In 1974 the CIA undertook one of its most brazen operations – secretly raising a sunken Soviet submarine lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean right under the noses of the Russian Navy. With the help of billionaire recluse Howard Hughes, obviously. Learn all about it in this classic episode.
Aug 2013
Thinking Sideways: The Glomar Explorer
A Cold War mystery, featuring the CIA, Howard Hughes, a sunken Soviet sub and quite possibly a sunken American sub too. With cover stories inside cover stories and weak government explanations for obvious questions, this one is a puzzle wrapped in an enigma zip-locked inside a my ... Show More
27m 54s
Apr 2021
Strange News: The Race for the Arctic, National Debt and a Cocaine Submarine
<p>Investigations reveal a recently deceased, wealthy businessman had a double life as a drug dealer with an interest in submarines. What exactly is the national debt? Over in the Arctic, Russia alarms international observers with its growing military presence — and a terrifying, ... Show More
56m 3s
Oct 2020
CLASSIC: Soviet Psychotronics
<p>It's true - the Soviet government really did have its own parapsychological research program. And, unlike MKULTRA and other US operations, the Soviet version continued until 2003, when it officially ended. Tune in to learn more with Ben and Matt in today's Classic episode.</p> ... Show More
23m 55s
Jan 2018
The Atomic Whoops: When the US Air Force Bombed South Carolina
<p>During the height of the Cold War, both the US and the USSR constantly ran drills in anticipation of a possible nuclear conflict. While the Gregg family of Mars Bluff, South Carolina knew the Cold War was in full swing, they had no idea that they would become the first America ... Show More
29m 36s
Oct 2021
EP89: The History of Pinball, The Day a Soviet Nuclear Attack Submarine Rammed an American Aircraft Carrier and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jeremy Saucier of the Strong Museum of Play shares the long, and surprising, history of pinball--from its origins in French parlor games, to its prohibition, and then to its emergence as the immersive and popular game that it is today; The ... Show More
38m 12s
Jan 2019
How a Broken Toilet Foiled a German Sub
Toward the end of World War II, the German Type VIIC submarine was acknowledged to be one of the most advanced -- and deadliest -- predators on the seas. Yet, in at least one case, some of the same technological breakthroughs that made these subs astonishing also led to their dem ... Show More
23m 22s