Omnibus

Omnibus

Omnibus

Every week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.

The Golden Age of Porn (Entry 537.1C0618)

The Golden Age of Porn (Entry 537.1C0618)

In which we celebrate the post-Valentine's season by looking back at the sleazy 1970s when adult films briefly became mainstream chic, and Ken avoids a Y2K for his marriage. Certificate #25369.

Feb 20, • 1:25:13

The Oracle of Delphi (Entry 872.1S0911)

The Oracle of Delphi (Entry 872.1S0911)

In which a veiled, fume-huffing priestess tells the ancient world what to do for over a millennium, and John only knows what time it is from his truck clock. Certificate #25192.

Feb 13, • 1:08:15

Balloon Man (Entry 094.DE1501)

Balloon Man (Entry 094.DE1501)

In which a Disneyland-trained dreamer invents a new art form with the help of a cookie entrepreneur and a jellybean innovator, and Ken has a theory about the worst balloon vendors. Certificate #32691.

Feb 6, • 1:29:01

The EGOT (Entry 398.AC2810)

The EGOT (Entry 398.AC2810)

In which an inescapable awards-season acronym is jump-started twenty-five years earlier by an eccentric TV cop actor and a pop reference book, and John's family would like to kick in hotel room doors. Certificate #42952.

Jan 30, • 1:35:46

Martin Luther King, Sr. (Entry 688.PR1301)

Martin Luther King, Sr. (Entry 688.PR1301)

In which an Atlanta pastor changes his name after a very inspiring visit to Germany and begins an American civil rights dynasty, and Ken gets to make a chart. Certificate #45274.

Jan 23, • 1:13:48

Spontaneous Combustion (Entry 1206.PR0627)

Spontaneous Combustion (Entry 1206.PR0627)

In which scientists and paranormal investigators puzzle over a string of mysterious deaths beginning with a "dull and heavy" Italian countess, and John learns about the peat of the Maldives. Certificate #40714.

Jan 16, • 1:26:44

Canal Mania (Entry 178.PR0516)

Canal Mania (Entry 178.PR0516)

In which British investors power the Industrial Revolution with arguably too many waterways for the nation's barges, and Ken thinks escalators are not cheating. Certificate #27217.

Jan 9, • 1:27:41

The Carrington Event (Entry 189.2P0312)

The Carrington Event (Entry 189.2P0312)

In which a solar storm in 1859 leads to eye-popping auroras and a harboring of technological doom, and John compares gold pan and pizza sizes. Certificate #54094.

Jan 2, • 1:09:06

Elf on the Shelf (Entry 404.PR1503)

Elf on the Shelf (Entry 404.PR1503)

In which the childhood Christmas tradition of two Georgia twins becomes a cultural tug-of-war over surveillance psychology, and Ken is going to buy a light blue tree. Certificate #45509.

Dec 26, 2024 • 1:20:50

Space Contraband (Entry 1194.JB1312)

Space Contraband (Entry 1194.JB1312)

In which astronauts and cosmonauts smuggle sandwiches, golf clubs, harmonicas, collectibles, and ashes into orbit, and John wants to blow bubbles on the Moon. Certificate #54825.

Dec 19, 2024 • 1:15:24

Lazy Susans (Entry 706.LK1237)

Lazy Susans (Entry 706.LK1237)

In which a Cantonese restaurant in San Franciscos's Chinatown spreads American revolving-table technology worldwide, and Ken wonders how long it takes to get sick of a musician in your spare bedroom. Certificate #43576.

Dec 12, 2024 • 1:14:56

The Tooth Fairy (Entry 1317.SS0606)

The Tooth Fairy (Entry 1317.SS0606)

In which ancient sorcery, changeling myths, and Edwardian fads combine to create America's only homegrown childhood rite of passage, and John's dentist turns teeth into boats. Certificate #19230.

Dec 5, 2024 • 1:25:06

411 (Entry 495.LK2003)

411 (Entry 495.LK2003)

In which telephone users once had access to a surprising array of helpful and informative services, and Ken got rid of his landline to spite Al-Qaeda. Certificate #26038.

Nov 28, 2024 • 1:10:12

Whistling (Entry 1427.DE2323)

Whistling (Entry 1427.DE2323)

In which an ancient linguistic and religious practice becomes a jaunty, ambulatory musical form before falling into decline, and John does not want to see condors in a hospital. Certificate #45133.

Nov 21, 2024 • 1:12:47

The Population Bomb (Entry 966.GE2803)

The Population Bomb (Entry 966.GE2803)

In which centuries of sterilization-happy doomsayers fail to predict a game-changing revolution in wheat, and Ken thinks Pakistan wants John to clean out his fridge. Certificate #2037.

Nov 14, 2024 • 1:20:03

The King Under the Mountain (Entry 688.RO1311)

The King Under the Mountain (Entry 688.RO1311)

In which dozens of national sleeping guys with long beards wait in caves for their countries to need them again, and John thinks Tom Cruise should not be in a courtyard. Certificate #53610.

Nov 7, 2024 • 1:13:15

New Urbanism (Entry 835.SS0711)

New Urbanism (Entry 835.SS0711)

In which conservative Sun Belt retirees and progressive urbanists agree on a nostalgic but radical revolution in city design, and Ken does a Norman Rockwell impression. Certificate #34959.

Oct 31, 2024 • 1:21:49

Soviet Spartacus (Entry 1194.EX2116)

Soviet Spartacus (Entry 1194.EX2116)

In which a Thracian slave from two thousand years earlier becomes a proletarian role model and Communist sports hero, and John prefers action stars with boogers. Certificate #37084.

Oct 24, 2024 • 1:12:08

Electrical Sockets (Entry 400.JS0215)

Electrical Sockets (Entry 400.JS0215)

In which the long war between alternating and direct current produces power outlets that multiply nto a dizzying world of configurations, and Ken needs a grounding prong. Certificate #29673.

Oct 17, 2024 • 1:21:09

Tartans (Entry 1279.DE2230)

Tartans (Entry 1279.DE2230)

In which Scottish clans each choose a distinctive plaid based on a romantic Highland history that didn't really happen, and John takes a hard hit while playing Frisbee in a skirt. Certificate #26624.

Oct 10, 2024 • 1:21:08

The Twenty-Seventh Amendment (Entry 1352.GE3028)

The Twenty-Seventh Amendment (Entry 1352.GE3028)

In which a constitutional change finally happens after a two-hundred-year delay just to spite one Texas poli sci professor, and Ken likes it when scriveners get away scot-free. Certificate #43079.

Oct 3, 2024 • 1:14:50

The Teddy Bear Shipwreck (Entry 1283.PR2433)

The Teddy Bear Shipwreck (Entry 1283.PR2433)

In which the toy market is revolutionized by a faddish stuffed animal that would be priceless today if it hadn't disappeared, and John buys the concept of a rabbit. Certificate #24398.

Sep 26, 2024 • 1:19:25

Sea Peoples (Entry 1120.1K2248)

Sea Peoples (Entry 1120.1K2248)

In which the great Mediterranean civilizations of the late Bronze Age collapse virtually overnight due to some mysterious visitors, and Ken knows a lot about white broccoli. Certificate #9795.

Sep 19, 2024 • 1:09:00

The Coconut Revolution (Entry 239.JE0207)

The Coconut Revolution (Entry 239.JE0207)

In which Melanesian eco-revolutionaries fight off helicopter gunships with literal slingshots and homemade diesel, and John makes a shocking announcement about all scientists. Certificate #54146.

Sep 12, 2024 • 1:13:05

Poutine (Entry 973.PS10709)

Poutine (Entry 973.PS10709)

In which a curd-heavy side from central Quebec belatedly becomes the national dish of a land with no real national cuisine, and Ken learns so much about Sacramento culture. Certificate #30037.

Sep 5, 2024 • 1:09:03

The Fenian Raids (Entry 461.DE2849)

The Fenian Raids (Entry 461.DE2849)

In which a secret society of plucky Civil War veterans hatches a plan to return Ireland to the Irish by—wait for it—invading Canada, and John doesn't think the people who sold him wine coolers actually exist. Certificate #12129.

Aug 29, 2024 • 1:14:25

Comic Sans (Entry 248.2C1009)

Comic Sans (Entry 248.2C1009)

In which even the most hated typeface in the history of desktop publishing has its defenders, and Ken isn't sure why he owns cargo shorts. Certificate #54861.

Aug 22, 2024 • 1:04:20

Oh, You Kid! (Entry 862.GA0519)

Oh, You Kid! (Entry 862.GA0519)

In which a flirty but forgotten Tin Pan Alley song leads to the first great moral panic in pop music history, and John sneakily borrows someone else's shanty town. Certificate #12960.

Aug 15, 2024 • 1:26:36

Pickleball (Entry 937.EZ4621)

Pickleball (Entry 937.EZ4621)

In which a state politician's lack of badminton equipment leads to the invention of the hottest sport of the 21st century, and Ken is slightly present. Certificate #42131.

Aug 8, 2024 • 1:18:06

Stradivarius Violins (Entry 1231.PS9203)

Stradivarius Violins (Entry 1231.PS9203)

In which researchers squabble for centuries about the secret ingredient that made one Cremonese craftsman the greatest musical instrument-maker of all time, and John seasons guitars under a bus. Certificate #36611.

Aug 1, 2024 • 1:06:22

The Forbidden Island (Entry 489.LV2523)

The Forbidden Island (Entry 489.LV2523)

In which a king agrees to hand over his seventh-best island in the hopes of creating a haven for his native Hawaiian language and culture, and Ken does not want to greet Zach. Certificate #43273.

Jul 25, 2024 • 1:16:58

Fermi Problems (Entry 462.MK0819)

Fermi Problems (Entry 462.MK0819)

In which the last universal physicist demonstrates to his students that ballpark estimates in math can be as powerful as precision, and John isn't sure if Romanians can count tomatoes. Certificate #46480.

Jul 18, 2024 • 1:12:23

Love Canal (Entry 737.PR2526)

Love Canal (Entry 737.PR2526)

In which an ill-advised utopian scheme to bypass Niagara Falls becomes America's first toxic waste catastrophe, and Ken knows the main thing that water does. Certificate #42025.

Jul 11, 2024 • 1:20:01

Turtle Soup (Entry 1351.SS0212)

Turtle Soup (Entry 1351.SS0212)

In which the great gourmet food of 19th-century "frolics" suddenly disappears from American menus, and John thinks humankind often looks to weasels. Certificate #32793.

Jul 4, 2024 • 1:13:42

Harambe (Entry 567.JM0506)

Harambe (Entry 567.JM0506)

In which the tragic death of a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo launches a tidal wave of viral content on social media, and Ken explains bad table manners as an accident of birth. Certificate #23616.

Jun 27, 2024 • 1:28:23

The Brushy Mountain Prison Breakout (Entry 159.AC0523)

The Brushy Mountain Prison Breakout (Entry 159.AC0523)

In which the most notorious convict in America attempts no fewer than four separate escapes from the Alcatraz of the Cumberland Mountains, and John would never disparage the banjo. Certificate #1746.

Jun 20, 2024 • 1:36:50

The Western Washington Windshield Epidemic (Entry 1422.RV0613)

The Western Washington Windshield Epidemic (Entry 1422.RV0613)

In which a mysterious outbreak of "glass pox," possibly a result of nuclear testing, hits the Pacific Northwest, and Ken doesn't think Sherlock Holmes knows any teenagers. Certificate #40197.

Jun 13, 2024 • 1:18:58

Talking Drums (Entry 1275.1C1407)

Talking Drums (Entry 1275.1C1407)

In which the Yoruba people of Nigeria create a new kind of "speech surrogacy" for news and storytelling using a versatile percussion section, and John only needs two pedals to get to Sounds-Like-Garbage-Land. Certificate #51913.

Jun 6, 2024 • 1:23:30

The Antarctic Snow Cruiser (Entry 052.1K0732)

The Antarctic Snow Cruiser (Entry 052.1K0732)

In which a polar expedition builds a massive RV to road-trip around Antarctica but brings the wrong tires, and Ken wonders if admirals like sexy calendars. Certificate #23408.

May 30, 2024 • 1:10:56

Electroculture (Entry 401.MT1308)

Electroculture (Entry 401.MT1308)

In which the earliest discoverers of electricity disagree on whether it helps flowers, turnips, and myrtle shrubs to grow, and John punishes himself with sprouts. Certificate #27338.

May 23, 2024 • 1:16:00

Somerton Man (Entry 1189.PS7902)

Somerton Man (Entry 1189.PS7902)

In which a clue-filled dead body appears on a beach in Adelaide, Australia, sparking a tantalizing 75-year mystery, and Ken is not a team of seventh graders. Certificate #35821.

May 16, 2024 • 1:39:07

Kim's Video (Entry 687.MT0542)

Kim's Video (Entry 687.MT0542)

In which the collapse of the video rental industry sends one valuable and eccentric archive to an obscure and disaster-plagued town in western Sicily, and E. coli is no match for John. Certificate #43318.

May 9, 2024 • 1:31:20

Kilroy Was Here (Entry 687.EZ0810)

Kilroy Was Here (Entry 687.EZ0810)

In which a mysterious World War II inscription marries image and text to create the modern meme, and Ken does not think gangrenous limbs are a meme. Certificate #25622.

May 2, 2024 • 1:18:37

The Rainbow Bridge (Entry 1028.EC0319)

The Rainbow Bridge (Entry 1028.EC0319)

In which the bountiful gifts of American advice columnists include a now-ubiquitious happy afterlife for pets, and John might lose a swordfight because he's too heavy for a chandelier. Certificate #29810.

Apr 25, 2024 • 1:31:14

The Principality of Sealand (Entry 987.IS6022)

The Principality of Sealand (Entry 987.IS6022)

In which a self-crowned prince founds his own nation on a tiny piece of concrete in the North Sea, complete with commando raids, and Ken is only in favor of 3-D awards. Certificate #6611.

Apr 18, 2024 • 1:08:46

Stickball (Entry 1225.MK0608)

Stickball (Entry 1225.MK0608)

In which a village pastime for Sussex dairymaids gets urbanized into an exciting neighborhood pick-up sport in American inner cities, and John wants to pick the bittle up. Certificate #13472.

Apr 11, 2024 • 1:01:26

Bioplastics (Entry 124.EZ3629)

Bioplastics (Entry 124.EZ3629)

In which attempts to replace petrochemical plastic with corn and sawdust face fatal challenges of scale and efficiency, and Ken has never made a Prius. Certificate #32944.

Apr 4, 2024 • 1:09:32

The Push Button (Entry 1012.DE0611)

The Push Button (Entry 1012.DE0611)

In which the influence of spinet pianos and telegraph keys produces a satisfying new device interface for the electric age, and John thinks aliens just want a cuddle. Certificate #42007.

Mar 28, 2024 • 1:15:01

Jersey Barriers (Entry 671.IS5714)

Jersey Barriers (Entry 671.IS5714)

In which the development of guardrail and concrete divider technology makes highway driving massively safer over the decades, and Ken lies under oath in a deposition. Certificate #40991.

Mar 21, 2024 • 1:16:34

Joanna Southcott's Box (Entry 673.GN4910)

Joanna Southcott's Box (Entry 673.GN4910)

In which twenty-four bishops refuse to open the secret prophecies that will save Britain from war and banditry, and John wants to be called "Dicebox." Certificate #49596.

Mar 14, 2024 • 1:33:54

Vanity Plates (Entry 1383.EC1208)

Vanity Plates (Entry 1383.EC1208)

In which car registration numbers become modes for personalized creative expression and eventually a multimillion-dollar commodity, and Ken does not say "auto." Certificate #37808.

Mar 7, 2024 • 1:30:09

The Earth from Space (Entry 391.GN0115)

The Earth from Space (Entry 391.GN0115)

In which centuries of inaccurate illustrations of our planet are abruptly upended by satellites and awestruck astronauts, and John never drew spaceships, just Japanese fighter planes. Certificate #35817.

Feb 29, 2024 • 1:15:24

The Food Pyramid (Entry 487.MT0611)

The Food Pyramid (Entry 487.MT0611)

In which budget-conscious Swedes rearrange American ideas about nutritious eating, and Ken is pretty sure M&Ms are not getting smaller. Certificate #54063.

Feb 22, 2024 • 1:21:53

The Guano Islands Act (Entry 554.PS10407)

The Guano Islands Act (Entry 554.PS10407)

In which we celebrate 167 years of Americans being able to claim any island they like as long as it has enough bird poop on it, and John thinks you can dip a pole in liberty. Certificate #39867.

Feb 15, 2024 • 1:06:29

The Great Idaho Beaver Drop (Entry 548.JL0202)

The Great Idaho Beaver Drop (Entry 548.JL0202)

In which a remote part of Idaho solves its beaver dam problem with some surplus parachutes and an even more remote part of Idaho, and Ken applies the transitive property to mules and culverts. Certificate #31297.

Feb 8, 2024 • 1:20:55

Naturism (Entry 827.GE0225)

Naturism (Entry 827.GE0225)

In which German health nuts give the world the idea of social nude recreation before the Nazis can tell them not to, and John thinks of something that is better than itching. Certificate #53668.

Feb 1, 2024 • 1:19:27

The Ice Trade (Entry 615.PS14717)

The Ice Trade (Entry 615.PS14717)

In which the ponds of New England become the wellspring of a new worldwide web of perishable foods, and Ken learns that gum is a forest treat. Certificate #23725.

Jan 25, 2024 • 1:11:19

Episode 583: Einstein's Brain (Entry 399.JB1909)

Episode 583: Einstein's Brain (Entry 399.JB1909)

In which the estate of the century's greatest scientist becomes a $200 million enterprise even as his brain tissue languishes in a cider box, and John compares it to pastrami. Certificate #21917.

Jan 18, 2024 • 1:17:32

Warren Miller (Entry 789.IS5707)

Warren Miller (Entry 789.IS5707)

In which a ski bum with dad jokes explores new frontiers of film distribution and extreme sports, and Ken is a water machine. Certificate #48941.

Jan 11, 2024 • 1:18:28

Yu-Mex (Entry 1455.1C1408)

Yu-Mex (Entry 1455.1C1408)

In which the rift between two Communist dictators leads to a blooming of mariachi culture in the fertile soil of the Balkans, and John is baffled by Vietnamese karaoke. Certificate #46465.

Jan 4, 2024 • 1:09:32

Prodigies, Failed (Entry 990.LK0240)

Prodigies, Failed (Entry 990.LK0240)

In which the smartest people in the world bloom early but often struggle to live up that promise later in life, and Ken's phone thinks he lives at the zoo. Certificate #50285.

Dec 28, 2023 • 1:20:07

The Eggnog Riot (Entry 398.RO1313)

The Eggnog Riot (Entry 398.RO1313)

In which a late-night Christmas party in a West Point barracks gets out of hand, almost changing the course of the Civil War, and John is not anti-Julius. Certificate #32683.

Dec 21, 2023 • 1:18:48

The Caning of Charles Sumner (Entry 180.PR2314)

The Caning of Charles Sumner (Entry 180.PR2314)

In which tensions over slavery and its westward expansion boil over into an assault on the floor of the United States Senate, and Ken does not have a single cloak. Certificate #46116.

Dec 14, 2023 • 1:10:48

Legal Baby Names (Entry 710.LK0160)

Legal Baby Names (Entry 710.LK0160)

In which governments around the world deliberate on how creatively parents may name their children, and John thinks "Tilden" sounds like a kind of cheese. Certificate #26934.

Dec 7, 2023 • 1:23:02

Jellyfish Blooms (Entry 671.PS10425)

Jellyfish Blooms (Entry 671.PS10425)

In which the world's overfished oceans begin to teem with a sudden surplus of ancient and puzzling invertebrates, and Ken just wants sex tourists not to pee on his bunion. Certificate #23757.

Nov 30, 2023 • 1:15:31

Winamp (Entry 1433.PR2603)

Winamp (Entry 1433.PR2603)

In which a teenaged slacker from Sedona with a love for llamas jump-starts the digital music age, and John explains why large people prefer old things. Certificate #38550.

Nov 23, 2023 • 1:32:22

London Bridge (Entry 733.LK1626)

London Bridge (Entry 733.LK1626)

In which the successor to one of the great medieval bridges is shipped to the Arizona desert by an American tycoon, and Ken is skeptical about product placement in slasher movies. Certificate #28472.

Nov 16, 2023 • 1:12:52

Cryonics (Entry 302.1C1535)

Cryonics (Entry 302.1C1535)

In which a science fiction-loving professor dreams of conquering death with the cold, hard science of low-temperature preservation, and John just wants to be a brain with a nose. Certificate #48643.

Nov 9, 2023 • 1:31:29

Christian Rock (Entry 220.EP0519)

Christian Rock (Entry 220.EP0519)

In which evangelical Christians wrestle with the problem of whether rock music is inherently good, evil, or neither. and Ken wonders about angel monkeys. Certificate #34822.

Nov 2, 2023 • 1:21:15

Lodge Night (Entry 731.GN2922)

Lodge Night (Entry 731.GN2922)

In which the rituals of Masonry and its more casual offshoots produce a "golden age of fraternalism" for American men, and John is discomfited by noisy day care teachers. Certificate #35320.

Oct 26, 2023 • 1:10:43

Uranium Cubes (Entry 1376.1K0710)

Uranium Cubes (Entry 1376.1K0710)

In which the remains of a useless Nazi "chandelier" unexpectedly emerge in Maryland and Washington, and Ken thinks about Bilbo Baggins too late. Certificate #35410.

Oct 19, 2023 • 1:09:53

Raised by Wolves (Entry 1028.GE4927)

Raised by Wolves (Entry 1028.GE4927)

In which the legend of feral children is traced from ancient mythology all the way up to Smurfs and Russian street dogs, and John cannot recommend the Madrid Zoo. Certificate #22714.

Oct 12, 2023 • 1:13:12

Tom of Finland (Entry 1315.EX0402)

Tom of Finland (Entry 1315.EX0402)

In which an adman who survived Nazi and Soviet invasions goes on to reinvent gay eroticism, and Ken wonders which Founding Father looked best naked. Certificate #7136.

Oct 5, 2023 • 1:17:26

The Magic Gang (Entry 747.EX0722)

The Magic Gang (Entry 747.EX0722)

In which a ghost-written memoir explains how a great British stage magician defeated Rommel in North Africa with his trickery, and John considers saying "Abracadabra" as a swear. Certificate #37883.

Sep 28, 2023 • 1:01:11

The Traffic Jam of the Century (Entry 1325.EZ1704)

The Traffic Jam of the Century (Entry 1325.EZ1704)

In which a perfect storm of construction, coal mining, and Communist commemoration creates twelve days of gridlock in central China, and Ken imagines an ancient Roman in a stadium parking garage. Certificate #34985.

Sep 21, 2023 • 1:07:41

Episode 565: One Glass of Red Wine (Entry 866.DE3233)

Episode 565: One Glass of Red Wine (Entry 866.DE3233)

In which one Canadian newsman convinces America for several decades that daily drinking is the key to solving the "French Paradox," and John thinks Ken looks inhibited holding a spatula. Certificate #13766.

Sep 14, 2023 • 1:19:41

(LIVE) Hiroo Onoda (Entry 867.1C1526)

(LIVE) Hiroo Onoda (Entry 867.1C1526)

In which Japanese soldiers, unwilling to believe that World War II is over, hold out for decades on islands all over the Pacific, and Ken will never give up on bar soap. Certificate #44164.

Sep 7, 2023 • 59:01

Kids on Milk Cartons (Entry 686.DE2407)

Kids on Milk Cartons (Entry 686.DE2407)

In which a nationwide panic over "stranger danger" turns regional dairies into activists for missing children, and John likes when things are "de minimis." Certificate #25468.

Aug 31, 2023 • 1:19:19

The NS Savannah (Entry 849.MK0436)

The NS Savannah (Entry 849.MK0436)

In which the world's first nuclear-powered merchant vessel is launched in all its modernist glory, and Ken wants an infinitely long ship. Certificate #26615.

Aug 24, 2023 • 1:13:21

The DuMont Network (Entry 386.LK2417)

The DuMont Network (Entry 386.LK2417)

In which the three nascent American broadcast networks face a challenge from a scrappy engineering lab, and John thinks gadgeteers should be certified. Certificate #28450.

Aug 17, 2023 • 1:19:07

Universe 25 (Entry 1350.GE0907)

Universe 25 (Entry 1350.GE0907)

In which the "behavioral sink" of rodent utopias is discovered in a Maryland barn, and Ken sings about a urinal trough. Certificate #38792.

