Easy Bake Ovens are as iconic as a toy can get, as American as apple pie or baseball. Learn all about these light bulb cooking, working ovens that endanger children to this day, in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 12, 2025•37 min
The BBC has been around as long as there has been radio. Today we salute the venerable institution that's as British as tea and crumpets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 11, 2025•53 min
In 2003, a tiny – really, really tiny – humanoid skeleton surfaced that had been taken from Chile. The only possible explanation is that it had to be an alien mummy. Right? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 10, 2025•11 min
If we told you that World War III was in danger of happening over the trimming of a tree would you believe us? This was Operation Paul Bunyan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 09, 2025•44 min
In the 1960s, a very cool machine debuted at the Seattle World's Fair - the Mold-A-Rama. It made real plastic toys on-demand from melted plastic pellets, to the delight of children and adults alike. They didn't last too long, but can still be found at various locations all over the United States and their retro-cool stylings are still a hit. Learn all about these cool machines in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 06, 2025•39 min
You've always heard about "the bar" but what do you really know about it? Unless you've taken it, probably not much. Well join the club. Let's discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 04, 2025•53 min
Camberley Kate was the nickname for the first independent animal rescuer in England, rescuing hundreds of dogs and cats over her lifetime. Come get acquainted with a great lady! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 03, 2025•11 min
The idea of prison labor is relatively new in the annals of crime and punishment. And it's just as bad as you think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 02, 2025•52 min
On the day after Thanksgiving, Americans go kind of crazy for the deep discount sales that kick off the holiday shopping season in stores. So crazy, in fact, at least four people have lost their lives and as many as 63 others have been injured during Black Friday sales. But as profitable as Black Friday is, some retailers are thinking about discontinuing the tradition to find ways to make even more money. Learn all about this bizarre, uniquely American holiday custom in this classic episode. See...
Nov 29, 2025•40 min
Julia Child is one of the most recognizable names in the cooking world, but even still so many of her accomplishments aren’t widely known. And the impacts she had on American culture, whoa! Join Josh and Chuck as they savor the flavor of Julia Child! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 27, 2025•52 min
We’ve done episodes on cake, cookies and, at long last, pie. Belly up to your pod player and prepare to crave some pie! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 26, 2025•18 min
Rice may be the most eaten food on the planet, accounting for 50% of the caloric intake of Asian countries and 25% worldwide. Learn all about this edible cereal crop today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 25, 2025•47 min
Tune in to this classic episode to learn all about the legendary NYC Rockettes, who actually got their start in Missouri. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 22, 2025•46 min
Graffiti – the good kind, done with lots of style and skill – developed when some kids in NYC took up cans of spray paint and started to figure out how to outdo one another. They laid down styles that are so fine they’re still being used by artists today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 20, 2025•48 min
What do you do when you want to tell someone you’re smitten with them but you live in a society so repressive decorum prevents you from even speaking such things? Why, you can say it with flowers! And that’s just what people in the Victorian Era did. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 19, 2025•14 min
The era of AM radio isn't over, but it's well past its heyday. Dive in today for a trip down memory lane. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 18, 2025•49 min
For millennia, we have tried to put human personalities into neat types, an effort psychology took up early in its history in an effort to legitimize itself. But is the idea of types – which all personality inventories are based on - flawed to begin with? Find out in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 15, 2025•57 min
Pop Tarts are a legendary breakfast treat in the United States. They're fruit-filled toaster pastries with very little fruit. But who cares right? It's all about that toasty goodness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 13, 2025•50 min
People who’ve found themselves in life-or-death situations with their endurance at its limit have reported sensing another presence with them, urging them to continue on and survive. No one knows what the heck is going on here but it sure is interesting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 12, 2025•13 min
In 1905, an engineering mistake created a brand new 400-square-mile sea (lake?) in the California desert. People made the most of it at first, but it didn’t take long to become a toxic brew that now threatens the health of anyone in breathing distance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 11, 2025•48 min
Conversion therapy is a misguided attempt by religious zealots to convert people from gay to straight. News flash - it doesn't work. Learn all about this abhorrent practice in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 08, 2025•1 hr 3 min
In 1996, a small group of German tourists disappeared in Death Valley National Park without a trace. Fifteen years later, the tenacity of one man solved the case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 06, 2025•45 min
Did Native Americans really smoke peace pipes? Well yes and no. They smoked pipes for many reasons, sometimes to commemorate peace. But they never called them peace pipes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 05, 2025•11 min
You can make a case that it’s a little off-putting to learn the world doesn’t really have any idea what to do with the nuclear waste we’ve been generating for several decades. The best we’ve come up with so far is bury it real deep and forget about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 04, 2025•46 min
Scientists believe that 99% of the estimated 50 billion species that have ever lived on Earth have disappeared through extinction. This is a natural process typically, but it can also be cataclysmic and it's becoming clear we are amid a massive one. Find out more with Josh and Chuck in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 01, 2025•48 min
Co-producer Ben knocked it out of the park again, taking the two classic horror stories we read for our annual Spooktacular - Caterpillars and The Deep Drowse – and creating a moody Halloween masterpiece for your spooky listening enjoyment. So enjoy it! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 30, 2025•1 hr 38 min
A legend in Tennessee tells of the real-life Bell family, who were haunted back in 1817 by a ghost witch - arguably the worst kind of either of those things. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 29, 2025•16 min
There aren’t too many independent horror movies that make the British Film Institute’s 250 Best Films Ever Made list – AND – make an appearance in the teen comedy Summer School. That makes sense because there’s no other movie quite like The TCSM. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 28, 2025•1 hr 5 min
In 2005 a woman named Anna Alaya discovered a length of human finger – nail and all – in her Wendy’s chili. Her cries of disgust would set off a media firestorm, a criminal investigation and a prison sentence for her and her husband. Listen to Josh and Chuck go through the whole mess in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 25, 2025•45 min
Have you ever thought much about screaming? Well we have, and today you'll learn everything we learned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 23, 2025•45 min