Given a certain degree of infamy thanks to Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands are far less famous for their role in playing host to a tiny, isolated German ex-pat community in the 1930s, living quietly, surrounded by the unending blue of the Pacific Ocean. The motley crew of settlers included a doctor with philosophical aspirations, a pregnant housewife a ... Show More
Mar 3
The 19th Century West Ham Vanishings
The East London district of West Ham might be best known globally for the football team of the same name, but in the late 19th century, the area became famous for something much darker. West Ham, and in particular, a single road within the district, became the scene for a series ... Show More
1h 6m
Feb 17
George Psalmanazar, The Man From Formosa
In the early 1700s, when maps still had blank spaces and “here be dragons” felt like a reasonable warning, a stranger arrived in Europe with a fantastic story to tell. Calling himself George Psalmanazar, and claiming to be a native of far-off Formosa, where people lived in underg ... Show More
49m 29s
Feb 3
George Joseph Smith: The Case of the Brides in the Bath
At the turn of the twentieth century, a pattern of unusual deaths began to surface, when three unrelated women were found drowned in their bathtubs, following a fit or a feinting. The cases seemed unconnected, scattered across towns and surnames, until the similarities grew too p ... Show More
1h 21m
Mar 2023
Introducing: Detectives Don’t Sleep - Murder in Paradise (Part 1 of 2)
From Noiser, comes the brand-new podcast Detectives Don’t Sleep. The show takes you beyond the police tape to shadow the real detectives who worked history’s most intriguing cases.
In this taster episode, we’re in the Bahamas in 1943. One of the wealthiest men in the islands, Sir ... Show More
47m 3s
Dec 2022
Six Impossible Episodes: More Listener Requests
<p>Today’s six impossible episode subjects are all by listener request! Topics include the Iron Mountain baby, Leslie’s Retreat, Lady Hao, Ella Williams, and more. And these are examples of how short tales can sometimes have intense details.</p> <p><strong>Research: </strong></p> ... Show More
38m 52s
Mar 2022
262-Japanese Folklore: Fatal Attraction
Three stories from Japan about love gone wrong. On the first, the fairest youth in all the land is set to marry the daughter of a rich noble. The problem? His father kind of oversold his looks... On the second, we'll see why moths and other nighttime bugs go toward the light, and ... Show More
41m 9s