Conspiracy Theories

In 1984, Boris Weisfeiler went on a backpacking trip in Chile and never returned. Chilean investigators insist he drowned, but his family and the U.S. Embassy don’t buy it. It takes decades for the truth to emerge, one bit of evidence at a time. With each new piece of the puzzle, a more and more outlandish picture emerges. Conspiracy Theories is on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Yonaguni Monument is a large underwater stone complex off the coast of a tiny Japanese island. After their discovery in 1987, divers and local academics thought the rock formations were human-constructed, indicating the presence of a yet-undiscovered ancient civilization. Could these structures unlock a new chapter of human history? Conspiracy Theories is on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early 20th century, a Turkish historian discovered a map made in 1513 by famed cartographer Piri Reis. The map was incredibly detailed and even featured a perfectly accurate depiction of Antarctica — a continent not discovered for another 300 years. Conspiracy Theories is on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

War veterans, wolf-hunters, and the king’s own men hunted the bloodthirsty beast for three years before it was caught. Some called the beast a “werewolf”. Others, a “serial killer in disguise”. But an autopsy of the monster points to a royal conspiracy… Keep up with us this spooky season on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 18th century, an unidentifiable monster preyed on French villagers. The carnage was so bad, one bishop claimed the beast was a punishment from God. Monster or punishment, something or someone killed dozens of people… Keep up with us this spooky season on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Long before they graced our screens as mindless, brain-eating monsters, zombies were rooted in Haitian folklore. Rumors of a zombie potion made their way to 1980s Boston, where an ethnobotanist hoping to uncover the concoction found himself enmeshed in a secret society and face-to-face with a real zombie. Keep up with us this spooky season on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dubbed “The Last Vampire of New England,” Mercy Lena Brown allegedly feasted on her own family. But she wasn’t the first vampire, or the last. Stories like Lena’s evolved into modern day conspiracy theories, including a vaccine designed to turn you into a vampire, vampire hunting as a get-rich-quick scheme, and government agents who’ll steal your blood. Keep up with us this spooky season on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before becoming the world’s most famous mummy, King Tut was a teen pharaoh. When he suddenly died at age 19, it changed Egyptian history. But it wasn’t until the 1920s that a new theory came into play: King Tut was murdered in a political coup. And he might not have been the only victim. Keep up with us this spooky season on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the course of their decades-long investigation, the FBI interviewed thousands of potential D.B. Cooper suspects. All leads ran cold. But in 2011, citizen sleuth Tom Colbert started his own search—and he believes he may have finally found the real identity of the mysterious hijacker. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1971, a man operating under the pseudonym "Dan Cooper" hijacked a plane, stole $200,000, strapped the money to his body, and then parachuted into the darkness below. Who was he? And what happened to the money? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ted Kaczynski, the man better known to the world as the Unabomber, died in 2023. But his manifesto and the ideas he presented as justifications for his killings have become more mainstream. We sat down with Candice DeLong, one of the FBI agents who helped capture Kaczynski in 1996, as well as Gary Wright, who survived a bombing in 1987. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Have a story to share? Email us at serialkillerstories@spotify.com Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Check out Candice’s new podcast Natural Selection: Scott v. Wild Bill. All episodes out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With little explanation as to the meaning of the content of the Voynich manuscript, questions of a hoax arose. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Discovered by book dealer Wilfred Voynich in 1912, the centuries-old “Voynich Manuscript” is written in a strange text that no one has been able to decipher. Scholars, historians, and linguists have all tried to uncover the secret behind the mysterious tome. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A “wild” boy in 18th-century Germany meets the King of England. 100 years later, a child is raised in isolation by a man whose name he never knew. And a young girl in the 1950s survives the Colombian jungle – a troop of monkeys her only companions. These so-called feral children are no strangers to doubt, controversy, and conspiracy theories. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 13 years as a Mafia hit man, he found himself in the crosshairs of the New Jersey Police. There was only one thing left to do: slaughter every last one of his friends before they got the chance to turn on him. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He killed over a hundred people before the police had even heard his name. So when the Mafia needed a body to drop without getting their hands dirty, there was only one man to call. Richard Kuklinski was quick, vicious, and utterly invisible. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author Joseph A. Citro claims the Bennington Triangle has been haunted by stories of, quote, “mysterious lights, untraceable sounds, and unidentifiable odors” since pre-colonial times. The area, which is located in the southwest corner of Vermont, has provided the setting for monster sightings, murder, and a string of mysterious disappearances. Is it a coincidence or is the Bennington Triangle a hotspot for supernatural activity? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you had to guess, I bet you’d say Thomas Edison was the inventor of motion picture cameras. But what if we told you…that’s wrong? Louis Le Prince shot the world’s first moving picture in 1888, years before Edison debuted his camera. But days before Le Prince was going to go public with his invention, he vanished. Instead, Edison got the fame and fortune. Could he have targeted Louis Le Prince? Or was it all just convenient timing? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The disappearance of Amelia Earhart is one of the most popular unsolved mysteries of all time. Since Conspiracy Theories last covered the topic in 2019, there have been several updates. Now well over 85 years old, it’s one story that just won’t quit — unless, of course, we finally get answers. For years, researchers and explorers have been searching for Amelia’s missing Lockheed Electra. Has a team of newcomers finally found it? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In January 1916, San Diego, California was hit by a deadly flood. Nobody had foreseen just how catastrophic the storms would be… including the City Council, who’d just hired the renowned “rainmaker” Charles Hatfield to fill the Morena dam with rainwater. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The political machinations of Tammany Hall extended to the buying and selling of political positions, including judgeships. New York State Supreme Court Judge Joseph Force Crater is claimed to have been one of the beneficiaries of this corrupt practice, but before the truth could come out he disappeared without a trace. The subsequent investigation captivated the nation, earning Crater the title of “the missingest man in New York.” Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tammany Hall was the executive committee of the Democratic Party in New York City during the 1800s formed with the intention of aiding the city’s immigrant population — but by the 1860s it was riddled with claims of widespread corruption, bribery and fraud at the behest of its leader William “Boss” Tweed. Tweed’s greed and ill-gotten assets made him obscenely rich—all while the taxpayers suffered. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Enron scandal shook Americans’ faith in their institutions. It also inspired a few different conspiracy theories. With the help of journalist Bethany McLean, Connor and Carter discuss the theories, Enron’s legacy, and the impact the scandal has had on how many of us view the world.   Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether you know the full story or not, you’ve probably heard the name Enron before. In the summer of 2000, the energy company, renowned for their innovation, was on top of the world with a market value of almost $70 billion. But a year later, they filed for what was, at the time, the largest bankruptcy in American history. What happened? And why? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1950 Enrico Fermi sat down to have lunch with his friends and colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. While discussing UFOs, Enrico asked a simple question: if aliens exist, where are they? This conflict between the high likelihood of alien life and the lack of evidence of such confounds scientists to this day. Tune in as Carter guides us through the science and attempts to resolve the ‘Fermi paradox’. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In July 1997 the National Guard announced their explanation for the Phoenix Lights. But we’re not convinced...if the lights weren’t military in origin, could they have been extraterrestrial? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm MST, in a space of about 300 miles from the Nevada state line, thousands of people across three states witnessed bizarre lights in the sky — including actor Kurt Russell. What’s really happening in the American Southwest that makes it such a beacon for UFO activity? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harry Houdini was one of the greatest entertainers of his time. He was constantly reinventing himself to stay on top. In the last few years of his career, he became dead-set on debunking people claiming to be psychic mediums who communed with spirits. And when he figured out how these “flim-flammers” were pulling off their tricks, he revealed their secrets. But there was one medium – Margery Crandon – who nearly gave Houdini a run for his money. And depending on who you believe, his fascination with exposing her and other mediums might have led to his untimely death. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Benno Ohnesorg was shot in 1967. Uwe Barschel was poisoned in 1987. Despite the twenty-year gap, these two mysterious deaths could be murders with the same culprit: The East German Secret Police, or the Stasi. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where do we stand with UFO disclosure in 2024? Does NHI contact represent a looming threat? On this episode of Conspiracy Theories, we look to the skies with author, television producer, and podcaster Bryce Zabel, answering your most pressing questions on entities that may be visiting our planet. As co-host of Need to Know with Coulthart and Zabel, Bryce gives his firsthand evaluation of whistleblower David Grusch, and so much more. If you are interested in this topic, this episode is a must listen! Check out Bryce's work related to this subject: Book: A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact by Richard M. Dolan and Bryce Zabel Podcast: Need to Know with Coulthart and Zabel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Granby, Colorado, a petty feud with neighbors and the town council left Marvin Heemeyer feeling backed into a corner. Little did they know that he had his own plans for justice, and revenge. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

October 9th, 1995, Amtrak's 12-car Sunset Limited train was powering through the Arizona desert with 258 passengers on board when it suddenly separated from the tracks. The horrible derailment left one person dead and dozens of passengers injured and stranded in the desert. But it wasn't an accident. And more than 25 years later, investigators still have no leads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In September 1944, as World War II raged overseas, the small town of Mattoon, Illinois felt under attack. Dozens of people reported smelling a sickening sweet odor drift into their bedroom at night. It allegedly smelled like gardenias and left them feeling ill and, in some cases, paralyzed. The town’s leading theory was that a madman was running around town spraying a toxic gas through people’s windows at night. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“You have been watched: Failure to comply and you shall suffer: no one can help: no one can protect you: Obey: Obey:” In 1976, anonymous letters started appearing in mailboxes around Circleville, Ohio. Someone was watching the town’s residents. They called themselves the Circleville Writer and claimed to know intimate details about their private lives: secrets they threatened to expose. Investigators tried to find the person responsible, but the letters continued for almost twenty years. Has the culprit finally been identified? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when a teenager goes missing in the world’s smallest, and supposedly safest, country? Emanuela Orlandi’s sudden disappearance remains the only missing person’s case in Vatican City, yet more than 40 years later we still have no idea what really happened behind the papal state’s walls. After the story, stick around for an exclusive interview with the director of The First Omen, Arkasha Stevenson! This episode is brought to you by Twentieth Century Studios' the First Omen. Experience the most terrifying movie of the year, and what critics are calling “deliciously disturbing” only in theaters April 5th. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1948, an unknown man died on Somerton Beach near Adelaide, Australia. He carried only the clothes on his body, cigarettes, and a hidden cipher. For decades, experts have been trying to identify the Somerton Man, and how he ended up dead on that beach. Over 70 years later we may finally have an answer. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the winter of 1978, a group of friends caught a college basketball game about an hour north of where they lived. That night, none of the men returned home. What happened to them next is a complicated mystery that still haunts the Sierra Nevada mountains. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone knows the CIA headquarters holds many secrets... But their most public secret might be the riddle encoded in Kryptos, a giant outdoor sculpture. As of 2024, the code remains uncracked… at least, as far as we know. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the most controversial figures of the 2010s, Julian Assange is either a criminal, a hero, or both. Carter dives into Assange’s story, examining what it really takes to bring government secrets out of the shadows. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, someone began mailing envelopes containing a deadly form of anthrax, reigniting a national panic. The FBI spared no expense on the years-long investigation before naming a suspect and closing the case…but not everyone believes they got the right guy. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A man identifying himself as Mel Waters called into the nationally syndicated talk show, Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell, claiming a hole on his property was unfathomably deep and had supernatural attributes. To this day, neither the hole nor the real “Mel Waters” have ever been located. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does the Taylor Swift of the swing era just... disappear? That’s the question Carter tries to answer in this episode alongside Dennis Spragg, one of the foremost experts on Glenn Miller’s life and career. Join them as we uncover the mysteries surrounding the celebrated bandleader. Miller’s involvement in the US war effort during WWII (5:02) His infamous flight over the English Channel (10:08) The theories begin (18:25) Dennis and Carter break down the most popular theory (27:45) Final thoughts (30:05) Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carter examines alternative explanations for the famous alien sighting, including a government experiment gone wrong, a cold war conspiracy, and time travel. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicknamed “The British Roswell,” it’s one of the most controversial UFO sightings. Carter presents the accounts of US Air Force Officers from December, 1980 – and then examines allegations that the government concealed the truth. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By 2012, undercover DEA agents had cracked holes in an underground criminal conspiracy. It was the “Amazon.com of Drugs” – the Silk Road. But to take down its shadowy founder, they’d have to team up with a surprising number of federal agencies – and go to criminal lengths themselves. The audiobook edition of American Kingpin by Nick Bilton is available for Spotify Premium Subscribers in our Audiobook catalog, where you can check it out after listening to this episode. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Secret societies have long been the subject of conspiracy theories. But this one was very real, just a few keystrokes away – if you knew where to click. Carter explores the Silk Road — a “shadow Amazon.com” — and its founder, who used it for a secret double-life. The audiobook edition of American Kingpin by Nick Bilton is available for Spotify Premium Subscribers in our Audiobook catalog, where you can check it out after listening to this episode. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Conspiracy Theories: Book Club, we are joined by tech journalist and author Taylor Lorenz to discuss the creator economy, social media, and what it means to be extremely online. After the interview, we’re joined by Carter for a wrap up conversation, where we discuss social media’s influence on our own lives. (22:41) The audiobook edition of Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet by Taylor Lorenz is available for Spotify Premium Subscribers in our Audiobook catalog, where you can check it out after listening to this episode. To buy the hard copy, you can visit: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Extremely-Online/Taylor-Lorenz/9781982146863. Thank you so much for tuning in to Conspiracy Theories: Book Club! We hope you enjoyed this special set of episodes. Carter will be back next week with a brand new episode of Conspiracy Theories. *Our interview has been edited for length and clarity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The state of crypto seems to change every day. Millions of people have made, and lost, money in what some consider a scam and others a golden investment opportunity and the future of currency. In this interview, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Jacob Silverman, investigative journalist and co-author of Easy Money, on the various value propositions of crypto and what it might mean for your digital wallet. The audiobook edition of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman is available for Spotify Premium Subscribers in our Audiobook catalog, where you can check it out after listening to this episode. To buy the hard copy, you can visit: https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/easy-money. Be sure to join us next week as we explore more conspiracies in our Book Club series. We will be back with new episodes of Conspiracy Theories on January 10th! *Our interview has been edited for length and clarity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plenty of conspiracies surround John F. Kennedy’s assassination. In this episode we sit down with Jefferson Morley, investigative journalist, author, and co-founder of JFK Facts to discuss ongoing disclosure efforts, and his mission to separate fact from fiction. In this interview, we explore how clandestine intelligence agencies continue to withhold information, recent revelations regarding the CIA’s knowledge of Lee Harvey Oswald before November 22nd, and the lasting legacy of JFK’s approach to foreign policy. Check out JFK Facts at jfkfacts.substack.com and Jeff’s books on the CIA: The Ghost The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton, Our Man in Mexico: Winston Scott and the Hidden History of the CIA, and Scorpions' Dance: The President, the Spymaster, and Watergate. Be sure to join us for the next two weeks as we explore more conspiracies in our Book Club series. We will be back with new episodes of Conspiracy Theories on January 10th! *Our interview has been edited for length and clarity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the next three weeks, we’ll be putting out a special series we’re calling Conspiracy Theories: Book Club. Every week for the past five years you’ve heard Carter tell captivating stories researched and written by our talented team. On Conspiracy Theories: Book Club, you’ll hear our producers interview authors and researchers committed to uncovering the truth behind some of our favorite topics. We’ll be back with brand new Conspiracy Theories episodes on January 10th! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the fallout at the PNC Bank, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Bill Rothstein scrambled to cover their tracks. But the FBI was already closing in, working to reveal the mastermind behind the entire plan. Keep up with us on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at conspiracystories@spotify.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In order to deactivate the bomb, Brian’s co-conspirators set up an elaborate scavenger hunt around Erie, Pennsylvania. But as police started to follow the clues, tragedy struck. Keep up with us on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at conspiracystories@spotify.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In August 2003, pizza delivery man Brian Wells strapped a collar bomb to his neck and chest and entered a PNC Bank demanding $250,000 in cash. He thought it was the perfect bank robbery, and that the bomb on his chest was fake. He was wrong on both counts. Keep up with us on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at conspiracystories@spotify.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Officially, the exiled French emperor died of stomach cancer in 1821. But for hundreds of years, controversy courted that narrative, and new possibilities arose. What if Napoleon had actually been murdered — poisoned by an assassin? And what if he never died on that island at all? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sidney Reilly returns to his unfinished business in Russia, only to be dealt a final deadly hand. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He's a legend in the world of spycraft, the “Ace of Spies”, and the inspiration behind Ian Fleming’s James Bond. Sidney Reilly traveled the world taking on covert missions and uncovering dangerous plots, all while enjoying a now-legendary lifestyle filled with gambling and womanizing. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode, Carter sits down with Justin to discuss his new podcast, The Wedding Scammer (00:46). Then, we get into the story of infamous wine con-artist Rudy Kurniawan, who sold counterfeit wine to some of the world’s most prestigious clients (13:50). Finally, Justin and Carter give their final thoughts on the nature of scams and the people that scam us (47:11). (00:46) - Introduction (13:50) - The Wine Con (47:11) - Final thoughts Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carter examines a cursed Connecticut neighborhood, its rumored royal origins, and the town’s ghostly connection to The Conjuring movie franchise.  Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The true story behind Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon: Members of Osage Nation are being targeted for their high-priced oil headrights. There’s so many murders that the small local police department can’t investigate thoroughly, so the tribe turns to the newly-formed FBI to get the job done. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast and @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at serialkillerstories@spotify.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The true story behind Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon: In the early twentieth century, Oklahoma’s Osage Reservation was rich in oil and spread the wealth across the tribe. But in the 1920s, it became clear that someone was killing members of the tribe. Was it a serial killer? A ploy to grab rights to the oil money? Or was it both? Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast and @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at serialkillerstories@spotify.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After dozens of UFO sightings plagued Exeter, New Hampshire in 1965, a skeptical investigative journalist named John G. Fuller came to town. The hours of interviews he conducted changed his mind – and led to the first Congressional hearing that discussed UFOs. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s cited in war rooms and boardrooms, but perhaps the most important lessons from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War are about the art of espionage. This 6th century guidebook has inspired organizations around the world, from the CIA to the KGB, making it one of the most important texts in human history. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Detective Sébeille begins to uncover the secrets of the Dominici family, but has his single-minded focus led him down the wrong path? What secrets are the victims hiding? And could he have been investigating the wrong family this entire time? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A dogged detective travels to rural France in 1952 to investigate the murders of three British tourists. At first no one will talk to the big city cop, but as he dives further into the investigation he can’t seem to get away from a single suspect: the Dominici family. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A disembodied arm, a man-eating shark, and multiple rumored mob hits. It’s one of Australia’s most famous and bizarre murder mysteries, but the pair of unsolved deaths might not be murders at all... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2018, a study ranked it as “the most influential film of all time.” Rotten Tomatoes certifies it as 98% fresh. And yet, theories abound that the perennial classic might be hiding something. Today, Carter follows the yellow brick road to the dark side. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The only question bigger than “Who is the Isdal Woman?” is “Who’s keeping her identity secret?” Found in 1970, her body was burned beyond recognition. And what started as a murder case quickly led to a web of international crime rings, espionage, and conspiracy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1483, the rightful king of England and his heir apparent vanished. Popular opinion says they were murdered by their uncle, but could he have been framed by another relative? Or were the princes forced into exile, with descendants who could one day come forward to claim the throne?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To some, he was a hero of the Mexican Revolution. To others, a “bloody soul, born from evil.” In 1923, when he was gunned down in the streets of Parral, everyone wanted to know: Who killed Pancho Villa? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does King Burr sound? While he’s most infamous for shooting a Founding Father in a duel, Aaron Burr’s crimes extend even further: The former Vice President was once tried for treason after allegedly plotting to invade Mexico and create his own country.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

July 26th was quite a day in Congress. The House subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs met to discuss...UFOs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In April 1988, a top Soviet scientist, Valery Legasov, died by suicide. Before his death, he recorded a series of chilling deathbed confessions concerning one of the world's deadliest disasters: the Chernobyl nuclear explosion. Over four hours, Legasov confessed terrifying truths and disturbing realities from the nuclear power-plant, revealing secrets that had been hidden for two years and lies which had been repeatedly spun. His death left the world with a dangerous collection of information that could finally answer the question the Soviets sought to suppress for years: What really happened at Chernobyl in 1986? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In March 1938, a brilliant physicist boarded a ship from Palermo to Naples, Italy. When the ship docked, he wasn’t on it. What happened to Ettore Majorana? And did his research group’s work on nuclear reactions have anything to do with his sudden disappearance?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A top-secret military program changed the world in August 1945. Today we’re examining the Manhattan Project’s official story: its key figures, its developments, its spies… And breaking open the conspiracy theories it inspired around extraterrestrials, a fluoride cover-up, and a pagan cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three years before the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a group of men including J. R. Oppenheimer and Ernest Lawrence held a secret meeting at Bohemian Grove—the meeting place of an invitation-only boys club made up of the rich and powerful. It’s said that the meeting marked the earliest stages of the Manhattan Project. This week we’re exploring what we know about the exclusive fraternity that parties—and plots—in the privacy of California’s redwood forests.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Oppenheimer hits theaters this summer, explore the real-life events that inspired the film. We’ll be back in August with new episodes of Conspiracy Theories.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A prehistoric species discovered in England was once hailed as the “missing link” between humans and apes. Until it was exposed as a fake. The only question remaining: Who was in on the scam?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From doctoring scripts and censoring movies, to influencing programming for game shows, just how deep is the partnership between Hollywood and the military? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are crime dramas just good PR for cops? From Dragnet to Law & Order, American crime shows have been helping craft the public’s perception of police for decades. But how do crime shows compare to the real thing—and how much influence does law enforcement have over how they’re portrayed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Jurassic Park film franchise brought dinosaurs to life using CGI and special effects. But, with advancing gene engineering technology, could dinosaurs actually be resurrected? If so, should they be? Would they even survive in 21st-century conditions? We may find out sooner than you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been thirty years since the first Jurassic Park film dazzled global audiences. Since then, the movie franchise has reshaped our understanding of dinosaurs. But should it? Though the filmmakers got some things right, some inaccuracies remained for dramatic effect, leaving many questions unanswered. What do we really know about velociraptors? Were they as formidable as they are depicted in the films? And if it was possible, what would a real-life Jurassic Park look like today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, we're digging deeper into a film that preyed on the world's fascination with dinosaurs and changed cinema as we know it: Jurassic Park. Based on the book by Michael Crichton and directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park tore through the box office to become the highest-grossing film ever upon its release — weaving innovative technology with groundbreaking practical effects to bring an ancient species long extinct... back to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Because of the government's classified files on UFOs, it's hard to know which US presidents knew about aliens. Some believe President Eisenhower helped mediate intergalactic peace. Others think President Kennedy was assassinated for wanting to share classified UFO research with the Soviets. While many believe that some files are so secure, even the president can't access them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a flying saucer crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, President Harry Truman tried to downplay the incident to keep the public from panicking. But he wasn't the first US President to deal with a UFO encounter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A small commercial airplane, the Star Dust, disappeared over the Andes Mountains in 1947. Some think the flight was bombed as part of corporate sabotage. Others say extraterrestrials abducted the aircraft. But perhaps the greatest mystery surrounds the plane’s final transmission… a message in Morse code that simply read “STENDEC.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Boeing 727 took off from Angola and vanished from the skies above Southern Africa in 2003. Many suspected the jet was hijacked by terrorists. Some government agencies think it was "stolen" so the owner could cash in on the insurance money. While others speculate that the mechanic in charge of restoring the plane hijacked it and sold it without the owner's permission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the shipwreck, many rumors swirled about how the MS Estonia came to sink in the Baltic Sea. Some believe one of the captains, assumed dead, is still alive, trying to avoid accountability. Others think the cruise ferry was used to smuggle military equipment. But perhaps the biggest question surrounding this tragedy: Did the Accident Commission lie about what caused the vessel to sink? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In September of 1994, the MS Estonia was en route from Tallinn, Estonia to Stockholm, Sweden when it hit rough seas and sank, claiming 852 lives. An official investigation blamed the accident on the vessel’s bow visor breaking off. But passengers who survived the tragedy tell a different story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the body of media mogul Robert Maxwell was pulled from the water, rumors began to swirl about the cause of death. It's entirely possible that it was only an accident. But some believe the crew killed him on his yacht. While others wonder if he may have been the target of Israeli assassins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He was a controversial media mogul in Britain accused of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from his employees. Then in November 1991, Robert Maxwell mysteriously disappeared from his yacht while vacationing near the Canary Islands. His body was recovered later from the water, but the circumstances surrounding his death left many wondering what really happened that fateful night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In November 1974, Karen Silkwood died in a one-car crash while driving to meet a New York Times reporter about falsified reports at her nuclear power plant. Due to her tragic death, a lot is still unknown about the events that led up to this moment. Did she intentionally contaminate herself to take down her employer? Was she run off the road by another car? Or was she murdered for uncovering a plutonium smuggling ring? If you’d like to take action on the climate or learn more about the topics covered in “Dark Green: Earth Crimes and Conspiracies,” visit www.spotify.com/darkgreenresources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Worker safety was paramount to Karen Silkwood. That's why she was proud to be part of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union bargaining committee to renegotiate its contract with the Kerr-McGee nuclear plant. But before the meetings started, her car mysteriously went off the road, killing her. If you’d like to take action on the climate or learn more about the topics covered in “Dark Green: Earth Crimes and Conspiracies,” visit www.spotify.com/darkgreenresources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A week after he was unwittingly dosed with LSD by MK-Ultra’s mastermind, Sidney Gottlieb, Frank Olson dropped 13 stories from a hotel window. After his suspicious death, two critical questions remained: Was Olson part of Project Span, which poisoned a small town in France? And did he really take his own life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He was a military scientist for the CIA and worked on clandestine operations including MK-Ultra. As part of his job, Frank Olson witnessed some of the government's most horrific human experiments. But when he began to have second thoughts, he discovered quitting was impossible. He knew too much. And then he was found dead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While a massive manhunt was conducted by police, citizen "digilantes" scoured through thousands of photos from the event, proposing their own suspects. Though the real bombers of the Boston Marathon were eventually found, some think law enforcement could have prevented the tragedy with action years earlier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After two homemade bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in April 2013, the region was on high alert. Over 2000 police descended on the suburban town of Watertown to search for two suspects in what would become one of the largest manhunts in Massachusetts history.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During World War II, the Nazis had a base in an isolated, wooded area of the Austrian Alps called Lake Toplitz. It is believed that they used the lake as a secret dumping ground because objects that fell to the bottom would not rot. Some people think the lake is filled with Nazi gold. Others believe it contains secret weapons. But it might actually be full of counterfeit British points and information on Swiss bank accounts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On December 8, 1980, 25-year-old Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon outside the Dakota in New York City. Chapman then calmly pulled out a copy of The Catcher in the Rye and began reading. It left Beatles fans and people worldwide to theorize: Was Chapman a deranged super-fan, a young man with mental illness, or a CIA operative carrying out an assassination plot?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than half a century ago, the Beatles officially broke up. It upset many fans, who directed their anger, not at the band, but at a band member's wife. And while Yoko Ono bore the brunt of this conspiracy theory, the real reason for the Beatles break up is far more complex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles were launched into worldwide stardom. Then, in late 1966, the band disappeared for months to record Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. With the Fab Four out of the spotlight, fans couldn't help but gossip. One odd rumor was that Paul McCartney had died and been replaced with a doppelganger. Even odder… there were clues to support it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are numerous tall tales about the Count of Saint Germain, and it isn't easy to separate fact from fiction. Some say he was secretly descended from royalty. Others claim he gained immortality when he found the Philosopher's stone. And then there are those who believe he may be a spiritual leader reincarnated to guide humanity through the ages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Likely born around 1710, this self-styled alchemist traveled the world and rubbed elbows with society's elite. It's believed he spoke numerous languages and could simultaneously write with both hands. But how much of what we've heard about the Count of Saint Germain is true, and how much is just folklore? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After almost 100 spectators were killed at a football match in Sheffield, England, people were looking for accountability. Some feel the tragedy was caused by a series of mistakes by police. Others believe a secret society tried to cover up gaffes by the police chief. But a third theory suggests the tragedy wasn't caused by a person but by the stadium itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Saturday, April 15th, 1989, was set to be a highly-anticipated semi-final football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. It wound up being one of the deadliest tragedies in football history, with 96 spectators losing their lives. And it seemed nobody was going to be held accountable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to modern-day marketing methods, brands have a knack for knowing exactly what products you want. Is it because they've collected enough data to target you directly? Or are your electronic devices simply listening to your conversations? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the winter of 1924, the Phoebus Cartel concluded that the best way to sell more light bulbs was to make ones that burned out faster. A century later, we're left to wonder, are our products intentionally made to self-destruct? Or is this "planned obsolescence" a myth because consumers naturally want the best and latest products? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 29th, 1913, German inventor and engineer Rudolf Diesel boarded the England-bound S.S. Dresden in Antwerp, Belgium, but was never seen again. Was he murdered on the ship by the German Secret Service for treason? Or did his mounds of personal debt play a role in his disappearance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fueled by a desire to change the world, Rudolf Diesel spent his early adulthood refining an idea for an internal combustible engine that used pressurized air to heat fuel. Despite selling his “Diesel Engines” worldwide, he was in tremendous debt, which made his disappearance from a steamship in September 1913 all the more mysterious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After English farmhand Charles Walton was brutally killed on Valentine's Day, 1945, three distinct theories emerged from three perspectives to explain his death. Was it the work of witchcraft? A human sacrifice ritual? Or something more personal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1945, residents were left wondering who was responsible for the gruesome murder of 74-year-old farmhand Charles Walton. The small village in Warwickshire County, England, believed heavily in superstitions. When Scotland Yard began its investigation, it too had to wonder if Walton's death was tied to witchcraft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In January 2015, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots became the center of another cheating scandal. It was alleged that the footballs used in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts had been underinflated. After a thorough, four-month investigation, Ted Wells released a 243-page report on his findings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They had won three Super Bowls in four seasons. Their hunky quarterback and their no-nonsense coach seemed to have the league all figured out. But some believe the New England Patriots were spying on other teams. Was the NFL aware, and if so, would it do anything to stop it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over 100 instances of "Havana Syndrome" have been documented worldwide. Many people have dismissed it as simply Mass Psychogenic Illness. Others believe it's the work of sonic weapons. But there's a real possibility that it's an electromagnetic attack using microwave radiation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A mysterious ailment emerged in 2016 that affected American diplomats stationed in Havana, Cuba. Victims reported vertigo, headaches, vision problems, and hearing loss. Some experts believed Cuba was behind the attacks. But then cases expanded to more than 130 countries across the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She was told to find the future King Charles VII, get him crowned, and liberate France from the English. Or so we've been told. But many think Joan of Arc didn't live the life history tells us. Was she actually part of the French royal family? Did she belong to a witch cult that opposed the Catholic Church? Was she even really burned at the stake? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a teenager, she had divine visions. She was thrust into the spotlight when she became a military leader and French national icon. But are all the things written about Joan of Arc actually true? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After World War II, the U.S. government hoped to use LSD as a “truth serum” against its enemies. The CIA called it Operation Midnight Climax. But once it was apparent what the drug’s true effects were, it turned into a party for agents — all on the taxpayer’s dime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A century ago, a secret society conspired to strip the power from Hawaii’s queen, and force the independent kingdom to become a U.S. territory. Today, we’re looking back on how a cabal of businessmen — backed by the U.S. government — toppled a monarchy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have popes throughout centuries signed off on secret intelligence programs designed to spy on revolutionaries, curb the influence of Modernism, and help the Catholic Church regain international power? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early 1970s, when he was still an Archbishop, Albino Luciani caught wind of a shady banking scheme involving Italian banker Roberto Calvi and the Vatican. Years later – and just 33 days into his reign as Pope John Paul I – he was found dead. Did stepping into the Vatican’s affairs cost him his life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fate of the lost colonists has been debated for hundreds of years. Did they abandon their settlement of their own free will, or did they fall victim to sabotage and murder? Some historians are asking a different question altogether: What if the colony was never “lost” at all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a mystery that’s endured for centuries: When the English first began colonizing America, they established a small settlement off the coast of present-day North Carolina. Within three years, it was gone, leaving few clues behind. What really happened to 100+ inhabitants of Roanoke Island? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a dozen major campaigns and thousands of planted bugs and wiretaps, COINTELPRO was finally exposed to the public. But the job of untangling its impact would take decades. Was J. Edgar Hoover’s belief that Communists instigated the civil rights movement true? And how far did the FBI go to sabotage the leaders of the movement? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A secret intelligence project led by the FBI used illegal methods to spy on organizations and people from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. It claimed to be acting in the name of U.S. security — but was it really? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wrath, rivalry, or coverup? Despite over 2200 people dying in the Johnstown flood, no one has ever been held legally responsible for the neglected dam that caused it. Survivors were left to wonder: Was this an act of God, designed to punish them? Did a business rivalry between iron and steel magnates lead to this destruction? And did the dam’s owners know they were liable… and tried to cover it up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After years of neglect, the decaying South Fork dam gave way in May 1889 — flooding a town of steelworkers, and killing thousands. In the aftermath, the surviving townspeople looked to the dam’s wealthy owners for answers. But they’d already fled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An IRS agent uncovers a trail of embezzlement in an American soccer official’s transactions, the FBI investigates bribery allegations surrounding the World Cup bidding process, and a massive, international corruption scandal explodes in the heart of the world’s most beloved sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it made sports history — becoming the first Middle Eastern nation to ever host the competition. But it was never the obvious choice, and speculation started almost immediately. How did they manage to clinch the win? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If NASA could hide an alliance with a government espionage office, what else could it be hiding? Today we examine the alleged evidence of a secret spacewalk, a martian city, and a remarkable sound from deep space.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

High-risk missions. International competition. And the keys to the cosmos. When you think of clandestine organizations, NASA might not top the list — and yet it has all the elements to be more shadowy than the dark side of the moon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a buzzy word meant to invoke a sense of immersion within a virtual world — where boundaries are obliterated, and possibilities are limitless. But what will the Metaverse actually feel like? From the holographic visions of tech companies, to the hardware required to make it happen, to the revolutionary potential of mind uploading and mixed reality, will a fully cyber society make life easier — or end life as we know it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They’re modern marvels, all around us — artificial products we can eat (lab-grown meat), transplant (bioprinted organs), and even inject into our bodies (synthetic vaccines). But not everyone’s convinced they’re miracles. Top of mind for critics? Are they safe, are they sustainable — and what does expanding the frontier of artificiality mean for our future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Automation promises to make our lives radically more efficient, with the power to change everything from how countries develop weapons of warfare, to how patients are diagnosed, to how people who violate laws are sentenced. But experts are theorizing these changes won’t always be for the better. And at the heart of the conversation is a deceptively simple question: What will we lose when the algorithms become too convenient for our own good? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From brain implants and bionic limbs to gene editing and immortality — today’s technology has the potential to lead us down a path we couldn’t conceive of centuries, or even decades, ago. Question is: How far do we want it to take us — and will our destination be worth the cost to get there? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1960s and ‘70s, farmers across America were waking up to find that their cows had been slaughtered. Because the cattle were found missing eyes, ears, tongues, and sex organs, some thought it was part of a satanic ritual. Others believed that the animals were test subjects for an alien race. But the truth may have been on the farms all along.