AM Radio

eight tracks. Those lost the war against cassette tapes and CDs, which eventually led to the rise of streaming music over the Internet. But one thing is certain about the past, and technology in particular, it doesn't go away forever, and it tends to repeat itself. Vinyl records have made a triumphant return, though in a way they never really left. Analog technology doesn't die, It just goes underground, often dug

up later by hobbyists and the nostalgic. We have cell phones that allow us to talk to people anywhere in the world, yet there are still roughly three million ham radio operators. Amateur radio operators often begin transmissions with their call signs a combination of letters and numbers rattled off using the NATO phonetic alphabet. It's as easy as alpha, Bravo, Charlie. What they expect to hear back is usually the same thing from the other person, letters and numbers identifying the

party on the other end of the line. They don't expect music, however, beginning in the nineteen seventies, music is exactly what they got. A jaunty electric tune like something played by a passing ice cream truck, followed by a creepy recording of a woman reading this series of numbers. They're called number are stations, and while their origins aren't definitive, an initiative known as the KNAT Project has been cataloging

these recordings for decades. Shortwave radio transmissions utilize the Earth's atmosphere to propagate all over the world with the help of an unlicensed station to maintain anonymity, These number stations became the perfect vessels for one way communications. The original number stations were thought to have been started back in World War One as a way to transmit encoded messages. The person listening to the message would often have a paper or a small pamphlet with a key of random

numbers and letters by which to decode the messages. Once they'd been deciphered, the keys would then be shredded, making it nearly impossible for enemies to uncover its meaning. From the Gong station in East Germany broadcast coded number groups that corresponded to specific times and locations where active spies

would be dropped. Air Force printer Joaquim Pruss used those recorded messages to transcribe over sixteen thousand documents for his superiors, and as recently as Russian stations made several unscheduled broadcasts with new numbers during an attempted coup from the U. S s Are against President Mikhail Gorbachev. Several years later, Cuban spies were caught decoding fourteen hundred pages worth of

secret messages being transmitted by a local station. Some of those messages said things like prioritize and continue to strengthen friendship with Joe Dennis and congratulate all female comrades for International Day of Women. Since the end of the Cold War, listeners are theorized as to why these stations still exist. Some believe drug cartels are using them to coordinate shipments across the US border. Others think they're still being utilized

by the counterintelligence community for their original purpose. In fact, many of the prevailing theories about the use of number stations were confirmed in the late nineties by a government official from the United Kingdom who stated that the transmissions were not meant for regular users, including the ham radio operators. Despite the proliferation of technology such as cell phones, email, and Twitter, number stations are still in use today, and new ones have been known to crop up from time

to time. They transmit all over the globe in different languages, including Russian, Chinese, Spanish, and English. No one knows why or for what purpose. All they know is that someone somewhere is listening and waiting. The Canned Film Festival brings over on people to the shores of the French Riviera every year. Among the guests and general tourists, you'll find directors, actors, producers, and some of the wealthiest members of Hollywood's elite, accepting

awards and making deals. And where do these elite members choose to stay? Many prefer the luxury of the Carlton can an Art deco hotel that has been featured in films like to Catch a Thief starring Carry Grant and Grace Kelly. In the film, Carry Grant plays of former cat burglar trying to clear his name after he's accused

of a string of robberies plaguing the hotel's guests. It's an eerily appropriate film to be set at the Carlton, seeing as how the hotel has been a hotbed of crime over the years, ranging from simple pickpockets to brazen armed robberies. Those who choose to spend the night in one of its suites must do all they can to hold onto their valuables, but even then their diligence may not be enough, not when someone is holding a gun

to their head. Literally. In the summer of months, after the festival had ended, three men walked into a jewelry store within the Carlton and opened fire. Guests and employees fell to the ground. The assailants smashed the glass cases housing over sixty million dollars worth of jewelry, while terrified hostages kept their heads low and their eyes pointed at the ground. The whole affair was over in minutes. When it was clear that the thieves had gone, everyone got

up and assessed the damage. No one had been killed or shot. Glass lay shattered on the ground as the smoke dissipated. Authorities arrived to take statements and investigate the scene. They inspected the walls, the ceiling, and all the places where the guns had been fired and found nothing. No bullets, no bullet holes, no evidence that anything had been fired at all. The people who committed the robbery were never caught, but the story they left behind is one that's still

told by hotel staff to this day. Beginning in it was labeled as the costliest jewel high in history, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, and whenever a similar crime occurs in the world, the robbery at the Carlton inevitably comes up as well. It's a fun tale, especially since it was clear the people responsible had no interest in hurting anyone, only making off with millions and stolen jewels. But dig a little deeper and you'll notice

something strange. There was no mention of the robbery in any newspaper at the time, including local outlets. No TV reports were broadcast, no photos exist of the crime scene. Even the items that were stolen weren't described to the police, who claim they have no record of the heist either, and according to Guinness, they published their ranking without any verifiable source to back it up. So did the incident

even happen. The same could be asked of a similar robbery in two thousand and thirteen, in which a suspect stole over one hundred thirty six million worth of precious stones in just thirty seconds. The jewels belonged to billionaire Lev Lovyev, and the evidence leaves much to be discussed. The items were part of an outdoor exhibit where no security guards had been posted to keep intruders away from

the tables. The thief approached a man and a woman working the booth where the jewels were going on display. One glimpse of the gun at the thief side and they dropped to the floor. Then the thief reached behind the counter and grabbed the black bag that seemed to have been prepared ahead of time. On the way out, he also swiped two trays of random jewels. No one was ever caught for the crime, and it remains open

to this day. The insurance company paid out roughly half the worth of the stolen merchandise, despite how quickly and seamlessly the job was performed. It was clear the thief had help on the inside, but no one could prove anything. Some say hotel employees assisted, while the French police have their own theory. They think lovyev orchestrated the theft himself as a way to resell his jet ms while also

pocketing the insurance money. No one can prove anything yet, but this case and the one from are just a few in a long string of unsolved crimes committed at the Iconic hotel, proving just how hard it can truly be to catch a thief. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by

me Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can learn all about it over at the World of Lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious.