Your Brain on Facts

Come up to the lab ... and see what's on the slab ... 'cuz it's not what they were trying to make!

What do you get when you mix baseball mud, a dead outlaw, drinking snacks, and a harrowing survival story? Today's episode! Enjoy this clip show to pad out the schedule while I wait to hear back from the Guinness World Record people. More details inside!

You can know a song by heart, by do you REALLY know where it comes from? Check out these strange and surprising origins of popular songs.

Voted on by our Patreon, we present an episode on weird things your body could be doing ... right now... and you don't even know about it!

We knew things weren't going to be quiet before the inauguration, but damn, man. Hence, I declare a revisit of Distraction Day. Here's an episode of some of the best bits that were originally on the Patreon (the greatest hits that weren't too weird, gross, or swear-y, anyway).

A wise man once asked "Where is the blue food?" but that's burying the lead when it comes to food and color.

Baller balls, extravagant evenings, riotous receptions, and sinful shindigs, join us for a trip through some of history's greatest parties.

One man's holiday feast is another man's traumatic experience. With special guests Where Does It Go?

What's a Christmas cracker? Why are there so many Hallmark movies? Join myself and Mike from Genuine ChitChat as we compare and contrast (and hold each other accountable for what our countries do for Christmas).

You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, but did you know this song, and the poem it was based on, were both written by Jews? You won't believe how many classic Christmas songs were!

(From 2018) You've probably heard about the Austrian Christmas demon Krampus, but what about Befana, the Italian Christmas witch? In what country do you need reservations for Xmas dinner at KFC? Where do people wish you happy holidays with a specific request for presents?

Having a Covid Christmas sucks, but we'll make it through. And hey, at least we're not making our turkey out of spam, and hanging decorations won't get you a $20,000 fine or sent away for "re-education."

Growing up in the 1980's made it seem like you would eventually burst into flame, be given free drugs, or be snatched by a stranger. The reality? Not so much.

If you've got the power, you never have to listen to a musical instrument you don't like again (*cough* accordion *cough*), and neither will anyone else.

The greatest hits of broadcast signal hijacking. Topics include: Cold War era, Southern Television, zombies, naughty fun, and Max Headroom.

"The Indians taught the pilgrims to farm and the pilgrims invited them to Thanksgiving, with cranberry and pumpkin pie." -every elementary school text book. Boy were we sold a bill of goods! Ferret fact from fiction in this episode voted on by our patrons. Presidential voices by Old Nerds Drinking podcast.

...with ants! By popular demand, we scratch the very surface of the surprising and diverse world of the ant.

From Vietnamese snake wine to vodka made from milk, mankind will make liquor with or out of just about anything!

Today is the most stressful election day in the lives of many, so I declare it instead to be...Distraction Day. To that end, here's an extra-long episode of some of the best bits that were originally on the Patreon (the greatest hits that weren't too weird, gross, or swear-y, anyway).

♪♫This is Halloween! This is Halloween!♫♪ Supporters on our Patreon and fans in our FB group chose the topics for today's episode: sorting Dracula fact from fiction how horror stars got their stars when did clowns become scary the history behind zombies movie monster fast facts!

The ins & outs, ups and downs of the world's most famous prize - why we give them out, who gets one, and, more importantly, who doesn't.

"Why didn't the slaves revolt?" They did. A lot. We just weren't taught about it. Here's a humble start at fixing that.

We just can't have nice things....like forests. Hear the stupid causes of some of modern history's most destructive wildfires and find out why putting out fires is actually making things worse. Did you get a chance to leave a review for the YBOF book? Someone just posted a bad review :( and I'd love to get the average back up. Read the full script. Reach out and touch Moxie on FB, Twit, the 'Gram or email.

From the profound to the prophetic, from the ironic to the ignominious, from founding fathers to TV stars, we look into the final utterances of the famous and infamous alike.

For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost.

If you're going to steal, steal big.

Who needs a dis track when you can have entire revenge albums? Hear the sordid stories of some of the most pointedly spiteful recordings ever.

Did Mel Brooks lie to us--is it really good to be the king?

Breaking ground without breaking a nail.

Join me as I tag out people who slid into first in the history books.

Anyone can name an animal after what it looks like, but why waste the chance to immortalize your favorite singer or make your personal vendetta part of science history?

From rainbow parties to Spiritualism to two bands touring as a single band that doesn't exist, we take a look at some noteworthy hoaxes and false panics.

Why do we dye raspberry-flavored things blue? Why does mint feel cold? How are Kit Kats like Soylent Green?

Did you get your copy of the YBOF book? Do you have a minute to leave a review. From birds flying the coop, to snakes slipping away, to apes getting up to monkey business, hear about crafty critters making a break for it. Special guest: Life, Death, and Taxonomy Music by Kevin MacLeod Read the full script. Reach out and touch Moxie on FB, Twit, the 'Gram or email.

Refreshing treat or miracle cure to ensure a long, healthy, sexy life? You decide! (Psst, it's the first one.)

From protecting themselves to protecting endangered animals, women amassed are a formidable thing indeed.

You've heard of the hanging gardens, but what about floating gardens? What kinds of food crops are we growing in space?

Hundreds dead, thousands homeless, entire communities wiped out, yet most of us have never heard of what happened in Rosewood 1923, Tulsa 1921, or Chicago 1919.

We're under attack by a virus, but what about all the microorganisms that make our food yummy, keep our bodies healthy, and help us reverse our damage to the planet?

Since colonial times, African-Americans have fought in America’s wars. Black soldiers have put their lives on the line for a country that for centuries has enslaved, segregated, and discriminated against them. Despite the continuous discriminatory treatment that denied blacks full participation in America’s wars and military efforts, these brave men and women lived lives that deserved to be remembered.

Sometimes you wanna go where nobody knows your name...because there's nobody there. But why?

#blackouttuesday #theshowmustpause #podcastblackout #blacklivesmatter

We spit them out without a second thought, but seeds are as fascinating as they are important.

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, even if it means inhaling strange gasses, being stung by wasps, or swallowing patient's bodily fluids.

Four stories of people who told the god of death, "Not today."

Thank you to all of those who are literally risking their lives while people claim the virus isn't a real threat and demand to be allowed to get haircuts and go to the movies.

Frugal is all well and good, but sometimes the people with the most money go to the most drastic extremes to keep every last bit of it.

Get a Clue or you'll be Sorry! Don't Risk getting the facts in your Cranium all Scrabbled up. (Are these puns getting played out? It's seeming a bit dicey.)

Doomsday predictions aren't all they're cracked up to be.

When the going gets tough, the tough get creative.

Be a smart cookie and don't fall for these food-based urban legends and conspiracy theories. (Sorry for all the thumps. My new mic stand is not compatible with my wild gesticulations.)

Follow the stories of five people (an outlaw, a murderess, a nightclub dancer, a natural wonder, and a first lady) who covered a lot of ground... after they died.

It's birthday time for both the show and the host here at Your Brain On Facts, so let's go around the world to see how different people celebrate theirs.

We're having a spa day on Your Brain On Facts. For us, that means myth-disabusement and obscure facts, rather than facials and a mani-pedi.

Your Brain On Facts celebrates 100 episodes with 100+ facts and 24 great guest presenters.

if you thought the men got swept under the rug, history has been even less kind to these innovative women.

Sure you know Edison, but do you know Latimer, Drew, West, or the other men of color who made the tech you use every day?

If you think animal mating habits get weird, wait until you hear about these gestations/incubations and births.

The greatest hits of broadcast signal hijacking.

While history is full of stolen ideas and missed opportunities, hear why some inventors *chose* not to profit from their ideas.

This ubiquitous combination of water and dirt is useful to science, employed in health and beauty, a little-known component of professional sports, and even eaten.

More new years days than you can shake a calendar at.

You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, but did you know this song, and the poem it was based on, were both written by Jews? You won't believe how many classic Christmas songs were!

You've probably heard about the Austrian Christmas demon Krampus, but what about Befana, the Italian Christmas witch? In what country do you need reservations for Xmas dinner at KFC? Where do people wish you happy holidays with a specific request for presents?

Just because it's in all the history books, doesn't mean it's true.

From the Yellow Pages and Golden Book, to Mao's little red book, three different green books and more!

One man's holiday feast is another man's traumatic experience. With special guests Where Does It Go?

Sometimes the craziest thing about a conspiracy theory is the fact that it's true.

Amazing animals, intriguing innovations, and colorful characters from a world at war.

What could be more wholesome than reading a book or riding your bike? It depends on who you ask. Find out why the post office and dancing the waltz are the gateway to doom.

People who tried to play the ultimate blame game

"We told you we had living, breathing monstrosities. You laughed at them, yet but for the accident of birth, you might be even as they are! They did not ask to be brought into the world, but into the world they came." Thus begins a movie such as had never been seen before and hasn’t been seen since, Tod Browning’s “Freaks!”

The conclusion of our twin episodes, wherein we look at conjoined and a parasitic twins.

The first of a pair of episodes about twins, synchronicity, science, and dark mysteries.

Being hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned is no reason to give up the fight.

The following podcast contains frank discussions of human sexuality and anatomy. Listener discretion is advised. Sigmund Freud may be the father of psychoanalysis, but he got a LOT of stuff wrong. Special guests Bunny Trails, Ignorance Was Bliss, Interesting Sex, and The Story Behind podcasts.

Think your boss is all up in your business? Imagine if he was also your landlord and social director. What if you left work and went home, but you were still on company property?

From Zuckerman's Famous Pig to a sow in the British Royal Navy, from a porker winning acting awards to pigs for president!

As voted on by our patrons, we look at three non-Europeans who saved the lives of Jews during the Holocaust of WWI--a Japanese Christian, an Indian Hindu, and a Moroccan Muslim.

Mankind has waged war for many reasons: land, oil, a pretty face, a wooden bucket, you name it. How did a pig put the US and UK on the brink of war in Canada? Who declares hostility over watermelon? And what about the Golden Stool?

Remember that time you were stuck in traffic for more than an hour? Imagine if that lasted a whole day. Or two. Or twelve! Today we look at a biblical traffic jam, ships stranded for years, and flight delays like you wouldn't believe.

pockets of people unlike any others

How many different topics can fit in one episode? Find out now!

Lat week, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, we celebrated how we went to space, but how do we go in space?

The triumphs and tragedies of the tiny tots of Tinseltown.

We've been filming animals as long as we've been filming ourselves, but what goes into making an animal a star and, more importantly, keeping them safe on the job?

You want it, you need it, but if you get too much, it could kill you. Salt is so much more than just a seasoning; it has changed the course of human history!

Einstein didn't flunk math, people in Columbus's time didn't think the earth was flat, and lemmings don't fling themselves off cliffs. Why is it the false facts spread so quickly and dig in so deep?

My father was a sci-fi fan of the old school. The man had the entire original Star Trek series on VHS, commercial free, and an Enterprise technical manual. So in his honor, a little late for Father's Day, we go back in time to look to the future as we dive into the wormhole of classic sci-fi. With segments voiced by Shaun Ennis, host of Stories of Yore and Yours.

How do dogs bark? Do they have different barks for different reasons? Do wolves bark? Music by audionautix.com

"Unethical advertising uses falsehoods to deceive the public; ethical advertising uses truth to deceive the public," and failed advertising uses bad ideas to entertain the public.

Why is all this air moving? Are there different kinds of wind? What is equilibrium?

Why is Pride Month in June? Did Marsha P Johnson really throw the first brick at Stonewall Inn? Did the Stonewall Riots start the gay rights movement?

(Science With Savannah, Age 7 will be on the YBOF feed while we try to work out some technical problems with its feed.) How do fish breathe underwater and worms breath in the dirt? Do insects have lungs? Why are things in the air more harmful to birds than other animals? Which animals breathe through their butts?

Here's a special trio of topics for your Tuesday (or whenever!): Great Moments in Forgetting Your Mic Was On Chuck Cunningham Syndrome Childish Weapons of WWII

Post-op's been a bit rough, so to tide you over until the next proper episode, here are some fan-selected favorite clips as well as the first episode of our new show, Science with Savannah Age 7.

In the first "Like Butter in the Bank," we talked about strategic reserves -- Canadian maple syrup, Chinese pork, Indian cotton, European butter, and American raisins -- intended to stabilize prices. Today we look at stockpiles designed to help us survive, in both the short and long term.

Some of the most iconic photos of the 20th century, from "Migrant Mother" during the Great Depression to "The Dying Marine" in Vietnam, were taken by women making their way in an industry that was not prepared for them. Mentioned in the show: Migrant Mother Pics *of* Jessie Beals Dickie Chapell's Last Rites Read the full script and find sources. Support the show. Reach out and touch Moxie on FB, Twit, the 'Gram, email, and you can also leave a question or fact of your own on my voicemail at 804-404-2669. Music by Kevin MacLeod and Audionautix

There is something in modern man that makes him look at society and say “I could do this better, but smaller, and over there.” What does it take to build a utopia? No one knows yet, because they've all failed.

What do you know about Finland? ... That's what I thought! So sit back, closer your eyes (unless you're driving) and fill your brain with fine Finnish facts.

The havoc that human beings (and a cat named Tibbles) can wreak on native birds.

Follow the stories of five people (an outlaw, a murderess, a nightclub dancer, a natural wonder, and a first lady) who covered a lot of ground... after they died.

Voice acting is so much more than just cartoons; it’s documentary narration, GPS voices, smart speakers, and so much more. And if you can get in good, your career will be legendary, even if no one knows your name or what you look like.

April Fools! But it's the good kind of prank. Today I'm participating in Operation Switcheroo, where podcasts hosts share their feed with a similar show to help grow our audiences by introducing people to shows they might not have heard of. Your regularly-scheduled YBOF will be up tomorrow. Click here for more Useless Information at uselessinformation.org

When you think of world-saving heroes, you think Superman, Captain America, Randy Quaid’s character from Independence Day. But there are real life people who have thousands, even millions of lives within living memory, and you’ve probably never heard their names.

From Twinkies and PMS to sleepwalking and The Matrix, we look at brilliantly bizarre legal strategies people have tried and sometimes even succeeded with.

From military dolphins to railroad monkeys, hear about some of the more surprising jobs that our cousins in the animal kingdom can do.

Welcome to the third installment of our infrequent series: We Can’t Have Nice Things. This time, we’re looking at people who, through ignorance or malice ruins something not theirs -- vandals. Their motives range from greed, to anger, to unchecked egomania. Some get caught, while others get away to screw things up somewhere else. If researching this script taught me anything, it’s that nothing is sacred to them, literally.

Black soldiers have put their lives on the line for a country that for centuries has enslaved, segregated, and discriminated against them. Until the Korean War, blacks served in segregated units under racist leadership and were often relegated to labor and service units. Despite the continuous discriminatory treatment that denied blacks full participation in America’s wars and military efforts, these brave men and women lived lives that deserved to be remembered.

The human body can be a frail and fragile thing; we can be taken out by a small clump of our own cells. Then there are some bodies that seem to be made out of pure testicular fortitude.

We've all been through bad break-ups, but we should count ourselves lucky we were exiles, imprisoned or beheaded.

From using a train in a car race to marathon doping with deadly poison, there's far more excitement in racing than simply declaring a winner.

In the third installment of our sometimes-series We Can't Have Nice Things, we get back to basics and look at brazen acts of vandalism on natural wonders, works of art, and more. Music by Kevin MacLeod Read the full script. Reach out and touch Moxie on FB, Twit, the 'Gram or email. You can also leave a question or fact of your own on my voicemail at 804-404-2669.