Aug 10, 2023 • 1:17:29

Enneagrams (Entry 415.JM0124)

Enneagrams (Entry 415.JM0124)

In which Sufi mysticism inspires a Bolivian philosopher to divide all of humanity into nine personality types, and Ken visualizes the ur-cow. Certificate #25935.

Aug 3, 2023 • 1:36:30

The Doomsday Clock (Entry 372.1P0407)

The Doomsday Clock (Entry 372.1P0407)

In which a panel of concerned atomic scientists quantify the dangers of the nuclear age with a timely visual aid, and John's mother has a favorite fact about Benjamin Franklin. Certificate #26973.

Jul 27, 2023 • 1:28:53

Foundling Wheels (Entry 495.IS4915)

Foundling Wheels (Entry 495.IS4915)

In which a medieval pope's disturbing nightmare leads to the addition of "baby doors" at convents and hospitals across Europe, and John thinks robots could replace orphans. Certificate #43431.

Jul 20, 2023 • 1:03:48

The Sanaa Manuscript (Entry 1100.2T0316)

The Sanaa Manuscript (Entry 1100.2T0316)

In which a Yemeni construction crew finds a priceless trove of Quranic literature and promptly stuff it into potato sacks, and Ken would like to burn some French translators at the stake. Certificate #24503.

Jul 13, 2023 • 1:12:56

The Sarajevo Haggadah (Entry 1102.EX1243)

The Sarajevo Haggadah (Entry 1102.EX1243)

In which a unique piece of Jewish medieval art barely survives two European wars, and John imagines that the Venetian papal censor was a chill guy. Certificate #48606.

Jul 6, 2023 • 1:17:41

Salton Sea (Entry 1098.GN1403)

Salton Sea (Entry 1098.GN1403)

In which California's largest lake, created by accident in 1905, teeters on the brink of collapse, and Ken complains about a hotel sink. Certificate #44008.

Jun 29, 2023 • 1:12:38

101 Uses for a Dead Cat (Entry 606.LV0724)

101 Uses for a Dead Cat (Entry 606.LV0724)

In which an asthmatic British cartoonist sells two million copies of his books of non-jokes for cat skeptics, and John knows what the handle of a gun is called. Certificate #29573.

Jun 22, 2023 • 1:09:15

Crackers (Entry 290.NA0302)

Crackers (Entry 290.NA0302)

In which a Shakespearean insult for an obnoxious blowhard comes to be used as an anti-white slur, and Ken wants to test the Appalachians for testosterone. Certificate #38163.

Jun 15, 2023 • 1:04:12

The Tartarian Empire (Entry 1279.NA0206)

The Tartarian Empire (Entry 1279.NA0206)

In which a QAnon-like conspiracy theory insists that fancy 19th-century architecture was all built by a mysterious, long-lost superstate, and John is concerned about neighborhood dogs with heads the size of pumpkins. Certificate #20354.

Jun 8, 2023 • 1:12:33

The Kruger Millions (Entry 693.JB2801)

The Kruger Millions (Entry 693.JB2801)

In which a vast hoard of gold and diamonds disppears near the Mozambique border during the Boer War, and Ken thinks most penguin species look like hoboes. Certificate #15845.

Jun 1, 2023 • 1:13:46

Project Cybersyn (Entry 993.AC0245)

Project Cybersyn (Entry 993.AC0245)

In which Latin America's first Marxist democracy tries to collectivize the means of production by inventing a proto-internet in 1970, and John just hopes it was orange and brown. Certificate #53432.

May 25, 2023 • 1:13:31

The Gimli Glider (Entry 528.PS6104)

The Gimli Glider (Entry 528.PS6104)

In which the pilots of a Canadian commercial jetliner abruptly realize over Ontario that they're entirely out of fuel, and Ken likes sad character licensing attempts at amusement parks. Certificate #41746.

May 18, 2023 • 1:22:02

Dueling Scars (Entry 385.PR0633)

Dueling Scars (Entry 385.PR0633)

In which German university students create a new status symbol when they add swordplay to their drinking society meetings, and John's closet skeletons are all bar fights. Certificate #36857.

May 11, 2023 • 1:09:43

Alligators in the Sewers (Entry 033.LV1142)

Alligators in the Sewers (Entry 033.LV1142)

In which generations of New Yorkers read about, and lasso, a series of not-legendary-at-all interlopers beneath their city, and Ken doesn't think you should trim a reptile like a bonsai tree. Certificate #36161.

May 4, 2023 • 1:21:56

Magic Alex (Entry 747.JE0708)

Magic Alex (Entry 747.JE0708)

In which a self-proclaimed electronics prodigy from Greece wows the credulous Beatles with five years of inventions he will never invent, and John insists that his recursive t-shirt feature Wil Wheaton. Certificate #45939.

Apr 27, 2023 • 1:24:28

Saul Zaentz (Entry 1455.1S1435)

Saul Zaentz (Entry 1455.1S1435)

In which a future three-time Oscar winner becomes the nemesis of America's favorite fake swamp-rocker, and Ken has prepared a little skit about the death of Stalin. Certificate #42240.

Apr 20, 2023 • 1:24:07

The Green River Ordinance (Entry 549.RV0320)

The Green River Ordinance (Entry 549.RV0320)

In which underslept Wyoming railroad workers strike back against a tide of pushy brush and encyclopedia salesmen, and John appreciates the Jehovah's Witnesses. Certificate #12881.

Apr 13, 2023 • 1:18:26

Mad Cow Disease (Entry 746.GE4120)

Mad Cow Disease (Entry 746.GE4120)

In which the unsavory feeding practices of British dairy farms introduce Europe to a new degenerative brain disease, and Ken believes Prince Edward is not necessarily human. Certificate #41602.

Apr 6, 2023 • 1:16:21

The Amazing Randi (Entry 038.EX0711)

The Amazing Randi (Entry 038.EX0711)

In which mediums and other charlatans wage a 150-year war with their sworn enemy, elite stage magicians, and John would never yell at a lake or birdbath. Certificate #44722.

Mar 30, 2023 • 1:35:09

Kevlar (Entry 684.EX2822)

Kevlar (Entry 684.EX2822)

In which a pioneering chemist never sees a cent of the billions of dollars that her tough new polymer earns for her employer, and Ken wonders how many Alaskans fake their own deaths. Certificate #34836.

Mar 23, 2023 • 1:21:35

The Defector General (Entry 326.IS3301)

The Defector General (Entry 326.IS3301)

In which the greatest turncoat in Chinese history betrays every single warlord or government he ever serves, and John had the 4chan version of the '90s. Certificate #40824.

Mar 16, 2023 • 1:23:42

The Devils Hole Pupfish (Entry 342.PS10529)

The Devils Hole Pupfish (Entry 342.PS10529)

In which a playful-looking but delicate little species is unable to thrive anywhere but its 11-foot wide home near Death Valley, and Ken witnesses a jellyfish tragedy. Certificate #41036.

Mar 9, 2023 • 1:08:05

Episode 537: The Sight and Sound Poll (Entry 1158.DE0413)

Episode 537: The Sight and Sound Poll (Entry 1158.DE0413)

In which a British magazine very gradually takes over film culture with its once-every-decade top ten list, and John is careful not to endorse an invasion of the Sudetenland. Certificate #51403.

Mar 2, 2023 • 1:35:10

The Bhopal Disaster (Entry 118.JE2106)

The Bhopal Disaster (Entry 118.JE2106)

In which a series of lapses at a Union Carbide India chemical plant leads to the worst industrial accident in history, and Ken can't get behind a midnight tea break. Certificate #52760.

Feb 23, 2023 • 1:20:52

The Osage Headrights (Entry 877.MT2508)

The Osage Headrights (Entry 877.MT2508)

In which an Oklahoma tribe becomes the world's richest people before the swindling and the murders start, and John enjoys a web of intrigue. Certificate #47911.

Feb 16, 2023 • 1:23:19

The Voynich Manuscript (Entry 1403.DA0515)

The Voynich Manuscript (Entry 1403.DA0515)

In which a bizarrely illustrated codex baffles codebreakers for almost four hundred years, and Ken should not have sent that text about the collected works of Dickens. Certificate #42634.

Feb 9, 2023 • 1:22:33

Rhinos in Europe (Entry 1069.JB3910)

Rhinos in Europe (Entry 1069.JB3910)

In which Europe is so besotted with exotic ungulates that Roman emperors battle them, artists engrave them badly, and salons honor them in wig form, and John asks about Ken's milk bags. Certificate #27983.

Feb 2, 2023 • 1:11:21

Cannikin (Entry 180.IS0219)

Cannikin (Entry 180.IS0219)

In which underground nuclear testing in Alaska leads two Jewish Quakers into a new age of direct action in environmental activism, and Ken is grateful for the air fryer. Certificate #53211.

Jan 26, 2023 • 1:09:36

The Royal Touch (Entry 1087.MT1902)

The Royal Touch (Entry 1087.MT1902)

In which the divine right of kings, along with golden amulets, is considered the only cure for a disfiguring disease, and John considers which celebrities might be carved from wood. Certificate #22347.

Jan 19, 2023 • 1:09:07

Blue Fugates (Entry 137.DA1006)

Blue Fugates (Entry 137.DA1006)

In which a rare oxidized form of hemoglobin changes the skin color of a whole holler full of Kentuckians, and Ken wonders when elves got plastic surgery. Certificate #26015.

Jan 12, 2023 • 1:07:06

Korean Age (Entry 692.JB1117)

Korean Age (Entry 692.JB1117)

In which the world's first cultural superpower decides to make all its citizens a year or two younger overnight, and John could not have been a better baby. Certificate #38756.

Jan 5, 2023 • 1:20:56

Emperor Norton (Entry 408.MT2221)

Emperor Norton (Entry 408.MT2221)

In which a colorful newcomer to San Francisco loses a fortune on Peruvian rice and declares himself American royalty, and Ken would have pixelized Kiss. Certificate #42631.

Dec 29, 2022 • 1:11:47

The Grey Album (Entry 550.MT1906)

The Grey Album (Entry 550.MT1906)

In which a future music megastar bridges the gap between rock and hip-hop with one ambitious, illegal remix album, and John is such a good ally that he listened to Suzanne Vega. Certificate #19205.

Dec 27, 2022 • 1:19:56

Christmas KFC (Entry 220.DE1411)

Christmas KFC (Entry 220.DE1411)

In which a western religious holiday becomes a romantic poultry-eating occasion in modern Japan, and Ken destroys all his Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts. Certificate #24940.

Dec 22, 2022 • 1:11:24

The First Council of Nicaea (Entry 472.AC1502)

The First Council of Nicaea (Entry 472.AC1502)

In which an emperor convenes the first ever ecumenical council to figure out just whom Christians have been worshiping all this time, and John thinks the invention of the wheel led to mass depravity. Certificate #23027.

Dec 20, 2022 • 1:24:29

Custer the Wolf (Entry 308.JN1012)

Custer the Wolf (Entry 308.JN1012)

In which a national campaign to eradicate a misunderstood predator from the United States very nearly succeeds, and Ken would like to see John James Audubon burning in a pit. Certificate #52363.

Dec 15, 2022 • 1:10:53

The Phone Book (Entry 931.RV2015)

The Phone Book (Entry 931.RV2015)

In which utility companies take it upon themselves to provide the informational staple of every 20th-century household, and John is looking for a missing Jordanian. Certificate #48730.

Dec 13, 2022 • 1:35:05

The Futuro House (Entry 510.1K0609)

The Futuro House (Entry 510.1K0609)

In which a Finnish architect upgrades the prefab, modular homes of the 1960s by turning them into flying saucers, and Ken wants to know his table's name. Certificate #49729.

Dec 8, 2022 • 1:06:24

The Red Ghost (Entry 1042.LV1104)

The Red Ghost (Entry 1042.LV1104)

In which southeastern Arizona is menaced by a giant, murderous cryptid with a macabre rider, and John conjures up Mr. Clickety-Clack. Certificate #45334.

Dec 6, 2022 • 1:08:10

The Quadro Tracker (Entry 1016.LK1202)

The Quadro Tracker (Entry 1016.LK1202)

In which a man who can't find his golf balls solves every law enforcement problem known to man, and Ken has some bad news about parking tickets. Certificate #21137.

Dec 1, 2022 • 1:12:35

The Johnstown Flood (Entry 674.NA0108)

The Johnstown Flood (Entry 674.NA0108)

In which an earthenwork dam enjoyed by millionaires fails and a town of steelworkers disppears from the map, and John is terrified by the menace of West Virginia. Certificate #33180.

Nov 29, 2022 • 1:06:48

The Last Solviet Citizen (Entry 702.LA0417)

The Last Solviet Citizen (Entry 702.LA0417)

In which one lonely cosmonaut is left in space while his nation disappears from under him, and Ken thinks couples therapy should be about Mars. Certificate #35916.

Nov 24, 2022 • 54:32

Twilight (Entry 1352.DE1223)

Twilight (Entry 1352.DE1223)

In which a bored Phoenix mom has a sparkly dream that ends up changing both teen literature and Washington State tourism, and John explains that his virginity had little to do with vampires. Certificate #18573.

Nov 22, 2022 • 1:18:43

Mother Trees (Entry 810.LK2129)

Mother Trees (Entry 810.LK2129)

In which forests and their fungi form such close relationships that they essentially become a giant leafy brain, and Ken is excited about pre-Wil Wheaton science. Certificate #46162.

Nov 17, 2022 • 54:53

The Goodwill Moon Rocks (Entry 539.JB1804)

The Goodwill Moon Rocks (Entry 539.JB1804)

In which a space detective learns that hundreds of Richard Nixon's tiny gifts to the world have gone missing over the years, and John wonders if religious sacraments are more effective in space. Certificate #25614.

Nov 15, 2022 • 1:09:52

Up with People (Entry 1376.MT0715)

Up with People (Entry 1376.MT0715)

In which the counterculture of the 1960s encourages powerful institutions to create a square but multiracial song-and-dance troupe that takes the world by storm, and Ken imagines President Eisenhower as a stern ad executive. Certificate #53773

Nov 10, 2022 • 1:14:59

Loyalists (Entry 738.1S0819)

Loyalists (Entry 738.1S0819)

In which half a million colonists decide the American Revolution isn't really their thing, and John needs to know how many lanterns there were, just in case. Certificate #13747.

Nov 8, 2022 • 1:16:07

The Stone of Scone (Entry 1229.PS11822)

The Stone of Scone (Entry 1229.PS11822)

In which a medieval legend about a chunk of sandstone means that Scottish cooperation is necessary for Charles III to be crowned king, and Ken passes a Bible quiz. Certificate #42504.

Nov 3, 2022 • 1:08:39

The Popemobile (Entry 965.JE4615)

The Popemobile (Entry 965.JE4615)

In which the history of papal transportation is traced from sedan chairs to Hyundai sedans, and John has been researching the care and upkeep of Catholic moms. Certificate #15163.

Nov 1, 2022 • 1:10:56

The Dempster Dumpster (Entry 332.LA0345)

The Dempster Dumpster (Entry 332.LA0345)

In which cities, over the centuries, gradually discover the most efficient way to collect garbage for disposal, and Ken hasn't looked in his pocket since Christmas. Certificate #28712.

Oct 27, 2022 • 1:05:44

Modernist Cuisine (Entry 798.PR2303)

Modernist Cuisine (Entry 798.PR2303)

In which a computer millionaire takes early retirement to self-publish a 50-pound reference work about the chemistry of food, and John discovers a surprise cherry tomato. Certificate #24537.

Oct 25, 2022 • 1:11:46

The Batavia (Entry 103.AC2741)

The Batavia (Entry 103.AC2741)

In which one eventful Dutch voyage to Indonesia leads to a mutiny, a shipwreck, and a massacre off the coast of Australia, and Ken claims he has a bed in a port somewhere. Certificate #20229.

Oct 20, 2022 • 1:14:43

The Last Train Robbery (Entry 702.EZ0722)

The Last Train Robbery (Entry 702.EZ0722)

In which two Depression-era "drugstore cowboys" let their Wild West outlaw fantasies lead them into a life of crime, and John breaks the news to Ken about pirates. Certificate #26056.

Oct 18, 2022 • 1:01:19

The Thanh Hoa Bridge (Entry 1293.2C0409)

The Thanh Hoa Bridge (Entry 1293.2C0409)

In which the "Dragon's Jaw" across the Song Ma River in North Vietnam proves a challenge for the most advanced air weaponry on earth, and Ken thinks teens should be in parking lots. Certificate #22691.

Oct 13, 2022 • 1:03:19

Dissociative Fugues (Entry 363.HE1017)

Dissociative Fugues (Entry 363.HE1017)

In which human memory and identity are so fragile that a series of people simply walk away from them, and John wishes more things were the movie Tron. Certificate #28975.

Oct 11, 2022 • 1:13:42

Lem Billings (Entry 121.PR2705)

Lem Billings (Entry 121.PR2705)

In which a high school Kennedy confidante becomes an influential White House voice while hiding a delicate secret, and Ken wants to blur some of John Lithgow's wrinkles. Certificate #36906.

Oct 6, 2022 • 1:00:32

The Murder of Herbert Lee (Entry 817.EX2307)

The Murder of Herbert Lee (Entry 817.EX2307)

In which a racist Mississippi state legislator kills his childhood friend, a civil rights organizer, in broad daylight with no consequences whatsoever, and John thinks Ken pronounces "Montgomery" like a Southern belle. Certificate #34239.

Oct 4, 2022 • 57:34

Adbusters (Entry 014.HG0105)

Adbusters (Entry 014.HG0105)

In which a pair of outraged Canadians, kept off the TV airwaves, change the world with their anti-consumerist art magazine instead, and Ken thinks Mr. Ed should have had pop-up ads. Certificate #29414.

Sep 29, 2022 • 1:11:19

Luke and Laura (Entry 739.MT2210)

Luke and Laura (Entry 739.MT2210)

In which the first daytime "supercouple" briefly makes soap operas a part of 1980s mass culture, and John wonders if a bride is "zaftig." Certificate #32511.

Sep 27, 2022 • 1:19:39

Bitcoin Pizza Day (Entry 126.JB1304)

Bitcoin Pizza Day (Entry 126.JB1304)

In which $300 million in 2022 money is unwisely spent on the world's first real-world cryptocurrency transaction, and Ken explains why a bro should not have an army. Certificate #11904.

Sep 22, 2022 • 1:25:19

Exclaves (Entry 436.NU2021)

Exclaves (Entry 436.NU2021)

In which we explore life in parts of the map that are bizarrely separated from the rest of their nations, and John thinks Alaska looks like a very fertile octopus. Certificate #51829.

Sep 20, 2022 • 1:23:03

The Boots Theory (Entry 143.LK2104)

The Boots Theory (Entry 143.LK2104)

In which a British fantasy writer reframes cost-of-living calculations for future economists, and Ken doesn't notice cobblers. Certificate #28114.

Sep 15, 2022 • 1:14:47

Farmer Burns (Entry 166.GN3224)

Farmer Burns (Entry 166.GN3224)

In which a gifted grappler with Iowa's biggest neck becomes America's first national wrestling celebrity, and pro wrestling reminds John of many of his past relationships. Certificate #29766.

Sep 13, 2022 • 1:29:31

Tom Thumb (Entry 1315.PR2131)

Tom Thumb (Entry 1315.PR2131)

In which America's first locomotive faces its greatest challenge, a group of angry teamsters, and Ken decides horses are his Sammy Hagar. Certificate #17918.

Sep 8, 2022 • 1:06:25

The Winchester Geese (Entry 1434.JG1601)

The Winchester Geese (Entry 1434.JG1601)

In which a church bishop's sanction makes the London borough of Southwark a haven for sex workers and other outcasts for centuries, and John would like to pay someone to chide him. Certificate #49605.

Sep 6, 2022 • 1:01:30

Hobby Tunneling (Entry 591.JB2416)

Hobby Tunneling (Entry 591.JB2416)

In which a series of largely male and largely odd people over the centuries start digging something and just don't stop, and Ken explains how Canadian lakes are named. Certificate #39623.

Sep 1, 2022 • 1:13:08

Gillian Hills (Entry 588.PS12101)

Gillian Hills (Entry 588.PS12101)

In which the daughter of a famous adventurer and hostage does landmark work in 20th-century music, film, and art, and John wonders whom he has talked to for the most hours. Certificate #39582.

Aug 30, 2022 • 1:19:17

O'Shaughnessy Dam (Entry 877.EX1508)

O'Shaughnessy Dam (Entry 877.EX1508)

In which a great American city got its water rights by illegally flooding John Muir's favorite valley, and Ken has opinions on where egrets should poop. Certificate #53464.

Aug 25, 2022 • 1:18:34

The Placebo Effect (Entry 946.IS3821)

The Placebo Effect (Entry 946.IS3821)

In which people find they can feel better about almost any ailment while taking nothing at all, and many of John's friends are Batman villains. Certificate #42734.

Aug 23, 2022 • 1:31:55

The Dingo Fence (Entry 351.EZ1415)

The Dingo Fence (Entry 351.EZ1415)

In which 3,500 miles of wire mesh are intended to keep the southeast corner of Australia dingo-free, and Ken thinks his dogs are choosing not to do jazz hands. Certificate #51283.

Aug 18, 2022 • 1:15:23

The Battle of Bamber Bridge (Entry 104.HE1302)

The Battle of Bamber Bridge (Entry 104.HE1302)

In which wartime Britain reacts skeptically to American racial segregation, leading to a firefight in the village streets of Lancashire, and John ponders the post-apocalyptic looting of opticians. Certificate #53093.

Aug 16, 2022 • 1:16:57

Be Here Now (Entry 111.JM0414)

Be Here Now (Entry 111.JM0414)

In which an LSD-loving psychologist is fired from Harvard and reborn in India, and Ken would like to be in a control group. Certificate #30296.

Aug 11, 2022 • 1:14:51

The Swamp Dragons (Entry 1261.MK0118)

The Swamp Dragons (Entry 1261.MK0118)

In which one of the most hapless teams in NBA history has a rebranding brainstorm, and John is mistaken about Jesus riding a dinosaur. Certificate #27789.

Aug 9, 2022 • 1:23:46

Jobbers Canyon (Entry 673.LK1218)

Jobbers Canyon (Entry 673.LK1218)

In which one of America's most historic warehouse districts is threatened by urban renewal, and Ken wants only the best rutabagas in his body. Certificate #48481.

Aug 4, 2022 • 1:07:07

Twee (Entry 1352.1TH0207)

Twee (Entry 1352.1TH0207)

In which an achingly innocent, gentle, and earnest new aesthetic spawns a decade of music, art, bangs, and Etsy stores, and John has forgotten every band except Kajagoogoo. Certificate #16065.

Aug 2, 2022 • 1:18:22

The Mother Sauces (Entry 810.PS7825)

The Mother Sauces (Entry 810.PS7825)

In which a taxonomy of five simple French recipes are used to define haute cuisine for generations, and Ken wants noodles named for Drake. Certificate #48504.

Jul 28, 2022 • 1:15:08

Roller Derby (Entry 1080.NA0302)

Roller Derby (Entry 1080.NA0302)

In which a Broadway legend retools a Depression-era endurance contest into a thrilling contact sport, and John wants Portland to succeed. Certificate #26834.

Jul 26, 2022 • 1:17:28

Blackout '77 (Entry 129.PS1828)

Blackout '77 (Entry 129.PS1828)

In which a crippling power outage strikes New York City during the worst summer in its history, and Ken receives strange wisdom from Nikola Tesla's severed head. Certificate #50165.

Jul 21, 2022 • 54:51

A Message to Garcia (Entry 779.PR2513)

A Message to Garcia (Entry 779.PR2513)

In which fake news from the Spanish-American War inspires a self-proclaimed socialist to write a pro-employer business classic, and John believes sadness can sink ships. Certificate #42914.

Jul 19, 2022 • 1:10:21

The Hand of God (Entry 565.JB1921)

The Hand of God (Entry 565.JB1921)

In which long-simmering resentments over the Falklands War boil over on the soccer pitch, and Ken thinks that Margaret Thatcher was actually a giant marionette. Certificate #38221.

Jul 14, 2022 • 1:01:27

Facilitated Communication (Entry 447.MK0737)

Facilitated Communication (Entry 447.MK0737)

In which a discredited pseudoscience from the 1980s makes a modern resurgence in the autism community, and John never wants to hear a second record by one of his favorite bands. Certificate #25222.

Jul 12, 2022 • 1:06:38

Slag (Entry 1170.EZ2218)

Slag (Entry 1170.EZ2218)

In which the waste byproducts of smelting iron become an annoyance and then a hotly contested resource, and Ken wants some aquarium gravel. Certificate #24789.

Jul 7, 2022 • 56:17

The Princeton Incident (Entry 987.RU0310)

The Princeton Incident (Entry 987.RU0310)

In which the worst naval accident in U.S. government history almost kills a president but inspires romance instead, and John doesn't love the coquetteish head-tilting in old photos. Certificate #52488.

Jul 5, 2022 • 1:09:19

The Appaloosa (Entry 059.ZC0603)

The Appaloosa (Entry 059.ZC0603)

In which the indigenous people of the Columbia River Plateau breed a new horse with a "leopard complex," and Ken notes you can't milk an emu. Certificate #36454.

Jun 30, 2022 • 1:07:39

The Chronofile (Entry 221.ES0601)

The Chronofile (Entry 221.ES0601)

In which a great American futurist spends decades experimentally recording his own personal data every fifteen minutes, and John wants to know if Ken is a good kisser. Certificate #49146.

Jun 28, 2022 • 1:18:55

Ice Capades (Entry 614.PR0322)

Ice Capades (Entry 614.PR0322)

In which figure skating produces the biggest movie star in the world and then a half-century of traveling live entertainment, and Ken believes in promoting peanut vendors. Certificate #43376.

Jun 23, 2022 • 57:37

Riot Dogs (Entry 1075.MK0728)

Riot Dogs (Entry 1075.MK0728)

In which some tail-wagging strays become mascots on the frontlines of social protest, and John has an idea for treating arthritic cows. Certificate #53229.

Jun 21, 2022 • 1:07:49

The Viking (Entry 1395.IS3321)

The Viking (Entry 1395.IS3321)

In which a proud Norwegian sea captain decides to one-up the fleet of Spanish boats at the Chicago World's Fair, and Ken wonders how well Elvis knew Nixon. Certificate #21995.

Jun 16, 2022 • 1:11:06

The Babalon Working (Entry 088.RV1703)

The Babalon Working (Entry 088.RV1703)

In which an American rocketry pioneer gets over a breakup by trying to summon an ancient sex goddess into our dimension, and John has a modest proposal on school prayer. Certificate #36297.

Jun 14, 2022 • 1:26:46

The Video Game Crash of 1983 (Entry 1394.GE4130)

The Video Game Crash of 1983 (Entry 1394.GE4130)

In which the biggest segment of America's entertainment economy almost disappears in a single year due to lousy product, and Ken is too shy to play Zaxxon in public. Certificate #24180.

Jun 9, 2022 • 1:23:18

Why Is a Mouse When It Spins? (Entry 1431.JG1414)

Why Is a Mouse When It Spins? (Entry 1431.JG1414)

In which a great Victorian master of nonsense creates a world of riddles that aren't really riddles, and John thinks a roast chicken has definitely caused a murder. Certificate #35725.

Jun 7, 2022 • 1:25:41

Waterbeds (Entry 1413.IS5720)

Waterbeds (Entry 1413.IS5720)

In which the history of water mattresses is traced from ancient goatskins up to 1970s hedonism and even science fiction, and Ken's bed is not moving his butt. Certificate #40450.

Jun 2, 2022 • 1:02:42

Safety Coffins (Entry 1095.LK0852)

Safety Coffins (Entry 1095.LK0852)

In which a series of questionable legends about premature burial lead to an inventors' boom of escapable caskets, and John has been handcuffed at least seven times. Certificate #35676.

May 31, 2022 • 1:01:54

Sovereign Citizens (Entry 1194.1C0612)

Sovereign Citizens (Entry 1194.1C0612)

In which a surprisingly broad spectrum of conspiracists discovers a secret set of rules for outsmarting the U.S. government, and Ken wishes some of his enemies could be flogged more. Certificate #29113.

May 26, 2022 • 1:10:08

The Goodwill Games (Entry 539.EP0607)

The Goodwill Games (Entry 539.EP0607)

In which an upstart media mogul hatches a plan with Moscow to challenge the Olympics and end the Cold War, and John looks for the sexiest pictures of a former First Lady. Certificate #21182.

May 24, 2022 • 1:16:32

Moose Cheese (Entry 806.JB1010)

Moose Cheese (Entry 806.JB1010)

In which brave souls from Siberia to Zimbabwe try riding and milking some rarely domesticated animals, with mixed results, and Ken wants to put a newborn baby on an ostrich. Certificate #52260.

May 19, 2022 • 1:25:04

Billy Jack (Entry 122.LV1933)

Billy Jack (Entry 122.LV1933)

In which one low-budget action flick forever rewrites the rules of how movies are marketed, and John thinks Spider-Man's aunt is the only real movie star. Certificate #33734.

May 17, 2022 • 1:16:49

The Milgram Experiment (Entry 788.GE2708)

The Milgram Experiment (Entry 788.GE2708)

In which a Yale psychologist attempts to explain the Holocaust using research techniques considered unethical today, and Ken has a theory about the origins of Jeopardy! Certificate #20495.

May 12, 2022 • 1:00:50

Potsdamer Platz (Entry 972.NE0406)

Potsdamer Platz (Entry 972.NE0406)

In which the "Times Square of Europe" is bombed into 150 acres of rubble and eventually the greatest real estate opportunity of the post-Cold War world, and John lists the only three places in Germany. Certificate #38531.

May 10, 2022 • 1:02:50

The Holy Prepuce (Entry 594.JS0503)

The Holy Prepuce (Entry 594.JS0503)

In which Apocrypha gospel adventures and medieval miracles are ascribed to the sacred foreskin of Jesus of Nazareth, and Ken disapproves of hand magic in our schools. Certificate #52348.

May 5, 2022 • 1:08:17

Missing in Action (Entry 795.2CH2811)

Missing in Action (Entry 795.2CH2811)

In which the majority of Americans become convinced that U.S. POWs are still being held captive decades after the Vietnam War ends, and John assumes those dancing inflatable tube men enjoy Primus. Certificate #49382.

May 3, 2022 • 1:19:10

Sleng Teng Riddim (Entry 1172.PS3303)

Sleng Teng Riddim (Entry 1172.PS3303)

In which the first ever all-electronic groove revolutionizes Jamaican music, and Ken thinks there should be more songs about baptism. Certificate #52239.

Apr 28, 2022 • 1:18:34

Point Nemo (Entry 958.JB3826)

Point Nemo (Entry 958.JB3826)

In which the dead center of the Pacific Ocean is revealed to be the home of microplastics, sunken spacecraft, and possibly giant sea monsters, and John refuses to leave his keyboard player in the desert. Certificate #49394.

Apr 26, 2022 • 1:20:22

The Titanic II (Entry 1311.PR1618)

The Titanic II (Entry 1311.PR1618)

In which an Australian national treasure and a Chinese resort race to revive the most disastrous brand in maritime history, and Ken is fed up with the sulfurous steel of Belfast. Certificate #50231.

Apr 21, 2022 • 53:50

Ranz-des-Vaches (Entry 1030.PS5010)

Ranz-des-Vaches (Entry 1030.PS5010)

In which Swiss mercenaries will desert their post if you whistle a folk song about cows, and John wishes you many goods and cheese. Certficate #26419.

Apr 19, 2022 • 1:15:02

Solidarnosc (Entry 1187.EC0409)

Solidarnosc (Entry 1187.EC0409)

In which a well-mustached electrician starts a labor movement that even Ronald Reagan can get behind, and Ken is working on a chess novel. Certificate #26170.

Apr 14, 2022 • 1:13:00

The Presidential Fitness Test (Entry 983.PR3117)

The Presidential Fitness Test (Entry 983.PR3117)

In which terror of falling behind the Swiss leads the White House to introduce America's children to a new and tramautic form of physical education, and John wants to landscape the top of Mount Rainier. Certificate #39398.

Apr 12, 2022 • 1:15:49

The Torch Lady (Entry 1319.MT2507)

The Torch Lady (Entry 1319.MT2507)

In which a multitude of actresses and one journalist remember being the model for the Columbia Pictures logo, and Ken's fuse box is in the wrong place. Certificate #28564.

Apr 7, 2022 • 52:23

Minitel (Entry 791.IS4209)

Minitel (Entry 791.IS4209)

In which a French-only precursor to the World Wide Web appears in the late 1970s in a wave of Gallic futurist fervor, and John may have been making long distance calls from a Parisian prison. Certificate #23054.

Apr 5, 2022 • 56:57

Camel Beauty Pageants (Entry 177.MT2324)

Camel Beauty Pageants (Entry 177.MT2324)

In which a Bedouin cultural revival in modern-day Arabia leads to a thriving circuit of competitive camel events, and Ken thinks Brazil is acting a little desperate. Certificate #37337.

Mar 31, 2022 • 1:05:11

Eyebrows (Entry 446.IS4804)

Eyebrows (Entry 446.IS4804)

In which we follow the evolution of the human brow from prehistoric man up through the Kardashians, and John looks into Sanskrit. Certificate #22352.

Mar 29, 2022 • 1:09:42

Hang In There, Baby (Entry 566.MT2413)

Hang In There, Baby (Entry 566.MT2413)

In which a Beverly Hills celeb photographer, a Siamese kitten named Sassy, and a Broadway legend collaborate to create modern poster culture, and Ken hates the ticking of a giant Garfield watch. Certificate #19046.

Mar 24, 2022 • 1:13:35

Winnipeg the Bear (Entry 1436.PR1712)

Winnipeg the Bear (Entry 1436.PR1712)

In which a Canadian veterinarian saves an orphaned cub on his way to France, unwittingly giving the world a great literary gift, and John thinks there should be a railway car just for thrash metal. Certificate #51029.

Mar 22, 2022 • 1:15:43

The Hudson Brothers (Entry 604.1J0210)

The Hudson Brothers (Entry 604.1J0210)

In which an Oregon pop trio become near-stars of record, TV, and screen in the mid-1970s, and Ken wonders who the Bee Gees are romancing in the afterlife. Certificate #37614.

Mar 17, 2022 • 1:06:02

The Great Lisbon Earthquake (Entry 548.1S1415)

The Great Lisbon Earthquake (Entry 548.1S1415)

In which a new breed of Portuguese statesman rebuilds his capital after the worst natural disaster in European memory, and John thinks a rainbow would never hold up in court. Certificate #30150.

Mar 15, 2022 • 1:08:18

Fanta (Entry 453.EX1524)

Fanta (Entry 453.EX1524)

In which a wartime shortage of secret ingredient 7x gives the world its second favorite soda brand, and Ken pronounces beverages like an Okie. Certificate #25939.

Mar 10, 2022 • 1:08:29

The Royal Anus of Louis XIV (Entry 1086.2CH2118)

The Royal Anus of Louis XIV (Entry 1086.2CH2118)

In which modern surgery begins at Versailles inside the most beloved bottom in all of France, and John has Moroccan gravel in his foot for years. Certificate #52937.

Mar 8, 2022 • 1:07:05

Nadia's Theme (Entry 823.PS5707)

Nadia's Theme (Entry 823.PS5707)

In which a minor bit of a movie score improbably becomes a chart-topping hit thanks to daytime soaps and Olympic gymnastics, and Ken doesn't enjoy the bongo as a lead instrument. Certificate #25729.

Mar 3, 2022 • 57:52

Lisztomania (Entry 726.MT0908)

Lisztomania (Entry 726.MT0908)

In which a Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist becomes Europe's first rock star, and John is looking for a German countess with the right braids. Certificate #39341.

Mar 1, 2022 • 1:03:36

The Megavitamin Craze (Entry 772.PR2516)

The Megavitamin Craze (Entry 772.PR2516)

In which a two-time Nobel Prize winner believes he has discovered the cure for the common cold, and Ken wants cilantro to tell him what to do. Certificate #31531.

Feb 24, 2022 • 1:01:05

The Mill (Entry 788.MK1242)

The Mill (Entry 788.MK1242)

In which a coinage act officially defines American currency much smaller than a penny, and John has an important question about a shrimp restaurant. Certificate #40326

Feb 22, 2022 • 54:13

Beanie Babies (Entry 106.PR2105)

Beanie Babies (Entry 106.PR2105)

In which 1990s America becomes convinced that the world's least cuddly stuffed animals are the road to financial freedom, and Ken's very valuable comic book gets covered with jelly. Certificate #47159.

Feb 17, 2022 • 59:24

Vinegar Valentines (Entry 1396.PS10105)

Vinegar Valentines (Entry 1396.PS10105)

In which Victorians use February 14 to woo their sweethearts but also to insult all their enemies, and John reveals the best night of the year to play a concert. Certificate #36155.

Feb 15, 2022 • 49:33

The Hays Code (Entry 572.MT2325)

The Hays Code (Entry 572.MT2325)

In which scandal-plagued Hollywood hires a Harding Administration official to clean up suggestive movies, and John is a student of kissing. Certificate #29282.

Feb 10, 2022 • 1:11:32

The Anarchy (Entry 024.DA1106)

The Anarchy (Entry 024.DA1106)

In which a German empress comes within a whisker of the English crown during a bloody civil war, and Ken discovers history's most fateful case of diarrhea. Certificate #45359.

Feb 8, 2022 • 51:45

Trofim Lysenko (Entry 743.MT1325)

Trofim Lysenko (Entry 743.MT1325)

In which a Soviet agronomist misunderstands genetics so badly that millions of people die, and John finds giraffes to have the sexiest eyelashes. Certificate #27832.

Feb 3, 2022 • 1:09:09

Chindogu (Entry 215.PR0812)

Chindogu (Entry 215.PR0812)

In which a Japanese college dropout invents a new kind of not-entirely-useless invention, and Ken enjoys a tidy sum. Certificate #36799.

Feb 1, 2022 • 1:09:39

Ledger Art (Entry 709.2P0115)

Ledger Art (Entry 709.2P0115)

In which accounting records become the basis for an important new genre of Native American painting, and Ken gets nostalgic for his childhood dog food invoices. Certificate #25974.

Jan 27, 2022 • 1:14:42

Penguin Classics (Entry 915.EC1212)

Penguin Classics (Entry 915.EC1212)

In which a boring train ride from Devon leads to the creation of the modern paperback library, and John's daughter is a snob about sans serif typefaces. Certificate #41769.

Jan 25, 2022 • 1:04:20

Roxas v. Marcos (Entry 1086.PR1506)

Roxas v. Marcos (Entry 1086.PR1506)

In which a humble locksmith sues the dictator who stole his golden Buddha, and Ken thinks teaching multiplication to juries was a mistake. Certificate #46804.

Jan 20, 2022 • 1:01:38

Welsh Patagonia (Entry 1421.DE2609)

Welsh Patagonia (Entry 1421.DE2609)

In which a small group of nationalists leave Wales for the prairies of Argentina, and John explains why he pronounces "Nazi" to rhyme with "snazzy." Certificate #53240.

Jan 18, 2022 • 58:08

The Fastest Bicyclist (Entry 445.IS0526)

The Fastest Bicyclist (Entry 445.IS0526)

In which the world land speed cycling record reaches incredible heights using the power of the slipstream, and Ken doesn't need to hear the word "torque" so much. Certificate #43944.

Jan 13, 2022 • 1:08:26

Damascus Steel (Entry 314.PS4503)

Damascus Steel (Entry 314.PS4503)

In which the technology used to make the world's strongest and most beautiful swords is lost to time, and John is suspicious of redheads. Certificate #26207.

Jan 11, 2022 • 51:56

Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death (Entry 853.PS13709)

Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death (Entry 853.PS13709)

In which an American heiress leverages her dollhouse enthusiasm to invent a new scientific discipline, and Ken's aunt knows more about cyanide than his uncle. Certificate #34368.

Jan 6, 2022 • 1:00:17

The Law of the Tongue (Entry 705.JB0712)

The Law of the Tongue (Entry 705.JB0712)

In which an Australian whaling village learns to hunt cooperatively with the local apex predators, and John identifies the "ferrets of the sea." Certificate #46594.

Jan 4, 2022 • 1:02:59

Der Grosser (Entry 551.EX1407)

Der Grosser (Entry 551.EX1407)

In which an ultra-luxury Mercedes becomes the car of choice for rock stars and despots worldwide, and Ken wants to buy the least fascist doorbell. Certificate #49472.

Dec 30, 2021 • 1:30:13

The Public Universal Friend (Entry 1006.JE3122)

The Public Universal Friend (Entry 1006.JE3122)

In which a Rhode Island Quaker emerges from a coma rebranded as a nameless, genderless prophet, and John predicts the Temptations will get boils. Certificate #29297.

Dec 28, 2021 • 1:06:14

The Halifax Explosion (Entry 562.JB0409)

The Halifax Explosion (Entry 562.JB0409)

In which a maritime comedy of errors in a Nova Scotia harbor leads to the biggest non-nuclear explosion in human history, and Ken learns why you should never buy an old yellow shirt. Certificate #21795.

Dec 23, 2021 • 1:10:12

The Jefferson Bible (Entry 671.LK2270)

The Jefferson Bible (Entry 671.LK2270)

In which the President of the United States secretly produces his own version of Jesus without any miracles or narrative incident at all, and John produces a healthy, nutritious bowl full of Kurt Cobains. Certificate #30782.

Dec 21, 2021 • 1:12:32

Cask 263 (Entry 191.PR2321)

Cask 263 (Entry 191.PR2321)

In which a forgotten barrel of single malt whiskey becomes a multimillion dollar collector's item, and Ken refuses to drink beer out of a squirrel's butt. Certificate #13321.

Dec 16, 2021 • 1:17:12

Vortex I (Entry 1403.JM0318)

Vortex I (Entry 1403.JM0318)

In which the governor of Oregon keeps the peace by throwing the country's only state-sponsored rock festival, and John refuses to introduce two celebrities to each other. Certificate #21362.

Dec 14, 2021 • 55:15

The Amargosa Opera House (Entry 038.JE1543)

The Amargosa Opera House (Entry 038.JE1543)

In which a borax ghost town improbably becomes the performing arts center of Death Valley, and Ken is somewhat hazy on mules. Certificate #26351.

Dec 9, 2021 • 1:04:19

Single Taxers (Entry 1164.LV2716)

Single Taxers (Entry 1164.LV2716)

In which a forgotten Gilded Age celebrity suggests reinventing the tax code so that landowners pay their fair share, and John is discomfited by the city of Altoona. Certificate #41467.

Dec 7, 2021 • 56:39

Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons (Entry 145.1T0515)

Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons (Entry 145.1T0515)

In which a national hysteria erupts over the Satanists controlling your children's role-playing games, and Ken is just a big thimble. Certificate #38501.

Dec 2, 2021 • 1:20:09

The Phantom of New Guinea (Entry 928.IS0117)

The Phantom of New Guinea (Entry 928.IS0117)

In which a purple-clad comic strip hero becomes a warrior totem in the western highlands of Papua New Guinea, and John locates the Dominican Republic of Asia. Certificate #24126.

Nov 30, 2021 • 58:03

The Ma Bell Breakup (Entry 744.LK1214)

The Ma Bell Breakup (Entry 744.LK1214)

In which the U.S. government finally succeeds, after decades, in breaking up a massive telephone monopoly, and John is unfamiliar with a funny poem about an elephant. Certificate #22481.

Nov 25, 2021 • 1:17:28

The Longest Prizefight (Entry 733.HE1032)

The Longest Prizefight (Entry 733.HE1032)

In which a seven-hour boxing match tests the patience of New Orleans crowds and changes the rules of the sport, and Ken thinks straws should be made of cornstarch. Certificate #26215.

Nov 23, 2021 • 1:07:31

The Smiley Face Killer(s) (Entry 1177.JB2414)

The Smiley Face Killer(s) (Entry 1177.JB2414)

In which investigators differ on whether binge-drinking or a homicidal conspiracy is killing American college students, and John plays Frogger to get to the East River. Certificate #23582.

Nov 18, 2021 • 1:05:21

The Great Bell of Dhammazedi (Entry 548.EX3925)

The Great Bell of Dhammazedi (Entry 548.EX3925)

In which the largest bell ever cast spends four centuries in the mud at the bottom of a Burmese river, and Ken makes a terrible grandfather clock decision. Certificate #50855.

Nov 16, 2021 • 48:57

The Kalakala (Entry 681.2S1918)

The Kalakala (Entry 681.2S1918)

In which a burned-out ferry becomes an art deco American icon of the future and then a derelict eyesore, and Ken blames Seattle for the great San Francisco fire of 1906. Certificate #19361.

Nov 11, 2021 • 1:12:47

The All-Americans Go to Japan (Entry 032.1K0728)

The All-Americans Go to Japan (Entry 032.1K0728)

In which a Tokyo newspaperman with big dreams lures Babe Ruth onto a pre-war baseball barnstorming tour, and John regrets that fancy lounges are mostly for drinking. Certificate #36360.

Nov 9, 2021 • 56:54

Eternal September (Entry 428.1C1533)

Eternal September (Entry 428.1C1533)

In which the 1993 back-to-school week that never ended kills an early outpost of the internet, and Ken annoys online Winnie-the-Pooh fans. Certificate #47957.

Nov 4, 2021 • 1:10:41

Salmon Chaos (Entry 1098.LK0506)

Salmon Chaos (Entry 1098.LK0506)

In which a viral craze inspires hundreds of young Taiwanese folks to put a fish in their names, and John hits a cement wall in his attempts to mate. Certificate #50920.

Nov 2, 2021 • 1:15:46

Myers-Briggs (Entry 821.2T0223)

Myers-Briggs (Entry 821.2T0223)

In which two pioneering women and amateur Jungians devise a way to classify sixteen different types of human personality, and Ken explains his Star Trek slash fiction. Certificate #36282.

Oct 28, 2021 • 1:23:02

Bloody Mose (Entry 134.EZ1106)

Bloody Mose (Entry 134.EZ1106)

In which America's first city for free Black people rises from the salt marshes of Spanish Florida, and John regrets quoting a Monty Python sketch. Certificate #31305.

Oct 26, 2021 • 1:00:36

Ramtha (Entry 1029.AC1616)

Ramtha (Entry 1029.AC1616)

In which the discovery of quantum mechanics leads inevitably to the reappearance of a 30,000-year-old warrior god from a lost continent, and Ken proposes missionaries for silverware. Certificate #27324.

Oct 21, 2021 • 1:25:56

The Cahokia Mounds (Entry 173.IS2502)

The Cahokia Mounds (Entry 173.IS2502)

In which a complex of massive earthworks in southern Illinois is assumed to have been built by Vikings, Hindus, or Welshmen, and John is fascinated by sexy voodoo. Certificate #34924.

Oct 19, 2021 • 1:10:24

The Cheapside Hoard (Entry 210.MT0620)

The Cheapside Hoard (Entry 210.MT0620)

In which a mysterious treasure is founded in a central London basement, and Ken has a question about the various beads and bangles of Aerosmith. Certificate #7089.

Oct 14, 2021 • 1:06:54

Potsdam Giants (Entry 972.1S1704)

Potsdam Giants (Entry 972.1S1704)

In which the "soldier king" of Prussia recruits and kidnaps Europe's tallest men to serve as his grenadiers, and John admires "merry" people of every height. Certificate #10109.

Oct 12, 2021 • 57:04

Merkins (Entry 777.1C1115)

Merkins (Entry 777.1C1115)

In which we trace the surprisingly long and eventful history of body hair grooming, and Ken wonders if Brad Pitt will be hot forever. Certificate #33732.

Oct 7, 2021 • 1:00:55

Laetrile (Entry 696.MK1618)

Laetrile (Entry 696.MK1618)

In which apricot pits are discovered to be a cause of cyanide toxicicity rather than a cure for cancer, and John wanders Europe under the protection of a United States Senator. Certificate #527.

Oct 5, 2021 • 1:00:43

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (Entry 182.PS4303)

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (Entry 182.PS4303)

In which erosion on North Carolina's Outer Banks prompts the government to move a twelve-story lighthouse half a mile inland, and Ken is in favor of shipwrecks when the ships are bad. Certificate #6374.

Sep 30, 2021 • 1:09:09

The Cotsworth Calendar (Entry 283.JB0306)

The Cotsworth Calendar (Entry 283.JB0306)

In which a gifted Yorkshire boy fails to talk the League of Nations into a thirteen-month year, and John thinks autumn gets short shrift. Certificate #25901.

