34:56 The Forgotten Metal Can That Made Blitzkrieg Possible and Ultimately Won WWII When Allies Stole It 1:42:00 The Midget Submarine That Changed the Course of WWII 2:00:16 The Bizarre Story of the Massive Fake Army That Defeated the Nazis and Helped End WWII 2:23:42 With a Pistol and a Prayer- The Incredible Story of The Night Witches 2:37:21 Do Airplanes Actually “Scream” as They Dive as Commonly Depicted in Hollywood Films? 2:51:11 The Pivotal WWII Gun That Nobody Wanted to Put Down: The Plumber's Nightmare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2026

Popular history gets the War of the Currents wrong pretty fundamentally. This is the real story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 27 April 2026

A relatively common trope today is that of the noble and honorable Samurai warrior opposed by their shadowy brother from another mother, the mystical and morally corrupt, black garbed assassin warrior known as the ninja. These fabled shadow warriors of Japanese history have been a staple of modern pop culture since around the 1960s when super-spy James Bond encountered them on a trip to Japan in You Only Live Twice. Prior to this, ninjas were something few people outside of their homeland were aware of. This has contributed to the real-world history of the ninja and their origins being rather chock full of admittedly awesome myths and legends, all surrounding them like a thick, shadowy fog. Something we feel the ninjas of history would feel proud of. Afterall, hiding and remaining unseen is sort of their whole deal… And, indeed, even in their time, they seemed to like to play up some of the stories that arose around what they were capable of and how they did what they did. This all brings us to the topic of today- just who were the ninja and what did they actually get up to in reality? To begin with, in a nutshell the ninja were elite, mercenary spies that also doubled as a type of swiss army knife of special forces, skilled in everything from sabotage, espionage, ambush, arson, assasination, to there is even evidence that they were highly trained in first aid and use of various medicines. As historian Yamada Yüji notes, “You need to know the topography of the enemy’s position, the condition of his food supplies, the structure of his castle. It was the job of the shinobi [ninja] to obtain this kind of crucial information. They would infiltrate the enemy domain and ascertain the lay of the land…and create chaos through acts of sabotage and arson.” On that note, debunking our first ninja myth, there’s no historical record of them dressing in the stereotypical ninja outfits we all know and love today. Because the thing was, wearing such garb would be one heck of a way for them to stand out in many types of missions. As such, ninjas mostly seem to have worn the garb of everything from monk to farmer to servant- whatever a particular mission required, rather than any set uniform. We’ll have some examples of them doing just this later on, but for now, ninjas so commonly wearing the clothing of farmers and the like even gave rise to the idea for a time that they were mostly simple farmers who simply took money for spying. While there certainly were individuals who did just that, when talking actual ninjas as we think of them, they were anything but simple, and there are even nobles who were samurai who are known to have been trained up in ninjitsu. More on this later. But for now, let’s look at the origin of the ninja. Authors: Karl Smallwood and Daven Hiskey Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2026

In the video today we're looking at a variety of interesting stories from WWII from the man who fought in WWII with a sword and bow, to the kids who led the resistance movement in Germany, to how flatulence decided the outcome of WWII. 0:00 Why Did Japan Join the Nazis? (Given, You Know, the Nazis Explicitly Hated Non-Aryans) 40:09 The Women Who were Used for Breeding by the Nazis 57:25 How Do German Schools Teach About WWII? 1:07:21 The Man Who Fought in WWII With a Sword and Bow: 1:12:32 What were Hitler's Relatives Up to During and After WWII? 1:42:31 The Kids Who Led the Resistance Movements Against the Nazis 2:13:48 Why Did So Many Nazis Choose Argentina to Flee to After WWII? 2:49:22 The Forgotten Armed Nazi Operation Carried Out on North American Soil During WWII 2:58:22 The Forgotten Nazi Holocaust Plan Before They Decided On the Holocaust 3:09:39 How Hitler's Flatulence Defeated Nazi Germany Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2026