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, even if it means inhaling strange gasses, being stung by wasps, or swallowing patient's bodily fluids.

What is the oldest playable instrument we've found? How do you make music with lightning? From clacking rocks together to the magnificent Marble Machine, musical instruments are as varied as our imaginations. Special guest, Elizabeth from Archivists Bet On Sexy Witches

Mankind has waged war for many reasons: land, oil, a pretty face, a wooden bucket, you name it. How did a pig put the US and UK on the brink of war in Canada? Who declares hostility over watermelon? And what about the Golden Stool?

Sigmund Freud may be the father of psychoanalysis, but he got a LOT of stuff wrong. 50th episode special guest extravaganza with Bunny Trails, Ignorance Was Bliss, Interesting Sex, and The Story Behind podcasts.

7 billion people spread across 59 million square miles, but we all need to eat and we eat more things that are than same than different. Learn about pizza preference, drunk foods, and truly unique fare around the world.

You've probably heard about the Austrian Christmas demon Krampus, but what about Befana, the Italian Christmas witch? In what country do you need reservations for Xmas dinner at KFC? Where do people wish you happy holidays with a specific request for presents?

In our instantly-connected world, there are entire groups of people you may never have heard of, whether they have never had contact with others or they live alongside the better known population. Learn about the Sami of Norway, Yali of New Guinea, Ladakhi of India, and more.

As long as we have had media on which to record our art, there have been competing formats. While more modern examples like Betamax vs VHS or Blu-ray vs HD DVD may leap to mind, format wars go back as far as the days of Thomas Edison and the first audio media, wax cylinders. We'll also look at 8-tracks, 16-2/3 RPM records, "self-destructing" DVD's, and a string of Sony failures. Mentions: EngineerGuy Music by Kevin MacLeod Read the script. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

From naming ceremonies around the world and adult circumcisions, to unexpected disasters and baptising the dead whether they want it or not, we look at different ways people are made part of their faith or community.

Think you don't speak French because you failed it in high school? Wouldn't know Hindi from Urdu? You actually speak them every day!

From the Yellow Pages and Golden Book, to Mao's little red book, three different green books and more! Music by Kevin MacLeod, Audionautix, and Rooster Teeth (I love you, please don't sue).

From music hall to Red Dwarf, pantomime to Absolutely Fabulous, we look at the history of British comedy, the names, shows, and historical events that made it what it is today.

There are many reasons why an individual or group would eat other people - religious rites, shows of strength, signs of respect, and of course desperation. Cannibalism can be split into four often overlapping categories: by choice, by necessity, endo-cannibalism (eating people within your group), and exo-cannibalism (eating people outside your group). Special guests: Heather from Nature Vs Narcissism and Seth from Sketch Nerds.

George Carlin wasn't wrong with his list of 7 dirty words you can't say, but he missed a whole lot. Lucille Ball was pregnant on "I Love Lucy," but they weren't allowed to say the word 'pregnant.' Movies were forbidden from showing drugs, murder, silhouettes of nudity, "excessive kissing," and a lot more.

There are some musicians that leave an enduring legacy through long and storied careers, like the Rolling Stones, who formed in 1962. There are actors who are iconic because they have been onscreen for decades, like Sean Connery, James Earl Jones, and Betty White. But by the same token, there are those that are like a stone dropped in a pond -- their appearance was brief, but their ripples continue to this day.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept 15 to Oct 15. Join us in celebrating cultural touchstones and famous people, as well as learning things like the distinction between Latino and Hispanic.

Will Shel Silverstein turn your kids into cannibals? Is a baby penguin spreading the "gay agenda"? We look at children, young adult, and LGBTQ books challenged or banned for silly reasons.

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Learn why parents objected to such diverse classics as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Ender's Game and which book is banned in the most countries. With special guest Megan Dangerous from Oh No! Lit Class podcast.