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For decades across America’s heartland, cattle ranchers have found healthy livestock dead, with their body parts removed, sexual organs missing, and blood drained. When the FBI investigated, they could not offer a plausible explanation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the years following the unveiling of King Tut’s burial chamber, tragedy seemed to follow those involved with the excavation. Many believe these injuries and deaths were merely a series of cryptic coincidences, while others claim they proved the Pharaoh's Curse was real — and powerful enough to sink the Titanic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon set out for Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, they hoped to uncover secret tombs, lost in the sand. In 1922, their expedition succeeded — making history with a life-changing discovery. Then the untimely deaths began, and a rumor spread of a dark curse, unleashed by the trespassers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From an early age, Brian Jones showed a creative edge and an interest in self-destruction. His rebellious spirit derailed him out of school and into the world of music. In 1962, he would help form the Rolling Stones. By 1969, Jones was out of the band, and soon after, dead. Officially, it was ruled an accidental drowning. But tensions with the law, with his band, and in his business dealings prompted theorists to suggest otherwise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By 2011, the FBI was ready to reexamine the evidence. A theory emerged: What if the Mad Poisoner was actually the Unabomber? Ted Kaczynski had proven he was a revenge-seeking terrorist, and he had connections to Chicago. Perhaps he traded homemade bombs for poisoned pills. Or maybe the deadly concoctions came straight from the Johnson & Johnson facility itself. In the absence of clear answers, only theories remain… and rumors that someone is still out there, replacing Halloween treats with fatal tricks. This is a crossover special with Serial Killers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Roger Arnold wasn’t behind the murders, who was? Police turn their focus to a new suspect: a disgruntled accountant named James Lewis. But the more police dig into Lewis’s life, the more questions they have. The road to truth is paved with extortion, false identities, and revenge. This is a crossover special with Serial Killers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Forty years ago, cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules led to the deaths of seven people all around the Chicago area. America was gripped by paranoia and fear. Why was this happening? Who would be next? Police grasped for suspects who might be the so-called “Mad Poisoner.” This is a crossover special with Serial Killers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the papers referring to MJ-12 were released to the public, the news was a bombshell. But scrutiny wasn’t far behind. Accusations of forgery and fraud began to surface, and eventually, all that was left to examine was motive. Why would someone go to extraordinary lengths to reveal a secret cabal that potentially never even existed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Decades ago, a top-secret group of scientists, military officials and researchers reported on extraterrestrial activity to the president. When a documentary filmmaker caught wind of the operation, he followed a trail of breadcrumbs that led him to a trove of government secrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For 11 days in December 1926, a famed writer — the “Queen of Crime” herself — vanished. Agatha Christie was used to concocting fictional mysteries. Now, she was at the center of one in real life. But was this a stress-induced reprieve from unending responsibilities? Or a masterfully coordinated jab at her cheating husband? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Famed novelist. Accomplished outdoorsman. Intrepid spy? Today we examine the evidence suggesting one of the greatest writers of the 20th century was also involved in espionage — whether as a Soviet asset, or a double agent for the U.S., it all depends on who you ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over 16 episodes, listeners tuned in to hear Superman and his allies battle against the Clan of the Fiery Cross — a thinly veiled reference to the KKK. To strike a blow against the real Klan, producers of the show incorporated intel provided by a man on the inside: Stetson Kennedy. Today, we examine whether their plan worked to hamstring the hate group’s recruitment efforts... and investigate the claim that Kennedy’s accounts were all based on a lie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early 1940s, journalist Stetson Kennedy tried to undermine the KKK’s recruiting power by exposing their darkest secrets — through a children’s radio show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From a royal to a humanitarian to a victim, Princess Diana significantly impacted the world during her short time here. Her recent portrayals in TV and film prove that although her passing happened twenty-five years ago, her story still lives on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the world mourns, speculation runs wild. How could this have happened? Who was to blame? British paparazzi, who hounded the vehicle into its passengers’ final moments, are an easy target. But rumors arise that lay the fault at the feet of the royal family — a possibility that Diana herself had predicted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Twenty-five years ago, the British monarchy was forever changed upon the death of the “People’s Princess.” Today, we’re revisiting her story, looking back on a moment that impacted not only the royal family, but the world. We jump back to the 1980s, when Diana Spencer is ushered into a fairy tale. But from the beginning, it eats away at her — until she’s left simultaneously isolated and dangerously exposed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a child, Philip Taylor Kramer looked to the stars to map his future. After a quick detour as a rock star, Kramer graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering and worked on a top secret project for the DoD. The sky seemed to be the limit. Then he disappeared. When his body was found four years later, authorities suspected suicide. Other theories suggest he knew too much... and had become a target. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By October of 1968, the search for the USS Scorpion was over. Discovered at the bottom of the Atlantic, theories as to how it sank began to emerge. Was it the result of a Soviet standoff? A machinery malfunction? Or something far more alien? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was commissioned in 1960 to monitor Soviet submarines. Fast, agile, and heavily armed — the USS Scorpion was a nuclear sub built to be stealthy, but not to actually vanish. In May of 1968, it did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who will strike it rich next? The gold mine that made Jacob Waltz a wealthy man has apparently never been found again. But maybe there are still those who know exactly where the gold came from, who’s protecting it, and what it’ll cost to discover it again... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A trove of gold is rumored to be hidden in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains. Legend has it, a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz found the cache in the late 1800s and later revealed its location in a deathbed confession. But no one’s been able to find it since... and for good reason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Marlowe’s death truly a tragic accident? Unsatisfied with that explanation, some believe his death was ordered by a scorned wife seeking revenge. Others think his connections with a secret society sealed his fate. And most mysteriously of all, there’s the theory that Marlowe faked his death, and for the rest of his life wrote under a pen name: William Shakespeare.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A brilliant playwright fell out of favor with Queen Elizabeth I. Then he was murdered. Officially, his killer acted in self-defense. But for centuries, scholars have wondered if there was more to the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are a few different theories about how our moon was formed. One of them proposes it didn’t form naturally — it was designed. And what’s more, it may even be harboring alien life inside. NASA’s Apollo space program might’ve uncovered the evidence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever since his flight in 1961, Yuri Gagarin has been considered the first person to go to space. What if he wasn’t? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Church Committee found that the CIA had in fact tried to assassinate foreign leaders – but never succeeded. But given what we know about the agency’s violent operations in places like Guatemala and Afghanistan, how likely is that conclusion? And what did President Ford’s ban on assassinations do — if anything — to curb CIA abuses? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1975, a Senate panel known as the Church Committee began investigating CIA abuses, including its alleged assassinations. Their probe came after decades of CIA-backed violence and spying, both abroad and in America. How did they go unchecked for so many years? And what did the public do once they found out? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For so long, the government’s stance when it came to UFOs was to deny and debunk. But when declassified and new information started hitting the mainstream — thanks to the work of engineers, private investors, and even musician Tom DeLonge — a new era began. One that chipped away at the taboo surrounding ufology… and has paved a way for incredible new research. This is the last episode of our four-part special with Unexplained Mysteries, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the infamous Roswell crash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the late 1940s the U.S. government knew it had a problem on its hands. “Flying saucers” posed a threat to other aircraft, and possibly even the planet. So they created programs to study UFOs in secret, and stored the evidence in the highly classified Hangar 18. What do we know about their discoveries? And what exactly did they find in the Roswell wreckage? This is the third episode of our 75th Roswell anniversary special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Less than a week after the Roswell wreck, the U.S. Department of War issued a statement claiming the debris came from a weather balloon. And for decades, that was the official story. But what if it was a lie? Today, we’re examining how the government silenced eyewitnesses, spread misinformation, and squashed stories of alien encounters. This is the second episode in our four-part crossover series with Unexplained Mysteries, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Roswell UFO crash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1947 the U.S. military seized an unidentified object that had crashed in the New Mexico desert. Ever since, the area has been a hotspot for conspiracy theories and supernatural speculation. Join us for a four-part crossover with Unexplained Mysteries as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of one of the biggest UFO events in history, and investigate just how much of the story is still under wraps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Nazi scientist. An unleashed disease. A legendary monster. Can they all be traced back to Plum Island? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the U.S. needed a place to study rare animal diseases during the Cold War, it established a research center on an island off the New England coast. Then the disasters began to strike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is free energy already available to us? Some believe the technology exists today. If so, who is suppressing it and how far will they go to keep it under wraps?  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Across centuries, inventors have theorized machines that could produce endless power at little cost. The technology would be revolutionary, if it existed. What if it already does?  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the explosion of Flight 103, investigators followed a trail of clues to two suspects, both Libyan men believed to be carrying out orders from Muammar Gaddafi. But some theorists suspect Libya wasn’t behind the bombing at all.  Countdown to the CULTS book release! Parcast’s first book hits shelves July 12th. It’s an unflinching exploration of shame, secrecy, power, exploitation, and destruction. Learn more at www.parcast.com/cults!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Days before Christmas 1988, scorched metal rained from the sky over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. Its source: Pan Am flight 103, headed from London to New York. The explosion killed 270 people and was declared a terrorist attack by investigators. The only question: Who was responsible?  Countdown to the CULTS book release! Parcast’s first book hits shelves July 12th. It’s an unflinching exploration of shame, secrecy, power, exploitation, and destruction. Learn more at www.parcast.com/cults!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When historians began dissecting the intelligence that spurred U.S. destroyers to retaliate in the Gulf of Tonkin, they came up short. In fact, there seemed to be first hand accounts that proved the opposite: there weren’t any enemy ships that night. So why did the Navy ever believe there were? And did President Johnson know the truth?  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more and grab your copy at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1964 an attack by North Vietnamese forces on U.S. naval destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin helped catalyze a war that would claim millions of lives. There was just one problem: the attack never happened.  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more and grab your copy at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the Navy needed to catch Nazi spies during WWII, they turned to an unlikely source of help: the mafia. How deep did their alliance go? And where else did the rumored entanglements between the mafia and the U.S. government allegedly take them?  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more and grab your copy at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When mafiosos rose to power in 20th century America, they were untouchable criminals with an unbreakable code. Their origins in Sicily left them with a taste for extreme loyalty, secrecy, and violence. And even before notorious gangster “Lucky” Luciano remade them into an organized criminal empire, they were raking in millions.  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more and grab your copy at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1669, the French government imprisoned a man whose identity they went to great lengths to keep hidden. The conditions of his lifelong incarceration — hide his face, keep him quiet — inspired rumors that he was the secret twin brother of King Louis XIV, or an unlucky valet who knew dangerous information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the summer of 1951, a French town became ground zero for a mysterious illness that caused hallucinations, convulsions, and in some cases, death. For decades, the most popular explanation was ergot poisoning via contaminated bread. Another theory emerged in 2009: the CIA’s mind-control experiments had gone international.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death of the Director in 1972 put an end to a reign that spanned 48 years, and left America to live in his outsized shadow. What happened to Hoover’s secret files? How is the modern FBI still shaped by his legacy? And what have we discovered about the true nature of his surveillance projects? This is the final episode in our six-part series from Conspiracy Theories and Dictators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While antiwar and Civil Rights movements charged forward, Hoover unleashed the FBI upon his enemies and adversaries. By the end of the 1960s, he was proclaiming that America’s greatest domestic threat was the Black Panther Party — and he was determined to smear, discredit, even destroy anyone even remotely associated with them. This is the fifth episode of our six-part series from Conspiracy Theories and Dictators.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1960s, the Director’s adversaries included the Kennedy brothers and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, which he believed to be part of a larger communist conspiracy. He would do everything in his power to undermine them all. When JFK was assassinated — two weeks after Lee Harvey Oswald emerged onto the FBI’s radar — Hoover strangled the investigation to protect the Bureau’s reputation. This is episode four in our six-part crossover special from Conspiracy Theories and Dictators.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new president in the White House meant a new opportunity for a power play. Unfortunately for Hoover, Truman already thought the Bureau was becoming a secret police force. So he checked their power, and created a separate foreign intelligence agency — what will become the CIA. Meanwhile, Hoover was still bent on rooting out communist infiltrators and Soviet spies. Soon enough, he began handing intel over to Congressional committees like HUAC... and to his new friend and ally: a rising senator named Joseph McCarthy. This is the third episode in our six-part crossover special from Conspiracy Theories and Dictators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the 1930s, Hoover was America's top cop. He went after bank robbers and bandits in his War on Crime, never losing sight of his real nemesis: communism. Every maneuver went toward Hoover’s carefully crafted narrative of the FBI. As their prestige grew, so did their power. But while Hoover had FDR’s ear, he also faced the ire of embittered political rivals. This is episode two of our six-part crossover special from Conspiracy Theories and Dictators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