It is a classic war movie trope: a squad of soldiers are marching through the jungle when, suddenly, they hear an ominous click. One of the soldiers freezes and, glancing down, spots a telltale metal disk under his foot. His heart begins to beat furiously: he has just stepped on a landmine. His comrades urge him to stay perfectly still, for if he moves even an inch the mine will explode, blowing off his leg and very likely killing him. The seconds and minutes tick by in unbearable suspense as the soldiers scramble to come up with some way - any way - of getting their squadmate out of this sticky situation alive, despite how relatively easy it would be in that scenario to solve the problem by simply keeping downward pressure on the person’s shoe, then taking their foot out and putting a rock or something on the shoe after. Nevertheless, a highly-effective means of introducing tension, this scenario has appeared in dozens of films including 2014’s The Monuments Men, 2017’s Kingsman: the Golden Circle, and the appropriately-titled 2015 Georgian exploitation film Landmine Goes Click. But does it have any basis in reality? Author: Gilles Messier Editor/Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2026

The years 2010 to 2014, saw the release of the three Expendables films, throwback action romps starring a roster of aging 1980s action stars including Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as retired mercenaries back for one final job - and, presumably, easy nostalgia-fuelled paycheques. While the notion of assembling a team of 60-year-olds to carry out a dangerous mission might seem like pure Hollywood nonsense, it is not as outlandish as it might appear. Faced with a potential diplomatic crisis, during the Second World War British Intelligence called upon a team of real-life Expendables to carry out a daring commando raid in neutral Portuguese India. This is the incredible story of Operation Creek, the last ride of the Calcutta Light Horse. The Battle of the Atlantic, which raged from the very first day of WWII to the very last, has been covered extensively on this channel. But the desperate struggle between Allied shipping and German U-boats was not confined to the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. U-boat operations ranged as far afield as the Indian Ocean, where the marauding submarines wreaked havoc on ships sailing in and out of British India. And this deadliness only increased thanks to an unexpected helping hand. Author: Gilles Messier Editor: Daven Hiskey Host: Simon Whistler Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2026

History remembers Thomas Edison as one of the greatest inventors of all time. The Internet thinks he was a fraud. Which is true? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2026

As horrific as a nuclear war would be in the immediate, a common idea is that the real troubles for humanity, and the world, would actually occur in the long aftermath, triggering what is now commonly known as nuclear winter- a nightmarish scenario in which atmospheric temperatures would drop dramatically, crops would fail, and widespread famine, disease, and unrest would follow, leading to a catastrophic reduction in the global population, or even the end of human civilization. But just what is ‘nuclear winter’ anyway? Who came up with it, and is it actually a real possibility, or just some scientists with way too much time on their hands and a news media who loves them some good doomsday scenarios, whether they are valid possibilities or not. Well, put on your gas mask and lead-lined underwear as we dive into the controversial history and science of one of the most frightening doomsday scenarios ever conceived. Surprisingly, the first published suggestion that a nuclear war could alter the global climate appeared not in an official scientific publication, but rather in fiction. In the post-apocalyptic short story Tomorrow’s Children by American science fiction writer Poul Anderson, first published in the March 1947 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, a team of scientists hunt down mutated humans in the wake of a nuclear war. At one point, the story’s protagonist High Drummond observes that: “Winter lay heavily on the north, a vast grey sky seeming frozen solid over the rolling white plains. The last three winters had come early and stayed long. Dust, colloidal dust of the bombs, suspended in the atmosphere and cutting down the solar constant by a deadly percent or two. There had even been a few earthquakes, se off in geologically unstable parts of the world by bombs planted right. Half of California had been ruined when a sabotage bomb started the San Andreas Fault on a major slip. And that kicked up still more dust. Fimbulwinter, thought Drummond bleakly. The doom of the prophecy.” Anderson later adapted this story into a full-length novel titled Twilight World, first published in 1961. The same phenomenon also appears in Christopher Anvil’s short story Torch, published in the April 1957 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. In this story, a Soviet nuclear ballistic missile test in Siberia accidentally sets fire to an oil field, releasing large amounts of oily soot into the atmosphere that blots out the sun and triggers a global ice age. The term Fimbulwinter or “mighty winter” in Anderson’s original 1947 story is drawn from Norse Mythology, and refers to a series of three particularly harsh winters preceding Ragnarök, the apocalyptic battle of the Gods that will destroy and cleanse the world. While the origins of any mythological concept are hard to pin down, it has been speculated that Fimbulwinter may have been inspired by the Volcanic Winter of 536, in which a series of simultaneous volcanic eruptions ejected vast amounts of particulates - especially sulfur dioxide - into the upper atmosphere. They lingered there for years, blocking out the sun’s rays and causing global temperatures to drop by as much as 2.5 degrees Celsius or 4.5 degrees. As Roman historian Precopius recorded: “And it came about during this year that a most dread portent took place. For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year, and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear nor such as it is accustomed to shed. And from the time when this thing happened men were free neither from war nor pestilence nor any other thing leading to death.” Author: Gilles Messier Host / Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2026