Sep 28, 2021 • 1:02:48

The Erie War (Entry 424.PR2822)

The Erie War (Entry 424.PR2822)

In which America's richest men invent many, many types of securities fraud while tussling over a New York State railroad, and Ken imagines a zoo full of cows. Certificate #32641.

Sep 23, 2021 • 1:12:08

Kennewick Man (Entry 683.GN2304)

Kennewick Man (Entry 683.GN2304)

In which a prehistoric nomad becomes the center of a heated legal battle nine thousand years after his death, and John announces a hydroplane race. Certificate #17567.

Sep 21, 2021 • 1:12:06

The Town of Bent Necks (Entry 1323.SS0701)

The Town of Bent Necks (Entry 1323.SS0701)

In which two Nazi brothers divide a German town into rival athletic shoe factions, and Ken plans a hotel heist. Certificate #31961.

Sep 16, 2021 • 1:09:14

The Prince Philip Movement (Entry 987.PS8207)

The Prince Philip Movement (Entry 987.PS8207)

In which one Melanesian village decides, sight unseen, to worship the Duke of Edinburgh, and the gods imprison John in a small ravine. Certificate #50227.

Sep 14, 2021 • 58:21

The Wave (Entry 1415.1K0814)

The Wave (Entry 1415.1K0814)

In which the invention of a Bay Area cheerleader becomes science's most exhaustively studied stadium ritual, and Ken doesn't think harbor seals come in different colors. Certificate #4418.

Sep 9, 2021 • 1:05:50

Middle Initials (Entry 786.LK0161)

Middle Initials (Entry 786.LK0161)

In which twentieth-century America becomes the only time and place in history when people drop letters into their names, and John renames himself in the phone book. Certificate #21831.

Sep 7, 2021 • 1:02:56

The Great Diamond Hoax (Entry 548.MT1344)

The Great Diamond Hoax (Entry 548.MT1344)

In which a clever drillbit company accountant cons banking bigwigs into believing an acre of Wyoming is covered in precious gems, and Ken suggests a touching tribute to Paul Anka. Certificate #52348.

Sep 2, 2021 • 1:18:19

The Chicago Seekers (Entry 213.RV0103)

The Chicago Seekers (Entry 213.RV0103)

In which a failed Chicago flying saucer cult leads to a landmark study in social psychology, and John blames religious fervor on diet pills. Certificate #17854.

Aug 31, 2021 • 1:27:47

The Fresnel Lens (Entry 501.1C1312)

The Fresnel Lens (Entry 501.1C1312)

In which an efficient new piece of French glassware changes the history of lighthouses, and Ken learns the exact age of Discovery. Certificate #52246.

Aug 26, 2021 • 55:37

Goodnight Moon (Entry 539.PR0324)

Goodnight Moon (Entry 539.PR0324)

In which a modernist Manhattan bohemian accidentally writes the great American bedtime story, and John regrets making his professor voice Austrian. Certificate #44141.

Aug 24, 2021 • 59:17

The Mpemba Effect (Entry 813.JB3829)

The Mpemba Effect (Entry 813.JB3829)

In which scientists from Aristotle up to modern-day Tanzania try to understand the paradoxical way water seems to freeze, and Ken thinks baseball should have cheerleaders. Certificate #25481.

Aug 19, 2021 • 1:01:56

The Mafeking Cadet Corps (Entry 746.IS2903)

The Mafeking Cadet Corps (Entry 746.IS2903)

In which a hero of the Second Boer War turns an ill-advised siege into a worldwide youth movement, and John isn't sure if one can tell time with a cannon. Certificate #31247.

Aug 17, 2021 • 1:08:17

The Cuyahoga River Fire(s) (Entry 309.IS4302)

The Cuyahoga River Fire(s) (Entry 309.IS4302)

In which the American government only gets serious about environmental cleanup after a river in Cleveland bursts into flame well over a dozen times, and Ken believes he could manufacture gravel. Certificate #12398.

Aug 12, 2021 • 1:04:22

Fiji's Declaration of Independence (Entry 467.EC0306)

Fiji's Declaration of Independence (Entry 467.EC0306)

In which a Pacific nation loses its founding document and has to ask nicely for a photocopy replacement, and John missed his chance at an assumed identity. Certificate #23621.

Aug 10, 2021 • 54:54

The Oosik (Entry 868.GN0223)

The Oosik (Entry 868.GN0223)

In which walrus genitals supply an important element to Alaskan folk art, and Ken will not inspect the underside of a wallaby. Certificate #45999.

Aug 5, 2021 • 58:44

The Next Dalai Lama (Entry 836.MT0208)

The Next Dalai Lama (Entry 836.MT0208)

In which the uninterrupted 600-year succession of Tibetan Buddhist leadership is threatened by political oppression, and John admires a hat that looks like a banana. Certificate #32762.

Aug 3, 2021 • 1:05:43

The Fulda Gap (Entry 505.2K0316)

The Fulda Gap (Entry 505.2K0316)

In which a series of valleys in central Germany become the focus of Cold War military strategy for generals "fighting the last war," and Ken orders a baby online. Certificate #51668.

Jul 29, 2021 • 1:03:28

Lieutenant Nun (Entry 718.2C1102)

Lieutenant Nun (Entry 718.2C1102)

In which a "Basque transvestite" leaves her San Sebastian convent in 1607 to become one of the most dangerous men in South America, and John thinks an Italian pope would be a little naughtier than a Spanish one. Certificate #11658.

Jul 27, 2021 • 52:06

Games Buddha Wouldn't Play (Entry 514.PP0203)

Games Buddha Wouldn't Play (Entry 514.PP0203)

In which a great spiritual leader lists all the kinds of dice and pick-up sticks and toy windmills that are off-limits to the enlightened, and Ken wants to lick a tetherball pole. Certificate #25968.

Jul 22, 2021 • 1:13:42

Union Dixie (Entry 1368.EZ2046)

Union Dixie (Entry 1368.EZ2046)

In which the same folk song is embraced by both sides of the U.S. Civil War, albeit with different lyrics, and John accuses a Supreme Court justice of having a racist ringtone. Certificate #27330.

Jul 20, 2021 • 1:08:27

Mulberry Mania (Entry 815.2S0523)

Mulberry Mania (Entry 815.2S0523)

In which early America, hoping to keep up with the Chinese, is caught up in an obsession with white mulberry trees, and Ken marvels at the hanky-panky that must go on in every Olympic Village. Certificate #26780.

Jul 15, 2021 • 1:27:59

An African in Greenland (Entry 022.JB3132)

An African in Greenland (Entry 022.JB3132)

In which a young man from French Togoland survives a snake attack and embarks on a lifelong quest to see the Arctic, and John loses a large rooster. Certificate #36809.

Jul 13, 2021 • 1:30:50

Wuppertal Schwebebahn (Entry 1448.DE0227)

Wuppertal Schwebebahn (Entry 1448.DE0227)

In which a German industrial town builds a unique new type of suspension railway that fails to catch on worldwide, and Ken disses the Eiffel Tower. Certificate #36460.

Jul 8, 2021 • 1:09:59

Goat Glands (Entry 536.AC0409)

Goat Glands (Entry 536.AC0409)

In which a Midwestern quack becomes a radio tycoon (and almost governor of Kansas) by extolling the virtues of animal testicles, and John eats cheese out of a pocket. Certificate #42674.

Jul 6, 2021 • 59:47

Erdos-Bacon-Sabbath (Entry 423.JB3104)

Erdos-Bacon-Sabbath (Entry 423.JB3104)

In which we are introduced to the most exclusive cinema-musico-academic club on earth, and Ken volunteers to provide a guest rap. Certificate #32655.

Jul 1, 2021 • 1:19:58

The Zaire Space Program (Entry 1455.PS11516)

The Zaire Space Program (Entry 1455.PS11516)

In which a maverick German engineer tries to give an African dictator his very own space program, and John reminds us that astronauts are often quite short. Certificate #48059.

Jun 29, 2021 • 1:14:40

The 1871 Whaling Disaster (Entry 399.1T0119)

The 1871 Whaling Disaster (Entry 399.1T0119)

In which a city-sized segment of the world's whaling fleet is trapped together in Arctic ice off Alaska, and Ken blames the horrors of the industrial world on whale ghosts. Certificate #31403.

Jun 24, 2021 • 1:19:09

James Frazier Reed (Entry 1044.EZ0510)

James Frazier Reed (Entry 1044.EZ0510)

In which one pioneer's midlife crisis leads him to a brush with Donner Party death and then prosperity in gold rush California, and John is tempted to murder a bassist with a whip handle. Certificate #51638.

Jun 22, 2021 • 1:10:00

The Erika Typewriter (Entry 424.JB0412)

The Erika Typewriter (Entry 424.JB0412)

In which contraband East German equipment helps create an underground publishing movement in the Soviet Union, and Ken's favorite typeface is now tainted. Certificate #37914.

Jun 17, 2021 • 1:16:28

Four-Leaf Clovers (Entry 495.JE3623)

Four-Leaf Clovers (Entry 495.JE3623)

In which a rare recessive plant gene produces a persistent superstition and a cutthroat collectors' competition, and John will never mock Allah. Certificate #12598.

Jun 15, 2021 • 59:33

The Panorama of the Monumental Grandeur of the Mississippi Valley (Entry 895.NU2406)

The Panorama of the Monumental Grandeur of the Mississippi Valley (Entry 895.NU2406)

In which very, very large oil paintings become the 19th-century precursor of the modern movie theater, and Ken has never seen the sun rise by choice. Certificate #14751.

Jun 10, 2021 • 1:09:46

Left Behind (Entry 709.1T0416)

Left Behind (Entry 709.1T0416)

In which some controversial Bible theology sells 65 million apocalypse thriller books and even shapes American foreign policy, and John can identify sinners on a plane. Certificate #40618.

Jun 8, 2021 • 1:22:07

Nudie Suits (Entry 850.EX2631)

Nudie Suits (Entry 850.EX2631)

In which a Ukrainian-born tailor brings the first outrageous stage wear to the American music scene--but in country and western, not glam rock--and Ken is unsure about his sky-blue pants. Certificate #27201.

Jun 3, 2021 • 1:02:01

Officials General (Entry 861.MK0640)

Officials General (Entry 861.MK0640)

In which English inherits some "postpositive adjectives" from the Norman Conquest that continue to confuse high-ranking federal officials to this day, and John thinks companies should have one vice president tops. Certificate #18999.

Jun 1, 2021 • 1:19:15

Interrobang (Entry 655.LK2040)

Interrobang (Entry 655.LK2040)

In which a series of typographic attempts to improve on the exclamation point and question mark are doomed to failure, and Ken is unable to justify the existence of the backslash. Certificate #22311.

May 27, 2021 • 1:19:19

Mister Rogers's Operas (Entry 795.RO1502)

Mister Rogers's Operas (Entry 795.RO1502)

In which America's most beloved television host and moral exemplar composes a series of now-mostly-forgotten children's operas, and John thinks Star Wars is what ends childhood. Certificate #29242.

May 25, 2021 • 1:33:45

Concordski (Entry 258.JE4606)

Concordski (Entry 258.JE4606)

In which the Soviet Union attempts to close its "Concorde gap" with the West by developing its own terrible supersonic passenger jet, and John is okay with pilots showing off as long as they're in a bar. Certificate #36689.

May 20, 2021 • 1:03:09

Olestra (Entry 864.LV0723)

Olestra (Entry 864.LV0723)

In which Procter & Gamble spends almost thirty years trying to bring its fat substitute to market, only to see it vanish from the public memory almost immediately, and Ken just wants to eat devil's food cake. Certificate #51232.

May 18, 2021 • 1:06:39

The Worst Poet in History (Entry 1445.PR2622)

The Worst Poet in History (Entry 1445.PR2622)

In which Scottish mill-worker William McGonagall becomes notorious for his utterly sincere but terrible poetry, and John plans to instigate a sex riot. Certificate #44448.

May 13, 2021 • 1:05:55

The Back of a Napkin (Entry 090.LK1920)

The Back of a Napkin (Entry 090.LK1920)

In which we study the long history of inspirations getting jotted down on scrap paper, and Ken learns he's too lively to be a rock musician. Certificate #44181.

May 11, 2021 • 1:14:37

Dagen H (Entry 313.EZ2116)

Dagen H (Entry 313.EZ2116)

In which Sweden literally changes directions overnight, and John feels that the samurai spirit is all in the details. Certificate #30932.

May 6, 2021 • 1:14:08

Cholitas (Entry 218.1C1110)

Cholitas (Entry 218.1C1110)

In which a poltitical revolution in Bolivia produces a new wave of visibility for the nation's hat-wearing indigenous women, and Ken wonders which communist dictators were cuddly. Certificate #16179.

May 4, 2021 • 1:08:05

Drywall (Entry 384.LV1442)

Drywall (Entry 384.LV1442)

In which a new gypsum miracle product takes more than a century to replace lath-and-plaster walls in home construction, and John thinks lizards have ears. Certificate #35059.

Apr 29, 2021 • 46:35

America's Joan of Arc (Entry 040.2S1412)

America's Joan of Arc (Entry 040.2S1412)

In which a now-forgotten Quaker teenager becomes the most fiery and most famous woman orator of her time, and Ken has no idea if Norman Schwarzkopf is alive or dead. Certificate #44568.

Apr 27, 2021 • 1:23:56

The Bottle Conjuror (Entry 145.PS11983)

The Bottle Conjuror (Entry 145.PS11983)

In which an aristocrat's private bet about gullible audiences leads to a 1749 theater riot, and John thinks Dick Cheney should have a podcast. Certificate #16793.

Apr 22, 2021 • 1:09:13

Mother Earth's Plantasia (Entry 810.1CH1633)

Mother Earth's Plantasia (Entry 810.1CH1633)

In which the Moog synthesizer and the "plant consciousness" movement of the 1970s produce a rare collector's item for lovers of weird music, and Ken refuses to buy his children reptiles. Certificate #27581.

Apr 20, 2021 • 1:11:34

The Tan Suit Controversy (Entry 1277.EZ3403)

The Tan Suit Controversy (Entry 1277.EZ3403)

In which the president wears beige to an August 2014 press conference, suddenly creating three or four new kinds of political discourse, each worse than the last. Certificate #35844.

Apr 15, 2021 • 1:17:34

Magic Eye (Entry 747.PR0425)

Magic Eye (Entry 747.PR0425)

In which we trace two centuries of people being briefly interested in three-dimensional images, and John gets a bad case of "Intellivision thumb." Certificate #27012.

Apr 13, 2021 • 1:16:25

Rasputin (Entry 1031.MT2411)

Rasputin (Entry 1031.MT2411)

In which a Siberian mystic gets so cozy with Russian royals that he ensures the success of the Bolshevik Revolution, and Ken wonders if he blinks the normal amount of times. Certificate #38899.

Apr 8, 2021 • 1:00:53

The Crash at Crush (Entry 292.ZP0110)

The Crash at Crush (Entry 292.ZP0110)

In which the American love affair with demolition-based entertainment is born near Waco, Texas in an explosion of iron and steam, and John believes some flight attendants are aliens. Certificate #34659.

Apr 6, 2021 • 50:49

Figwit (Entry 467.JE2402)

Figwit (Entry 467.JE2402)

In which we follow the arc of nerd culture to the Council of Elrond where a certain kind of fan service is born, and Ken explains why people fight about Frodo and Jesus. Certificate #40170.

Apr 1, 2021 • 1:11:42

The Cadaver Synod (Entry 172.HE0927)

The Cadaver Synod (Entry 172.HE0927)

In which a zombie pope is forced to stand trial in 9th-century Rome, and Ken discovers a generation of people with strong opinions about the word "zoology." Certificate #28349.

Mar 30, 2021 • 1:09:14

Roady Bill and Tony the Pony (Entry 1077.PR0719)

Roady Bill and Tony the Pony (Entry 1077.PR0719)

In which an online covered wagon auction unearths an almost-forgotten genre of itinerant performer, and John refuses to identify the Tijuana of Europe. Certificate #46962.

Mar 25, 2021 • 1:07:55

The Underarm Bowling Incident (Entry 1363.JB2602)

The Underarm Bowling Incident (Entry 1363.JB2602)

In which an Australian cricket team creates an international controversy with an unorthodox but legal strategy, and Ken accidentally does a Boston accent. Certificate #30080.

Mar 23, 2021 • 59:35

The Lost Spitfires of Burma (Entry 736.AC0219)

The Lost Spitfires of Burma (Entry 736.AC0219)

In which a modern-day treasure hunter becomes convinced that a priceless trove of British fighter jets is buried at the end of an airport runway, and John becomes a realtor for Myanmar. Certificate #34112.

Mar 18, 2021 • 1:00:19

The Memex (Entry 774.EX3607)

The Memex (Entry 774.EX3607)

In which the Internet is born in 1945 when a radar technician in a bamboo hut reads a Life magazine article about a futuristic desk, and Ken wonders if anyone smoked weed at Los Alamos. Certificate #18461.

Mar 16, 2021 • 1:09:16

English as She Is Spoke (Entry 414.GE1107)

English as She Is Spoke (Entry 414.GE1107)

In which an inept attempt at a Portuguese-English phrasebook becomes an enduring comedy classic, and John celebrates the invention of the stirrup. Certificate #29469.

Mar 11, 2021 • 1:16:33

Rosa Luxemburg's Body (Entry 1082.NU1911)

Rosa Luxemburg's Body (Entry 1082.NU1911)

In which the most famous socialist rabble-rouser of her time returns from her 1919 execution (maybe) as a headless mummy, and Ken wonders if ancient Irish peasants had combination skin. Certificate #27337.

Mar 9, 2021 • 1:05:21

Episode 338: Mobile Jubilees (Entry 797.LV2512)

Episode 338: Mobile Jubilees (Entry 797.LV2512)

In which a set of rare ocean and weather conditions in Alabama can lead to periodic seafood explosions, and Ken and John agree that Muscle Shoals must be in the wrong place. Certificate #38099.

Mar 4, 2021 • 1:00:05

Henry Cavendish (Entry 197.JB2825)

Henry Cavendish (Entry 197.JB2825)

In which the wealthiest and most socially awkward British thinker of his time revolutionizes science, mostly in secret, and John wants to harvest clones at Packers games. Certificate #47447.

Mar 2, 2021 • 1:08:48

The Beatles' Lord of the Rings (Entry 107.EX2512)

The Beatles' Lord of the Rings (Entry 107.EX2512)

In which we consider an alternate timeline where the Beatles' third movie was a psychedelic Tolkien adaptation instead of a bummer documentary, and Ken sticks up for sanitation. Certificate #51290.

Feb 25, 2021 • 1:09:46

Sergeant Stubby (Entry 1136.PS1848)

Sergeant Stubby (Entry 1136.PS1848)

In which a mutt from the mean streets of Connecticut becomes a decorated hero in the trenches of World War I, and John is only good at half of rugby. Certificate #26161.

Feb 23, 2021 • 1:08:43

Beaver Castoreum (Entry 108.EX3035)

Beaver Castoreum (Entry 108.EX3035)

In which the gross gunk from the back end of a rodent is discovered to be an invaluable perfume ingredient and even flavor enhancer, and Ken's Sunday school teacher does not want a high-five. Certificate #36682.

Feb 18, 2021 • 1:01:27

Flying Through the Gateway Arch (Entry 484.EZ4030)

Flying Through the Gateway Arch (Entry 484.EZ4030)

In which Midwestern pilots are unable to resist the gaping maw of the St. Louis skyline, and John watches a Wim Wenders movie fourteen times without ever seeing the beginning. Certificate #30320.

Feb 16, 2021 • 1:19:02

The Whole Earth Catalog (Entry 1430.IS1426)

The Whole Earth Catalog (Entry 1430.IS1426)

In which an acid trip and a NASA space photo inspire a new guide of counterculture "tools" for living, and Ken helps John get his Nixon back. Certificate #51410.

Feb 11, 2021 • 1:10:57

Lego Minifigures (Entry 711.EX0508)

Lego Minifigures (Entry 711.EX0508)

In which we learn how a "system" of Scandinavian minimalism put on a happy face and became the most popular toy in the world, and John tries the art of the deal with Ken's kids. Certificate #50469.

Feb 9, 2021 • 1:22:33

The Universal Studios Fire (Entry 1370.PS10618)

The Universal Studios Fire (Entry 1370.PS10618)

In which a series of corporate mergers and one amusement park fire conspire to rob the world of a priceless musical heritage, and Ken regrets renting a fancy car. Certificate #43485.

Feb 4, 2021 • 1:16:21

The Great Tea Race (Entry 548.JM0304)

The Great Tea Race (Entry 548.JM0304)

In which four clipper ships race to London in the most exciting contest of the 19th century, and John thinks race cars should deliver cocaine. Certificate #38646.

Feb 2, 2021 • 1:01:23

Bigfoot Hoaxers (Entry 120.2K0108)

Bigfoot Hoaxers (Entry 120.2K0108)

In which southwest Washington State becomes the epicenter for lazy Sasquatch fakes, and Ken explains how the Jersey Devil probably reproduces. Certificate #17742.

Jan 28, 2021 • 1:19:59

Operation Ajax (Entry 869.PR2904)

Operation Ajax (Entry 869.PR2904)

In which a presidential grandchild with a reasonable CIA departmental budget is all it takes to overthrow Iran, and John reveals the only downside of firing a howitzer. Certificate #39131.

Jan 26, 2021 • 1:10:14

The River of Doubt (Entry 1076.PS7208)

The River of Doubt (Entry 1076.PS7208)

In which Teddy Roosevelt and his son celebrate the end of his manly presidency by almost dying in South America, and Ken is tricked into discussing Mato Grosso. Certificate #27531.

Jan 21, 2021 • 1:08:46

Allegheny Time (Entry 032.MT2436)

Allegheny Time (Entry 032.MT2436)

In which a series of traumatic train accidents and a broke astronomer conspire to re-invent time as a flat circle, and John accidentally attends a clock unveiling. Certificate #13818.

Jan 19, 2021 • 59:16

Otokichi (Entry 879.2C1125)

Otokichi (Entry 879.2C1125)

In which a freak Pacific storm in 1832 makes one young castaway an unusual ambassador for the Empire of Japan, and Ken is unable to justify the Gospel of John. Certificate #37850.

Dec 31, 2020 • 1:04:50

Woodstock '99 (Entry 1441.IS2808)

Woodstock '99 (Entry 1441.IS2808)

In which a fiery apocalypse outside Rome, New York marks the cultural endpoint of the 1990s, and John spends his whole childhood reading about armaments in Janes publications. Certificate #27287.

Dec 29, 2020 • 1:19:22

Kon-Tiki (Entry 692.MT1424)

Kon-Tiki (Entry 692.MT1424)

In which a Norwegian amateur anthropologist sails a raft from Peru to Polynesia to push a pet theory, and Ken covets ink and gold. Certificate #18688.

Dec 24, 2020 • 1:17:54

The War Before This One (Entry 1409.NH0109)

The War Before This One (Entry 1409.NH0109)

In which we follow the long, strange journey that finally got World War I and World War II their names, and John goes for drinks with his high school principal. Certificate #24737.

Dec 22, 2020 • 1:18:22

Episode 320: Slab City (Entry 1170.IS3501)

Episode 320: Slab City (Entry 1170.IS3501)

In which itinerant snowbirds turn an abandoned desert naval base into a trash-mountain utopia, and Ken hopes a nuke lands on his head. Certificate #33204.

Dec 17, 2020 • 1:12:39

Carlo Gesualdo (Entry 526.HE1304)

Carlo Gesualdo (Entry 526.HE1304)

In which modernity discovers a late Renaissance composer with a history of ahead-of-his-time harmonies and lurid murder, and John scats like Cab Calloway after midnight. Certificate #39859.

Dec 15, 2020 • 1:17:01

The Guardian Angels (Entry 554.EX2320)

The Guardian Angels (Entry 554.EX2320)

In which a Brooklyn-born fast food manager slaps some paramilitary berets on local kids and starts a new community policing movement, and Ken wonders how to allocate the stripes on the American flag. Certificate #25639.

Dec 10, 2020 • 1:10:20

B. Traven (Entry 1332.PR2502)

B. Traven (Entry 1332.PR2502)

In which we trace at least four secret identities of the most reclusive novelist in literary history, and John gets a terrible fake ID from the fake ID store. Certificate #39453.

Dec 8, 2020 • 1:08:47

Dingbat Apartments (Entry 351.AC2830)

Dingbat Apartments (Entry 351.AC2830)

In which we learn why Los Angeles and other post-war American cities have tens of thousands of the same apartment complex, and Ken wonders where Philip Johnson's water heater is. Certificate #25380.

Dec 3, 2020 • 1:06:36

Ultrarunning (Entry 1357.IS4031)

Ultrarunning (Entry 1357.IS4031)

In which a throwback British baronet (sort of) completes seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days, and John runs like a rhinoceros. Certificate #20800.

Dec 1, 2020 • 1:12:16

The DeLorean Cocaine Bust (Entry 330.JB1810)

The DeLorean Cocaine Bust (Entry 330.JB1810)

In which Detroit's first "cool" car executive almost goes to jail in an attempt to save his weird car and foundering company, and Ken says it's okay for kids to climb into refrigerators now. Certificate #36728.

Nov 26, 2020 • 1:20:04

Elizabeth Nietzsche (Entry 837.EX0204)

Elizabeth Nietzsche (Entry 837.EX0204)

In which a Prussian schoolteacher's wife founds a failed anti-Semitic utopia in Paraguay and creates fascism's favorite philosopher, and John wants to keep Nazis off the Moon at all costs. Certificate #42582.

Nov 24, 2020 • 1:04:48

Cottagecore (Entry 283.ZP0206)

Cottagecore (Entry 283.ZP0206)

In which we look at the long history of romanticizing rural life, from the Enlightenment all the way up to today's Instagram lesbians, and Ken accuses Thoreau of "glamping." Certificate #45989.

Nov 19, 2020 • 1:10:07

The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon (Entry 088.MK1472)

The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon (Entry 088.MK1472)

In which we learn what causes the "frequency illusion" of recently learned facts immediately reappearing into view, and John has too many books on his bed for romance. Certificate #36846.

Nov 17, 2020 • 1:13:00

The Baader-Meinhof Gang (Entry 088.EZ2736)

The Baader-Meinhof Gang (Entry 088.EZ2736)

In which far-left European terrorism of the 1970s produces West Germany's own Marxist-Leninist "Bonnie and Clyde," and Ken feels bad for that kissing nurse in Times Square. Certificate #26524.

Nov 12, 2020 • 1:21:25

The Cavendish Banana (Entry 197.JU0112)

The Cavendish Banana (Entry 197.JU0112)

In which we learn that the massive global banana export market is a precarious monoculture doomed to disaster because of a tiny fungus, and John thinks Sean Young might be a time traveler. Certificate #26039.

Nov 10, 2020 • 1:01:34

Wampum (Entry 1408.DE0206)

Wampum (Entry 1408.DE0206)

In which the intricate bead culture of the Eastern Woodlands tribes confuses new British and Dutch arrivals, and Ken refuses to let Thomas Jefferson make him be a farmer. Certificate #31448.

Nov 5, 2020 • 1:10:58

Election Ties (Entry 400.1CH2508)

Election Ties (Entry 400.1CH2508)

In which we learn what governments do when election results come back exactly tied, and John swings a Seattle mayoral election by asking for directions. Certificate #30371.

Nov 3, 2020 • 1:19:57

Episode 306: Mensa (Entry 775.PR1320)

Episode 306: Mensa (Entry 775.PR1320)

In which the era of intelligence testing produces an Oxford-based society for smarty-pants who, it turns out, mostly want to solve puzzles, and Ken is shamed for identifying an antelope. Certificate #43519.

Oct 29, 2020 • 1:21:45

C-Day (Entry 198.MT2527)

C-Day (Entry 198.MT2527)

In which the U.S. military battles black marketing and currency destabilization by paying Korea- and Vietnam-era servicemembers in play money, and John learns about a 1990s fad for the first time. Certificate #46965.

Oct 27, 2020 • 52:15

The Day the Clown Cried (Entry 317.PS12605)

The Day the Clown Cried (Entry 317.PS12605)

In which an unfinished Holocaust "dramedy" gains a reputation as the worst movie ever made even though no one has ever seen it, and Ken thinks a lot about dog poop. Certificate #46512.

Oct 22, 2020 • 1:20:53

Eliza (Entry 404.LK0247)

Eliza (Entry 404.LK0247)

In which an MIT professor worried about a digital future accidentally creates the field of human-machine conversation, and John flirts with a 54-year-old computer program. Certificate #36441.

Oct 20, 2020 • 1:15:15

Cynthia Plaster Caster (Entry 949.JE4817)

Cynthia Plaster Caster (Entry 949.JE4817)

In which a shy Chicago student becomes one of the most famous rock fans in America by virtue of her anatomically correct artwork, and John offers Ken an unwanted present. Certificate #30889.

Oct 15, 2020 • 1:09:10

Washington, CSA (Entry 1412.MT1225)

Washington, CSA (Entry 1412.MT1225)

In which a doddering general saves America from an alarming alternate history in which the Confederacy takes over the nation instead of seceding, and Ken objurgates against several things (but especially slavery). Certificate #15899.

Oct 13, 2020 • 1:04:19

Seawise Giant (Entry 1121.AC2718)

Seawise Giant (Entry 1121.AC2718)

In which an unnamed Greek shipping magnate "jumbo-izes" an oil tanker so big that it can't even navigate the English Channel, and John ponders digging a canal between Seattle and Omaha. Certificate #36640.

Oct 8, 2020 • 1:10:00

Aztec Death Whistles (Entry 088.PS5502)

Aztec Death Whistles (Entry 088.PS5502)

In which thousands of Mesoamerican "toys" in museums around the world turn out to be terrifying vessels for the screams of wind and death, and Ken dreams of wearing "Bespin fatigues." Certificate #34995.

Oct 6, 2020 • 1:11:41

White Trains (Entry 1429.IS1305)

White Trains (Entry 1429.IS1305)

In which the Department of Energy decides upon a bizarre way to transport nuclear warheads, and Ken applauds the conservation of Cold War consonants. Certificate #25154.

Oct 1, 2020 • 1:12:28

Mary Kay Pink Cadillacs (Entry 762.2K0930)

Mary Kay Pink Cadillacs (Entry 762.2K0930)

In which a feisty Texan single mom comes up with the gimmick that puts a friendly face on the appalling direct sales industry, and John recommends kicking a bear. Certificate #29266.

Sep 29, 2020 • 1:17:08

Take Ivy (Entry 1274.LK1619)

Take Ivy (Entry 1274.LK1619)

In which the Platonic ideal of American "prep" fashion catches on with Japanese hipsters before it does back home, and Ken finds someone to blame for his short Uniqlo pants. Certificate #21125.

Sep 24, 2020 • 1:02:33

The Three Governors (Entry 1302.MK0934)

The Three Governors (Entry 1302.MK0934)

In which a 1946 election in George results in chaos, fraud, public drunkenness, and broken furniture, and John decides to become a potato-hating beekeeper in retirement. Certificate #27176.

Sep 22, 2020 • 1:00:49

Article the First (Entry 070.JE0705)

Article the First (Entry 070.JE0705)

In which the very first amendment to the Bill of Rights, outlining the future of U.S. government, gets forgotten on its path to ratification, and Ken insults Delaware. Certificate #21125.

Sep 17, 2020 • 1:08:52

Generic Food (Entry 521.JB1817)

Generic Food (Entry 521.JB1817)

In which a hilariously minimalistic grocery ghetto blooms in no-frills Carter-era America, and John chases a memory of uniformed women plying him with cheese cubes. Certificate #34402.

Sep 15, 2020 • 1:00:15

Joe Meek (Entry 771.PS2509)

Joe Meek (Entry 771.PS2509)

In which the art of music recording is revolutionized by a troubled British record producer who doesn't read or play music, and Ken can't really think of any guitar pedals. Certificate #37241.

Sep 10, 2020 • 1:19:05

The Garbage Barge (Entry 515.LA0345)

The Garbage Barge (Entry 515.LA0345)

In which our modern recycling fervor is shaped by a mob boss who can't find a port for three thousand tons of Long Island garbage, and John has a dining room full of tin. Certificate #26561.

Sep 8, 2020 • 1:09:14

Change of Gauge (Entry 206.LV2733)

Change of Gauge (Entry 206.LV2733)

In which the nightmarish complexity of the world's non-standardized rail systems is marveled at, and Ken hatches a zeppelin-related plan to resurrect Dame Agatha Christie. Certificate #48966.

Sep 3, 2020 • 1:12:35

Dragnet (Entry 378.TI0301)

Dragnet (Entry 378.TI0301)

In which a single TV series builds the modern image of American police as righteous and efficient, despite much evidence to the contrary, and John uses its theme song in the bedroom. Certificate #35498.

Sep 1, 2020 • 1:00:18

The Duke of Anjou (Entry 386.EC0804)

The Duke of Anjou (Entry 386.EC0804)

In which we trace the convoluted, "kooky-wawa" genealogy that identifies the Spanish playboy banker who should be sitting the French throne, and John wants to be a ski-town sheriff. Certificate #24409.

Aug 27, 2020 • 1:23:43

Billboards (Entry 121.DA0403)

Billboards (Entry 121.DA0403)

In which we study the history of oversized roadside advertising all the way from ancient Egypt to Blade Runner, and Ken is skeptical about yellow-and-green election posters. Certificate #50861.

Aug 25, 2020 • 1:08:26

German Telegrams (Entry 525.PR2606)

German Telegrams (Entry 525.PR2606)

In which a century of German diplomacy is repeatedly hamstrung by their inept telegraphy-related decisions, and Ken has some notes about the poster for Jaws 2. Certificate #51969.

Aug 20, 2020 • 1:22:00

Marilyn vos Savant (Entry 1403.PR1401)

Marilyn vos Savant (Entry 1403.PR1401)

In which the dark days of the 1980s are brightened by the sudden appearance in Sunday newspaper supplements of the world's smartest person, and John tries to buy a mean t-shirt about Ken. Certificate #51993.

Aug 18, 2020 • 1:26:23

George Washington's Teeth (Entry 524.JB4114)

George Washington's Teeth (Entry 524.JB4114)

In which the we learn that that story of America's most famous false teeth is upsetting for reasons that go way beyond dental pain, and Ken calls George Washington the ultimate NIMBY. Certificate #35120.

Aug 13, 2020 • 56:50

Lilith (Entry 721.LK1420)

Lilith (Entry 721.LK1420)

In which puzzled medieval rabbis decide that it's not Adam and Eve—it's Adam and Lilith and Eve and Eve, and John wonders if anyone ate beets in the Garden of Eden. Certificate #14309.

Aug 11, 2020 • 1:02:12

Ronco (Entry 1081.MI0303)

Ronco (Entry 1081.MI0303)

In which a kitchen gadgeteer harnesses the power of late-night television to create a new American art form, the infomercial--but wait, there's more! Ken thinks music shouldn't come from a scarf. Certificate #32041.

Aug 6, 2020 • 1:07:00

Vesna Vulovic (Entry 1404.EC0410)

Vesna Vulovic (Entry 1404.EC0410)

In which a stubborn Yugoslavian air hostess sets a world record by surviving a six-mile fall from the sky, and John misplaces the Carpathians. Certificate #33008.

Aug 4, 2020 • 1:16:14

Dutch Elm Disease (Entry 388.JL0112)

Dutch Elm Disease (Entry 388.JL0112)

In which America's forests and suburbs are ravaged by a strange invader brought by bark beetles, and Ken insists on comparing tree sap to mucus even though no one wants that. Certificate #27612.

Jul 30, 2020 • 57:46

Sister Cities (Entry 1165.AM0408)

Sister Cities (Entry 1165.AM0408)

In which post-war trauma and idealism inspire world cities to try a new kind of diplomacy, and John has big plans for Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Certificate #39656.

Jul 28, 2020 • 1:17:26

Project MK-Ultra (Entry 993.HB0111)

Project MK-Ultra (Entry 993.HB0111)

In which the CIA becomes convinced that acid-laced cocktails are the solution to all our Cold War intelligence problems, and Ken suggests a new variant of foosball. Certificate #28598.

Jul 23, 2020 • 1:14:11

The Tibetan Memory Trick (Entry 1306.NU0774)

The Tibetan Memory Trick (Entry 1306.NU0774)

In which a Victorian parlor game about poultry and tweezers blossoms into a tongue twister, a comedy act, and a broadcasting test, and John tunes a guitar because Frank Zappa isn't available. Certificate #34596.

Jul 21, 2020 • 1:14:05

The Phoebus Cartel (Entry 931.JN0905)

The Phoebus Cartel (Entry 931.JN0905)

In which an evil cabal of lightbulb manufacturers realizes they can sell more product if bulbs burn out faster, and Ken decides he invented Teddy Ruxpin. Certificate #24473..

Jul 16, 2020 • 57:40

The Guru Letters (Entry 557.PR0513)

The Guru Letters (Entry 557.PR0513)

In which a Siberia-obsessed Russian mystic counts a future U.S. vice president among his acolytes, and John offers up our softest poets to the mosquitoes of Alaska. Certificate #43738.

Jul 14, 2020 • 1:05:55

Hanky Codes (Entry 566.EZ1321)

Hanky Codes (Entry 566.EZ1321)

In which we look back at the complex and clandestine history of sexual signaling in gay culture, and Ken thinks a lot of decades have the wrong adjectives. Certificate #34366.

Jul 9, 2020 • 1:19:22

Fletcherizing (Entry 478.AC0754)

Fletcherizing (Entry 478.AC0754)

In which a Victorian food faddist persuades America and Europe to chew each bite of onion over seven hundred times, and John discovers what Woodrow Wilson would look like if he were an embezzler. Certificate #32596.

Jul 7, 2020 • 1:11:56

Episode 272: Deborah Sampson (Entry 1100.JG0512)

Episode 272: Deborah Sampson (Entry 1100.JG0512)

In which a patriotic young colonist serves bravely in the American Revolution without anyone realizing she's secretly a woman, and Ken accuses a lot of deadbeat dads of doing murders in Maine. Certificate #37232.

Jul 2, 2020 • 1:19:23

Thomas the Tank Engine (Entry 1300.TI0209)

Thomas the Tank Engine (Entry 1300.TI0209)

In which children's love of model trains is reinvigorated in our era by an odd British TV property with an odd British ideology, and John thinks helicopters are probably hippies. Certificate #49600.

Jun 30, 2020 • 1:08:42

Sea Silk (Entry 1120.EX3816)

Sea Silk (Entry 1120.EX3816)

In which surprisingly large mussels provide the world's finest cloth to a shrinking number of old Mediterranean women, and Ken wonders what a Tibetan antelope smells like. Certificate #29379.

Jun 25, 2020 • 1:05:49

The 504 Sit-In (Entry 473.LK1413)

The 504 Sit-In (Entry 473.LK1413)

In which the Carter Administration waffles so long on a groundbreaking civil rights law that disabled protestors take over a federal building for almost a month, and John considers building a maze full of wolverines. Certificate #30708.

Jun 23, 2020 • 1:05:01

Le Pétomane (Entry 926.IS0324)

Le Pétomane (Entry 926.IS0324)

In which a French baker discovers an unusual muscular ability that makes him an international star, and Ken works on his Kegels mid-recording. Certificate #22584.

Jun 18, 2020 • 54:31

Pulsars, Discovery of (Entry 1008.IS4713)

Pulsars, Discovery of (Entry 1008.IS4713)

In which the discoverer of neutron stars is largely ignored for her achievement, and John wonders about the precise verbiage to summon "Beetlejuice." Certificate #52246.

Jun 16, 2020 • 1:01:11

TV Detection Vans (Entry 1351.MT1828)

TV Detection Vans (Entry 1351.MT1828)

In which the BBC employs a high-tech surveillance fleet to find out if Britons are seeing Doctor Who illegally, and Ken watches Monday Night Football on Tuesday nights. Certificate #48968.

Jun 11, 2020 • 1:08:13

Roald Amundsen's Airship (Entry 1077.JE0113)

Roald Amundsen's Airship (Entry 1077.JE0113)

In which fifteen men in a dirigible, to say nothing of the dog, conquer the North Pole while arguing all the way, and John wonders if there are Italians on the Moon. Certificate #23607.

Jun 9, 2020 • 1:22:51

Jesse Owens, Gold Medals of (Entry 887.LV2525)

Jesse Owens, Gold Medals of (Entry 887.LV2525)

In which we examine the secondary market for Olympic medals, Nobel Prizes, game show trophies, and other awards, and Ken and John struggle to remember if Watson or Crick is the bad one. Certificate #2504.

Jun 4, 2020 • 50:12

The Hero of Camperdown (Entry 583.IS3323)

The Hero of Camperdown (Entry 583.IS3323)

In which one press-ganged sailor's quick thinking and bravery ends an invasion of Ireland and changes the course of history, while John and Ken disagree over the meaning of Elton John lyrics. Certificate #50975.

Jun 2, 2020 • 54:51

Soapy Smith (Entry 1178.2T0313)

Soapy Smith (Entry 1178.2T0313)

In which Alaska chooses to make a cheerfully lawless gold rush villain into a beloved folk hero, and Ken wonders if he's married to a dice-rolling confidence artist. Certificate #35570.

May 28, 2020 • 1:05:26

Chick Tracts (Entry 214.RO0116)

Chick Tracts (Entry 214.RO0116)

In which history's most widely read theologian is revealed to be an eccentric Los Angeles cartoonist and conspiracy theorist who looks like Slim Pickens, and John notices that religious pamphlets mostly appear in places where bad things happen. Certificate #31387.

May 26, 2020 • 1:17:43

The Joy of Cooking (Entry 676.EZ2410)

The Joy of Cooking (Entry 676.EZ2410)

In which a Listerine label-printing company publishes what goes on to become the most popular cookbook in American history, and Ken imagines Wall Street Journal portraits of seafood. Certificate #38738.

May 21, 2020 • 1:12:34

Love (Entry 737.GA0514)

Love (Entry 737.GA0514)

In which one of the great Pop Art geniuses of his century accidentally becomes a one-hit wonder with an iconic bit of typography, and John regrets never entering into an arranged marriage. Certificate #37350.

May 19, 2020 • 1:04:27

The International Cable Protection Committee (Entry 654.IS4316)

The International Cable Protection Committee (Entry 654.IS4316)

In which we are reminded that the modern global communication network still relies on unwiedly physical cables running along the sea-floor, tempting Russian spies and itchy whales, and Ken enjoys the word "gutta-percha." Certificate #34332.

May 14, 2020 • 1:05:10

Grade Inflation (Entry 542.JB0807)

Grade Inflation (Entry 542.JB0807)

In which the phenomenon of "illusory superiority" causes a gradual creep of ratings and reputations in every field, from maple syrup to dunks to dress sizes, and John is universally praised by his rideshare drivers. Certificate #45417.

May 12, 2020 • 1:13:18

Tanzanite (Entry 1277.IS5411)

Tanzanite (Entry 1277.IS5411)

In which a consortium of gemologists tries to persuade vacationers of the hottest new thing in jewelry, which Ken considers to be the Sammy Hagar of birthstones. Certificate #48596.

May 7, 2020 • 52:45

Etchings (Entry 428.GN3907)

Etchings (Entry 428.GN3907)

In which filthy Restoration comedy, Horatio Alger, and a sensational murder trial conspire to create a very odd pick-up line, and John requires an extra syllable in "Tijuana." Certificate #2793.

May 5, 2020 • 55:07

The Wild Goose (Entry 1432.MT0823)

The Wild Goose (Entry 1432.MT0823)

In which John Wayne buys a decommissioned minesweeper as his luxury yacht and it outlasts its more famous French sister ship, which is probably now full of slugs. Certificate #28232.

Apr 30, 2020 • 1:03:49

(LIVE) The Wreck of the Titan (Entry 1446.EZ2734)

(LIVE) The Wreck of the Titan (Entry 1446.EZ2734)

In which a failed periscope inventor predicts the greatest disaster of his time with apparently paranormal accuracy, and special guest Aimee Mann is warned away from the supernatural in no uncertain terms. Certificate #27264.

Apr 28, 2020 • 1:02:38

Episode 252: Prairie Schooners (Entry 975.NU0703)

Episode 252: Prairie Schooners (Entry 975.NU0703)

In which the west is won by long fleets of covered wagons "sailing" on to the Oregon Territory, and Ken thinks it was mistake to capitalize the Northwest Passage. Certificate #18089.

Apr 23, 2020 • 1:00:49

Ferdinandea (Entry 461.RV1620)

Ferdinandea (Entry 461.RV1620)

In which the European powers scramble to claim an infant pile of basalt in the Mediterranean, and John wonders how steampunk the Libyan submarine fleet might be. Certificate #50204.

Apr 21, 2020 • 46:37

Green Funerals (Entry 549.1S3113)

Green Funerals (Entry 549.1S3113)

In which John describes environmentally friendly modern alternatives to burial, and refuses to apologize for leaving an urn full of ashes under his piano for a decade. Certificate #37628.

Apr 16, 2020 • 1:06:45

Bode's Law (Entry 138.JB2212)

Bode's Law (Entry 138.JB2212)

In which amateur algebra experts figure out where the planets in the solar system should be, and are (briefly) proven right, and Ken gets his hair cut by a ghost. Certificate #36737.

Apr 14, 2020 • 58:54

Genoan Insurance (Entry 522.MT0634)

Genoan Insurance (Entry 522.MT0634)

In which the modern insurance industry is born when medieval Italian merchants form syndicates to manage risk, and Ken manages risk by making people order pancakes. Certificate #46598.

Apr 9, 2020 • 52:51

Streaking (Entry 1234.RV1615)

Streaking (Entry 1234.RV1615)

In which dumb campus fads return to the American spotlight in 1973 thanks to a mild winter and legions of nude undergrads, and John gradually remembers his own complicated streaking history. Certificate #41916.

Apr 7, 2020 • 1:10:02

The De Havilland Beaver (Entry 328.DE0203)

The De Havilland Beaver (Entry 328.DE0203)

In which the Great White North is serviced and explored by the greatest bush plane of all time, and Ken decides that aircraft shouldn't be named after bugs. Certificate #35435.

Apr 2, 2020 • 1:09:32

Mesoamerican Ball Game (Entry 778.JB3122)

Mesoamerican Ball Game (Entry 778.JB3122)

In which pre-Columbian civilizations spend thousands of years banging each other up with heavy rubber balls, and John tries to replace professional sports with stick-fighting. Certificate #28586.

Mar 31, 2020 • 59:39

Naked Came the Stranger (Entry 823.MT2538)

Naked Came the Stranger (Entry 823.MT2538)

In which a droll Long Island reporter and his newsroom buddies accidentally create one of the all-time great dirty books, and Ken is skeptical of the nudist lifestyle. Certificate #50150.

Mar 26, 2020 • 1:04:10

Sadie Hawkins Day (Entry 1094.GN3912)

Sadie Hawkins Day (Entry 1094.GN3912)

In which a hippie-hating cartoonist accidentally creates a (slightly) gender-equalizing campus tradition, and John spends hours poring over newspaper bridge columns. Certificate #44390.

Mar 24, 2020 • 1:20:20

Chinook Jargon (Entry 215.1C1413)

Chinook Jargon (Entry 215.1C1413)

In which a very old Native American trading pidgin becomes a regional language and 20th-century slang, and Ken goes to a movie theater that basically confessed to genocide. Certificate #5725.

Mar 19, 2020 • 53:19

Patagonian Giants (Entry 907.MT0627)

Patagonian Giants (Entry 907.MT0627)

In which the world's tallest tribe, if they even exist, are enslaved by Ferdinand Magellan and downsized by subsequent visitors, and John reminds us of the importance of good posture. Certificate #33392.

Mar 17, 2020 • 54:44

Bill W. (Entry 122.NU0603)

Bill W. (Entry 122.NU0603)

In which one rough night for a traveling salesman in Akron, Ohio births a new spiritual approach to addiction recovery, and Ken suggests some interesting anagrams for post-human Presbyterian listeners. Certificate #19544.

Mar 12, 2020 • 1:29:48

Hikikomori (Entry 587.1K2225)

Hikikomori (Entry 587.1K2225)

In which a generation of traumatized Japanese young people increasingly decide never to come out of their bedrooms, whereas John insists on dying alone. Certificate #50644.