J. Edgar Hoover was eager and ruthless. The young intelligence officer believed wholeheartedly in the communist conspiracy, and he’d do anything to protect his country. Raids, deportations, mass arrests. He targeted everyone from Russian anarchists to American labor unions in his frenzy to curb the communist threat. No matter what the law said. This is the first episode in our six-part crossover special from Conspiracy Theories and Dictators.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A legendary colt became the pride of Ireland after dominating the 1981 Epsom Derby. Two years later, he was taken from his stable, ransomed for millions… and never seen again. The theories around his disappearance tie together revenge, a Libyan dictator, and the IRA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After winning the 94th Kentucky Derby, the champion racehorse failed his drug test. It was unprecedented news that stunned the racing world and led to the Derby’s first-ever disqualification. But for owner Peter Fuller, the drug scandal didn’t add up. Was his horse, Dancer’s Image, sabotaged? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Nitrous Mafia have been a fixture at Grateful Dead shows and other jam band concerts since the ‘90s. They deal nitrous oxide to fans who want a taste of euphoria, but critics claim the cutthroat racket is taking shows’ atmospheres from mellow... to menacing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1960s a counterculture revolution was upending traditional norms of life, and the Grateful Dead were providing the soundtrack... and the drugs. LSD was having a revolution of its own, and the Dead were rubbing elbows with its biggest proponents. They headlined Ken Kesey’s acid tests and put acid guru Owsley Stanley to work as their audio engineer. Of course, this put them right in the crosshairs of the FBI. But while the feds had a file on the band, did they also have a deal together? Some say the disastrous Altamont Music Festival has all the markings of sabotage... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The FBI’s investigation led them to some of Boston’s most notorious criminals, but for ten years, promising leads continued to fizzle out. Was the mafia ever really involved? Or was the heist of the century actually an inside job? In 2000, a world-famous art detective entered the scene. Could he finally achieve what the FBI could not?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In March 1990 two men pretending to be police officers stole 13 pieces of art worth over $200 million from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Then they vanished.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Rosenbergs’ death sentence is announced, protests erupt around the world. Famous figures, including Einstein and the Pope, weigh in. But Julius and Ethel’s conviction would never be overturned. They would die by electric chair in 1953. The questions and controversies around their trial — one of the most sensational in history — would remain: Why was the death penalty ever on the table for a conspiracy charge? And how did Ethel’s fate come to rest on her own brother’s false testimony? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did an ordinary couple from New York become Communist spies during the height of the Cold War? And how much of the case against them... was actually true? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2019, a report from a public inquiry identified the main cause of the devastating Grenfell Tower fire. But it left one question unanswered: Who was ultimately to blame? Some have suggested charging the landlords with corporate manslaughter. Others point the finger at shady contractors. And still others are looking at a larger pattern — that stems from the British government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a deadly residential fire in London broke out on the 4th floor of a concrete highrise, 71 people died. Survivors and loved ones were left asking: How did the fire spread so quickly — when it never should have spread beyond the 4th floor at all?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever since his death in 1973, Bruce Lee’s fans have wondered how the 32-year-old martial artist could’ve died so suddenly. Some believe his death was supernatural – the result of a family curse. Others look to an operation the actor underwent shortly before his demise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2010, Randy and Evi Quaid alleged they’d been targeted by a shadowy cabal bent on ruining their reputations. The same group, they claimed, may have been responsible for the downfalls and deaths of stars like Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1999, an FDA food investigator found traces of mercury in America’s favorite sweetener. But when she presented her findings, she was told to stop her research. The incident rang alarm bells — was the FDA covering up threats to public health? More recently, the agency’s sources of funding and their role in the Opioid Crisis have drawn suspicion and criticism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Long before the days of expiration dates and ingredient labels, the drug and food industries were an unregulated Wild West plagued by false advertising, fake cure-alls, and manufacturers that would do anything to cut costs. The public health scandals weren’t far behind.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cats become creatures of warfare, pigeons are given a mission, insects are turned into spy bugs... Throughout history all manner of animals have been trained up as wartime allies and agents. But have governments gone too far? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is helping scientists make breakthrough discoveries about the nature of our universe. But some researchers think the machine has the power to destroy our world... or open a portal to another. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Untraceable poisons. Soviet espionage. Modern codebreaking. Any, none, or all of these things may have something to do with why nobody can identify the Somerton Man.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A man was found dead on a beach in Australia in 1948 with his clothing tags cut out and 18 teeth missing. Who was he? How did he die? A cryptic note in his pocket has kept the mystery alive for over 70 years.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1800s, a movement spread across Great Britain that convinced thousands of Englishmen they were part of an ancient Jewish tribe. It was based on a legend about an evangelizer, Joseph of Arimathea. Another ancient legend — this time about Prince Menelik and the stolen Ark of the Covenant — places the lost tribes in Ethiopia. More recently, claims by the Lemba people of South Africa spurred one researcher, known as the British Indiana Jones, even deeper into the mystery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fate of the ten tribes of Israel has been a mystery for thousands of years. Some legends say they are trapped in a mythical land. One mysterious traveler in the 9th century CE claimed differently. All we know for sure is that the members of the ten tribes suffered invasion and exile before seemingly disappearing from history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In November 2018, equipment from the largest utility provider in America sparked a fire that killed 86 people and destroyed thousands of homes. The devastation was unprecedented, but the Camp Fire is far from the only disaster caused by Pacific Gas & Electric. Are their political donations protecting them from stricter regulation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In March 2011, the worst nuclear meltdown since Chernobyl took place in northern Japan. The incident was triggered by a natural disaster, but it was decisions made by the facility’s operators that led to such catastrophic damage.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An emergency plan to cut costs in Flint, Michigan resulted in a contaminated water supply for the city’s residents. The water looked, tasted, and smelled foul – because it was tainted with toxic chemicals, harmful bacteria and lead from old pipes. But government officials repeatedly dismissed the community’s concerns. So today, we’re tracing what officials knew about the burgeoning crisis, and when — and how they’re paying for their negligence now.  This is the second episode in our four-part series, “They Knew,” covering four times corporations and government officials knew their actions could cause harm, and forged ahead anyway.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Love Canal was supposed to be a suburban idyll. Instead, it became a dumping ground for chemical waste. After the land changed hands in the 1950s — from the Hooker Electrochemical Company to the Niagara Falls Board of Education — a school and 900 homes were built atop the toxic landfill. Decades later, residents are still battling adverse health outcomes and government negligence. This is the first episode in our four-part series, “They Knew,” covering four times corporations and government officials knew their actions could cause harm, and forged ahead anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Civil War, multiple caches of Confederate gold were discovered around the country. Were they buried by the Knights of the Golden Circle? Was the pro-slavery organization behind multiple assassination attempts on Abraham Lincoln’s life? And did Lincoln’s eventual assassin, John Wilkes Booth, take orders from the KGC? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1854, as tensions between the American North and South were brewing, a physician named George Bickley called his closest friends to a secret meeting. His agenda: form a fraternity that would aid Southern states and protect the institution of slavery. Their first plot: invade Mexico. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a dozen major campaigns and thousands of planted bugs and wiretaps, COINTELPRO was finally exposed to the public. But the job of untangling its impact would take decades. Was J. Edgar Hoover’s belief that Communists instigated the civil rights movement true? And how far did the FBI go to sabotage the leaders of the movement? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A secret intelligence project led by the FBI used illegal methods to spy on organizations and people from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. It claimed to be acting in the name of U.S. security — but was it really?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finding Beale’s treasure would be the thrill — and payout — of a lifetime. Without the key to the ciphers, it doesn’t seem likely. But there could be other reasons the riches are never recovered… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1818, a member of a hunting party in the American West spotted a glimmer on a hillside — gold. Two hundred years later, treasure hunters are still trying to locate the dug-up riches.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new wave of extraterrestrial discourse began in June 2021 after the release of the U.S. government’s UFO report. But was the report just a smokescreen? Today we investigate secretive programs, bizarre encounters, and suspicious dealings propping up conspiracy theories that the government still knows more than it’s letting on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever since “flying saucer” entered the lexicon, the U.S. government’s public stance on UFO sightings was to doubt and debunk. But all that changed in 2017, with an explosive report on UFO intelligence. And again in June 2021, when the government acknowledged — for the first time in history — that some UFOs are truly inexplicable… and maybe even threatening.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final episode of our crossover special, we examine the theories suggesting the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor wasn’t a surprise to the U.S. government at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the hours, days and weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan’s forces coordinated a vast takeover of the Pacific. Back at home, Hideki Tojo’s reign as Prime Minister oversaw brutal wartime atrocities. Kate and Richard from Dictators detail the Japanese war effort, the experiments of Unit 731, and the battles that changed the course of the war. Join us Wednesday for the finale of our Pearl Harbor special.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the summer of 1941, as hostilities between the two nations escalated, wartime negotiations officially broke down. Combat was imminent — but where? This is the second part of our crossover special with Dictators, another Spotify Original from Parcast, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eighty years ago, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese fighter planes devastated the U.S. and spurred the nation into war. Join us for a special crossover between Dictators and Conspiracy Theories where we’ll analyze the event from all sides, starting with the life of Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo — a career militarist whose devotion to Japan thrust him into power. We’ll be back Wednesday with a Conspiracy Theories episode exploring how tensions between the U.S. and Japan reached a fever pitch as WWII broke out.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are so many unresolved mysteries surrounding the iconic monument, like whether it’s really a sphinx, and if it could be a relic from the lost city of Atlantis. We look at a stone beard, a story from Plato, and patterns of erosion to investigate.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Great Pyramids of Giza are some of the largest, most foreboding structures on the planet, but the mystery of how they were built still plagues historians today. Some Egyptologists think aliens provided advanced technology, while engineers see evidence they were ancient nuclear power plants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes aren’t a secret. But since the mid-1900s, researchers have pointed out the harmful effects of these cancer sticks. How much of this did the tobacco companies know – and when? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 20th century, the mass production of cigarettes fueled a global addiction — but Big Tobacco had a problem. Cancer rates were skyrocketing, and smoking-related illnesses became the leading cause of preventable death in America. This is the story of how an industry in peril conspired to survive — by keeping generations of smokers in their grip.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The deaths of the Dyatlov Nine didn’t just seem bizarre — they seemed violent. What could explain the brutal injuries, missing tongue, radioactive clothing, and burnt trees? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In winter 1959, a group of experienced mountaineers went missing in a remote part of Siberia. When their bodies were eventually found, their injuries — and radioactive clothing — confounded investigators. The incident became one of Russia’s most enduring mysteries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When President Woodrow Wilson suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1919, First Lady Edith Wilson stepped in to maintain order in the White House. With the power she held, some have speculated that she was America’s first female president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Around the 9th century C.E., a new pope rose to power. For years, the congregation was certain Pope John filled the role perfectly... until he went into labor during an Easter processional. Had a woman ascended to the papacy in secret?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When critics didn’t understand Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror masterpiece, fans stepped in to explain the secrets behind its signature dread. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The release of The Exorcist in December 1973 caused a global wave of panic and trauma. Due to a series of on-set accidents and untimely deaths, many believe the film was cursed. Others say the hype was nothing more than manipulation by the filmmakers… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nearly two decades after the Waco Siege, people are still wondering what transpired at the Branch Davidian compound. Though the government officially investigated and exonerated the FBI, some have found evidence of a massive cover-up. Did the government actually fire the first shot that led to 81 deaths? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On February 28th, 1993, government agents raided a compound in Waco, Texas, belonging to a religious group known as the Branch Davidians. A 51-day standoff ensued, ending in a violent siege. Eighty-one people lost their lives, many of them children — but to this day, no one knows which side fired first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Valiant Thor's story has sparked a flurry of theories regarding our government's knowledge of UFOs. Have presidents met with extraterrestrials in the past? Are alien spacecraft shutting down nuclear facilities? And is the Pentagon actively trying to keep this information under lock and key? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1957, the Pentagon received an unexpected visitor. His name was Valiant Thor, and allegedly, he was from Venus. His mission on Earth was to convince world leaders to deactivate their nuclear arsenals. He didn't succeed — but there might be other alien visitors assisting his agenda today…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For centuries, people have debated whether or not Jesus Christ rose from the dead. From graverobbers, to Jewish High Priests, to Jesus's own disciples — a flurry of potential thieves has been placed at the scene of his empty tomb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Turin, Italy there’s a piece of cloth that has perplexed religious experts for decades. Is the Shroud of Turin one of the greatest antiquities known to us? Or nothing more than a medieval hoax?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Locals are sure that big corporations are after their coal, and started the Centralia Fire to smoke them out. Others insist the blaze was nothing more than bureaucratic incompetence. Then again, it may have sparked decades before anyone ever thought…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For nearly 60 years, a fire has been raging beneath a small town in Pennsylvania. Centralia was once an epicenter of coal mining. But after the blaze sparked in 1962, toxic fumes and sinkholes forced residents to evacuate. Now, it’s a ghost town with its own haunting questions — like who really started the fire, and why.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final episode of our 9/11 series, we examine the legacy of that day, and how its memory impacted — and still impacts — the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much did the U.S. government actually know about the 9/11 attacks before they happened? Was President George W. Bush angling for war since his first day in office? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Throughout the 1990s, a private equity firm called the Carlyle Group began purchasing and investing in a multitude of private defense contracting and weapons companies. In the months after 9/11, they made millions as the U.S. prepared for war. Some of Carlyle's most prominent investors and associates included the Saudi royal family, the bin Laden family, and the Bush family. Did they profit off 9/11? And did George W. Bush help cover up for the Saudis? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We trace the path through history to 9/11, then examine how the official 9/11 Commission Report gave conspiracy theorists a foothold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The horrific attacks of September 11th come to an end. In the aftermath, rescuers and volunteers clean up while military and government leaders decide how to respond.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The morning of September 11, 2001 changed the world. Twenty years later, questions still linger about the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. In this special six-part series, we’re taking a look back at what we do and don’t know about the tragedy that unfolded, starting with a moment-by-moment account of the attacks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When U.S. forces invaded Iraq in 2003, investors began buying up Iraqi currency. Some expected a massive payup, others were scammed by unethical dealers. And some believe that terrorist cells or an international alliance of government agencies may be manipulating the dinar's value to reshape the global economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the case of the century, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of double homicide in 1995, despite a wealth of DNA evidence. Did prosecutors let a cold-blooded killer go free — or was Simpson the innocent victim of a police frame-up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On June 12th, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were brutally stabbed to death. Today, the homicides remain officially unsolved, but many still have questions about how the prosecution handled the case against Nicole's ex-husband, football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1976, Prime Minister Harold Wilson made a daring confession — someone had tried to overthrow him and his cabinet. Was this the work of a media mogul, Wilson's own security forces, or did this have to do with the fact that Wilson himself was a Soviet spy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1976, following an abrupt resignation, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson claimed he was forced out of Parliament. As a socialist, he’d provoked liberals and conservatives alike — but with a conspiracy afoot, everyone became suspect in the alleged coup.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where there's a group of powerful world leaders, there's whispers of conspiracy and a New World Order. The Bilderberg Group is no exception. Some believe their funding comes from the CIA, others say they may have used the COVID-19 pandemic to their advantage... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formed after WWII as a way to unite the divided nations, the Bilderberg Group consists of some of the world's most elite politicians, businessmen, and royalty. But its members are secret, its meetings are confidential, and outsiders are unwelcome. Is their stated purpose really their true purpose? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov was accused of doctoring thousands of urine samples for Russian athletes. He claimed he was a pawn in a state-sponsored conspiracy. Still, the allegation shocked the sporting community and sent Dr. Rodchenkov into hiding — but not before he presented his evidence to the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the 1984 Summer Olympics generated a massive profit for Los Angeles, cities around the world competed to host the next games. Salt Lake City, Utah was a strong contender for years — but after losing their bid in 1991, they pulled out all the stops to ensure a win. And they weren’t the only place to woo the International Olympic Committee for votes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1st century B.C.E., competition between Roman senators was stiff — even deadly. When a politician named Catiline learned he'd been knocked out of the running, he organized a coup to overthrow the Roman government entirely. And let's just say, he didn't end up getting his way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 15th century, the Medicis were the most powerful banking family in Italy. Members of a rival banking family known as the Pazzi attempted to overthrow them but failed. What would the world look like today if the Medici line had ended in 1478? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember, remember the 5th of November? You might remember it differently had Guy Fawkes and his team successfully blown up Parliament back in 1605. For two weeks, Conspiracy Theories is examining what happened when secret plots brought the world to the brink of monumental change — then backfired. Don’t miss the rest of this four-part series, running through the end of July! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1944, a group of Adolf Hitler's top-ranking officials devised a plot to kill the Nazi leader and end his reign for good. But things didn't exactly go as planned... For the next two weeks, Conspiracy Theories is examining what happened when secret plots brought the world to the brink of monumental change — then backfired. Don’t miss this four-part series, running through the end of July!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During World War II, hidden power stations below Grand Central Station may have been the target of a Nazi attack. A hidden tunnel might still be reserved for U.S. government officials. And reports suggest that police have orchestrated — and covered up — brutal acts of violence within the storied station. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s an American icon, and an important piece of United States history. When Grand Central Station opened its doors in 1913, it stood as an opulent monument to ingenuity. But the glittering surface covered decades of complicated history, and more than a few winding secrets… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Among his many high-profile roles, Franklin still managed to keep some affairs out of the public eye. The figurative and literal skeletons hiding in his closet posed many questions: Was Franklin a serial killer? Did he serve as a double agent during the Revolutionary War? And how far would he go to cover up his sexual escapades? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He’s famous for being a Founding Father and a groundbreaking inventor. But behind his electric experiments, Benjamin Franklin kept dark secrets not taught in the history books — stories marked with adultery, betrayal, manslaughter, and possible treason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Twenty years after NASA landed the first rover on Mars, theorists believe there’s more to the Red Planet than reported. Has NASA uncovered hints of an ancient civilization? Did our ancestors receive help from the Martians? Or better yet, is man already colonizing Mars?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the ancient Egyptians to 16th-century scientists to NASA today — fascination with the Red Planet spans thousands of years. But Mars holds endless mysteries. How close are we to finding them out?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Centuries after his death, Nostradamus is still a household name, but his accuracy, methods, and reputation are all up for debate. What do we know about how he made his prophecies, and how does he get connected to modern global crises — including 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The deaths of kings. The makings of popes. Famines of entire civilizations. Nostradamus became famous in the 16th century for his predictions of the future. But was he nothing more than a con man?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the mysterious death of his father in 1993, Michael Jordan retired unexpectedly. The decision sparked rumors of mob connections, gambling addictions, and covered-up suspensions that NBA fans are still trying to get to the bottom of.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was the 1985 NBA draft lottery rigged? Facing disillusioned fans and dwindling TV viewers, NBA commissioner David Stern changed how the draft was done. Goodbye coin toss, hello televised lottery. But some fans think he did more than change the rules — he bent them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When do conspiracy theories stop being theories? Today’s episode visits real accounts of deadly misconduct committed at scale by governments and businesses. Poisoned alcohol, contaminated medicine, mind control experiments — in every case, the truth came out… eventually.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reptile overlords. Pizzagate. QAnon. What makes conspiracy theories so alluring, and why are some more unshakeable than others? Today’s episode breaks down the driving forces behind false narratives, and what happens when true believers take extreme actions.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even expert primatologists can’t agree on whether Bigfoot exists. Is it all a hoax, or is the creature more intelligent — or cosmic — than we give it credit for? Maybe there really is undeniable evidence that could lay the sasquatch question to rest… but it’s being squashed by government agencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the most-glimpsed creature that doesn’t exist. A mysterious ape-man whose legends date back centuries. But while the stories shift and morph, some elements remain the same: The giant footprints. The rancid smell. The hairy, humanoid shape. And the lingering question — if Bigfoot isn’t real, why does he keep showing up?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They say a Bonesman is for life… Their secret bond might have led to the creation of another clandestine organization: the CIA. Some even wonder if it was the Bonesmen who ordered the hit on JFK. But these might just be a few small steps in a master plan for a new world order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formed at Yale in 1832, a fraternal secret society counts media moguls, CIA operatives, even U.S. presidents in its roster. But with only 800 living members, those odds seem too good to be true — which is why some wonder if Skull and Bones is part of a plan for world domination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In April 2021, Bitcoin hit its all time high of over 60K per coin — and it's still growing. While Bitcoin's creator still remains in the shadows, there are whispers that the cryptocurrency will one day replace the U.S. dollar as the world's global currency. Although some fear it will lead to the apocalypse… since Bitcoin was seemingly predicted in the Bible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An enigmatic creator. A much-hyped cryptocurrency. Bitcoin might be paving the way for a financial revolution, but critics say the digital dollar is a perfect cloak for criminals and cybercrimes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

RFID tags have become a paper-thin, barely detectable building block of our economy — but they aren’t without controversy. Skeptics cite concerns over data theft and privacy violations, while rumors of a Bill Gates-funded government plot to implant chips in people exploded in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A spy device developed during the Cold War has evolved into ubiquity, used for everything from tracking cow medications to locating nuclear materials. But when companies began using the technology to gain intel on their customers, consumer and privacy groups sounded the alarm — igniting fears of unprecedented surveillance and even associations with the antichrist.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After boarding a plane to visit her estranged husband in 1986, Marcela Basteri disappeared. Her whereabouts are still a mystery. Some believe she suffered a psychotic break, or abandoned her family to start a new life. But others point to a different theory: the mother of the famed Luis Miguel was murdered.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As one of Mexico’s biggest pop stars, Juan Gabriel’s talent and rags-to-riches story were legendary. But despite his fame, he was able to keep an astonishing number of secrets — ones that resulted in speculation over his life and death, and a fight over his vast estate.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To this day, no one knows what made Berenger Saunier so incredibly wealthy. Some believe he uncovered ancient treasure from the Knights Templar. Others claim he held secrets about Jesus Christ. Maybe the priest was nothing more than a conman with a side hustle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year, thousands of people flock to a tiny French village to solve an ancient mystery. A 19th-century priest acquired a massive fortune while renovating a local parish, but was it treasure — or knowledge — that garnished him with such wealth?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the threat posed by global warming as imminent as it seems? Is it possible that corporations are manipulating data (and exploiting our fears) to make an extra buck? And how likely is it that humans aren’t to blame after all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the last century, the fossil fuel industry has exploded. Carbon emissions are at an all time high. Wildfires and hurricanes are on the rise. Our planet's temperature is heating up at an exponential rate. But is global warming a misunderstood phenomena — and is it too late to turn back the clock?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world looked on in shock when an assassin shot Pope John Paul II in May 1981. The official story was that a crazed lone gunman was to blame, but some theories suggest the attack may have been part of one of the biggest international coverups of all time…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1917, three children in Fatima, Portugal received a series of prophetic messages that were kept secret for decades — first at the behest of the heavenly message-giver, and then by the Vatican itself. When all three secrets were finally revealed, they made for an apocalyptic story of war, destruction… and redemption.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the centuries, a stash of secret documents kept by priests ballooned into millions of documents. Known as the Vatican Secret Archive, it’s rumored to contain the world’s largest collection of pornography, proof of Jesus Christ, and even predictions of the end of the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, Vatican City is known as an elegant seat of divine power and prestige. But the centuries-long history of the Vatican is marked by bloodshed, corruption — and more secrets than the Church would like to admit.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to government surveillance, most people likely have little to hide. But did a partnership with Silicon Valley unlock unprecedented levels of personal data? And how effective was the PRISM program at catching terrorists after all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the aftermath of 9/11, the government-approved PRISM surveillance program was meant to help keep America safe from terrorist attacks. But NSA contractor Edward Snowden blew the whistle in 2013, implicating an invasive system that spied with impunity on everyday citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Cold War, many believed the Soviet’s greatest weapon was fear. Did they fake a UFO landing in New Mexico to terrify Americans? Or were they actually equipped with highly advanced aircraft that was only confused for — or inspired by — alien technology? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meteor crashes with no remains, metallic objects over small villages, and jellyfish creatures hovering above city centers... These were just a few UFO sightings within the Soviet Union in the last century. Did the USSR cover up the truth about its extraterrestrial visitors? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CIA agent Kermit Roosevelt led a covert operation to overthrow Iran's Prime Minister in 1953. But Operation Ajax didn’t go according to plan. Theories about it continue to this day, ranging from whether Roosevelt went rogue and hatched his own plan, to what Iranian politics would look like today without foreign intervention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Iran nationalized its oil fields, a seminal coup erupted in 1953. It appeared to be a spontaneous revolution — but many began to wonder if it had in fact been engineered by international intelligence agencies in order to reclaim the oil industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New Coke was one of the biggest commercial flops in American history, and a massive success for Coca-Cola. Executives collected huge bonuses while original Coke sales spiked. Which leads some to wonder: Was New Coke's failure the plan all along? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1886, an Atlanta-area pharmacist created an American institution: Coca-Cola. Seven years later, their rival, Pepsi, debuted. Since then, the soda giants have battled for market dominance. How far would they go to come out on top? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19th century author Mary Shelley is known for penning the classic horror novel, Frankenstein. But many contest her authorship. Were Mary and other female authors victims of a sexist industry? Or was there more going on behind the scenes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has been held as a seminal book of required reading in America. But after multiple acts of violence were linked back to it, people wondered if the text could incite people to do malicious things… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On April 3rd, 1996, the weather in Croatia wasn't great — but it wasn't bad enough to explain why experienced Air Force pilots crashed into a mountain. Many suspect that Ron Brown's flight was sabotaged by a terrorist organization, the Croatian government, or maybe even by the Clintons themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1996, during a trade mission to Croatia, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and 34 other passengers died in a plane crash — one that seemed too bizarre to chalk up to an accident. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many experts believe the world will run out of oil in the next 30 years, and some people think the looming scarcity inspired unconscionable acts — like the Iraq War in 2003. But there might be massive reserves under our feet that oil companies don't want you to know about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1859, a prospector invented modern drilling technology and kicked off an oil rush in the United States. Countless corporations made themselves rich through mass extraction — but according to one geologist and physicist, the world is on track to run out of fuel by 2050. When that happens, society as we know it may collapse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Danny Casolaro murdered for getting too close to The Octopus? What had his investigations uncovered? And were his sources framed and defamed for helping him?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early ‘90s, investigative journalist Danny Casolaro claimed he’d stumbled upon a clandestine organization made up of top government officials. Just as he was preparing to publish an exposé, he was found dead in his hotel room. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What took the NFL so long to admit the threat of traumatic brain injuries? Some suggest the dangers are widely overblown. Others claim the NFL took a page from Big Tobacco’s disinformation playbook. And still others insist the League ignored the issue because of systemic racism.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could one of America's favorite pastimes be a silent killer? For decades, the National Football League overlooked the effects of repeat concussions in their athletes — and some players continue to pay the cost in the form of depression, violent behavior, even suicide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Theories multiplied in online and radio discourse about the true perpetrators of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Was it the oil companies themselves, North Korea, or even radical environmentalist groups? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and then sank, kickstarting one of the largest oil spills in history. The companies who ran the rig became targets of lawsuits and heavy government regulation — but was the world looking at the wrong culprits? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fans believed it was no coincidence that Brittany and her husband Simon died six months apart from the same complications. Some suspected toxic mold in the home. Others found a suspicious connection to the DHS. And her estranged father began casting doubt on her mother, claiming foul play.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Her breakout role in 1995’s “Clueless” made her America’s sweetheart. But was Brittany Murphy also a murder victim? The 32-year-old died under mysterious circumstances in 2009, and when her widower died of the exact cause just months later, Murphy’s mobster father cried “murder.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For decades, the C.I.A. funded Operation Gladio and hid it from the public. They may have also used their weapons and agents in an attempt to assassinate Pope John Paul II, and kill former Italian Prime Minister, Aldo Moro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Cold War, a secret military operation hid hundreds of weapons caches throughout Europe. They trained resistance fighters and prepared for a Communist invasion, and may have also orchestrated a series of devastating terrorist attacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Secret files, vanished reports, called-in favors… How far did corporations, lobbyists, and possibly even high-ranking U.S. politicians go to protect the billion dollar asbestos industry?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once called a “magical mineral,” asbestos was used in everything from curtains to cigarette filters in the 20th century. But as its health hazards became alarmingly apparent, America’s asbestos giants buried the truth of their deadly product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Cold War, the U.S. government funded radiation experiments on unwitting civilians — including a group of boys at Fernald. Who else was subjected to lab-rat treatment by the government? And can we be sure their covert experiments have stopped?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Originally billed as an education center for people with intellectual disabilities, the Fernald School exploited thousands of kids for free labor. The institution was rife with abuse even before it became a testing ground for radiation experiments in the 1940s and ‘50s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This patch of ocean is at the center of famous disappearances, from the U.S.S. Cyclops to Naval Flight 19. Are they just coincidences? Or are more mysterious powers at play?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ships vanish. Planes disappear. And no wreckage ever seems to surface. The Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic is known for its mysteries and deathly claims on countless lives — dating all the way back to ancient Greece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever since the Bible code was deciphered, theorists have wondered who was responsible. Was it a gift from extraterrestrial life forms? The work of time travelers? Or perhaps the code lies only in the minds of those who believe it…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A hidden code embedded within Hebrew Scripture has predicted some of the world’s biggest events, from the Gulf War and the Great Depression to the 1969 moon landing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After spending years investigating the alien attack at Fort Benning, John Vasquez only found one other serviceman who remembered the events. Do both men share the same delusion, or did they really recover false memories? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the late summer of 1977, Private John Vasquez was allegedly abducted by aliens at Fort Benning, Georgia along with 1500 of his fellow soldiers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the decades, numerous theories have been proffered as to what, exactly, crashed in Shag Harbour, Canada. But whether it was a piece of Cold War technology, or an alien craft, there is ample evidence that it was extremely out of the ordinary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A sleepy Canadian fishing town gained international attention in 1967 when hundreds of people witnessed an unidentified flying object crash off the coast of Nova Scotia. There is still no official account as to what the object was, and the government claims to have found nothing in the water. The only clue left behind was a thick, shining foam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three generations of the Bush political dynasty have conspiracy theories swirling around them, involving a connection to JFK’s death, the grave of a Native American leader, and a war undertaken for questionable motives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The official story of the Bush family’s rise in America is one of adventure, accomplishment and power. Where does that story begin, and how did they become one of the most powerful political dynasties in American history? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paul Bennewitz’s 1981 report sparked multiple conspiracy theories, particularly around the Majestic 12 — a secret government group tasked with investigating extraterrestrial life. It also suggested the use of alien technology in developing spacecraft, and proposed evidence of otherworldly interference.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After witnessing multiple UFO sightings around Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, researcher Paul Bennewitz took matters into his own hands — and in 1981, uncovered a secret base where he believed aliens were conspiring with the U.S. government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s distracting at best, and destructive at worst — but what actually causes the Hum? Some say it’s produced by active natural gas lines. Others point to military planes sending low-frequency transmissions. And a few suggest it’s a government attempt at mind control.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since it was first reported in England in the 1970s, this low-frequency humming has spread around the world. No one has been able to trace its source. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did the Republican Party plot to hide evidence of Ronald Reagan’s wrongdoing? What was Vice President George H.W. Bush's true role? And did the CIA help the Contras smuggle drugs — and kick off the 1980s crack epidemic?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Throughout the 1980s, Ronald Reagan's administration ran an illegal weapons trade right under Congress's nose. Even today, it's impossible to say for sure who was involved, due to the changing stories and possible cover-ups surrounding the Iran-Contra Affair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The official story of Poe’s ill-fated final journey isn’t the only story. Some believe he was robbed and died from a resulting injury. Or that he was murdered by his future in-laws. Or maybe he was taken prisoner by a gang and tortured…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most historians believe literary icon Edgar Allan Poe died in 1849 of alcohol poisoning. But the circumstances of his death are baffling: Four days before he died, Poe turned up incoherent, wearing someone else’s clothes. What really happened during his delirious final days? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to a CIA dossier, the Red Brigade was an unimpressive group of barely competent terrorists. Yet somehow, they managed to kidnap former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, hold him hostage, and murder him while avoiding capture. Was the Red Brigade getting bolder? Or did they get help from the CIA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On March 16, 1978, a radical terrorist cell kidnapped former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, killing his bodyguards and snatching him from his vehicle with tactical precision. How did a tiny, underequipped guerrilla cell pull off one of the most notorious crimes in Italian history? And did they do it alone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Black Hills Forest in South Dakota is home to Mount Rushmore. Some say that the area is a magnet for paranormal phenomenon. Others claim the monument itself serves as a Presidential Doomsday bunker. Or perhaps, the landmark is a time capsule meant for future civilizations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been hailed as a “shrine of democracy,” but Mount Rushmore’s history is filled with strong-arming and contention, starting with the stolen land it sits on. And though the sculptor’s designs were never officially completed, some say the U.S. government still has plans for the monument. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The U.S. government refuses to comment on what went on at the Montauk Air Force Base. But several so-called "Montauk boys" have testified about their experiments with sex trafficking, brainwashing, and terrorism. Was Montauk a gruesome, predatory experiment? Or is the truth even more twisted than that? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Officially decommissioned in 1981, the Montauk Air Force Base in New York is rumored to have been the site of government experiments with time travel and mind control. Its decades-old secrets began to unravel in 1984, when engineer Preston Nichols allegedly uncovered repressed memories of their sordid research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In his 1965 rematch with Muhammed Ali, heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston went down a little too easily. The suspicious defeat followed him until his mysterious death in 1971, which only fueled the rumors of foul play.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charles “Sonny” Liston was once the heavyweight boxing champion of the world: a human dreadnought built for fighting. But during a match with a newcomer in May 1965, Liston was sent to the mat by an unremarkable punch few spectators even noticed. How could the champion go down so easily? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If the world really is hollow, why have so many scientists covered up the evidence? Is it because the earth's interior holds the key to surviving an apocalypse? Or because it's home to an alien species. Or perhaps we've been living on the inside this whole time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For centuries, human cultures around the world have maintained the earth is hollow—home to spiritual beings or monsters. The idea persisted through Norse legends, Greek mythology, Hindu texts… and into the modern era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fluoridated water may be one of the most controversial federal programs of the past century. In the 1950s, watchdogs argued fluoride was part of a communist plot. More recently, it's been linked to big business interests and mind control programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nearly three out of four U.S. communities add fluoride to their water. Officially, the compound strengthens teeth and helps prevent cavities—but recent studies have suggested it might increase cancer risks and lower IQ. Is fluoridated water a medical marvel, or a poison? And why is the U.S. government afraid to address the evidence against it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Investigating the blast and compiling evidence was a huge undertaking. And in the 25 years since the Oklahoma City bombing, McVeigh was turned into something of a folk hero, with his rhetoric inspiring copycats and seeping into mainstream politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the morning of the attack, McVeigh parked a rental truck below the Murrah building’s daycare center. At 9am, he ignited the bomb’s two-minute fuse and fled. The explosion was catastrophic, and the day thereafter was filled with tragic deaths, miraculous survivals—and the hunt for the person at the center of it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After coming of age in the early ‘90s, Timothy McVeigh became increasingly radicalized against the U.S. government. Witnessing tragic events at Ruby Ridge and Waco motivated him to plan and execute the most devastating incident of domestic terrorism in American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2020 marks the 25th anniversary of this devastating attack: On April 19, 1995, a U.S. Army veteran named Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring hundreds more.  Join us on a four-part series examining the event. In this first episode, we look at the historic underpinnings of domestic terrorism in the U.S., and chronicle the events that triggered McVeigh’s revenge against the government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fifty years after Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance, no one knows how he died or where he was buried. Did the FBI push him out of a plane? Was he murdered by the notorious serial killer "The Iceman"? Or was it his best friend and mob associate, Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the 1950s to 1970s, Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa was America's working class hero. But his ties to the mob landed him in hot water, and on July 30, 1975, Hoffa vanished outside of a Detroit restaurant—never to be seen again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some theories about the Spear of Destiny are as old as the lance itself. Does it actually hold occult powers and a terrible curse? Was it the reason Hitler invaded Austria? And is it possible that many of history's conquerors shared the same sword—or were there duplicates? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The lance that pierced Jesus on the cross is said to hold mystical powers. Passed down through history from Charlemagne to Otto I to Adolf Hitler, the Spear of Destiny brings impossible victories to those who wield it… and tragic death to those who abandon it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the U.S.S. Eldridge disappeared in a green fog, theories surrounding the failed Naval project ran rampant. Some say it sparked other government operations. Others say they saw the ship teleport to Norfolk, Virginia. And one first-hand witness claims the project allowed him to travel through time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In October 1943, the U.S.S. Eldridge became enveloped in a green fog and disappeared in the Philadelphia Shipyard. Years later, Carlos Allende's claims about what happened were dismissed as a hoax—until more witnesses came forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To this day, no one is quite certain of how composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died. He was well-liked by the public, but had enemies all around. Was he poisoned by his rival, Antonio Salieri? Or did his connections to the Freemasons get him killed?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On December 5th, 1791, one of the greatest composers of all time died at the age of 35. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s death immediately sparked questions about what befell him. Some wondered if it was a strange illness, while others believed there was a more sinister cause…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Titanic sank, people searched for something—or someone—to blame. Millionaire J.P. Morgan, insurance fraud, and even a cursed mummy were all speculated to be the malevolent force behind the ship’s demise.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in 1912, over 1,500 people lost their lives… and to this day, many wonder if poor planning, negligent design, and undertrained crew members played a role in the devastating event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

His untimely death in 1996 left fans searching for answers. Some say Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight helped orchestrate his murder, but sightings of the late rapper have sparked theories that Tupac is still alive… And that he may even be performing in disguise.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1996, rap artist Tupac Shakur was shot and killed just off the Las Vegas Strip. Many believe his assailants were members of the Los Angeles Southside Crips, but no one has ever been convicted of his murder. In fact, some say that Tupac Shakur may still be alive... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He was killed by police outside Chicago's Biograph Theater on July 22nd, 1934. But some theorists believe John Dillinger used an innocent man as a decoy to fake his own death. And he may have even had help from the FBI and other inside sources throughout his criminal career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the 1930s, John Dillinger pulled off 24 bank heists and three jailbreaks—making him Public Enemy Number One. He was one of the most famous celebrity criminals in history, until he was shot and killed by the FBI outside Chicago's Biograph Theater in 1934. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since its establishment in 1913, the Federal Reserve has been primed for conspiracies. Some believe it was the Fed that intentionally caused the Great Depression. Others claim they had a hand in JFK's assassination. While many feel the Fed might be part of a secret society's plot to establish a New World Order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1910, six wealthy bankers met in secret on Jekyll Island, Georgia. There, they drafted up the plans for America's centralized bank, better known today as, The Federal Reserve. "The Fed" is completely autonomous from the U.S. government making it one of the most powerful private organizations in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2010, word spread online that things around the world were changing. From beloved children's books to the titles of movies, people were finding out that what they had once remembered as fact was now false. This is now known as the Mandela Effect, and people are still trying to figure out its cause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Matrix is considered to be one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. But what if its central idea was based more in fact than fiction? The Simulation Theory suggests that every living thing today is living inside of a computer simulation. And some of the greatest minds of our time believe it may be true... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a major earthquake hit the Caribbean in 2010, conspiracy theorists started studying the skies—noting peculiar low-frequency wavelengths. Between environmental catastrophes, a failed NASA mission, and government mind control technologies, HAARP's weather-modifying apparatus has been blamed for altering far more than just the weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After his sudden death in 1943, Nikola Tesla never saw his plans for an earth-shaking death ray to fruition. But in the late 1980s, it's possible the government did. Switching hands from major gas corporations to U.S. Department of Defense teams, the High Auroral Research Program in Alaska raised far more questions than they did answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After General Butler's claims were heard by the Special Committee on Un-American Activities in 1934, he was called a liar and a fraud. But others believed the respected General's testimony was authentic, and the Committee may have been in on the fascist plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1930s, many felt that Franklin Delano Roosevelt’'s New Deal program erred too far on the side of socialism. A former U.S. General was subsequently roped into a plan to overthrow FDR in an attempt to establish a new fascist regime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Demonic possession, alien technology, and a secret base in Antarctica—it all seems like the stuff of science fiction. But for many, it's the explanation for how Adolf Hitler rose to power...and how he might have survived World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many have wondered how someone as evil as Adolf Hitler came to power. Between his rise from anonymous artist to fanatical dictator, his obsession with so-called miracle weapons, and his final days in an underground bunker, some feel as though there is more to Hitler's story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After publishing his books in the 1970s, followers of Zecharia Sitchin began to search for clues that the inhabitants of Nibiru actually visited Earth. Some even claim that Nibiru was tied to the Mayan Apocalypse theory—and that future contact with the mysterious planet is inevitable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1970s, author and researcher Zecharia Sitchin discovered the prospect of an additional planet in our solar system called Nibiru. After a close examination of ancient Sumerian texts, Sitchin wrote a series of books to prove that the ancient people had not only found the planet, but had been in contact with its inhabitants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Sidney Gottlieb ran the CIA's mind control program up until the 1970s without the public's knowledge. He may have even ordered hits on his employees to keep the project under wraps. But some still believe sub-projects under MKUltra's heading may have gone on to thrive... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the height of the Cold War, the United States scrambled to compete with the Soviets. As paranoia over espionage and mind control festered, the C.I.A. decided to create their own "Special Interrogation" Program that inevitably led to testing hallucinatory drugs on unwitting American Civilians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve made enormous strides in the development of intelligent machines. But officially, the Technological Singularity is a long way off. Some computer scientists even think it will never happen. But some theories suggest that it could actually play out—or has already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Technologies exist today that could lay the groundwork for the development of fully conscious artificial intelligence. It begs the question: could our own technology replace us as the dominant intelligent species on Earth?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paganism. Human sacrifice. A “New World Order.” The Bohemian Club has been accused of plenty since its founding in 1872. But what's really happening in the depths of Bohemian Grove? And why don't they want the world to know? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Deep in the heart of the redwood forests is a 2,700-acre plot of land called the Bohemian Grove, home to an exclusive, secret gentleman’s fraternity known as the “Bohemian Club.” Each July, the club hosts a two-week festival that could be described as a bacchanal for the world’s most prominent and influential men. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the late 1980s, historical revisionist, Heribert Illig recognized a massive discrepancy in our calendar. Illig began to construct his Phantom Time Hypothesis in an effort to prove that Otto III fabricated 297 years of history, therefore explaining why the Dark Ages were so dark after all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the year 1000 CE, Otto III and Pope Sylvester II met to discuss their plans on how to emulate the Second Coming of Christ. Their meeting may have resulted in a 297 year jump that immediately placed them in the new millennium...meaning we may not be living in the year 2020, but instead, 1723. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After thousands of witnesses reported mysterious airship sightings across the continental United States in the late 1890s, three major conspiracy theories arose—offering three very different explanations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between November 1896 and May 1897, thousands of mysterious flying objects were spotted across the continental U.S. All that remains of the official story are the newspaper articles. But were they part of the cover-up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By Christmas 1926, New York City hospitals were flooded with those suffering from alcohol poisoning. As medical examiners began to investigate the rising death toll, they deduced that the consumed moonshine contained poisonous ingredients that could only come from one organization—the U.S. Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between 1920 and 1933, it was illegal to make, sell, or transport alcohol in the United States. Bootleggers and rum-runners, funded by gangsters, flooded the United States with alcohol. When the government still couldn’t get people to stop drinking alcohol during Prohibition, they hatched a plan that put lives at risk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: Richard Nixon resigned on August 9th, 1974, but Watergate was far from over. The scandal spawned a number of bizarre and mysterious conspiracy theories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: On June 17th, 1972, five men were caught breaking into the offices of the DNC at the Watergate Complex in Washington D.C. Over the next two years, journalists and congressional investigators worked to expose the White House’s involvement and cover-up of the crime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Dorothy Kilgallen really die from an accidental overdose? Or was the famous journalist murdered because of information she uncovered during her investigation into JFK and Lee Harvey Oswald's assassinations? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She was an American journalist and T.V. personality who died while investigating the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The official cause of death was a lethal combination of alcohol and barbiturates. Did Dorothy Kilgallen die from her own vices, or did she know too much? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not everyone is so convinced that the CIA terminated Stargate Project in 1995 because remote viewing wasn’t working. All of which posit that Stargate Project found out too much information—not too little. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the human mind capable of seeing far off places or objects without needing to be physically there? The CIA claims their scientific attempts to prove its existence failed. But not everybody agrees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1838, Samuel Birley Rowbotham waded into the shallow waters of England’s Old Bedford River to conduct an experiment. His findings would conclude, according to him, that the Earth was flat. His teachings have since sparked a movement of believers called the "flat earthers." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For as long as humans have believed the Earth was round, there have been skeptics. But could Aristotle, Magellan, NASA and over 2,000 years of historical beliefs all be wrong?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If William of Stratford never received a proper education, how could he have written such learned plays? Historians have their own ideas, providing possible explanations about the person—or people—behind the pen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many historians believe William Shakespeare is the greatest playwright who ever lived. Many don’t—citing theories of theft to explain his library of work.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would have been a historic global circumnavigation in 1937, turns into the disappearance of one of the world’s greatest pilots. But not everyone is convinced by the “facts” surrounding the crash.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A record-breaking aviatrix who became a symbol for adventure vanishes in 1937. During an ambitious global circumnavigation, Amelia and her navigator fell prey to technical difficulties and crashed into the ocean. But not everyone is convinced that this could have led to the death of the greatest pilot of her time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did the King of Rock ‘n' Roll kick the bucket due to a drug overdose? Or did an out of shape—past his prime—lonely rockstar intentionally find his way out of the spotlight? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices