These days hot air balloons are often thought of as anachronistic novelties -- but in the early days of aeronautics, they were considered fascinating, dangerous and deadly. In today's episode, the guys explore a strange story about a genuine riot during the dawn of ballooning, when an angry crowd protested the balloon they came to see... by literally tearing ... Show More
Mar 10
The Spiritualism Movement Was Utterly Ridiculous, Part Two: Con Artists, Skeptics, and Ghosts
As the Fox sisters became global superstars for their purported ability to speak with the dead, the Spiritualism movement became both a social phenomena and a booming business. Yet along with the rise of true believers and performing psychics, an army of skeptics and investigator ... Show More
52m 36s
Mar 7
CLASSIC: Idiomatic for the People II, Part I: What's in a word?
Language is beautiful and, in many cases, continually evolving. As a result, we end up with hundreds of strange idioms and figures of speech that we use on a daily basis, with little to no understanding of what they originally meant. Join the guys with special guests Frank Mulher ... Show More
49m 54s
Mar 5
The Spiritualism Movement Was Utterly Ridiculous, Part One: A Prank Goes Viral
It's a pickle for the ages: What happens when you die? The Spiritualism movement may seem obscure today -- but back in the mid-19th century, this religious and social phenomenon absolutely rocked the modern world. In the first part of this special two-part episode, Ben, Noel and ... Show More
54m 12s
Feb 2023
Up And Away In My Beautiful Spy Balloon
In early February, 2023, the US shot down a Chinese balloon. The US says the balloon was gathering intelligence while the Chinese claimed it was a weather balloon. We look at the history of spy balloons and how they've evolved over time, as well as the dilemma these balloons put ... Show More
49m 25s
Jul 2023
Bedtime Stories: The Hot Air Balloon and the Cotton Candy Castle🪂
Something incredible is about to happen in Small Town! The Hot Air Balloon Festival is right around the corner, and it's going to be a spectacle like no other. 🎈✨
Imagine a sky filled with hot air balloons of every color, shape, and size! Rockets, airplanes, and even characte ... Show More
8m 13s
May 2023
Listener Mail: Spy Balloons Have a "Season," A Temporal Tizzy, and What Happens When Banks Fail
Flummoxed calls in to report a baffling temporal tizzy. A fellow Conspiracy Realist asks what happens when banks fail. Balloon Boy writes in with an astonishing revelation about high-altitude science and spy balloons: it turns out they have a season, and that season is coming thi ... Show More
48m 7s