Jul 8

Why Is North Sentinel Island Totally Off-Limits?

This small island in the Bay of Bengal is home to one of the last uncontacted peoples on the planet -- and they seem to want to keep it that way. Learn how North Sentinel Island has remained independent in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuf ... Show More

9m 41s

Jul 7

How Have Obituaries Changed?

Public death notices about common people are a fairly recent development, and they've changed a lot since their inception. Learn how obituaries went from dry statements to tributes to truth in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/cul ... Show More

8m 20s

Jul 6

BrainStuff Classics: What Is the Mandela Effect?

When many people share a false memory, that's the Mandela Effect in action -- but how does it happen? Learn how our individual brains misremember stuff and how false memories can spread in this classic episode of BrainStuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6m 35s

Jun 2008

Ergot and the Salem Witchtrials

Some researchers allege that ergot poisoning may have been responsible for triggering the Salem witchcraft trials -- but is this fact, or fiction? Learn more about ergot and the Salem witch trials in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea ... Show More

3m 47s

Oct 2018

S1 – 4: The Refugees

While the events of the Salem witch trials began within the borders of the Salem village community, many of the forces that drove it forward were external. As we're about to see, Salem was full of more than stories about witchcraft—and those external threats were about to come ho ... Show More

31m 3s

Oct 2014

What's in a witches' brew?

Gather round the cauldron with Robert and Julie as they ladle out hefty servings of magical thinking, medieval psychedelics, feminist history and the power of ritual. Just what was old-school witchery all about? This classic episode has some answers. Learn more about your ad-choi ... Show More

36m 54s

Oct 2021

Salem Witchcraft Trials: More Bonkers Than You Know

Looking back 300 years on, it’s easy to overgeneralize why the Salem Villagers decided to persecute (and execute) their neighbors. But as much as this story has become an American history chestnut, we still don’t understand why Salem lost its mind. Learn more about your ad-choice ... Show More

49m 9s

Oct 2018

S1 – 2: The Outsiders

Even though Salem had been without an official charter from England for almost a decade, there was no question that witchcraft was still a crime. The only question left was how to handle them, and the answer would involve pitting a group of outsiders against a few powerful inside ... Show More

41m 21s

Oct 2018

Episode 23: The Salem Witch Trials

Wow. Salem was wild back in the day, guys. You think you know about the infamous Salem Witch Trials but you have no idea how bananas it really got. We take a deep dive into the beginnings of this hysteria, the madness of the "trials" and executions and then we try to figure out h ... Show More

1h 21m

Oct 2011

What's in a witches brew?

Gather round the cauldron with Julie and Robert as they ladle out hefty servings of magical thinking, medieval psychedelics, feminist history and the power of ritual. Just what was old-school witchery all about? This episode has the answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht ... Show More

41m 46s

Mar 2024

The Salem Witch Trials

More than 200 accused, 20 executed and a village plagued with hysteria. Were the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and 1693 the work of superstition, a power struggle, fungus or actual witchcraft? What makes them stand out in the history of witch trials? In this episode, Don speaks to J ... Show More

40m 52s

Jan 2019

The Truth Behind the Salem Witch Trials, with Aaron Mahnke

Join Ben and Matt as they interview Aaron Mahnke, the creator of the world-famous Lore podcast, about Unobscured, the new series where he dives deep into the true story of the Salem witch trials. How many people were tried? How many actually died? What does Hollywood get wrong an ... Show More

50m 2s

Oct 2023

A Witch Expert on Salem

Salem, Massachusetts has long lived in our public consciousness as both the site of the infamous witch trials of 1692 and 1693 and as a Halloween tourist destination depicted in myriad pieces of literature, pop culture, and art. But what is it actually like to spend time there? L ... Show More

27m 31s

Were Witches Really Burned at the Stake ...