Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Ben follows up on augmented reality and the ongoing communications from protestors in Iran. A caller asks for information about the alleged disappearance of the young inventor Max Loughan. A listener writes in to provide a Peruvian perspective on birthrates in agrarian economies. All this and more in this week's listener mail.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a lot of information out there these days -- and, unfortunately, a lot of it isn't true. But how can we learn to discern fact from fiction? In today's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the basis of critical thought and skepticism, and how your own brain can conspire against you in your search for the truth. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rumors are true -- the US government has multiple, highly-fortified shelters and compounds dotting the American landscape, staffed and fully prepared to protect the President and other federal or state officials from widespread disease, natural disasters, nuclear war and more. But how do these things get built? Where are they and -- perhaps most importantly -- what happens to everyone else when the bombs hit? Join the guys as they interview Garrett M. Graff, the author of "Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die."They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research indicates multiple obscure fungal infections are spreading much further than originally thought. On the heels of the attempted coup in Brazil, former president Jair Bolsonaro remains in the United States. Over in Utah, hapless park officials ask people to stop planting strange electronic rigs in mountains near Salt Lake City (spoiler from Ben: I'm pretty sure this is related to crypto). All this and more in this week's Strange News.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a story you might not have heard much about in the global west. While the world has eyes on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, another international border may be on the brink of exploding into open war. For decades the nuclear-capable nations of China and India have quietly been waging a dispute high in the Himalayas -- a conflict fought with sticks, stones and hand-to-hand combat to determine a border. Problem is, neither side ever agreed to a border in the first place. Instead, they call it the "Line of Actual Control." Tune in to learn more.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a tale that dates back centuries -- a bizarre, spherical ship washes ashore in Japan, containing a single passenger. Visibly female and humanoid, but clothed in strange garments, with unusual hair and skin. Fast forward to the modern day -- experts still aren't sure what exactly happened. What was Utsuro Bune? Join Ben, Matt and Noel as they delve into the mystery.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humanity has always had one biological mission: to grow and expand its population. And, since the days of antiquity, great thinkers have been terrified by the idea that, one day, there will simply be too many people on the planet. In today's episode, Ben and Noel explore the numerous concerns about overpopulation, separating fact from fiction as they delve into one of the most disturbing genres of conspiracy: What if the most powerful people in the world are conspiring to murder the less fortunate, all in the name of the Greater Good?They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each year, thousands of people visit national parks across the US. And, tragically, some of them don't return. Join the guys as they interview David Paulides, the prolific author of the Missing 411 series, to learn more about his work and research into these disappearances.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's 2023 -- and more shady companies are selling body parts on the sly. Infrastructure attacks continue across the United States, prompting questions about a larger pattern at play. Canada is banning foreign homebuyers, and Japan is begging people to move out of Tokyo. Join Ben and Matt for all this and more in this week's Strange News.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the investigation into the brutal death of the Shermans dragged on, seemingly with no solid leads, the public and members of the Sherman family grew increasingly disturbed. Both the authorities and the family searched desperately for clues -- and the court of opinion began drawing conclusions of its own. Could a business rival of Barry Sherman's have ordered a hit? Could a foreign government be involved? What should we make of the accusations levied against Barry Sherman's own son? Tune in to learn more in part two of this two-part series. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many people, the word "pyramid" instantly conjures up images of ancient Egypt -- of pharaohs and mummies, treasure and (maybe) curses. But while the pyramids of Egypt may be the most well-known, they are far from the only example of these structures. Join the guys as they explore the stories of pyramids across the globe, including their alleged uses and more.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2017, Canadian billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman were discovered dead in their Toronto-area mansion, in a gruesome tragedy that remains unsolved in the modern day. Police initially declared the case a murder-suicide -- a conclusion no one found accurate. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into the troubling details of this crime, from the initial investigation up to the profoundly disturbing details of how the murders were carried out, all leading to a single, still-unanswered question: Who killed the Shermans, and why?They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2017, Elon Musk laid out plans to build a permanent colony on Mars -- one with at least a million human inhabitants. What would this colony look like? How would it work? Most importantly, could we use a Martian colony as an opportunity to improve on the socioeconomic practices of Earth? To find these answers, Ben, Matt and Noel went to the smartest guy they know: Marshall Brain, the founder of HowStuffWorks and author of "Imagining Elon Musk's Million-Person Mars Colony."They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warehouse fire in Brooklyn destroys incalculable amounts of NYPD evidence. The app Lensa prompts a conversation about the future of art (which Ben partially predicted). Human-made nuclear fusion is finally real -- but will it work the way humans hope? All this and more in this week's Strange News.