Aug 23

Selects: The Flannen Isles Mystery

In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened to them. Find out all about this strange situation in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50m 7s

Aug 21

Private Equity: Your Ears Will Bleed

Private equity is a business operation where companies are bought and run at their leanest to maximize returns for a handful of investors. It can be a lifeline for a flailing company or run it into the ground. Either way, PE firms make out like bandits.See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More

46m 42s

Aug 20

Short Stuff: The Lost (?) Continent of Lemuria

Why aren't there lemurs in Africa? That question created a whole theory about a lost continent. Turns out it's not true.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11m 5s

Jan 2024

The Story of How Star Wars Toys Revolutionized Movie Merchandising (Part 2)

On this episode of Our American Stories, the "Nostalgia Awakens" is a Star Wars action figure exhibit from enthusiast and museum curator Jarrod Roll. He's here to share the story of how Star Wars toys revolutionized movie merchandising, licensing, and even how children play. Supp ... Show More

17m 58s

Apr 2023

The Amazing History of Japanese Toys, Part One: A Serious Business

When most of us think of toys, we fondly recall moments from childhood, or think of toys we gifted to loved ones over the years. Yet toys are a serious, big business -- and, more than once, they played a vital role in Japan's postwar economy. In part one of this week's special tw ... Show More

32m 3s

Mar 2022

Ridiculous History Presents: A History of "Adult" Toys, Part 1

While it's a taboo subject in the modern day, it turns out people have been improvising ways to pleasure themselves since, well, the dawn of history. In this week's two-part takeover episode, Ben and Noel join Eli and Diana Banks, real-life spouses and creators of the hit podcast ... Show More

56m 35s

Mar 2022

Ridiculous History Presents: A History of "Adult" Toys, Part 2

While it's a taboo subject in the modern day, it turns out people have been improvising ways to pleasure themselves since, well, the dawn of history. In the second part of this week's two-part takeover episode, Ben and Noel join Eli and Diana Banks, real-life spouses and creators ... Show More

1h 3m

Nov 2021

EP125: The Evolution of Star Wars Merchandise and The B-25 In the Backyard

On this episode of Our American Stories, Star Wars enthusiast and museum curator Jarod Roll shares how Star Wars revolutionized movie merchandising, licensing and how kids played with toys; and Wally Soplata tells the story of his eccentric union carpenter father who collected ra ... Show More

38m 16s

Jun 2023

Badass of the Week, Part 1: An Origin Story

What makes an historical figure larger than life? Since 2004, author and historian Ben Thompson has been writing about the most badass people in history, from generals to saints, from pioneers to criminals. In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben (Bowlin), Noel, an ... Show More

33m 1s

Dec 2023

Toys and Toymaking

Did you know even the ancient Egyptians played with toys? Join us as we learn all about the history of toys and toymaking through the ages. 📖 Full Text @ BedtimeHistoryStories.com 📺 YouTube 👍 Facebook | Instagram 🇲🇽 Spanish | "Déjame contarte la Historia" Share your thought ... Show More

8m 56s

May 2022

Sex Toys

Hidden in bedside tables or proudly displayed on mantelpieces, wherever you keep them (if you do), sex toys have come a long way since the first phallic-shaped object was found around 30,000 years ago. But before they were arriving through our post boxes in unmarked, tracked pack ... Show More

43m 6s

May 2023

We Got Super Into Toy Cars, Part Two: Rivalry and Nostalgia

As the toy car industry exploded, new companies entered the market -- but the Matchbox/Hot Wheels rivalry remained front and center for collectors and distributors alike. In the second part of this special two-part episode, we explore what happened to all those old toy car compan ... Show More

29m 44s

Oct 2017

Ridiculous History: Trailer

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by HowStuffWorks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp ... Show More

1m 10s

Selects: A Partial History of Action Fig...