Short Stuff: Cassowary

The advent of nuclear weapons and the Cold War kicked off a craze in the US for building rec rooms with foot-thick reinforced walls and outfitted with survival rations and board games. Would they work? Probably not. Find out (but not really) in this classic episode.See omnystudio ... Show More

Throughout the history of the world, there have been many cases of what is known as collective hysteria - groups of people, usually young women, who all exhibit the same physical symptoms of non-existent conditions. Is it psychosomatic? Is it group think?See omnystudio.com/listen ... Show More

The Philadelphia Experiment is a bad movie from the 1980s, and also the conspiracy theory that refuses to die, despite virtually zero evidence of its occurrence. Learn all about this strange non-event in today's show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

These flightless birds are the second heaviest birds in the world -- they can grow as large as an adult human. Learn about them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/cassowary.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor ... Show More

Australia has garnered a reputation over the years as home to some of the deadliest animals in the world. If you swim in the ocean you might encounter a golf-ball sized blue ring octopus with a venomous bite, or the severe sting of the box jellyfish, whose tentacles can stretch t ... Show More

In Australia, the largest bird of prey encounters something even bigger! Written especially for this podcast by Simon. If you enjoyed this story, please do leave us a review. And, if you'd like to suggest an animal for a future Animal Tales story, you can do so by emailing podcas ... Show More

The hunter becomes the hunted in this story about a screeching cryptid in the forests of Indonesia. With a 10-foot wingspan, the Ahool invites the awe and terror of a scientist determined to get out from under his father’s shadow, and make his own name. Learn more about your ad c ... Show More

<p>As you may know, Australia is facing a human and ecological crisis right now, as fires ravage New South Wales. We’ll talk about the cause of these fires, how it’s affecting humans and animals in the area, and how human activity has influenced this disaster. Then we’ll talk abo ... Show More

An evil aquatic predator lurks in the swamps and billabongs of Australia, said by Aboriginal Australians to lie in wait for its prey: humans. Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep int ... Show More

A strange beast once stalked the desert between Egypt and the Hittite Empire. It could be mistaken for a leopard, if not for its serpentine neck. And while its true name has been lost to time, its viciousness is still legendary... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastch ... Show More

And you thought the kangaroos were tough. Visit BetterHelp.com/humanmonsters today to get 10% off your first month.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

<p>Darryl Jones on the dramatic lives of Australia's city-dwelling native birds </p>