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since before the dawn of recorded history, the power of belief has been a driving force for human civilization. Spiritual movements have risen and fallen, only to be replaced by other belief systems. Today much of the developed world is considered increasingly secular -- or is it? Join the guys as they explore the strange and troubling question: What if, instead of becoming less religious, the world has simply switched to another religion… the church of money? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For centuries, cultures around the world have told tales of "wild men" lurking in the woods, and reports of these creatures continue in the modern day. So what exactly is Bigfoot? Join the guys as they interview David Bakara, the creator of Expedition: Bigfoot, to learn more about his search for the creature and the inspiration behind his museum. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts believe that millions of undiscovered species exist in the modern day -- but most are tiny microbes and insects. What if there are much larger undiscovered creatures out there? What would they look like? Where would they be? And, if they exist, will human beings ever find them? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early 20th century, Europe was a smoldering powder keg of international tension, imperial ambitions and long-held resentments between great powers. Although extensive diplomatic efforts attempt to reconcile and repair relationships between nations, a single assassination by a secret society launched Europe in all-out war. So what was the Black Hand? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It sounds like something straight out of a noir film -- an unidentified killer goes on a murder spree and disappears in a clean getaway, taunting the cops before disappearing. Unfortunately, this phenomenon isn't limited to the world of fiction. Listen in to learn more about killer who (so far) vanished into thin air. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From fast food to mass media, it can be tough to know who really runs a company. In today's episode, the guys dive into the true stories of companies that are either founded by or run by groups the average person would consider... cults. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the 1980s, Russian and US sources have repeatedly claimed that various groups of terrorists are dangerously close to acquiring a mysterious substance known as 'red mercury.' But what exactly is this stuff -- and why can't anyone agree about its chemical makeup, uses, or effects? Tune in and learn why there might be more to the story. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rumors have been building for years: multiple countries now accuse China of illegally setting up police stations abroad, forcing hundreds of innocent people to permanently return to China against their will. So how much of this is propaganda, and how much is true? Tune in to learn more. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, thousands of people across the planet report seeing unidentified flying objects -- and thousands more believe world governments keep secret information about these objects hidden from the public eye. Join the guys as they interview the founder of CSETI and The Disclosure Project, Dr. Steven M. Greer, about the future of government secrets, UFOs and disclosure. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've heard of facial recognition technology before, and you've definitely seen some representation of it in films and television shows -- but how does the actual tech work? How pervasive is it, and, most importantly, what don't authorities want you to know about it? Join the guys and special guest Jonathan Strickland as they delve past the fiction and explore the disturbing facts surrounding facial recognition. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Earth approaches another holiday season and the end of one more year, the guys start thinking about the passage of time -- and not in the normal way. In this holiday episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the an alleged conspiracy from centuries past, when people throughout England were convinced the powers that be had literally stolen eleven days from their lives. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever tried to disperse clouds with the power of your mind? What should you do if you stumble across a random firearm in public? In this week's listener mail, Ben and Matt explore these questions and more. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guess who's going to win the 2022 World Cup? We can tell you. Tune in to learn more about the past, present and future of FIFA -- one of the world's oldest, most powerful, and most cartoonishly corrupt NGOs. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, mysterious tiles have appeared in dozens of cities across North and South America, touting a strange -- and strangely consistent -- message. But what are the Toynbee Tiles? What is their purpose and who made them? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a story that sounds straight out of a comic book, German authorities announce the arrest of more than twenty people who were apparently on the cusp of attempting to overthrow the government. The FBI raises public concern that China may have secret police stations -- not just in the United States... but in countries across the world. All this and more in this week's Strange News with Ben and Matt. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's no secret that human understanding of history is constantly evolving. Each year, experts across the planet make new connections and discoveries that further our understanding of the past. But what if, through incompetence or conspiracy, everyone got it wrong? This is the concept of 'New Chronology,' a strange theory arguing that the vast majority of what we call human history... kind of never happened. Join Ben and Matt as they dive into the tale. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Depression Dave reveals New York's controversial plan to force the mentally ill into treatment facilities -- whether or not they consent. Michigan lights shares a strange tale of flying lights out in Michigan. V asks for more information about the alleged link between hallucinogens and the formation of religion. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's true -- Earth's near orbit is filled with all sorts of stuff. Most of it is mundane, and most people honestly don't think about it too often. But, just recently, a mysterious unmanned craft landed after more than 900 days out there in the inky depths of space, prompting Ben and Matt to ask: What the heck is the X-37B actually doing up there -- and why are other countries building their own versions of this ship? Learn more in part two of this two-part series. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 30th, 1945, one of the most infamous men in recent history died by his own hand as Allied forces bore down on his bunker. At least, that’s the official story. Yet for decades historians and theorists across the planet have questioned this narrative -- so what actually happened to Adolf Hitler? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scientists have spotted a black hole energy beam as bright as 1,000 trillion suns pointed directly at Earth. Major tax-filing websites are secretly sharing income data with Meta. Over in San Francisco, law enforcement is deploying robots armed with explosives. All this and more in this week's Strange News. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's true -- Earth's near orbit is filled with all sorts of stuff. Most of it is mundane, and most people honestly don't think about it too often. But, just recently, a mysterious unmanned craft landed after more than 900 days out there in the inky depths of space, prompting Ben and Matt to ask: What the heck is the X-37B actually doing up there? Tune in for part one of this special two-part series. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manhattan is home to some of the world's most iconic buildings -- but it's also home to something more mysterious: A looming, windowless skyscraper in the heart of Tribeca. The press doesn't have much to say about it, and neither does the telecom that owns the building. So what exactly is going on inside? Tune in as Ben, Matt and Noel explore bizarre buildings and the future of surveillance in this episode, recorded live in Brooklyn during NYCPodfest. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Billions of years ago, something about the size of Mars smacked into Earth, launching tons of debris that later became the moon. This means life on Earth has always existed beneath this natural satellite -- so how can the moon affect us? Are all those stories about full moons and erratic behavior true? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For millenia people across the planet have reported seeing bizarre objects in the sky. However, efforts to collect and analyze these reports have often fallen victim to poor methodology, a lack of funding or an overt agenda. Luckily, the situation has changed for the better in recent years. So what does the latest info tell us about UFO sightings? Where are they occur most frequently? The answer might surprise you. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the human species become the most self-aware, successful primate on the planet? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part one of this two-part series, a question from a fellow Conspiracy Realist led the gang to explore the idea of 'dangerous' prisoners -- in this follow-up, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the most fascinating part of this question: Why do so many governments consider people dangerous not for their actions... but for their ideas? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fellow Conspiracy Realist asks whether Google is propping up Mozilla to disguise their search engine monopoly. The Driver asks for more details on secret technology from the Vietnam War. Mologato gets Ben on a rant about how the US became so car-centric, prompting a far-reaching conversation about the past, present and future of transit. All this and more in this week's listener mail. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's no secret that the world's prison systems have tons of serious, fundamental problems -- yet most people can agree some criminals simply cannot be allowed into the public. When a question from a fellow Conspiracy Realist leads Ben, Matt and Noel into a rabbit hole, they ask: Who are the world's most dangerous prisoners? Perhaps more importantly, how do those in power define "danger" in the first place? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did a group of private assassins use a series of sleazy websites as fronts for their base of operations? Join Ben, Matt and Noel as they delve into the mysterious story of Lake City Quiet Pills. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former DEA ageny sentenced to 12 years for a string of corruption-related crimes shares his story with the press. Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX crashes, leading to some interesting -- and unproven -- conspiracy theories. After more than 900 days in space, the unmanned X-37B returns to Earth... but no one's saying much about what it was doing up there in the dark for almost two and a half years. All this and more in this week's Strange News. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does a government decide who can know what? In the modern day, it comes down to something called security clearances. In today's episode the guys explore how the US decides who's trustworthy enough to get the scoop on stuff the public can't know -- and what happens when things go wrong. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fiona hips the gang to the bizarre, disturbing tale of a man called -- occasionally -- "Nicholas Rossi." Plaquetos calls for more information about the ongoing Appalachian belief in a certain type of haunting spirit. RC prompts a conversation about the effects the moon may have on your body and mind. All this and more in this week's listener mail. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've seen it in countless works of film and fiction -- a shady operative hands someone a folder, marked 'classified,' or 'top secret.' But what is classification in real life? What makes one piece of information fit for the public, and another piece the kind of thing that has to be buried for generations? In today's episode, the guys explore the fact, fiction and controversy surrounding how the government chooses the stuff it doesn't want you to know. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the US, the 1960s were a crucible of culture -- college students, veterans, the disadvantaged and activists across the country sought to overthrow the status quo and build their own vision of a better world. This period in time produced some of the most influential art, music and prose in recent history, and introduced LSD to the mainstream. So why do so many people think it was ultimately a CIA operation? They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An indoor security camera captures a strange, disturbing image. The owners of the "White Lives Matter" offer to sell the trademark for a billion dollars. And, with what appears to be absolute sincerity, the good folks at the US National Parks Service are begging locals to stop licking toads for a hallucinogenic experience. All this and more in this week's Strange News. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did a little piece of software meant to organize files become the centerpiece of a global conspiracy? In today's episode, the guys dive deep into a twisting, troubled tale of intrigue, spycraft, and murder. They don’t want you to read our book.They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.