Goats are the internet’s second favorite animal, a ruminant quadruped that gives us milk, meat, fiber, and hilarious videos. Legend has it they also discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls, cataract surgery, and coffee. They can climb seemingly impossible heights and escape every kind of fence mankind has invented. They feature in the zodiac and the mythologies of most of the world.

What’s in a name? Some nicknames are obvious. Denver, CO is the Mile High City because it’s precisely one mile above sea level. Dallas, Texas is The Big D; everything’s bigger in Texas. But which American city can also be called The Emerald City, which state is the Land of Lincoln and what’s a buckeye or a Sooner?

If you want to open an actual door to the past, you’ll have to do it without a doorknob. The patent for the a knob that turns to move a latch inside the door wasn't filed until 1878. Lots of things, from CPR to timezones to sliced bread, that seem like they've been around forever are actually quite young.

Genghis Kahn's empire killed 2/3 of Northern China, but people under his rule knew unrivaled gender equality and religious freedom. Mother Teresa gave aid to the poor, but also encouraged their suffering. We’re all some mix of good and bad.

There is a literal world of funeral practices to choose from, from an Irish wake to Tibetan sky burial, from New Orleans Jazz funerals to Balinese ngaben cremation, from being buried in a car-shaped coffin in Ghana to burying the head of family with a funnel in their mouth in Nigeria, so you can give them palm wine during the funeral.

Tests are all around us. You probably took a test the minute you were born. We look at tests, from movie theaters to hospitals, named for the people who created them.

A century ago, the American government took tens of thousands of children from Native families and placed them in boarding schools with strict assimilation practices. Their philosophy - kill the Indian to save the man. Sadly, this isn't the only time a government took children from their families.

Death doesn’t mean everything stop for you. There are lots of ways we can live on after shuffling off the mortal coil. From body parts taken from famous bodies, to cells that won't stop growing, to a taxidermied person on display in a museum, we look at bodies and body parts that don't let death slow them down.

From French pirates to Chilean warrior to American filmmakers, we look at women who earn the title "super wife," with special guests, the hosts of Bunny Trails Podcast.

“The body is a temple and it’s our job to decorate it." From tatau in Polynesia to Sailor Jerry to the oppressed class that gave rise to the Yakuza, we touch on some highlights from the history of tattoos. Huge thanks to my guest presenter Mike "Hobbit" Bickett from Geeks Under the Influence Podcast network.

Hear the stories of three towns built in a hurry but kept off the map, secure enclaves known only by their post codes, ancient cities found by modern technology, and the ingenious engineering of underground dwellings.

For Independence Day, we're doing a two-parter on heroic animals, innovations from the field, and noteworthy bad-asses. Topics include a pigeon who saved hundreds of lives, a crossbow for grenades and Jack Churchill, who went into WWI with a claymore and bagpipes, despite not being Scottish.

For Independence Day, we're doing a two-parter on heroic animals, innovations from the field, and noteworthy bad-asses. Topics include a pigeon who saved hundreds of lives, a crossbow for grenades and Jack Churchill, who went into WWI with a claymore and bagpipes, despite not being Scottish.

Ecce Homo was a fresco of Jesus Christ that had degraded significantly over time. No one asked the little old lady next door to help. She had no training, but how hard could it really be? Pretty damn hard, as it turns out. In place of the Renaissance-style face was now a smeary circle, wreathed in what looks like a marabou balaclava, with a nose like a folk-art sock doll, the crooked, misplaced eyes of a failed anime sketch, and a mouth like a lipstick smear left by a bass.

My father was a sci-fi fan of the old school. The man had the entire original Star Trek series on VHS, commercial free, and an Enterprise technical manual. So in his honor, a little late for Father's Day, we go back in time to look to the future as we dive into the wormhole of classic sci-fi.

A strategic reserve is a commodity held back by governments to stabilize prices or protect against shortage. Your mind may go immediately to the 35 million barrels or so of crude oil that the US has in storage, but there are all kinds of strategic reserves around the world. From cotton in China, to butter and wine in the EU, to the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve, we talk about strange stockpiles (mostly food) and their effect on producers and consumers.

We assign a great deal of significant to last words. We expect them to be deep and profound, the sort of thing you immortalize on a $3,000 headstone. We hope we’ll say something really clever when it’s our turn, and not “what’s this button do?” or “hold my beer.” But you may end up with last words like American author Henry David Thoreau, who simply said “moose...Indian.”

Some actors fall victim to typecasting, but others have a single character they can't disassociate themselves from. Sometimes that means always being cast as a character similar to the one they made famous or that made them famous, or not really being cast at all.

If a monkey takes a picture in the woods, can the monkey claim the copyright? Trademark and copyright laws can get pretty sticky. For the layperson, trademark, copyright and patent sound interchangeable. If you work in advertising, stay tuned for a list of words and phrases that will cost you a lot of money.

We cover the ways Victorian Europe used (and abused) Egyptian mummies; whether or not mummies were burned for fuel; Catholic saints who do not decay; natural mummies preserved in ice, moss, and salt; child mummies of the Andes; and Buddhist monks mummifying themselves.

From the skin between your thumb and forefinger to the stringy things you have to pick off bananas, today's episode will teach you dozens of names for everyday items, even if you can't tell your natiform from your weenus.

What we remember as the daring heist of one of the world’s most famous paintings was really neither of those. The theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa wasn’t even noticed when it happened. That story, plus a stolen art technique that made a man world famous, credit stolen for one of the most important discoveries in biology, the man who was namesake the pyramid scheme, and a stolen film role that launched a career. Thanks for bearing with me through the rough audio quality lately.

A microphone is a good enough platform for getting back at people, but an entire recording studio is even better. Popular music is littered with songs getting back at an ex lover, from Waylon Jennings to Taylor Swift, but a fair number of the tracks you know by heart are actually clap-backs to the people in the mixing booth or the record label offices.

From trolls and griefers, to crashing virtual funerals and spreading digital plagues, we look at online gamers ruining everyone else's fun in the first of our series We Can't Have Nice Things.

Small things can have reverberating effects on history, both good and bad. In 1453, the great walled city of Constantinople, which had withstood sieges for 1,100 years, fell to the Ottomans...because someone left the door open.

Mel Brooks said it best, “It’s good to be the king.” There’s the seemingly limitless power and unspendable amounts of wealth. On the flip-side, though, there’s the back-stabbing, political intrigue, and of course, the inbreeding to deal with.

Hop on down the bunny trail as we examine the origins of some beloved Easter traditions and teach the goyim a little about Pesach.

In the age of bigger, better, faster, more, it’s easy to default to thinking that we invented everything, that the complex things that make up our lives couldn’t have existed in the times we view as primitive. Oh, how wrong we are.

We dip our toes into the deep water of "the first woman to..." with pilots, daredevils, doctors, and athletes.

There exists a small deserted town, which has been seized by eminent domain and condemned by the state. Why would an entire town that once housed over a thousand residents be shuttered? Because the ground under their feet was on fire.

Take, for example, George Washington’s youthful proclamation on the lumberjacking of his father’s cherry tree - “I cannot tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.” It’s one of the first presidential facts American children learn in elementary school. The trouble is, that story is a complete fabrication.

Gutenberg may have gotten all the press, but he wasn't the first to use movable type. Think you know the first video game or who was the first to fly across the Atlantic? Listen in and see!

You say potato, I say a dangerous tuber that people will only eat in the face of actual starvation. You say tomato, I say a poison apple from the mysterious new world that’s killing the aristocracy.

From a lone example of a trilobite in Hunan, China named Han Solo to a butterfly pea flower reminiscent of a Georgia O'Keefe painting, called clitoria ternatea, the naming of species offers almost as much in the way of entertainment as it does scientific classification.

From rainbow parties to Spiritualism to two bands touring as a band they're not, we take a look at some noteworthy hoaxes and false panics.