Mar 10, 2020 • 1:06:17

Cow Magnets (Entry 289.JL0118)

Cow Magnets (Entry 289.JL0118)

In which we learn that ruminants are eating a lot more metal nowadays than they used to, and that Ken would like to have a gravel spoon at dinner. Certificate #28929

Mar 5, 2020 • 1:01:14

Longitudinal Film (Entry 734.PS9010)

Longitudinal Film (Entry 734.PS9010)

In which British documentarians and Austin slackers alike use the movies to unveil the mysteries of aging and mortality, and John leaves a series of women waiting for him at train stations in Spain. Certificate #48149

Mar 3, 2020 • 1:19:27

Hands Across America (Entry 565.PR1121)

Hands Across America (Entry 565.PR1121)

In which the 1980s fad for charity pop singles inspires an ambitious geographic stunt, and Ken plans a foolproof way to assassinate Jamie Farr. Certificate #26004

Feb 27, 2020 • 1:13:30

Operation Just Cause (Entry 869.EZ4510)

Operation Just Cause (Entry 869.EZ4510)

In which the bizarre 1989 American invasion of Panama kicks off our modern era of on-the-nose Pentagon naming conventions, and John is reminded of a dominatrix, as usual. Certificate #19345.

Feb 25, 2020 • 52:19

Trafalgar vs. Carmania (Entry 1325.IS2314)

Trafalgar vs. Carmania (Entry 1325.IS2314)

In which the First World War begins in an unexpected fashion, with two ocean liners blowing holes in each other off the coast of Brazil, and Ken gets gaslit into buying a tuxedo. Certificate #32056.

Feb 20, 2020 • 1:03:43

The Dogon (Entry 369.DE0419)

The Dogon (Entry 369.DE0419)

In which an African tribe proves so eager to please that they convince generations of ethnographers that alien visitors from Sirius are real, and John gets annoyed that ancient astronauts never invented baseball. Certificate #26731.

Feb 18, 2020 • 58:12

 Cincinnati Chili (Entry 223.2K0440)

Cincinnati Chili (Entry 223.2K0440)

In which an early fast food boom, Greek immigration, and (of course) the World's Fair conspire to trick Ohioans into redefining "chili," and John gets justifiably upset about bananas on spaghetti. Certificate #24598.

Feb 13, 2020 • 49:04

Snow Valley, Oklahoma (Entry 1182.JB2419)

Snow Valley, Oklahoma (Entry 1182.JB2419)

In which a Vermonter with an ill-conceived dream brings skiiing very briefly to the Sooner State, and Ken attempts to secure his family some very rare Pokemon cards. Certificate #17398.

Feb 11, 2020 • 1:12:35

The Tootsie Pop Indian (Entry 1317.LA0312)

The Tootsie Pop Indian (Entry 1317.LA0312)

In which an American candy company refuses to honor a longstanding bit of playground lollipop lore, and Ken tries to calculate the homeopathic healing power of Tootsie Rolls. Certificate #33486.

Feb 6, 2020 • 1:09:43

Chastity Belts (Entry 209.LV2113)

Chastity Belts (Entry 209.LV2113)

In which Renaissance satirists and modern amateur historians accidentally create a physiologically impossible medieval device, and John has a theory about locksmiths and cocaine. Certificate #49406.

Feb 4, 2020 • 55:19

Coppicing (Entry 276.PS8015)

Coppicing (Entry 276.PS8015)

In which a forgotten medieval art of tree-harvesting is revived by the sustainability movement, and Ken blames the coming environmental catastrophe on "sugar energy." Certificate #22560.

Jan 30, 2020 • 49:29

Harry Dexter White (Entry 1428.LK0817)

Harry Dexter White (Entry 1428.LK0817)

In which the American architect of post-World War II global capitalism turns out to have a dark and traitorous secret, and John imagines he would be a huge hassle for his spy handlers. Certificate #25923.

Jan 28, 2020 • 1:08:50

The Death of Trolleys (Entry 320.GN4519)

The Death of Trolleys (Entry 320.GN4519)

In which we find General Motors and its corporate co-conspirators not guilty on the charge of killing American streetcar lines, and Ken gets very excited about funicular railways. Certificate #14871.

Jan 23, 2020 • 1:01:41

George Bush's Crack Dealer (Entry 524.JB1808)

George Bush's Crack Dealer (Entry 524.JB1808)

In which the president of the United States lies to the nation about how he got three ounces of crack cocaine into the Oval Office, and John is asked to leave a crime scene. Certificate #34620.

Jan 21, 2020 • 56:09

Backgammon (Entry 090.EX2816)

Backgammon (Entry 090.EX2816)

In which an ancient Mesopotamian board game briefly becomes a 1970s signifier for glamour and sophistication, and Ken's life is changed by an intense childhood game of Clue. Certificate #31179.

Jan 16, 2020 • 1:07:10

Masquerade (Entry 763.PS10424)

Masquerade (Entry 763.PS10424)

In which an outsider artist hides a rabbit by a statue and thereby gets a million people to start digging up the English countryside, and John "man-solves" a Satanic temple. Certificate #14162.

Jan 14, 2020 • 1:08:29

The Tech Model Railroad Club (Entry 1282.1C1220)

The Tech Model Railroad Club (Entry 1282.1C1220)

In which a room full of MIT train nerds becomes ground zero for modern American hacker culture and computer architecture, and Ken blames Star Wars for ruining children's toys. Certificate #33564.

Jan 9, 2020 • 1:01:46

Byzantine Rhinokopia (Entry 170.JB4102)

Byzantine Rhinokopia (Entry 170.JB4102)

In which the Byzantine throne is contested by various Machiavellian schemes willing to mutilate the noses of their political rivals, and John reveals which Marx brother he is most sexually attracted to. Certificate #34954.

Jan 7, 2020 • 47:59

Fort Knox (Entry 493.2CH0913)

Fort Knox (Entry 493.2CH0913)

In which a World War I army camp in northern Kentucky is chosen to house over $200 billion in gold bullion, and Ken proposes nationalizing America's safety deposit boxes. Certificate #2504.

Jan 2, 2020 • 1:06:13

Induced Demand (Entry 637.EZ1704)

Induced Demand (Entry 637.EZ1704)

In which we learn why new highway lanes, no matter how spacious, tend to fill to capacity within weeks of opening, and John takes on a hypothetical megacorporation called Goober. Certificate #38938.

Dec 31, 2019 • 1:05:34

The Leafblower (Entry 707.DA0414)

The Leafblower (Entry 707.DA0414)

In which ecologically problematic outdoor power tools accidentally become an official part of the Omnibus, all because John's neighbor refuses to call "Leafbusters." Certificate #25458.

Dec 26, 2019 • 51:11

The Christmas Pickle (Entry 220.IS0108)

The Christmas Pickle (Entry 220.IS0108)

In which a Spokane antique store creates a fake Bavarian holiday tradition from scratch, and John's beard makes him look bigger. Certificate #31503.

Dec 24, 2019 • 1:04:24

The Max Headroom Intrusion (Entry 767.JB2415)

The Max Headroom Intrusion (Entry 767.JB2415)

In which we examine the broadcast-jamming fad of the 1980s, including a puzzling incident involving a masked Chicago prankster, and Ken wants to be a font cop. Certificate #29692.

Dec 19, 2019 • 1:19:04

Interferon (Entry 652.PS10303)

Interferon (Entry 652.PS10303)

In which a strange, sticky new protein is declared—on the basis of very little evidence—to be a cure-all in the war against cancer, and Ken refuses to make the necessary sacrifices to become a skateboarding star. Certificate #40478.

Dec 17, 2019 • 53:44

Ada Lovelace (Entry ADA737PR3118)

Ada Lovelace (Entry ADA737PR3118)

In which a 19th-century countess overcomes her father's scandalous celebrity and her mother's love of parallelograms to become the world's first computer programmer, and John comes to regret renaming Alexa. Certificate #46507.

Dec 12, 2019 • 1:21:09

Square Dancing (Entry 1211.JB2111)

Square Dancing (Entry 1211.JB2111)

In which we learn that America's love affair with do-si-dos is a relatively recent and artificial form of nostalgia jump-started by Henry Ford's hatred for jazz, and Ken misremembers "krumping." Certificate #42537.

Dec 10, 2019 • 54:21

The Toyota Hilux (Entry 1323.JG0119)

The Toyota Hilux (Entry 1323.JG0119)

In which an oddly named model of Toyota pickup becomes the truck of choice for Marty McFly, Top Gear fans, polar explorers, and ISIS. Certificate #16197

Dec 5, 2019 • 1:00:37

The Duchess of Bedford (Entry 383.PR2301)

The Duchess of Bedford (Entry 383.PR2301)

In which one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting atones for her gossip scandals at court by inventing a brand new meal, and John blames museum docents for all his schedule problems. Certificate #48479.

Dec 3, 2019 • 59:39

Mother Jones (Entry 675.MK0333)

Mother Jones (Entry 675.MK0333)

In which an Irish immigrant pretending to be an old lady becomes a star of the American labor movement, and Ken ponders the death of middle initials. Certificate #12952.

Nov 28, 2019 • 1:08:54

The Rite of Spring Riot (Entry 1076.EZ2613)

The Rite of Spring Riot (Entry 1076.EZ2613)

In which Ken blames the weirdest ballet premiere of all time on class warfare, bad hair and costuming choices, and anti-Russian xenophobia, and John renames the sport of gymnastics. Certificate #31616.

Nov 26, 2019 • 1:08:54

The Ambassador Bridge (Entry 039.EZ4705)

The Ambassador Bridge (Entry 039.EZ4705)

In which one canny Detroit billionaire manages to gain sole control of the linchpin of American foreign trade, and John repeatedly insists he is not giving advice to terrorists. Certificate #36634.

Nov 21, 2019 • 1:07:54

Grass (Entry 546.MK0639)

Grass (Entry 546.MK0639)

In which lawns are revealed to be covering three times as much of America as any other crop, and Ken explains why the tallgrass prairies of the 19th century produced no great tennis players. Certificate #31632.

Nov 19, 2019 • 46:02

Fern Fever (Entry 462.JB0816)

Fern Fever (Entry 462.JB0816)

In which Victorian England becomes obsessed with the beautiful fronds and sexy lifestyle of ferns, and John brings the Arts and Crafts movement to the grunge era. Certificate #31358.

Nov 14, 2019 • 55:45

Porfirio Rubirosa (Entry 1087.1K1210)

Porfirio Rubirosa (Entry 1087.1K1210)

In which a Dominican diplomat cozies up to one of history's worst dictators, marries the two richest women in the world, and creates our modern image of the macho "Latin lover," and Ken tries to revive some slang from 1980s sex comedies. Certificate #41003.

Nov 12, 2019 • 55:33

No-Fault Divorce (Entry 840.MK1009)

No-Fault Divorce (Entry 840.MK1009)

In which Ronald Reagan, of all people, introduces a new legal philosophy of marriage and divorce to America in 1970, though it takes New York forty years to catch up. Certificate #27256.

Nov 7, 2019 • 1:00:18

Earth-Two (Entry 391.RV2101)

Earth-Two (Entry 391.RV2101)

In which a single 1961 comic book births a multiverse and reshapes our modern understanding of parallel dimensions in art as well as life, and John wistfully fantasizes about an honest Hitler. Certificate #46819.

Nov 5, 2019 • 1:18:38

Faces of Death (Entry 447.JB1616)

Faces of Death (Entry 447.JB1616)

In which the "mondo" shock movie craze of the 1960s inspires a morbid megahit that turns out to be more hoax than documentary, and monkey brains make their big-screen debut. Certificate #41907.

Oct 31, 2019 • 1:00:17

Haitian Zombies (Entry 561.ZC1412)

Haitian Zombies (Entry 561.ZC1412)

In which the origins of America's favorite 21st-century horror trope are traced back to the miseries of Caribbean plantation slavery, which is a huge bummer, and John ponders the role of squash in the afterlife. Certificate #49964.

Oct 29, 2019 • 56:40

Government Cheese (Entry 541.1S1718)

Government Cheese (Entry 541.1S1718)

In which an American dairy surplus and some dubious policy decisions creates a processed welfare staple of the Reagan era, and Ken reveals his favorite lunchmeat. Certificate #24553.

Oct 24, 2019 • 1:00:02

Episode 199: Johnny Appleseed (Entry 060.SS0203)

Episode 199: Johnny Appleseed (Entry 060.SS0203)

In which one of America's great folk heroes is revealed as a Swedenborgian mystic, a land baron, and⁠—to John's mind⁠—a 19th-century weed dealer. Certificate #36692.

Oct 22, 2019 • 50:50

The Gossamer Albatross (Entry 540.PS5506)

The Gossamer Albatross (Entry 540.PS5506)

In which humankind's dream of flying with the birds leads through all manner of weird ornithopters and flying bikes to a very low-altitude crossing of the English Channel, and John aces the Pepsi Challenge on a boat. Certificate #20913.

Oct 17, 2019 • 1:13:04

The Texas Zombies (Entry 1292.MT2424)

The Texas Zombies (Entry 1292.MT2424)

In which an unscrupulous Michigan music promoter dispatches fake versions of one of the great bands of rock's British Invasion, and John wages his own copyright battle against a legendary pioneer woman. Certificate #51274.

Oct 15, 2019 • 1:02:37

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (Entry 1000.ES0905)

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (Entry 1000.ES0905)

In which the chaos of Europe around 1900 produces a literary hoax that powers a century of anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories, and Ken shares his distrust of sports stadiums. Certificate #42869.

Oct 10, 2019 • 1:18:44

How Many Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Pin? (Entry 603.RV0511)

How Many Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Pin? (Entry 603.RV0511)

In which scholasticism gets roasted for its obsession with thorny, possibly pointless theological questions, and John explains the difference between escalator angels and hobo angels. Certificate #39095.

Oct 8, 2019 • 56:34

Oblique Strategies (Entry 856.RO1202)

Oblique Strategies (Entry 856.RO1202)

In which music legend Brian Eno and an artist friend develop a tarot deck for beating writer's block, and Ken uses lateral thinking to determine that John and Mary were goldfish. Certificate #26638.

Oct 3, 2019 • 55:52

Fritz Stammberger (Entry 1215.NU1317)

Fritz Stammberger (Entry 1215.NU1317)

In which a mountaineering legend disappears in Pakistan, his game show icon widow becomes convinced he's secretly a spy, and John dresses like the worst kind of CIA agent. Certificate #31997.

Oct 1, 2019 • 59:13

Ticker Tape Parades (Entry 1306.ES0609)

Ticker Tape Parades (Entry 1306.ES0609)

In which America's love for French celebrity guests and her abundance of corporate litter combine to create an iconic New York tradition, and Ken ponders what to do with a giant Styrofoam version of his head. Certificate #9509.

Sep 26, 2019 • 1:04:00

Icelandic Incest (Entry 615.DE2722)

Icelandic Incest (Entry 615.DE2722)

In which a helpful new phone app is developed to prevent Icelanders from dating their cousins, which may tragically keep them outside of the "Goldilocks Zone" of inbreeding. Certificate #20625.

Sep 24, 2019 • 48:28

Sliced Bread (Entry 1172.MK0652)

Sliced Bread (Entry 1172.MK0652)

In which the canonical greatest innovation of modern life turns out to be a result of uneven toaster technology, and John builds the worst soapbox racer of all time. Certificate #50925.

Sep 19, 2019 • 59:49

As Slow as Possible (Entry 075.2P0308)

As Slow as Possible (Entry 075.2P0308)

In which a German church organ perform a John Cage composition so slowly that the concert will last 639 years, and Ken has an opinion on who the horniest characters are in Middle-earth. Certificate #24524.

Sep 17, 2019 • 1:00:45

Juggalos (Entry 677.IS6015)

Juggalos (Entry 677.IS6015)

In which a horrorcore rap-rock duo from Detroit accidentally creates a global army of misfits and outcasts, and Pearl Jam gets John thrown in jail five times. Certificate #32373.

Sep 12, 2019 • 1:11:38

MSG (Entry 813.LK1434)

MSG (Entry 813.LK1434)

In which a combination of Cold War paranoia and good old-fashioned racism convince America that deliciously "umami" Asian food is actually killing them, and Ken eats kelp in a kayak. Certificate #21879.

Sep 10, 2019 • 55:23

The Battle of Palmdale (Entry 104.EZ2047)

The Battle of Palmdale (Entry 104.EZ2047)

In which two overeager fighter pilots chase down a runaway drone over Southern California, accidentally lighting much of the state on fire, and John wants to be a marshal of some kind. Certificate #31303.

Sep 5, 2019 • 1:08:20

Alexander von Humboldt (Entry 605.CO0203)

Alexander von Humboldt (Entry 605.CO0203)

In which an adventurous Prussian polymath single-handedly revolutionizes modern science, and even helps kick-start the liberation of South America and the environmental movement, and John and Ken ponder their own inevitable disappearance down the memory hole. Certificate #41705.

Sep 3, 2019 • 1:00:28

Florence Lawrence (Entry 705.MT0210)

Florence Lawrence (Entry 705.MT0210)

In which a vaudeville baby whistler becomes the world's first movie star and goes on to invent the electric windshield wiper, and Ken's knowledge of Ogden Nash insults finally comes in handy. Certificate #52050.

Aug 29, 2019 • 1:13:02

Miss Thistlebottom's Hobgoblins (Entry 795.PS1912)

Miss Thistlebottom's Hobgoblins (Entry 795.PS1912)

In which many of the most commonly taught grammar and usage rules in English are revealed to be arbitrary, made-up, out-of-date, or all three, and John explains why Miss Manners should be in charge of the Internet. Certificate #41607.

Aug 27, 2019 • 1:11:40

Biosphere 2 (Entry 124.IS6517)

Biosphere 2 (Entry 124.IS6517)

In which an eccentric metallurgist with a theater troupe begins one of the strangest science experiments in history and learns that humankind might not be ready for Mars yet, and Ken watches Jeff Bezos injure a fig tree. Certificate #34308.

Aug 22, 2019 • 1:15:39

Lottery Winners (Entry 736.HE1305)

Lottery Winners (Entry 736.HE1305)

In which we follow the history of government games of chance from ancient China to today's bankrupt Powerball millionaires, and John grifts his elementary school out of a side of beef. Certificate #32943.

Aug 20, 2019 • 1:21:21

Fotomats (Entry 494.LV2342)

Fotomats (Entry 494.LV2342)

In which a bygone errand, developing vacation snapshots, becomes so widespread that it gets its own chain of drive-thru kiosks, and Ken's mom looks great in a red knit jumper and gold polyester turtleneck. Certificate #38597.

Aug 15, 2019 • 53:14

Gold Hats (Entry 537.PS2103)

Gold Hats (Entry 537.PS2103)

In which four mysterious cones are unearthed from proto-Celtic Europe, perhaps holding untold secrets of the calendar and cosmos, and John is surrounded by the happy nudists of the Danube. Certificate #23490

Aug 13, 2019 • 46:47

ARkStorm (Entry 067.PS9303)

ARkStorm (Entry 067.PS9303)

In which a periodic "atmospheric river" from the Pacific Ocean threatens to put a quarter of Californians underwater in the very near future, which scares Ken so much that he decides to drill holes in his couch. Certificate #23973.

Aug 8, 2019 • 53:42

Episode 177: The Monkey Selfie (Entry 803.MT2220)

Episode 177: The Monkey Selfie (Entry 803.MT2220)

In which the legal and creative rights of a crested macaque are debated on the world stage, and we learn Ken wants to look like Popeye. Certificate #2720.

Aug 6, 2019 • 1:08:27

The Onion Futures Act (Entry 867.NU1105)

The Onion Futures Act (Entry 867.NU1105)

In which two savvy farmers try to corner the market on onions by buying up the whole Midwestern supply, and John compares Gerald Ford to a Jesuit. Certificate #25671.

Aug 1, 2019 • 1:05:33

Bob Dylan's Christian Period (Entry 138.AC1631)

Bob Dylan's Christian Period (Entry 138.AC1631)

In which rock's most cryptic genius shocks the world by being "born again," releasing three uneven gospel albums and annoying a lot of concertgoers. Certificate #39323.

Jul 30, 2019 • 57:33

Canning (Entry 180.LK1219)

Canning (Entry 180.LK1219)

In which doomed Arctic explorers and a spiritualist's vacuum sealer help revolutionize the science of food storage, and John reveals that his "dueling scars" are actually from drinking cold canned pasta. Certificate #42072.

Jul 25, 2019 • 54:53

The Four-Color Map Problem (Entry 495.NU2653)

The Four-Color Map Problem (Entry 495.NU2653)

In which over a century of mathematicians are unable to solve a geometry problem straight out of a coloring book, computers provide their first ever math "proof," and Ken challenges John to map a donut. Certificate #28876.

Jul 23, 2019 • 48:33

The Church of the SubGenius (Entry 222.AC1605)

The Church of the SubGenius (Entry 222.AC1605)

In which a fictional pipe-smoking salesman invents a new quasi-religion for ironists, Discordians, and weirdos, and Ken believes he could have prevented the Trojan War. Certificate #31147.

Jul 18, 2019 • 54:58

The Rural Purge (Entry 1091.PS6503)

The Rural Purge (Entry 1091.PS6503)

In which CBS cancels a full slate of country-fried programming, reinventing TV and marginalizing rural America, and John somehow watches an awful lot of Hee Haw. Certificate #36841.

Jul 16, 2019 • 48:26

Peak Phosphorus (Entry 911.PS9703)

Peak Phosphorus (Entry 911.PS9703)

In which one of the key nutrients for all life on Earth washes inexorably into the ocean all day every day, which really stresses Ken out. Certificate #52178

Jul 11, 2019 • 54:54

John Dee (Entry 325.DA0202)

John Dee (Entry 325.DA0202)

In which Queen Elizabeth's top astrologer dreams up the British Empire, solar power, and possibly even James Bond, and then loses his whole reputation to a charlatan with no earlobes, leading John to create a list of scientists who should have stayed in their lane. Certificate #44269

Jul 9, 2019 • 54:05

Quonset Huts (Entry 1023.PS6103)

Quonset Huts (Entry 1023.PS6103)

In which the U.S. military builds hundreds of thousands of weird half-cylindrical shelters out of corrugated steel, and Ken reports on what they would look like with stained-glass windows. Certificate #35704

Jul 4, 2019 • 52:07

Droodles (Entry 382.AC0212)

Droodles (Entry 382.AC0212)

In which we remember Frank Zappa's favorite 1950s fad, brought to you by the inventor of Mad Libs, and John remembers why people actually thought a Sasquatch lived on top of the Space Needle back in foggier times. Certificate #48261.

Jul 2, 2019 • 1:05:03

Furries (Entry 508.GN2716)

Furries (Entry 508.GN2716)

In which hundreds of thousands of people dress in big plush animal suits as a hobby, identity, or fetish, and Ken explains the secret Family Feud notebooks of his childhood. Certificate #26505

Jun 27, 2019 • 56:09

Town Line, New York (Entry 1323.2C0617)

Town Line, New York (Entry 1323.2C0617)

In which a tiny village secedes from the United States to join the Confederacy and forgets to rejoin for almost a century--even though it's in upstate New York just miles from the Canadian border. Certificate #42052.

Jun 25, 2019 • 53:18

Cold Fusion (Entry 242.PR2004)

Cold Fusion (Entry 242.PR2004)

In which two of the world's smartest electrochemists get fooled by a botched experiment and the promise of fame, and John reveals that GPS mysticism is his pseudoscience. Certificate #19668.

Jun 21, 2019 • 1:01:25

The Kamehameha Colonists (Entry 681.IS4204)

The Kamehameha Colonists (Entry 681.IS4204)

In which over a hundred of Honolulu's elite private school students are shipped off to some of the world's most remote islands on a top-secret government mission, and Ken wonders if sea turtles can feel dread. Certificate #22194.

Jun 19, 2019 • 50:36

Maraschino Cherries (Entry 758.PR0819)

Maraschino Cherries (Entry 758.PR0819)

In which we learn how a historical delicacy of Croatia got bastardized into a staple of American cocktails and sundaes, and John is upset when his third grade teacher pays him in ice cream instead of cash. Certificate #28197.

Jun 13, 2019 • 53:51

Cursive (Entry 307.DA0508)

Cursive (Entry 307.DA0508)

In which we trace script handwriting from ancient Egypt all the way up to the modern culture wars, and John and Ken argue over the ugliest cursive capital letter: is it J or Q? Certificate #32892.

