Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Diamonds: according to the ads, they're a girl's best friend, and the only thing worth picking for an engagement ring. But how did diamonds become so important -- and why? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 large part of North America is sitting on a geothermal timebomb. Could it explode in your lifetime? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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, millions of US residents consume pharmaceutical products designed to somehow improve their lives. These drugs could tackle anything from ADHD to allergies and diseases. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Why did the US practice prohibition? Do current prohibition policies really protect the public, or are they meant to do something else entirely? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 often said money can't buy happiness -- but what exactly can it do? Could it change the way you think? ...could it make you a bad person? Listen in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 North Korea really wage cyberwar to stop The Interview from airing? How did this happen -- and is there a conspiracy afoot? Join Ben and Matt as they welcome HowStuffWorks tech expert Jonathan Strickland for the second part of their series on the Sony hacks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 North Korea really wage cyberwar to stop The Interview from airing? How did this happen -- and is there a conspiracy afoot? Join Ben and Matt as they welcome HowStuffWorks tech expert Jonathan Strickland onto the show for a discussion of the recent Sony hacks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Are psychic powers actually possible? Join Ben and Matt as they investigate the truth about clairvoyance. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

We always hear stories about Big Oil and other conspiracies, but are any of these true? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Sure, the Trans-Pacific Partnership sounds like a snoozefest... but why does it matter? Why should you care about this secretive international agreement? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 ancient, it's huge, and it's cited in all sorts of fringe theories, from stories of lost civilizations to ley lines and more. But what is Stonehenge, really? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 written to the guys on Facebook or Twitter? Sent an email? Then tune in as they answer your questions and more on air in this special listener mail edition of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 the Opium Wars to prohibition and the modern drug trade, human civilization has been irreversibly influenced by wars over drugs. Has it worked? Could it ever? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Could there really be groups of people conducting Satanic rites -- not philosophical stances, but actual devil worship via ritual or even sacrifice? Where are these groups, if they exist? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Join Ben and Matt for a very special episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, from conspiracy theories to spooky stories, listener mail and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Sure, cults are weird. The doomsday prophecies, claims of superpowers and tendency toward brainwashing are all strange, but what if the situation got even weirder? What if intelligence agencies were secretly involved with everything from the Manson family to the People's Temple and more? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 inequality is rising in countries around the world, but what does this mean for the future? What is the middle class, exactly -- and why do some people believe it's going extinct? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Is it possible that one day all the world's decisions will be made by AI? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Is it possible that someone has been playing both sides of the financial fence, seeking to destabilize markets for their own purposes? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 ascendance of Pope Francis has led to a revival of Jesuit conspiracy theories. But why? Who are the Jesuits, exactly? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

What triggered the massive explosion over Tunguska in 1908? Join Matt, Ben, and special guest Joe McCormick as they take a closer look at one of the most mysterious catastrophes in history. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

They're supposed to help people across the planet -- so why doesn't everyone trust NGOs? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 Iran to London, it seems that being a scientist has become an increasingly dangerous occupation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 today's episode, our friends at TechStuff join us for a closer look at the tricky business of staying anonymous on the internet, as well as the facts about the NSA's surveillance program. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 here! After an overwhelming wave of emails and messages from listeners, Matt and Ben are finally presenting, in full, the the ghost story from the first listener mail episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

File this under "stranger than fiction": In more than a dozen sites across Gabon, scientists have found evidence of ancient nuclear reactors. How ancient? Try two billion years. But how did this happen? Why? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Although most people might assume that the Bible has always existed in its present state, that answer couldn't be any further from the truth. Tune in to learn more about how the bible has changed over time -- including what got added in, taken out and why. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 Nazis really have a department for paranormal investigations? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Will your future online purchases, delivery food and more be delivered by drones? Will law enforcement fly them continuously over your city, town or neighborhood? Tune in to learn more about the possible future of drones. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Whether you're sipping a soda, grabbing some fast food or eating ready-made snacks from the local grocery store, chances are that you're ingesting a number of "barely-food" chemicals used to preserve color, taste or texture. But what are these, exactly? Are they dangerous? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

No, not the band featuring Sting. What if the actual, local law enforcement in the your neck of the global woods started using military-grade weaponry, patrolling the streets with the same door-to-door tactics used in occupied countries? According to some concerned advocates, this is a worldwide trend -- and it shows no signs of slowing. Listen in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 probably heard about Nikola Tesla, but what about Thomas Henry Moray? Listen in to learn why some people believe this little-known electrical engineer may have discovered a revolutionary zero-point energy device. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 hidden catacombs to wild rumors about a hollow earth, the world is full of subterranean stories. But which are total bunk, and which have the ring of truth? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Why do some people believe the Middle Ages never happened? Can we really trust our calendars? Do current world powers have a compelling interest in suppressing our knowledge of the past? Listen in and learn more with Matt and Ben. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 the plot of a James Bond film: Some shadowy supervillain holds the world for ransom while threatening to destroy civilization with an earthquake, floods or volcanic eruptions. But some believe that humanity has more control over Earth's than ever before. Why? Could someone really create a natural disaster -- and use it as a weapon? Learn more with Ben and Matt. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Could alien life forms really contact human beings? How would they do it? Is it possible that other humans could intercept the message -- and keep it secret? Listen in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 written to the guys on Facebook or Twitter? Sent an email? Then tune in as they answer your questions and more on air in this special listener mail edition of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 out of a paranoid political thriller - one journalist stumbles across a vast international conspiracy involving the world's most important leaders and corporations. But could it be true? What is the Octopus, and what happened to Danny Casolaro? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Will someone alive today live forever? Can science create real-life zombies? Are there any real examples of the 'walking dead' around today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 tax activists of one sort or another try to avoid paying federal or state levies -- but why? Tune in to learn more about taxation conspiracy theories. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

We've all heard about Neanderthals -- but what else was out there? Join the guys as they take a closer look at the facts behind the folklore, digging deeper to see if there's any grain of truth to the legends of giants, gnomes and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Over 200 years ago the British and Russian empires waged a silent war across Eurasia in what became known as "The Great Game". Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Neuromarketers claim that their techniques provide new and profound insights for consumers buying everything from soda to new cars. But can they really interpret data in a way that allows them to nudge a user's subconscious mind? And, if so, what does this mean for the future? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

Is the world really littered with underground military bases? Is it possible to find them on your own? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

What's the difference between a cult and a religion? What are some of history's strangest cults? Are there any secret cults in the modern day? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

What's going on between Ukraine and Russia? Could it spark a widespread conflict? Join Ben and Matt for their first installment of the "Behind the Curtain" series, where they cut past the rhetoric to explore the truth behind murky international affairs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

What does the pineal gland do? Some people believe it represents the mystical "third eye" from ancient teachings. Could it possibly be used to see beyond our physical world? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 people believed that human beings could transform into wolves. Why? Could werewolf legends simply be cover stories for the violent acts of deranged humans? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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 recent spate of suicides by high-level banking officials has shaken the financial world. Coincidence? Or conspiracy? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.

What are exorcisms, really? How do they function across cultures? Is there any proof that they're real? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comThey 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.