In the video today, we're looking at a variety of fascinating stories from WWII, everything from what the German public actually knew about the holocaust during WWII to the biggest POW camp breakout, to that time the U.S. government teamed up with the mafia against the Germans, to the young war gamers who changed the course of the war with their games and much, much more. 0:00 What Did the German Public Know About the Holocaust During WWII? 53:37 How Do the Japanese Teach About WWII? 1:05:53 The Wild Story of the Biggest POW Camp Breakout of World War II 1:19:45 A Dinner Jacket, the Nazis, the “British” Accent, and What This All Has to Do With the BBC News 1:26:13 How a WWII Famine Helped Solve a 2,000 Year Old Major Medical Mystery 1:35:10 That Time the US Government Teamed Up with the Mafia to Defeat the Nazis 1:47:26 That Time the British Pitted a Few Canoeing Commandos against a Fleet of Nazi Ships... And Won 2:01:13 Argentina's Secret Nazi Fusion Lab 2:16:46 The Forgotten Nazi Holocaust Plan Before They Decided On the Holocaust 2:28:02 The Young War Gamers Who Changed the Course of WWII 2:40:24 That Time British Witches Tried to Stop a Nazi Invasion Using Magic 2:49:57 The Nazi Interrogator Who Killed Them with Kindness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2026

If you’ve ever shot a gun, then you will have quickly learned the first fundamental rule of shooting: recoil sucks. Depending on the calibre, weight of the firearm, and your technique, just a few minutes of shooting something like a hunting rifle can quickly leave your shoulder bruised and sore. And the bigger the firearm, the worse the problem becomes, with large-calibre military artillery pieces requiring elaborate systems of hydraulic cylinders to absorb their prodigious recoil. This, in turn, makes these weapons extremely heavy and difficult to move around the battlefield. There are two basic solutions to this problem: mount the artillery on heavy armoured vehicles… or somehow eliminate the recoil itself. Over the last century, engineers around the world have devised dozens of ingenious methods to achieve just that, creating weapons that are simultaneously powerful and long-ranged while being light and compact enough to be moved around the battlefield by regular troops or light vehicles. This is the fascinating technology behind recoilless weapons. To begin with, let’s first examine the physics behind recoil. One way to understand this phenomenon is via Newton’s Third Law - that is, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” A more useful principle, however, is conservation of momentum. Momentum, defined as an object’s ability to resist changes in motion, is given by the simple formula mass times velocity. When an object is split into pieces and those pieces propelled in different directions - such as in the case of a bomb exploding or, more relevant to our discussion, a firearm shooting a projectile - the momentum of the overall system is conserved. In other words, if you add up the momentum - mass times velocity - of every individual piece, they will sum up to the original momentum - in the case of a stationary object, zero. Most firearms shoot a projectile significantly lighter than themselves; however, as this projectile is travelling at a very high velocity, its momentum equals that of the firearm, which, being much heavier, will recoil at a significantly lower velocity. The heavier the firearm, the slower it recoils and vice-versa. This, along with surface area in contact with your shoulder, is why, despite sometimes being quite painful, the recoil of most firearms is nowhere near strong enough to actually rip your shoulder off - unlike the projectile being fired downrange. Based on this physical analysis, it stands to reason that if you placed two identical firearms back-to-back and fired them in opposite directions, their recoil would cancel out and the whole assembly would remain stationary. This is known as the counter-shot or counter-weight principle, and was the operating principle of the first recoilless firearm to see combat: the Davis Gun. Patented by U.S. Navy Commander Cleland Davis in 1914, the Davis gun was specifically intended for use aboard aircraft. During the First World War more conventional small-calibre cannons were experimentally fitted to various aircraft for use against balloons, zeppelins, ships, submarines, ammunition dumps, and other specialized targets; however, aircraft of the period were rather flimsy constructions of wood, wire, and canvas, and were easily damaged by the recoil of such weapons. Thus, by the end of the war both the American and British navies and flying services showed great interest in Davis’s design. The Davis Gun effectively comprised two gun barrels mounted back-to-back and fired a special double-ended cartridge. On firing, a conventional shell was propelled out the forward barrel towards the target, while an equivalent mass of lead shot and grease was expelled out the rear, the recoil of the two barrels cancelling each other out. Of course, standing directly behind what is effectively a gigantic shotgun is a good way to have a very bad day, meaning the Davis gun had to be rather awkwardly mounted at the very front of the aircraft with its barrel pointing downward at a steep angle so that the counter-shot was propelled safely up and over the top wing. There were other problems as well. Since the gun had to propel two projectiles at equal velocity, the propellant charge - and thus the cartridge - was much larger than usual, making it awkward to handle. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2026

“They could have fired me on the spot. But you know, they’re idiots” That’s a quote from James Cameron about the reaction of gathered executives to the first screening of The Terminator, which according to the director, really didn’t go all that well. However, largely due to Cameron’s background working on cheesy B-Movies, there was nobody else in Hollywood the studio could bring in to finish the movie. In fact, the success of Terminator and by extension the career of James Cameron owes a lot to the director’s B-movie chops, connections and experience. Oh, and a vicious bout of food poisoning that left him delirious and on the verge of shitting himself for like 5 whole days. On this, there is a long-standing industry legend that the genesis of The Terminator was a nightmare Cameron had whilst working on the cinematic turd that is, Piranha II: The Spawning, a film about genetically engineered flying piranha that is largely only noteworthy for being the directorial debut of Cameron, outside of a little film he made funded by his dentist. The legend posits that Cameron had to take a break from tossing rubber piranha at his actors when he came down with food poisoning. Whilst recovering in a cheap Italian hotel, Cameron is said to have had a nightmare about a chrome skeleton attempting to stab him with a kitchen knife and that that image was so terrifying he was convinced it could be a great hook for a film. Cameron then immediately sketched out the basic design of what would become the Terminator. Which is a great story, but it’s not the whole story and there are several details James Cameron himself has dismissed or clarified over the years. Author: Karl Smallwood Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Host: Simon Whistler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2026

In this episode, Gilles and Daven are doing a deep dive into the childhood of one of the greatest inventors in history, Thomas Edison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2026

Who among us hasn’t had this experience? You are eating a lovely outdoor meal or working peacefully in the garden when unexpected guests arrive. Dressed in menacing yellow and black, they buzz annoyingly around you, coming between you and your juicy steak or prized roses. You try to gently shoo them away, but they just grow more and more aggravated until, suddenly, you feel it: that sharp, searing pain, flashing up your hand, as if you’ve just been stabbed with red-hot poker. If you’re lucky, your finger will swell up and you will have to endure that throbbing agony for an hour or two. If, however, you happen to be among the unlucky 0.5-7% of the general population that is allergic to insect stings, you can look forward to the delights of anaphylactic shock: a sudden drop in blood pressure, itchy hives, and difficulty breathing which, in severe cases, can lead to death without immediate medical intervention. Whether we like it or not, venomous creatures like bees, wasps, scorpions, spiders, snakes, and jellyfish are a part of everyday life for nearly every human on earth, with hundreds of thousands of species worldwide being capable of delivering some kind of painful or toxic bite or sting. Thankfully, however, as is often the case in nature, most of these organisms will not attack unless directly provoked. And, if you happen to live in a part of the world where the worst stings you have to face are those of bees, paper wasps, and yellowjackets, consider yourself very, very lucky, for mother nature holds far greater horrors in her arsenal, from ants with bites so painful they are used as tests of manhood, to wasps whose stings have been likened to being thrown into a live volcano, and fish with venom so excruciating it can literally stop your heart. But which bite or sting is the absolute worst? Which organism on this planet is, as the English rock band The Police might have put it, the “King of Pain”? Well, let’s find out as we dive into the agonizing world of the worst bites and stings in nature. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila 0:00 Intro 6:00 Schmidt Theory and His Wine Lover-esk Index 17:20 The Starr Sting Pain Scale 20:00 Nathaniel "Coyote" Peterson's BSI and Looking Beyond Insects 25:30 The Ultimate Stings- The Platypus and Stonefish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2026

In the podcast today, we're looking at what it was really like to be a gladiator in Ancient Rome, how corrupt the roman senate was, what's the deal with roman gods and much, much more. 0:00 What was It Like to Be a Gladiator in Ancient Rome? 18:13 How Corrupt was the Roman Senate Really? 32:50 What's the Deal with the Roman Gods? 46:51 The Roman Emperor Who Tried to Make His Horse Consul 59:46 Julius Caesar and His Pirate Adventure 1:06:22 History's Literal Deadliest Fart and the Origin of Mooning 1:20:49 Intentionally Removing People From History (Damnatio Memoriae) 1:24:45 Did Nero Really Fiddle When Rome Burned? 1:32:23 That Time the Title 'Emperor of Rome' was Up for Auction (and the Sorry Soul Who Won) 1:43:42 The Colosseum's Big Brother, The Circus Maximus 1:49:35 Are C-Sections Really Named After Julius Caesar? 2:00:12 Where Did Goth Teen Subculture Come From and Why is it Associated With Roman Invaders? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2026

At the southern tip of Spain, jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea, lies Gibraltar, a narrow peninsula measuring only 6.8 square kilometres or 2.6 square miles in area and dominated by a 426 metre or 1,298 foot high limestone monolith: the legendary Rock of Gibraltar. A British overseas territory and naval base since 1713, Gibraltar has long been of vital strategic importance, controlling the narrow passage between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. And at no time was this truer than during the Second World War, when the Axis powers plotted to capture Gibraltar in a bid to cut Britain off from its overseas Empire and starve her into submission. And though the heavily-defended enclave would be a tough nut to crack, the very real threat of invasion led British military planners to take elaborate precautions should the“Rock” ever fall. And perhaps the most extreme of these contingencies was an utterly bonkers plan to seal six men into a secret network of tunnels and chambers carved into the Rock of Gibraltar. Provided with several years’ worth of food and water, these volunteers were to spy on the occupying Axis forces and report their movements back to Britain, secretly keeping Gibraltar in the fight. This is the bizarre tale of Operation Tracer. What is now known as the Rock of Gibraltar was formed during the early Pliocene Epoch around 5 million years ago, when the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates lifted up and inverted a large slab of the Eurasian plate, composed of the 200-million-year-old Catalan Bay Shale, Gibraltar Limestone, Little Bay Shale, and Dockyard Shale formations. The ongoing movement of these plates continues to push the Rock of Gibraltar steadily skyward, with the monolith growing in height at a rate of around 0.05 millimetres or 0.002 inches per year. The area has been inhabited for at least 125,000 years, with the bones, tools, and other remnants of both neanderthals and modern Homo sapiens being found in numerous caves dotting the peninsula. In antiquity the Rock of Gibraltar, then known as Mons Calpe, was frequently visited by Phoenician, Greek, and Roman mariners, with the Greeks recognizing the mountain as one of the two “Pillars of Heracles.” According to Greek mythology, while trying to obtain the Cattle of Geryon - the 10th of his 12 Labours - the legendary hero smashed his way through the Atlas Mountains, forming the Straits of Gibraltar and connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The identity of the other pillar has been lost to history and is heavily debated among classicists, though it is now widely believed to be either Monte Hacho or Jebel Musa in Morocco.... Author: Gilles Messier Editor: Daven Hiskey Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2026

Few brands are as closely associated with the idea of “luxury” as Rolls-Royce, a car manufacturer so fancy schmancy that the company's official website doesn’t even bother to list how much the things it sells are. Rolls-Royce knows that for anyone serious about buying one of their automobiles, price is not a concern. And to be clear, what you can get for said insane amount of money is likewise insane in customization, which we’re going to now talk about because it’s a lot more interesting, and occasionally bizarre, than even we originally thought when dreaming up this topic. But in any event, to this end, Rolls-Royce, who as a company can be fairly certain that the average person strolling into one of their showrooms likely has a credit card with a limit rivalling the GDP of a small nation, offers clients a level of customisation and self-expression seldom seen outside of old episodes of Pimp My Ride or the Need For Speed games to the point that literally every every car they sell is one of a kind. Or as we like to call the brand- Billionaire Build a Bear. One thing we should clarify first though is that even with a luxury brand like Rolls-Royce there are levels to the fanciness on offer with the price increasing accordingly. Now, we know we said in the introduction that Rolls-Royce themselves don’t list how much their cars cost because that would be tacky and only for plebians, but it’s not hard to find out how much they sell for by consulting things like trade magazines or browsing the secondary market. With this in mind the least you’d be looking to spend on a new Rolls-Royce is about £250,000 (about $310,000) for a stock Rolls-Royce Ghost which online auction site Auto Trader describes as the brand's “entry level model”. Meanwhile a Rolls-Royce Phantom will set you back a cool £350,000 (about $450,000). If this is too rich for your blood, older models, like from the 70’s, sometimes pop up for sale for as little as £10,000 (about $12,000). As good a deal as this may sound be warned, older models of many luxury cars are very often a huge pain in the butt to fix and maintain, with collectors frequently bemoaning that you can easily spend more than a car’s listed value, just to get it to run... Author: Karl Smallwood Host: Simon Whistler Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2026

Tesla is often cited to have been a genius ahead of his time and held back by finances. But what did he ACTUALLY invent, and is it true that most of his inventions only existed in his head because that is the only place they could possibly work? Well, let's dive into it all shall we? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 April 2026

Anyone interested in the shirt can find it here: https://store.todayifoundout.com/products/beep-beep-sputnik-2 On October 4, 1957 at 7:28 PM Greenwich Mean Time, a massive R7 Semyorka rocket roared off the launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and soared into the night sky. The following morning, the world awoke to the stunning news: the Soviet Union had launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, into earth orbit. In Washington, DC, American politicians and military officials flew into a panic. Not only had the supposedly backwards Soviets achieved spaceflight years ahead of Western predictions, but the same R7 rocket which had placed Sputnik in orbit could also place a nuclear warhead anywhere in the Continental United States with less than 30 minutes’ warning. Worse still, unlike a manned strategic bomber, such intercontinental ballistic missiles could not be intercepted or shot down. Overnight, outer space became a new battlefield in the escalating Cold War. As the American government and aerospace industry geared up to compete in this newly-declared Space Race, intelligence agencies like the CIA sought to learn all they could about Soviet space technology. This proved a daunting task, for the closed nature of Soviet society made it all but impossible to infiltrate using human agents. As a result, analysts were forced to glean what little they could from grainy spy plane and satellite photographs and intercepted telemetry signals. But then, in late 1959, an unlikely opportunity suddenly presented itself: a chance to “kidnap” and examine a genuine Soviet space probe. This is the audacious story of the Great Lunik Heist. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen 0:00 Shirt 0:13 Intro 7:14 Planning the Luna Space Heist 8:46 Kidnapping the Spacecraft 13:32 The Results of the Heist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2026

In the episode today, we're looking at whether absinthe actually makes you hallucinate or not. Next up the hilarious story of the wine lover's meltdown, and then the popular cocktail that includes a dehydrated human toe. Finally whether or not tapping a shaken can of soda actually reduces foam. Who invented the bloody mary drink. Where does the practice of pouring one out for your homies come from. Why alcohol content is referred to as a proof. How much it would cost to fill a swimming pool with booze. And why wine is almost always drunk in wine glasses instead of regular glasses. 0:00 Does absinthe actually make you hallucinate? 14:27 The wine lover meltdown 21:55 The popular cocktail that includes a dehydrated human toe 33:48 Does tapping a shaken can of soda actually reduce foam 45:32 Who invented the bloody mary drink 1:01:48 Where does the practice of pouring one out for your homies comes from 1:08:49 Why is alcohol content referred to a proof 1:12:24 How much would it cost to fill a swimming pool with booze 1:25:08 Why is wine almost always drunk in wine glasses instead of regular glasses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2026

“We sewed the sacks, we broke the stones, We turned the dusty drill: We banged the tins, and bawled the hymns, And sweated on the mill: But in the heart of every man Terror was lying still.” These are the words of famed master of the pen, Oscar Wilde, in his Ballad of Reading Gaol, referencing his time spent at Pentonville Prison for, ironically, mastering working with a different type of pen… As a brief aside, while many lament the initial thing that set forth a chain of events that saw Wilde imprisoned today, specifically his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, very surprisingly, unlike with the likes of the great Alan Turing and countless thousands others who were unjustly punished for their sexuality, it turns out there is a LOT more to the story of Wilde’s conviction that many a biographer skirts over, though to be fair this is in part because some elements of the original transcript from the original trial were only discovered in the year 2000. Reading through those, however, even in modern times and through a modern lens and sensibilities, Wilde would have almost certainly found himself behind bars, disgraced, and absolutely vilified pretty well universally on the interwebs. But we’re not here to discuss Oscar Wilde, the full story of his conviction was simply a rabbit hole we were previously woefully ignorant of, and will share more on later in the Bonus Facts if you’re interested as well- though fair warning, it’s quite dark and, oof. Never look too deeply into your heroes, especially when they are from the past, which was of course, the worst. But in any event, embedded in Wilde’s aforementioned poem, he references sweating on the mill. This was a device created by famed engineer Sir William Cubitt in the early days of Cubitt’s career, with the primary purpose of the surprisingly feature rich machine being both to punish prisoners in an excruciating way for upwards of 10 hours per day, while also isolating them in that task so that they could properly think about what they’d done wrong. While Wilde may have abhorred the machine, having been forced to march on it for a couple years, another famous master wordsmith, Charles Dickens, would praise it, writing, "It is a satisfaction to me to see that determined thief, swindler, or vagrant sweating profusely at the treadmill... [knowing] he is doing nothing all the time but undergoing punishment." Here now is the story of when humans first started exercising for fitness’ sake, as well as the rather torturous invention of the treadmill, which saw prison death rates ramp up considerably once implemented, but paradoxically also seemed to be a major health boon to those that survived their monotonous march. Author / Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila 0:00 Intro 3:13 When Humans Started Purposefully Exercising 6:47 Prison Reform and Inventing the "Treadmill" 22:02 Inventing the Modern Treadmill 29:02 Cooking with Dogs 32:14 Oscar Wilde was the Worst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2026

For those of us of the slightly more seasoned vintage growing up in or living in the late 20th century, which was totally only a decade ago and I’ll take no further input on this matter, spontaneous Human Combustion ranks alongside the likes of quicksand, the Bermuda triangle. and rain that melts your skin off as one of those things that everyone from the news to popular social consciousness taught us was going to be something we’d simply have to deal with in our day to day lives for some reason. And then, just as suddenly as a person randomly turning into ash, everyone just moved on and stopped talking about it… Which leads us to the subject of today’s video- what ever happened to everyone spontaneously combusting? Where did the idea come from, how did it proliferate public consciousness, and what’s up with all the people who did burst into flames and turned to ash, generally leaving only things like arms and legs behind? Can awesome science explain what happened to them? Authors: Karl Smallwood and Daven Hiskey Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2026

In the video today we're looking at how the Ancient Romans made incredibly long, perfectly straight and incredibly durable roads, what it was like being a slave in ancient rome, how they made concrete better than ours, were they really as wild as we sometimes think today or more prudes, did gladiators really live or die based on thumbs up or thumbs down by the audience, that time a farmer was given ultimate power twice and changed the world by walking away both times after he'd done what Rome asked of him, what really happened on the ides of march, and the chickens that shaped world history. Host: Simon Whistler Producer: Pacience Hiskey 0:00 How Did the Ancient Romans Manage to Build Perfectly Straight, Ultra Durable Roads? 17:35 What was It Really Like to Be a Slave in Ancient Rome? 31:14 How Did the Ancient Romans Make Concrete So Much Better Than Ours? 41:42 Were the Ancient Romans Really Wildly Debauched or Actually Prudes 53:45 Did Gladiators Really Live or Die Based on Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down by the Audience? 1:04:24 That Time a Farmer was Given Ultimate Power Twice and Changed the World By Walking Away Both 1:14:55 Fact From Fiction: What Really Happened on the Ides of March? 1:37:03 The Chickens That Decided Ancient Rome’s Major Events and Shaped World History Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2026

Running the gauntlet. Starting. Flogging with the cat ‘o 9 nine tails. Gagging. Clapping in irons. Hanging from the yardarm. While this all might sound like a super fun Saturday night with the misses when the grandparents are watching your kiddos for you, it turns out these are actually just a few of the dizzying array of corporal and capital punishments inflicted upon sailors of old - both navy men and pirates - to enforce discipline and punish a wide variety of crimes. But while most of these punishments are fairly well-known, you may have noticed two notable practices missing from the list: that old staple of pirate movies, “walking the plank”… and keel-hauling. Perhaps the most infamous of all nautical punishments, keel-hauling struck such fear into the hearts of sailors over the centuries that the term survives to this day as a byword for particularly harsh discipline. But what was keel-hauling? How did it work, who invented it, and was it actually a real thing? Or, like so much popular seamen lore, was it just the product of some adventure writer’s imagination? Well, put on your eyepatch and tricorn hat, strap on your peg-leg, as we dive into the reality of one of the Age of Sail’s most barbaric practices. Author: Gilles Messier Producer: Caden Nielsen Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2026

In today's video, we're looking at What's Up with the All Seeing Eye on the Dollar Bill? Who Started the Flat Earth Conspiracy Theory, How Many Believe This, and What Do They Believe? Why is the Stereotypical Image of Aliens Green or Grey Bald Humanoids? How Do We Actually Know We Landed on the Moon? What Really Causes Chemtrails? The Truth About the Freemasons: The Not-So-Secret Society Did Any Musicians Actually Put Backwards Satanic Messages in Their Songs? and Why Do People Think There are Aliens in Area 51? Chapters: 0:00 What's Up with the All Seeing Eye on the Dollar Bill 14:52 Who Started the Flat Earth Conspiracy Theory, How Many Believe This, and What Do They Believe? 35:37 Why is the Stereotypical Image of Aliens Green or Grey Bald Humanoids? 54:33 How Do We Actually Know We Landed on the Moon? 1:28:12 What Really Causes Chemtrails? 1:35:49 The Truth About the Freemasons: The Not-So-Secret Society 1:48:12 Did Any Musicians Actually Put Backwards Satanic Messages in Their Songs? 2:03:04 Why Do People Think There are Aliens in Area 51? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2026

At exactly 5:30 AM on July 16, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb, codenamed Trinity, detonated over the desert in New Mexico, unleashing in an instant the power of 18,000 tons of TNT. The atomic age had begun. As night turned to day and a fireball 200 metres across rose into the sky, the scientists of the Manhattan Project who had built the bomb reacted in different ways. Some were jubilant, others more somber. J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific director of the project, famously recalled a line from the Hindu scripture (ba-ga-vad gee-ta) Baghavad Gita: “Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds”; while Kenneth Bainbridge, director of the Trinity test, was more blunt, stating: “Now we’re all sons of bitches.” Elsewhere around the test site, money frantically changed hands as scientists settled a series of private bets. Some had wagered that the test would be a dud, or that it would reach just a fraction of its predicted yield. But others, including Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, had wagered on a more disturbing outcome: that the intense heat of the bomb would ignite the atmosphere, setting off an unstoppable chain reaction that would wipe out all life on earth. This apocalyptic bet has since become an infamous part of nuclear lore, but does it have any basis in reality? Could the Trinity test - or any nuclear weapon, for that matter - actually have set earth’s atmosphere ablaze? Well, let’s dive into it, shall we? Author: Gilles Messier Host: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2026

From the terrifyingly effective De-bollocker to the ugly little boat that won WWII to the German fighter that dissolved its pilots alive, this is the story of several of the more interesting weapons utilized in the world's most terrifying war. Hosts: Simon Whistler and Daven Hiskey Authors: Daven Hiskey, Gilles Messier, Karl Smallwood Producers: Samuel Avila and Pacience Hiskey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 March 2026