logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
41m 44s

The Cobra Effect, Part 1: Snakes, Rats, ...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode
Back in the days of the British Raj, colonial leaders had a problem: Delhi was overrun with snakes. And not just any snakes -- cobras. These dangerous death noodles slithered through every nook and cranny in town. The solution? Put a bounty on cobras, and allow any citizen to receive payment for every cobra skin they bring in. While this seemed like a good i ... Show More
Up next
Today
A Ridiculous History of 'Soft Serve'
Nowadays, ice cream is a pretty popular treat across the planet. In this episode -- at the height of a blistering Atlanta summer -- Ben, Noel and Max learn more ice cream's kissing cousin: the 'soft serve'. Where did it come from? What makes it such a hit? Also... why doesn't it ... Show More
50m 34s
Aug 1
CLASSIC: The Honorary Citizens of the United States
Did you know you can become an honorary citizen of the United States? It's true -- but it isn't easy. Join the guys as they explore the life and times of the rare few who managed to become honorary citizens in the United States.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
42m 15s
Jul 30
Who was the real John Henry?
For well over a century, schoolchildren across the United States learned the story of John Henry. According to the legend, John was a formerly enslaved man who found work with a railroad after the Civil War. Widely known as the best steel driver in the area, John wins a Phyrric v ... Show More
35m 13s
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
Selects: How Snake Handlers Work
<p>Snake handling ranges from professional snake milkers for antivenin to religious handlers who tend to get bitten and sometimes die from it. Either way, it can be a dangerous business. Learn all about snake handling in this classic episode.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad- ... Show More
54m 30s
Aug 2018
From the Vault: The Cobra Effect
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the perverse world of unintended consequences and the cobra effect. (Originally published Sept. 13, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/l ... Show More
56m 29s
Jun 2023
Ride the Snake: The Cobra Venom Con
Rick Deitsch was a business man with a big big plan — he wanted to make Big Snake. He would use science to milk Wall Street of millions by scamming biotech and pharma investors with the hype for novel new medicines his lab created based on… cobra venom! Unsurprisingly, this moder ... Show More
56m 12s
May 2022
Ep 97 Snake Venom: Collateral Damage
<p>How do you feel about snakes? Intrigued or terrified? In awe or creeped out? Of course, those aren’t the only options; the sight or thought of a snake can evoke many different emotions, but chances are indifference isn’t one of them. And is it any wonder? Some snakes can produ ... Show More
1h 30m
Aug 2020
Pit of Serpents
The Well of Souls sequence from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is a memorable slice of blockbuster history but a very dubious presentation of snake behavior -- but that doesn’t mean the snake pit is mere fantasy. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe grab a torch ... Show More
1h 7m
Aug 2024
Pests
Fleas spell disaster for people living in the Middle Ages. The inhabitants of an ancient Iraqi city hurl scorpions at an invading army. In Victorian London, a rat catcher turns his unsavoury profession into a form of street entertainment. And a miracle new pesticide turns out to ... Show More
45m 16s
Aug 2024
Pests
Fleas spell disaster for people living in the Middle Ages. The inhabitants of an ancient Iraqi city hurl scorpions at an invading army. In Victorian London, a rat catcher turns his unsavoury profession into a form of street entertainment. And a miracle new pesticide turns out to ... Show More
37m 16s
Dec 2021
A king cobra bite -- and a scientific discovery | Gowri Shankar
A king cobra has enough venom to kill 10 people in a single bite. Recounting his near-death experience after being bitten by one of these majestic yet deadly snakes, conservationist and TED Fellow Gowri Shankar shares the epiphany he had when the antivenom failed: there's more th ... Show More
5m 52s
Mar 2018
S1 E3: Snake!
Cut off from her village by Specter’s animal army, Aurela finds help from a giant talking boa constrictor. For more great shows, visit GZMShows.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
14m 33s