Jun 11, 2019 • 56:19

Lilly Pulitzer (Entry 1007.LK1227)

Lilly Pulitzer (Entry 1007.LK1227)

In which the messy orange-eating of a runaway heiress creates a colorful new summer look for American women, and Ken goes way too far with his Kennedy assassination theories. Certificate #12306.

Jun 6, 2019 • 42:46

Bone Wars (Entry 141.PS14107)

Bone Wars (Entry 141.PS14107)

In which America's two greatest dinosaur hunters ruin their lives in an unhinged battle of spite and revenge, which John finds extremely romantic. Certificate #24269.

Jun 4, 2019 • 48:13

Pattie Boyd (Entry 148.DE2402)

Pattie Boyd (Entry 148.DE2402)

In which two of the greatest rock guitarists of all time pine after the same woman, each marry her in turn, and somehow stay friends. Certificate #42401.

May 30, 2019 • 54:54

The Reindeer Wizards (Entry 1049.DE1811)

The Reindeer Wizards (Entry 1049.DE1811)

In which we remember the 1950s charity drive to raise reindeer funds for a tribe of Scandinavian telepaths--a problem they really should have seen coming. Certificate #37239.

May 28, 2019 • 46:16

Trapper Keepers (Entry 1331.IS0816)

Trapper Keepers (Entry 1331.IS0816)

In which a re-designed school binder becomes a mandatory school accessory and one of the great marketing successes of the 1980s, and Ken spends hours looking at erasers shaped like sushi. Certificate #31310.

May 23, 2019 • 51:12

Winifred Sackville Stoner Jr. (Entry 1229.MT1125)

Winifred Sackville Stoner Jr. (Entry 1229.MT1125)

In which an Esperanto-loving stage mom raises America's first celebrity child prodigy, who writes one of history's most famous poems before vanishing into a cloud of bigamy and scandal. Certificate #35551.

May 21, 2019 • 54:48

Plymouth Rock (Entry 955.EX3321)

Plymouth Rock (Entry 955.EX3321)

In which John visits one of the most underwhelming (and breakable) landmarks in American history, and explains why its entire history is almost certainly made up. Certificate #33004.

May 16, 2019 • 47:09

Tortilla Chips (Entry 1320.GN4226)

Tortilla Chips (Entry 1320.GN4226)

In which America discovers Tex-Mex food at Disneyland, leading to the invention of Doritos and "extreme" snack foods, and Ken has clam chowder in his car. Certificate #42729.

May 14, 2019 • 51:01

Private Wojtek the Bear (Entry 988.HO1308)

Private Wojtek the Bear (Entry 988.HO1308)

In which we follow an army of exiled Polish soldiers from Siberia to Iran to Scotland, and learn why they taught a Syrian brown bear to carry ammo and eat cigarettes. Certificate #41871.

May 9, 2019 • 37:20

Hotel Detectives (Entry 601.GN4321)

Hotel Detectives (Entry 601.GN4321)

In which we learn about palming doorknobs, spotting bunco artists and fornicators, and other old tricks of the "hotel dick" trade, and John steals some room service pizza. Certificate #51720.

May 7, 2019 • 40:41

The Charge of the Light Brigade (Entry 208.GN5009)

The Charge of the Light Brigade (Entry 208.GN5009)

In which a series of underqualified officers and vague, sweeping gestures lead to a terrible military debacle, a good sweater, and a catchy poem, and Ken expresses some skepticism about Captain von Trapp. Certificate #38694.

May 2, 2019 • 1:00:35

The French Revolutionary Calendar (Entry 500.EX1202)

The French Revolutionary Calendar (Entry 500.EX1202)

In which the freethinkers of the Enlightenment take a stab at designing a 100% secular timekeeping system from the ground up, and John wants to be called "Goldenrod." Certificate #44270.

Apr 30, 2019 • 59:29

Killer Rabbit (Entry 686.LV1106)

Killer Rabbit (Entry 686.LV1106)

In which we go through the weird list of things glimpsed by noted paranormal researcher Jimmy Carter, including a hissing marsh rabbit and a UFO that the Air Force wants you to think is barium. Certificate #21432.

Apr 25, 2019 • 51:48

Ted Danson in Blackface (Entry 1283.JB2317)

Ted Danson in Blackface (Entry 1283.JB2317)

In which one of the most beloved sitcom stars in America tries out the worst comedy idea of all time, and John has a theory about anti-Semitism in the Aliens movies. Certificate #22400.

Apr 23, 2019 • 1:03:41

Breastaurants (Entry 152.IS1321)

Breastaurants (Entry 152.IS1321)

In which we explain the squeaky-clean tawdriness of casual dining chains that put all the servers in tank tops, and Ken wonders if you can eat hot wings ironically. Certificate #37739.

Apr 18, 2019 • 1:00:31

Mussolini's Nose (Entry 819.PR3033)

Mussolini's Nose (Entry 819.PR3033)

In which a chronically ill British woman decides that God wants her to kill a fascist dictator, and Ken and John argue over whether or not an assassination plot needs a chalkboard. Certificate #16114.

Apr 16, 2019 • 54:24

Wide Skis (Entry 1431.LK0429)

Wide Skis (Entry 1431.LK0429)

In which, after centuries of stagnation, the sport of skiing is revolutionized in a matter of three years, and John is forced to sign a hand-written waiver. Certificate #34056.

Apr 11, 2019 • 1:05:02

Cocaine Hippos (Entry 238.JB4021)

Cocaine Hippos (Entry 238.JB4021)

In which the rivers of Colombia teem with African hippos due to the excesses of a long-dead drug lord, and Ken suggests introducing Welsh corgis to the Amazon rainforest. Certificate #37768.

Apr 9, 2019 • 45:13

The Smoot (Entry 1178.1K0626)

The Smoot (Entry 1178.1K0626)

In which an MIT fraternity prank creates a new unit of measurement and annoys Boston police, and John wins a million dollars on an imaginary quiz show about Maine. Certificate #50326.

Apr 4, 2019 • 46:15

The Garden of Earthly Delights (Entry 515.SS0611)

The Garden of Earthly Delights (Entry 515.SS0611)

In which a Dutch painter creates surreal hellscapes so mysterious and full of butts that no one knows what he was even thinking, and Ken explains why bagpipes are very, very erotic. Certificate #17086.

Apr 2, 2019 • 55:36

Breezewood, Pennsylvania (Entry 153.JG0506)

Breezewood, Pennsylvania (Entry 153.JG0506)

In which a funding impasse and clever fast food franchises put a one-of-a-kind stoplight right in the middle of a Pennsylvania interstate, and Ken misremembers who built the Lincoln Highway. Certificate #31424.

Mar 28, 2019 • 1:06:31

Indigo (Entry 634.GE0913)

Indigo (Entry 634.GE0913)

In which Sir Isaac Newton adds an extra color to the rainbow to make his mystical, musical math come out right, and John has strong feelings about Satan's marital status. Certificate #26015.

Mar 26, 2019 • 1:08:54

Egg-Cracking Machines (Entry 398.JE1711)

Egg-Cracking Machines (Entry 398.JE1711)

In which John goes to the Caribbean, learns how cruise ships crack 20,000 eggs in a week, and begins to comparison-shop the amazing Rube Goldberg inventions involved. Certificate #27021.

Mar 21, 2019 • 55:10

Jeanne Calment (Entry 176.2C0416)

Jeanne Calment (Entry 176.2C0416)

In which an indomitable woman from Provence defies actuaries by living to be 122 years old, shadowy Russian forces try to discredit her, and Ken predicts which Saturday Night Live cast members will be centenarians. Certificate #43762.

Mar 19, 2019 • 1:11:20

Anything Into Oil (Entry 056.EX3729)

Anything Into Oil (Entry 056.EX3729)

In which one tech company's fondest dream—to turn Butterball turkey offal into light crude oil—remains tantalizingly out of reach, and John and Ken worry about whether they're recycling waxed paper correctly. Certificate #26207.

Mar 14, 2019 • 1:07:10

Tippi Hedren's Fingernails (Entry 1311.DE2112)

Tippi Hedren's Fingernails (Entry 1311.DE2112)

In which a Hollywood ingenue survives her encounters with birds, angry lions, and creepy directors, and survives to become the godmother of one of America's great immigrant business empires. Certificate #28046.

Mar 12, 2019 • 1:04:33

The Cheesesteak War (Entry 211.PR2306)

The Cheesesteak War (Entry 211.PR2306)

In which a hot dog vendor and an anonymous cabbie invent one of the all-time great American foods, giving Philadelphians classic choices like "Whiz or provolone," "wit' onions or wit'out," and "xenophobia or not." Certificate #6594.

Mar 7, 2019 • 1:09:08

Geomagnetic Reversal (Entry 524.JB3709)

Geomagnetic Reversal (Entry 524.JB3709)

In which the Earth's magnetic field turns the North Pole into the South Pole every few hundred thousand years, and John and Ken discuss what effect this might have on the aurora borealis, ski-bum turtles, and North Dakota tourism. Certificate #41220.

Mar 5, 2019 • 54:39

Mike the Headless Chicken (Entry 787.MK0616)

Mike the Headless Chicken (Entry 787.MK0616)

In which one seemingly doomed Colorado rooster lucks into a kind of zombie Charlotte's Web scenario, and Ken and John disagree over whether a "meat puppet" is a kind of food. Certificate #21086.

Feb 28, 2019 • 1:04:57

Honest Dick (Entry 596.EX2208)

Honest Dick (Entry 596.EX2208)

In which the most trusted man in the state of Kentucky disappears with tobacco sacks full of the state treasury, and John and Ken discover which prominent U.S. government official is almost always a Latina. Certificate #23421.

Feb 26, 2019 • 1:08:02

Freighthopping (Entry 500.AM0812)

Freighthopping (Entry 500.AM0812)

In which the American railroad provides a semi-legal travel network for millions of migrant laborers, and John explains how a sufficiently blond mustache on a young hobo can ward off evil. Certificate #14946.

Feb 21, 2019 • 1:03:31

The Foreign Legion (Entry 490.2S1519)

The Foreign Legion (Entry 490.2S1519)

In which the French army accepts thousands of rogues and ne'er-do-wells from all over the world, giving them white helmets and a whole lot of wine, and Ken suggests a new method for reheating Hot Pockets. Certificate #36749.

Feb 19, 2019 • 1:05:35

Jacqueline Cochran (Entry 238.RV1214)

Jacqueline Cochran (Entry 238.RV1214)

In which one driven girl from the backwoods of Georgia changes the face of aviation, Ken roasts astronaut Scott Carpenter, and John skips class to judge an essay contest. Certificate #39584.

Feb 14, 2019 • 1:08:03

The Bodies of Mount Everest (Entry 138.JE1316)

The Bodies of Mount Everest (Entry 138.JE1316)

In which travelers to one of the most dangerous places on earth leave so many casualties behind in the "Death Zone" that they literally become part of the map. Certificate #7505.

Feb 12, 2019 • 56:35

(LIVE) Yngwie Malmsteen (Entry 753.JE1022)

(LIVE) Yngwie Malmsteen (Entry 753.JE1022)

In which a skilled but self-absorbed Swedish musician leaves his homeland to become a guitar god, and John explains his theory about how neoclassicism ruined rock. Certificate #26394.

Feb 7, 2019 • 32:57

(LIVE) Extremely Overdue Library Books (Entry 445.2T0413)

(LIVE) Extremely Overdue Library Books (Entry 445.2T0413)

In which countless scofflaws, including George Washington, rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in library fines, and Ken takes home a "spite book." Certificate #29342.

Feb 5, 2019 • 40:20

Flagpole Sitters (Entry 474.1S1013)

Flagpole Sitters (Entry 474.1S1013)

In which Syrian ascetics and American steeplejacks alike enjoy the weirdest fad of all time, and Ken angers marathon runners. Certificate #45561.

Jan 31, 2019 • 1:11:04

Samantha Smith (Entry 1178.IS1106)

Samantha Smith (Entry 1178.IS1106)

In which a fifth-grader from Maine becomes a diplomatic sensation after writing a nervous letter to Moscow, and John remembers the only fan letter he ever wrote. Certificate #35519.

Jan 29, 2019 • 1:06:56

The Twins of Benin (Entry 1353.GN2524)

The Twins of Benin (Entry 1353.GN2524)

In which we learn that one very specific region of West Africa produces more twins than anywhere else on earth, which could be due to heredity, yams, or, in Ken's mind, a mysterious glowing meteorite. Certificate #29437.

Jan 24, 2019 • 1:08:46

The Kilogram (Entry 686.DE2513)

The Kilogram (Entry 686.DE2513)

In which the dreams of the French Revolution are finally fulfilled by modern physicists eager to re-define science itself from scratch, which probably triggered the alien landing in May 2019. Certificate #37545.

Jan 22, 2019 • 1:07:37

Trucker Culture (Entry 1343.MT2514)

Trucker Culture (Entry 1343.MT2514)

In which a gas crisis and an early social media network conspire to make long-haul truck drivers national heroes, and Ken gives a big 10-4 to a heroic trucker named "Fuzzy." Certificate #25007.

Jan 17, 2019 • 1:05:36

Vice Versa (Entry 1393.EP0423)

Vice Versa (Entry 1393.EP0423)

In which we read the Victorian novel that, a century later, would start an avalanche of body-swapping movie comedies, and John tries to debunk the blind prophet Tiresias. Certificate #30972.

Jan 15, 2019 • 1:12:47

Queen Victoria's Grandchildren (Entry 1020.IS1418)

Queen Victoria's Grandchildren (Entry 1020.IS1418)

In which we follow up on the forty-two offspring of the "grandmother of Europe," including the one who led Germany into World War I and the one who might have been Jack the Ripper. Certificate #26374.

Jan 10, 2019 • 59:03

Cumberland vs. Georgia Tech (Entry 305.RM1219)

Cumberland vs. Georgia Tech (Entry 305.RM1219)

In which a revenge-crazed football coach runs up a 222-0 score against a squad of random law students and townies, and John explains why his go-to comedy move is dropping his pants. Certificate #26347.

Jan 8, 2019 • 1:10:23

Track 61 (Entry 1324.EZ0808)

Track 61 (Entry 1324.EZ0808)

In which Franklin Roosevelt builds a secret, private train station under the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and John almost defects to East Germany in a gaily colored ski jacket. Certificate #33725.

Jan 3, 2019 • 1:01:34

Snowflakes (Entry 1181.PS14716)

Snowflakes (Entry 1181.PS14716)

In which a Vermont farmer unveils to the world a natural beauty of crystalline perfection that's been hiding in plain sight, and Ken and John decide to slander Buzz Aldrin for some reason. Certificate #16919.

Jan 1, 2019 • 49:11

The Turboencabulator (Entry 1348.IS2811)

The Turboencabulator (Entry 1348.IS2811)

In which we study the spurving bearings and hydrocoptic marzlevanes of the made-up machine that brought technobabble to the masses, and John actually encourages Ken to talk about Star Trek for a change. Certificate #45305.

Dec 27, 2018 • 1:08:29

Thomas Nast (Entry 825.JB1534)

Thomas Nast (Entry 825.JB1534)

In which one Gilded Age influencer puts Santa at the North Pole because he hates slavery so much and runs New York's most powerful man out of town on a rail because he hates the Irish so much. Certificate #33423.

Dec 25, 2018 • 1:09:26

The Christmas Truce (Entry 220.LK0214)

The Christmas Truce (Entry 220.LK0214)

In which peace and holiday good will break out on the western front in 1914, partly due to the work of suffragettes, and it changes the tourism industry forever. Also, Ken defends fruitcake. Certificate #31405.

Dec 20, 2018 • 1:02:21

Telling the Bees (Entry 1285.PR2413)

Telling the Bees (Entry 1285.PR2413)

In which we explore one of the weirdest funeral superstitions of pagan Europe, and John explains why he likes to retell Aesop's Fables from the bad guys' point of view. Certificate #44411.

Dec 18, 2018 • 58:49

Patrick Nagel (Entry 823.SS0115)

Patrick Nagel (Entry 823.SS0115)

In which one artist redefines eroticism for the MTV generation, and John gets stuck with a very overpriced piece of Duran Duran memorabilia. Certificate #31513.

Dec 13, 2018 • 1:08:20

Robert Smalls (Entry 1176.DE2315)

Robert Smalls (Entry 1176.DE2315)

In which a South Carolina slave seizes a heavily armed Confederate ship and sails it to freedom and instant celebrity, whereas Ken doesn't even own a hatchet. Certificate #38760.

Dec 11, 2018 • 1:03:31

Marmorated Stink Bugs (Entry 761.LV1120)

Marmorated Stink Bugs (Entry 761.LV1120)

In which a hard-to-kill Asian insect arrives in America and discovers a delightful new predator-free life eating our produce, hiding behind our picture frames, and making everything smell like cilantro-infused sewage. Certificate #30979.

Dec 6, 2018 • 1:00:37

Ghost Forests (Entry 527.EZ1724)

Ghost Forests (Entry 527.EZ1724)

In which Ken accidentally goes on vacation to a long submerged, 2,000-year-old forest, and John explains the value he can add to a rugby game or campfire. Certificate #1751.

Dec 4, 2018 • 55:22

Scrappy Doo (Entry 1115.PP0302)

Scrappy Doo (Entry 1115.PP0302)

In which 1970s and 1980s TV is overrun by an avalanche of orphans, runaways, and other wisecracking moppets, and John reveals that Oscar the Grouch is a witch in a "fursuit." Certificate #37500.

Nov 29, 2018 • 1:10:06

The Qibla (Entry 1016.PS5517)

The Qibla (Entry 1016.PS5517)

In which the Islamic practice of facing Mecca in prayer becomes a thorny theological and geographical question, particularly for Muslims in Alaska, French Polynesia, or low-earth orbit. Certificate #2405.

Nov 27, 2018 • 1:15:05

Pumpkin Pie (Entry 1008.JH0406)

Pumpkin Pie (Entry 1008.JH0406)

In which we consider America's favorite gourd as a botanical mystery, a symbol of autumn, a Civil War flashpoint, an Illinois monoculture, a delivery vehicle for condensed milk, and an instrument of Starbucks-related misogyny and class warfare. Certificate #36525.

Nov 22, 2018 • 1:06:14

Deep-Fried Turkeys (Entry 325.JN0432)

Deep-Fried Turkeys (Entry 325.JN0432)

In which the Cajun cooking fad of the 1980s spawns a hazardous new holiday favorite, and Ken's wife flips us the bird. Certificate #30269.

Nov 20, 2018 • 1:08:54

The Cagot (Entry 173.2K0527)

The Cagot (Entry 173.2K0527)

In which a tiny French minority in the Pyrenees is shunned and hated for reasons no one can quite remember, and John pronounces the words "goose foot" more capably than Ken. Certificate #28287.

Nov 15, 2018 • 50:53

Jennens v. Jennens (Entry 671.NU2711)

Jennens v. Jennens (Entry 671.NU2711)

In which the notorious "Miser of Acton" forgets to sign his will, and for over a century thousands of people--including Ken's family--become convinced they are rightful heirs to his $300 million fortune. Certificate #23502.

Nov 13, 2018 • 55:59

Wild Man Fischer (Entry 472.GE1612)

Wild Man Fischer (Entry 472.GE1612)

In which a troubled street performer becomes a beloved musician and helps found a landmark record label, Ken buys a booby-trapped painting, and John critiques the storytelling of celebrity children. Certificate #49895.

Nov 8, 2018 • 1:20:30

The Doomsday Flight (Entry 372.AM0214)

The Doomsday Flight (Entry 372.AM0214)

In which the U.S. government tries to ban a Rod Serling TV movie for inspiring too many mid-air extortions, all of which can be foiled by knowing the right trivia fact about Denver. Certificate #41961.

Nov 6, 2018 • 1:17:45

Albert Pierrepoint (Entry 938.ES0914)

Albert Pierrepoint (Entry 938.ES0914)

In which a Lancashire grocer and pub landlord becomes the most skilled executioner of all time, and John explains the best part of being guillotined. Certificate #21776.

Nov 1, 2018 • 1:01:17

Bridey Murphy (Entry 818.JB1414)

Bridey Murphy (Entry 818.JB1414)

In which a Colorado housewife and her tractor dealer friend jump-start the 1950s "reincarnation" fad, and Ken ponders whether or not he was "Endora" in a past life. Certificate #29314.

Oct 30, 2018 • 1:09:08

The Letter J (Entry 714.1CH0910)

The Letter J (Entry 714.1CH0910)

In which a 16th-century jack-of-all-trades judiciously joins a jaunty new Johnny-come-lately to our jargon because he's just so jazzed about Jesus. Juxtaposed with John's jumbled jeremiads and Jennings's juvenile jokes. Certificate #23082.

Oct 25, 2018 • 43:46

The Ballads of Ossian (Entry 094.PR2017)

The Ballads of Ossian (Entry 094.PR2017)

In which Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon, and Goethe go nuts about a best-selling blind Celtic bard who might not even exist, and John writes his first Tolkien fanfic. Certificate #28002

Oct 23, 2018 • 1:11:46

Brown Sound (Entry 158.MT1517)

Brown Sound (Entry 158.MT1517)

In which military scientists, flush from their success annoying Manuel Noriega with Doors music, try to find that one elusive noise that will liquefy their enemies' bowels. Certificate #42964.

Oct 18, 2018 • 55:43

Second Sleep (Entry 1122.ZC0401)

Second Sleep (Entry 1122.ZC0401)

In which John and Ken learn that they share a "chronotype," but disagree over whether it's natural to spend an hour or two every night sitting naked in a chair. Certificate #38846.

Oct 16, 2018 • 1:09:20

The Hollow Earth (Entry 593.JB2607)

The Hollow Earth (Entry 593.JB2607)

In which we ponder two questions: are we living on the inside of a concave sphere? Or is someone else down there, possibly with skimpy outfits and pet dinosaurs? Certificate #19429.

Oct 11, 2018 • 1:01:11

Pokemon Go (Entry 958.GE0702)

Pokemon Go (Entry 958.GE0702)

In which the biggest media franchise and the biggest augmented reality game of all time cause us to consider Zionist trading cards, the allure of wooden boats, and the feng shui of construction workers. Certificate #41843.

Oct 9, 2018 • 1:17:24

Tsar Bomba (Entry 1345.MI0104)

Tsar Bomba (Entry 1345.MI0104)

In which the Soviet Union detonates the biggest bomb in human history, and Ken imagines Nikita Khrushchev as a pro wrestler and a Bond villain. Certificate #20568.

Oct 4, 2018 • 52:36

The Blue Men of the Sahara (Entry 136.PS10704)

The Blue Men of the Sahara (Entry 136.PS10704)

In which we meet one of the last nomadic people on the planet and admire their dress code, and John identifies strongly with a camel that roars when loaded heavily. Certificate #42973

Oct 2, 2018 • 1:12:04

Dancing Mania (Entry 315.LA0515)

Dancing Mania (Entry 315.LA0515)

In which mass hysteria strikes the town squares of medieval Europe, John imagines the rigors of jute underwear, and Ken wonders if aliens ever start orgies. Certificate #21161.

Sep 27, 2018 • 50:21

Mail Trucks (Entry 749.2S1114)

Mail Trucks (Entry 749.2S1114)

In which the world's largest, boxiest truck fleet ages into its fourth decade, and John hunts for an elusive postal mascot from his childhood.  Certificate #35752

Sep 25, 2018 • 51:56

Albanian Bunkers (Entry 029.RV0615)

Albanian Bunkers (Entry 029.RV0615)

In which we learn why one of Europe's most isolated countries is dotted with hundreds of thousands of domed concrete pillboxes, and also why zombie movies are thinly veiled racism. Certificate #46673

Sep 20, 2018 • 1:05:29

(LIVE) Disco Demolition Night (Entry 356.AC1919)

(LIVE) Disco Demolition Night (Entry 356.AC1919)

In which the war between album-oriented rock and its mortal enemy disco boils over into the worst baseball promotion in history, and Ken reveals what 1970s music they play in heaven. Certificate #25815.

Sep 18, 2018 • 56:39

Jefferson, State of (Entry 671.NU2655)

Jefferson, State of (Entry 671.NU2655)

In which a huckster and meteorite-hunter, facing a business disaster, starts a still-brewing secession movement on the Oregon-California border, and also we contemplate who all the Looney Tunes characters voted for. Certificate #26085.

Sep 13, 2018 • 1:04:22

The Hilbert Hotel (Entry 587.LK0207)

The Hilbert Hotel (Entry 587.LK0207)

In which we learn what happens when an infinite number of tour buses arrive at an infinite hotel with no vacancies, and decide whether or not this is worse than the guest services at the Eagles' Hotel California. Certificate #44261.

Sep 11, 2018 • 1:05:00

Anita Bryant (Entry 159.PR0913)

Anita Bryant (Entry 159.PR0913)

In which a minor 1950s celebrity births America's modern cultural war, and Ken gets to complain about his two least favorite things: bigotry, and orange juice. Certificate #31531

Sep 6, 2018 • 1:01:15

The Fourth Crusade (Entry 495.2T0203)

The Fourth Crusade (Entry 495.2T0203)

In which a medieval crusade to Jerusalem goes off the rails and ends up sacking the world's greatest Christian city instead. Certificate #11758.

Sep 4, 2018 • 1:10:20

The Anarchist Cookbook (Entry 045.RV2210)

The Anarchist Cookbook (Entry 045.RV2210)

In which an angry teenager in his local library produces a counterculture classic of booby-trap design, leading to John being suspended from junior high for anarcho-capitalism. Certificate #33047.

Aug 30, 2018 • 53:02

The Saint Helena Submarine Plot (Entry 1096.PS7719)

The Saint Helena Submarine Plot (Entry 1096.PS7719)

In which Napoleon Bonaparte is disrespected by John's mom, but almost rescued by an English smuggler in a steampunk submarine. Certificate #37796.

Aug 28, 2018 • 44:46

The Berkeley Pit (Entry 115.PS8806)

The Berkeley Pit (Entry 115.PS8806)

In which John welcomes the microbes from a Montana copper sludge pit who will surely inherit the earth, and Ken announces how many syllables a dog's name should have. Certificate #50365.

Aug 23, 2018 • 47:36

Inversion Goggles (Entry 659.IS2916)

Inversion Goggles (Entry 659.IS2916)

In which we study the human brain's terrifying capacity for adaptation, via upside-down cigarette lighting, weird-smelling houses, and "stoner" voice. Certificate #37104.

Aug 21, 2018 • 51:33

The '59 Les Paul Standard (Entry 466.PS3302)

The '59 Les Paul Standard (Entry 466.PS3302)

In which John explains why there are only 643 of the greatest guitar ever made, and Kirk Hammett of Metallica pays $2 million for a Fleetwood Mac hand-me-down. Certificate #30784.

Aug 16, 2018 • 1:02:20

Ea-Nasir (Entry 390.LV1913)

Ea-Nasir (Entry 390.LV1913)

In which Sumeria's shiftiest businessman keeps all his hate mail around for four thousand years, and Ken gets accused of counterfeiting by a local bookstore. Certificate #27107.

Aug 14, 2018 • 47:39

Michael Rockefeller (Entry 1078.MI0303)

Michael Rockefeller (Entry 1078.MI0303)

In which one of America's richest young men gets really into New Guinean tribal art, and ends up getting really into a New Guinean tribe. Certificate #7628.

Aug 9, 2018 • 50:12

The D-Day Crosswords (Entry 318.PR2019)

The D-Day Crosswords (Entry 318.PR2019)

In which a British newspaper mysteriously spends June 1944 printing top-secret World War II spoilers, and Ken fails to amuse John with a lengthy anagram about a sex scandal. Certificate #29294.

Aug 7, 2018 • 57:35

The Barefoot Bandit (Entry 098.DE2510)

The Barefoot Bandit (Entry 098.DE2510)

In which John runs down the history of serial burglary, beginning with gentleman jewel thieves and ending with a plane crash in the Bahamas. Certificate #39409.

Aug 2, 2018 • 59:45

Greek Fire (Entry 548.IS6402)

Greek Fire (Entry 548.IS6402)

In which the Byzantines save their empire by inventing the flamethrower, John clears up a misconception re: how many roads go to Rome, and Ken clears up a misconception re: how many herbs and spices are in KFC. Certificate #10403.

Jul 31, 2018 • 50:23

Skyscraper Helipads (Entry 1170.IS6008)

Skyscraper Helipads (Entry 1170.IS6008)

In which John blames the boring skyline of Los Angeles on Regulation Number 10, an ill-conceived attempt at making every building in the city accessible by helicopter. Certificate #38095.

Jul 26, 2018 • 50:05

The Voyager Golden Records (Entry 1403.JU0113)

The Voyager Golden Records (Entry 1403.JU0113)

In which NASA gives aliens a weird gift basket (opera arias, a welcome from a Nazi war criminal, a lousy map, and absolutely no nipples!) and Ken gossips about wife-swapping astronomers. Certificate #34914.

Jul 24, 2018 • 1:13:57

The Truman Reconstruction (Entry 1343.LK1428)

The Truman Reconstruction (Entry 1343.LK1428)

In which a piano starts to fall right through the floor of a second-story dining room, and as a result, the White House gets a balcony, a bunker, and a bowling alley. Certificate #47967.

Jul 19, 2018 • 53:16

Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (Entry 1412.JM0503)

Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (Entry 1412.JM0503)

In which two art-world provocateurs fly to Scotland and burn through a record amount of cash in just two hours, and John sings his least favorite novelty song of the 1980s for us. (Hey!) Certificate #5888.

Jul 17, 2018 • 1:01:20

The Washing Bear (Entry 1411.LV2025)

The Washing Bear (Entry 1411.LV2025)

In which John explains the secrets of raccoon hygiene, Ken mistakenly shows up with a ukulele, a straw hat, and a football pennant, and ferret lovers unsubscribe in mass numbers. Certificate #29158.

Jul 12, 2018 • 41:50

The Transcontinental Airway System (Entry 1327.PS4304)

The Transcontinental Airway System (Entry 1327.PS4304)

In which the post office builds a path of giant yellow concrete arrows stretching across the continent, and John questions the sobriety of the pilots of Montana. Certificate #34096.

Jul 10, 2018 • 40:15

The Tri-State Tornado (Entry 1339.JE3023)

The Tri-State Tornado (Entry 1339.JE3023)

In which the most devastating twister in American history tears through 235 miles of the Midwest, tossing around trees, railroad tracks, and popcorn stands. Certificate #9101.

Jul 5, 2018 • 55:40

Christian Science Reading Rooms (Entry 220.HB0202)

Christian Science Reading Rooms (Entry 220.HB0202)

In which a Boston woman falls on an icy sidewalk and discovers the secret of the universe, and listeners are encouraged to seek out the most heretical book in their local metaphysical lending library. Certificate #51449.

Jul 3, 2018 • 1:09:15

War Rugs (Entry 1411.SS0604)

War Rugs (Entry 1411.SS0604)

In which we travel to the "graveyard of empires" to witness the birth of an exciting Soviet-era art form, and Ken learns he should have saved the satin bomber jackets of his childhood. Certificate #39950.

Jun 28, 2018 • 57:23

The Koryo Saram (Entry 692.JE2907)

The Koryo Saram (Entry 692.JE2907)

In which tens of thousands of Koreans are forcibly relocated to the deserts of Central Asia and ordered to grow rice, and John refuses to relocate to Kotzebue or Yakutat even though he has a free plane ticket. Certificate #16823.

Jun 26, 2018 • 52:26

Billy the Pygmy Hippo (Entry 122.JB4024)

Billy the Pygmy Hippo (Entry 122.JB4024)

In which Calvin Coolidge gets a frisky gift from Liberia that ushers zoos into the modern age, and John and Ken fantasize about being president and still sleeping all day. Certificate #47159.

Jun 21, 2018 • 50:16

The Boysenberry (Entry 148.LV2519)

The Boysenberry (Entry 148.LV2519)

In which a California backyard botanist creates a mysterious new fruit, resulting in one of the century's biggest food fads and reinventing the American vacation. Certificate #36525.

Jun 19, 2018 • 58:41

Prisencolinensinainciusol (Entry 988.1C1423)

Prisencolinensinainciusol (Entry 988.1C1423)

In which the world's catchiest song teaches us how English sounds to overseas ears, and Ken mispronounces the French word for "slithy." Certificate #35645.

Jun 14, 2018 • 56:45

The Conqueror (Entry 264.LK1255)

The Conqueror (Entry 264.LK1255)

In which an eccentric billionaire has the terrible idea to cast John Wayne as Genghis Khan, and a "who's who" of Hollywood gets showered with both bad reviews and radioactive fallout. Certificate #17145.

Jun 12, 2018 • 53:25

The Bugatti Chiron (Entry 162.EC0911)

The Bugatti Chiron (Entry 162.EC0911)

In which a Volkswagen marque invents the super-car, new acceleration and deceleration records are set, and Ken asks where John was conceived. Certificate #24968.

Jun 7, 2018 • 1:03:58

The St. Martin Fistula (Entry 1227.PR2027)

The St. Martin Fistula (Entry 1227.PR2027)

In which a French-Canadian "voyageur" suffers three indignities: being blasted with buckshot at point-blank range, becoming a full-time medical guinea pig, and having John call him the world's first "human fondue set." Certificate #42453.

Jun 5, 2018 • 1:03:50

The Preppy Handbook (Entry 981.DE2211)

The Preppy Handbook (Entry 981.DE2211)

In which John traces "preppy" fashion from Buckingham Palace to Hyannis Port to Kinko's, and Ken wonders if everyone on post-collapse Earth owns a navy blazer. Certificate #31310.

May 31, 2018 • 1:01:03

Duchenne Smiles (Entry 385.PR1513)

Duchenne Smiles (Entry 385.PR1513)

In which we examine how flight attendants smile, baby chimps play, botox treats mental illness, and Oscar the Grouch was a harsh wake-up call for Gen X kids. Certificate #42013.

May 29, 2018 • 56:27

The Port Chicago Disaster (Entry 967.AC1940)

The Port Chicago Disaster (Entry 967.AC1940)

In which a Victory ship full of ammunition ignites a three-mile fireball, which in turn ignites the biggest mutiny trial in American history. Certificate #32844.

May 24, 2018 • 1:01:21

Gordon Lish (Entry 726.2C0113)

Gordon Lish (Entry 726.2C0113)

In which Raymond Carver becomes a literary superstar largely thanks to one brilliant, heavy-handed editor, and Ken and John share a very controversial Blade Runner take. Certificate #24875.

May 22, 2018 • 1:06:21

Spanish Fly (Entry 1195.SS0713)

Spanish Fly (Entry 1195.SS0713)

In which a poison made from dried beetles becomes a schoolyard legend as an alleged aphrodisiac, foreshadowing our modern age of creepy predator celebrities and erectile dysfunction infomercials. Certificate #31327.

May 17, 2018 • 52:00

The Moon Illusion (Entry 806.JB3126)

The Moon Illusion (Entry 806.JB3126)

In which we learn why the moon looks so much larger at the horizon, whether your fingernails can out-race Portugal, and whether Ken or John has the better Axl Rose impression. Certificate #18042.

May 15, 2018 • 50:26

Tylenol Murders (Entry 1354.IS2915)

Tylenol Murders (Entry 1354.IS2915)

In which John runs down the disturbing history of product tampering, from Bromo-Seltzer to baby food, and listeners are strongly discouraged from committing murder. Certificate #27765.

May 10, 2018 • 1:00:20

William Rufus King (Entry 688.LK1734)

William Rufus King (Entry 688.LK1734)

In which a U.S. vice-president spends his entire six-week term dying in Cuba, and Ken reads some fun, flirty letters from future president James Buchanan. Certificate #39087.

May 8, 2018 • 53:52

Backyard Blast Furnaces (Entry 091.EZ2220)

Backyard Blast Furnaces (Entry 091.EZ2220)

In which John explains why it's a bad idea to smelt iron on your deck or patio, a seemingly obvious life tip that seems to have escaped Chairman Mao. Certificate #30148.

May 3, 2018 • 54:14

The Washington Generals (Entry 1411.HE1212)

The Washington Generals (Entry 1411.HE1212)

In which we celebrate a basketball team that never gets to celebrate, because they've lost to their rivals 17,000 times. Certificate #46102.

May 1, 2018 • 54:21

Checkerboarding (Entry 210.NU2653)

Checkerboarding (Entry 210.NU2653)

In which the U.S. government pixelates the American West with land grants to railroads. Certificate #6798.

Apr 26, 2018 • 43:20

Bir Tawil (Entry 126.EZ2010)

Bir Tawil (Entry 126.EZ2010)

In which Ken confesses that he might have caused a land grab in the middle of the Nubian Desert. Certificate #50204.

Apr 24, 2018 • 50:01

Hypercolor (Entry 611.GE3703)

Hypercolor (Entry 611.GE3703)

In which we revisit 1991's briefest, brightest fashion fad, and John ponders what to do with our nation's biggest problem: awkward middle-schoolers. Certificate #26275.

Apr 19, 2018 • 50:59

The Angels of Mons (Entry 047.PS9111)

The Angels of Mons (Entry 047.PS9111)

In which an unsuccessful horror writer accidentally rewrites the history of the Western Front, and Ken is clearly annoyed at having to learn the history of the Western Front. Certificate #21873.

Apr 17, 2018 • 52:27

Canadian Floating Feet (Entry 178.RV2013)

Canadian Floating Feet (Entry 178.RV2013)

In which sneakers keep washing onto the beaches of British Columbia with the feet of mystery people still inside, may God rest their soles. Certificate #27174.

Apr 12, 2018 • 32:03

Vending Machines (Entry 1387.DE0228)

Vending Machines (Entry 1387.DE0228)

In which Ken runs down the list of everything that could ever be bought by putting coins in slots, from religious awe to banned books to pancake mix. Certificate #16697.

Apr 10, 2018 • 47:55

Call Signs (Entry 176.1S1007)

Call Signs (Entry 176.1S1007)

In which we learn why US radio stations start with a K or a W, and how to get hold of Ken's dad in case of a national emergency. Certificate #28337.

Apr 5, 2018 • 37:35

Hachiko (Entry 559.PR2006)

Hachiko (Entry 559.PR2006)

In which a Scottish policeman, a Tokyo professor, and Mary Queen of Scots have very loyal dogs, but a young John Roderick does not. Certificate #24139.

Apr 3, 2018 • 45:49

(LIVE) Lake Missoula (Entry 697.GN0710)

(LIVE) Lake Missoula (Entry 697.GN0710)

In which a prehistoric ice dam breaks and 500 cubic miles of water reshape the Pacific Northwest. Certificate #17528

Mar 29, 2018 • 26:51

(LIVE) Tuvan Throat Singers (Entry 1351.PS13704)

(LIVE) Tuvan Throat Singers (Entry 1351.PS13704)

In which Ken attempts to teach a new superpower--Central Asian overtone singing--to John and a live audience. Certificate #40632.

Mar 27, 2018 • 37:10

Milli Vanilli (Entry 789.JB2704)

Milli Vanilli (Entry 789.JB2704)

In which a German record producer hires two male models to lip-sync his hits, leading to--girl, you know it's true!--one Grammy, one class-action lawsuit, and one tragic death. Certificate #35145.

Mar 22, 2018 • 57:29

Mary Anning (Entry 050.PS3420)

Mary Anning (Entry 050.PS3420)

In which a working-class woman becomes one of the greatest scientists of her age, discovers dinosaur poop, and sells seashells by the seashore. Certificate #36073.

Mar 20, 2018 • 41:14

S.S. United States (Entry 1213.JB0926)

S.S. United States (Entry 1213.JB0926)

In which an aluminum-heavy cruise liner falls on hard times, and John and Ken can't decide if "Blue Riband" is actually French or not. Certificate #39390.

Mar 15, 2018 • 47:10

Rubber Barons (Entry 1087.EZ1613)

Rubber Barons (Entry 1087.EZ1613)

In which Ken describes the nouveau riche of the Amazon rainforest, and John has a conspiracy theory about scarecrows. Certificate #25284.

Mar 13, 2018 • 43:18

Father Coughlin (Entry 284.MT2309)

Father Coughlin (Entry 284.MT2309)

In which a fiery Canadian gets 30 million Depression-era listeners for his little fascist radio show, and Ken and John pledge fealty to Martian invaders. Certificate #29423

Mar 8, 2018 • 48:11

The Noid (Entry 840.PR0415)

The Noid (Entry 840.PR0415)

In which a claymation terrorist with inexplicable bunny ears disrupts pizza, takes hostages, and wins America's heart. Certificate #29250

Mar 6, 2018 • 49:00

The Zuider Zee (Entry 1458.NA0104)

The Zuider Zee (Entry 1458.NA0104)

In which the Dutch battle their oldest enemy: the Waterwolf. Almost certainly the Omnibus's last entry (alphabetically). Certificate #31078.

Mar 1, 2018 • 45:43

London Bridge Is Down (Entry 733.2K0934)

London Bridge Is Down (Entry 733.2K0934)

In which we make plans for the longest-awaited death in human history, and wonder how many Welsh corgis it takes to pull a gun carriage. Certificate #34884.

Feb 27, 2018 • 52:53

Back Masking (Entry 091.EP0427)

Back Masking (Entry 091.EP0427)

In which John investigates whether or not segassem terces naitnoc sgnos kcor, and Ken wonders why Satan would own a toolshed. Certificate #30148.

Feb 22, 2018 • 46:13

Megafauna (Entry 772.JB4015)

Megafauna (Entry 772.JB4015)

In which we learn which Ice Age animal is named after the human nipple, and which modern animal fills John's soul with bloodlust. Certificate #47448.

Feb 20, 2018 • 42:42

Oneida (Entry 866.MT2230)

Oneida (Entry 866.MT2230)

In which a socialist preacher invents a tricky birth control technique he calls "male continence," leading directly to the lazy Susan and the assassination of an American president. Certificate #34322.

Feb 15, 2018 • 42:27

The Bellamy Salute (Entry 112.HE0616)

The Bellamy Salute (Entry 112.HE0616)

In which Ken blames a crucial bit of fascist iconography on the most successful magazine premium in American history, and John knows the lyrics to "Alaska's Flag" but refuses to sing it. Certificate #37863.

Feb 13, 2018 • 39:06

Hat Etiquette (Entry 571.1C1104)

Hat Etiquette (Entry 571.1C1104)

In which John strongly admonishes future listeners not to get sloppy with their headwear, if they have heads. Certificate #25200.

Feb 8, 2018 • 37:20

Death Discs (Entry 319.MK1610)

Death Discs (Entry 319.MK1610)

In which the gruesome deaths in early 1960s teen ballads are variously blamed on capitalism, Marlon Brando, chastity, and giant clams. Certificate #34312.

Feb 6, 2018 • 49:40

Mutual Assured Destruction (Entry 820.JE5022)

Mutual Assured Destruction (Entry 820.JE5022)

In which the human race barely survives the 20th century. (Well, not all of it, obviously. Picasso didn't, for example.) Certificate #27008

Feb 1, 2018 • 45:19

Mummy Brown (Entry 817.PR0716)

Mummy Brown (Entry 817.PR0716)

In which the bodies of ancient kings are ground up to fertilize lawns, power locomotives, and paint portraits. Certificate #37891

Jan 30, 2018 • 43:10

Thomas Midgley (Entry 786.ZC0508)

Thomas Midgley (Entry 786.ZC0508)

In which the world's worst chemist gives everyone lead poisoning, and then puts a hole in the ozone layer as an encore. Certificate #25185

Jan 25, 2018 • 45:31

Paris Syndrome (Entry 901.JS1002)

Paris Syndrome (Entry 901.JS1002)

In which twenty tourists a year have a psychological breakdown because the most magical city in the world is a little disappointing. Certificate #507

Jan 23, 2018 • 44:40

The Sentinelese (Entry 1134.LV2024)

The Sentinelese (Entry 1134.LV2024)

In which John introduces us to the world's last uncontacted tribe—but not literally, because that would be illegal. Certificate #13568

Jan 18, 2018 • 38:47

Kohoutek (Entry 692.JU0113)

Kohoutek (Entry 692.JU0113)

In which a Czech astronomer is hailed as the hero of 1973, only to have his discovery flame out by not flaming out. Then he gets very seasick on a cruise. Certificate #31644

Jan 16, 2018 • 40:39

Monrovia, Moravia, Moldova, Moldavia (Entry 805.GN1032)

Monrovia, Moravia, Moldova, Moldavia (Entry 805.GN1032)

In which John shares the soothing geographic mantra that has got him where he is today: sitting in a bunker teaching 30th-century cockroach-people how to tell medieval Central European principalities apart. Certificate #18088.

Jan 11, 2018 • 54:17

Heil Honey I'm Home! (Entry 577.PR1413)

Heil Honey I'm Home! (Entry 577.PR1413)

In which an upstart British television producer finally answers that age-old question: why don't more classic sitcoms star Adolf Hitler? Certificate #42615.

Jan 9, 2018 • 38:23

The Darien Gap (Entry 315.EZ3328)

The Darien Gap (Entry 315.EZ3328)

In which a single highway is paved all the way from Alaska to Argentina--except for one pesky 66-mile gap right in the middle. Certificate #14458.

Jan 4, 2018 • 31:51

Secret Order of the Double Sunrise (Entry 1122.EC0105)

Secret Order of the Double Sunrise (Entry 1122.EC0105)

In which QANTAS begins a top-secret 33-hour nonstop flight between Australia and Ceylon at the height of World War II, right under the noses of the Empire of Japan. Certificate #12248.

Jan 2, 2018 • 40:08

Newton's Cradle (Entry 835.1C1311)

Newton's Cradle (Entry 835.1C1311)

In which thousands of soulless corporate executives put little steel toys on their desks but still feel dead inside, and Ken finally learns how those little drinking birds work. Certificate #31932.

Dec 28, 2017 • 41:40

Gadsby (Entry 511.PS6928)

Gadsby (Entry 511.PS6928)

In which our two hosts study a book that runs fifty thousand words without a solitary display of our writing plan's fifth symbol. Certificate #6442.

Dec 26, 2017 • 50:49

Water Wars (Entry 1414.PS6301)

Water Wars (Entry 1414.PS6301)

In which Los Angeles stands revealed in all its unquenchable thirst, and is pronounced by John and Ken several times the fun, old-timey way, with a hard 'g'. Certificate #33935.

Dec 21, 2017 • 58:58

The Tesseract (Entry 1291.EP0318)

The Tesseract (Entry 1291.EP0318)

In which Ken and John struggle to imagine four-dimensional space with the same ease that the inventor of the pitching machine once could. Certificate #28910.

Dec 19, 2017 • 48:03

The Rachel (Entry 1024.GN2917)

The Rachel (Entry 1024.GN2917)

In which John opines that Jennifer Aniston's ubiquitous 1990s-era cut was America's "last hairstyle." Certificate #24193.

Dec 14, 2017 • 55:45

Smell-O-Vision (Entry 1177.AM0521)

Smell-O-Vision (Entry 1177.AM0521)

In which the aromas of tobacco, coffee, and lavender, meant to revolutionize the motion picture industry, end up nauseating audiences instead, and Ken spoils a 57-year-old surprise cameo. Certificate #18585.

Dec 12, 2017 • 58:40

The Pig War (Entry 939.MK0511)

The Pig War (Entry 939.MK0511)

In which the United States and Britain take up arms over one potato-hungry pig. Certificate #43259.

Dec 8, 2017 • 53:02

The Olympic Marathon of 1904 (Entry 865.1C0924)

The Olympic Marathon of 1904 (Entry 865.1C0924)

In which the world's most prestigious sporting event goes disastrously wrong, and a Cuban mailman takes a nap. Certificate #28924.

Dec 7, 2017 • 57:27

Defenestration (Entry 326.2K0933)

Defenestration (Entry 326.2K0933)

In which throwing people out of windows is strongly endorsed by many hot-headed Czechs, but opposed in no uncertain terms by Ken's great-great-great-great-grandfather. Certificate #32146.

Dec 7, 2017 • 36:13

The European Starling (Entry 431.PS8403)

The European Starling (Entry 431.PS8403)

In which an eccentric Shakespeare buff releases two birds in Central Park, and thereby screws up an entire continent's ecosystem. Certificate #27603.

Dec 7, 2017 • 41:47

The Omnibus Project

The Omnibus Project

Ken and John provide a time capsule of whimsical recordings for future generations, commemorating the human race's triumphant achievements and its beautiful mundanities. There's no way you want to miss out on these strange-but-true stories.

Dec 5, 2017 • 10:43

Omnibus: Trailer

Omnibus: Trailer

Twice a week, Ken and John add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.

Nov 28, 2017 • 2:08

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