Don't Look Now

Beginning a two part series on Jack the Ripper, we discuss the victims of the Whitechapel murders, both those attributed to the ripper and those before and after that might be related.  Most of the victims have often been dismissed over the years as prostitutes of little interest and we spend some time in this episode discussing the situation they were in living in Whitechapel at the time and some of their background. Warning: Some very unpleasant details discussed

Numerology is the belief that certain numbers and number combination hold mystical significance.  Numerological beliefs very greatly across cultures and groups, ranging from things like Angel Numbers, to codes supposedly embedded in spiritual texts, to people noticing numbers that repeat in nature and ascribing significance to them.  Take a listen and learn about the mysticism of numbers (and how it has sometimes shaped the modern world).

With the advent of photography in the 19th century came the inevitable inclusion of the new process in the spiritualist movement.  William Mumler gained fame in the 1860s when he developed a photo that showed the ghostly image of his deceased cousin.  He then went to to great fame taking photos of people with their ghostly loved ones appearing in the frame.  While he was accused of fraud, he was never convicted and mediums and others still claim to be able to take spiritual photographs today.

As far back as the 13th century, rumors have existed of a female Pope who originally came to the Rome disguised as a man to be with a lover in the church.  She is said to have rose to prominence though her abilities and was eventually elected as Pope John but found out when she gave birth to a child.  Is there any truth to the rumor that has persisted for centuries?

One of the worst fires in US history occurred on July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut.  The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus had just arrived in town and set up for their first performance at 2:15.  Since it was midday, during the work week the crowd consisted of a large number of women and children, excited to see the circus after their parade from the train station.  During the performance a fire broke out and the big top which had been waterproofed with flammable materials quickly went up, killing at least 167 people and injuring 700.  We discuss the events of that day and the resulting difficulty of identifying several of the victims. 

While many names might come to mind when someone mentions pirates, the first name of the list that isn't fictional is typically Blackbeard or Edward Teach.  While he has become synonymous with the image of a fearsome pirate, Blackbeard was only truly active as a pirate for about two years (1716-1718) and was known for avoiding violence whenever possible and using the intimidation of his presence and legend to convince others to surrender.  Take a listen to the history of Blackbeard the Pirate!

Take a listen and learn about the history and formation of the FBI, the US's most famous federal intelligence and law enforcement service.

In today's episode we discuss three separate cases of prominent citizens from the turn of the 20th Century that suddenly disappeared only to, possibly, reappear years later.  The first is William Cantelo, a British inventor and pub owner that vanished while developing a machine gun only to possibly reappear as an American inventor with the same idea.  The second is Dr. William Bates, a noted surgeon and ophthalmologist that vanished leaving his wife heartbroken, only to reappear years later as if nothing had happened and no real memory of the event.  The third is physicist Ettore Majorana, who vanished in 1938 after working on the discovery of the neutron.  He is thought to have possibly resurfaced years later in Venezuela under an assumed name.       

Most people know the Liberty Bell as a symbol of the American Revolution.  However, what is the story behind it?  Where did it come from? How did it crack? How did it somehow become associated with the Revolution?  All these answers and more this week on the podcast.

Early in the morning on August 8th, 1963 a Royal Mail train carrying the equivalent of $80 million in modern money was robbed by a band of 15 men.   Take a listen and learn about the robbery, how the culprits were eventually found, and what it was like for one family of the run.

Most know Harry Houdini as a legendary escape artist.  What most don't know is that his performances were largely possible though many inventions he developed to aid in his slight of hand.  He did not want them to become public knowledge so he refused to patent them, instead keeping them secret.  Many of his methods are still unknown to this day.

Studies show that roughly a quarter of the world's population believes in various forms of psychic powers despite there being no reproducible scientific evidence of their existence.  We discuss the history of psychic phenomenon from ancient oracles to Miss Cleo's pay per call line as well as people's attempts at conducting research into parapsychology. 

The term "Moral Panic" is used in sociology to denote a widespread feeling of fear, which is often irrational, that an evil person, thing, or group threatens the interests and well being of society.  While you can probably think of several active examples today, we discuss the term and some famous past examples, like the fear of the corruption of youth by Rock and Roll, and the Satanic Panic of the 80s.  Ever wonder how these panics start and how they are perpetuated?  We've got you covered.

David Hahn spent his teen years attempting to build a breeder reactor in the potting shed behind his house.  His work resulted in a crude neutron source, a merit badge, and the unintentional creation of a superfund site and a trip to jail.

James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger Jr. was an organized crime leader in Boston from the 1960s through the 1990s.  He went into hiding in 1994 and wasn't found and arrested until 2011, resulting in him sitting behind only Osama Bin Laden on the FBI's ten most wanted list.  Most astonishingly, Bulger managed to operate as an FBI informant during his career.  By giving information on his rivals and being shielded from arrest by his status, he managed to become one of the most powerful organized crime bosses in America. 

This week we discuss the infamous MKUltra program.  The CIA's attempt to identify drugs and procedures to help with interrogation, discredit targets, and perform brainwashing and torture.  This program was carried out on human subjects, often without their knowledge and consent.  Take a listen and learn the known facts about the program that has often be portrayed in books and film.

We’ve got an episode all about Zeus, leader of the Greek pantheon of Olympic Gods and epic philanderer.  Take a listen and learn some Zeus history and some of his greatest hits from Greek mythology.

One of the greatest scientific rivalries in history was that between paleontologists Edward Cope and Othniel Marsh, often referred to as The Bone Wars.  The two struggled not just to outdo each other but also to destroy each other, resorting to bribery, theft, violence, and any other means they could think of to ruin the reputation of their rival.  The rivalry resulted in the academic and financial ruin of both men but also left us with the discovery of many of the dinosaurs we love today like triceratops, stegosaurus, and diplodocus.   

Most of us remember the nursery rhyme “Do you know the Muffin Man” from childhood or its appearance in Shrek movies.  However, is there truth to the claim that the song references the first documented serial killer in London as opposed to some nice gentleman that made baked goods?  We discuss the truth behind the origin of the song and the real first documented serial killer in London history.

On September 16th, 1994, children at the Ariel School in Ruwa, Zimbabwe claim to have seen an alien spacecraft and extraterrestrial visitors while outside playing at morning recess.  People have heralded this as proof of Extraterrestrial visitation or contended that it is a classic case of mass hysteria.  Take a listen and see what you think.