In February of 1908, racing teams from multiple nations assembled for an unusual and ambitious race -- they planned to drive from Times Square across the planet to France. These were the early days of the automobile, and success was anything but guaranteed. In today's special 3D episode, Ben and Noel trace the highs (and, mostly, lows) of the men who vied fo ... Show More
Sep 22
Getting High with Ridiculous Crime: Betel Nut and 'Asthma Cigarettes'
Have you ever gone full red-mouth off betel nut? Did you ever buy cigarettes to cure your asthma? When Ben, Noel, and Max first began exploring bizarre drugs of yesteryear, they had no idea that they'd stumbled across a continuing series. Luckily, the guys aren't returning to thi ... Show More
39m 37s
Sep 19
CLASSIC: The Night Witches: How an All-female Soviet Bomb Squad Terrorized Nazi Germany
The 588th Night Bomber Regiment didn't have the best equipment, and they didn't have the best planes. What this all-female bomber regiment did have, however, was unstoppable ambition, brilliant strategies and dozens of fearless pilots. Listen in to learn more about the rise of th ... Show More
31m 35s
Sep 17
Mata Hari: Courtesan Turned WWI Double Agent?
By any measure, Margaretha Zelle led a fascinating life. As a Dutch dancer, socialite and courtesan called Mata Hari, her globe-trotting lifestyle caught the attention of both German and French intelligence agencies. And she happily took money from both sides. Yet, as Ben, Noel, ... Show More
36m 54s
Feb 2024
Peking to Paris: the world’s first great motor race
In June 1907, five plucky teams departed the Chinese capital and embarked on a 9,317-mile automobile race to Paris. Traversing scorching deserts and perilous mountain passes in ill-equipped vehicles, the participants regularly risked their lives – but their tenacity would transfo ... Show More
32m 20s
Jul 2021
The World’s First Motor Race
Billed as a concours for ‘horseless carriages’, the Paris–Rouen competition which took place on 22nd July, 1894, is now widely considered the world’s first motor race.
Only 21 vehicles qualified. Some of them had solid iron tyres. One was an eight passenger wagonette that weighe ... Show More
11m 34s
Sep 2022
S1 Ep148: The First Cross-Country Road Trip
It’s 1903, and an out-of-work doctor, Horatio Nelson Jackson, is fiercely defending the world’s most exciting invention – the automobile – against a group of men who are POSITIVE that the car was just a fad. Jackson was so sure of himself that he bet $50 that he could take a car ... Show More
43m 51s
Jul 2011
The First Cross-Country Road Trip
<p>In an earlier episode, Scott and Ben recounted the story of Bertha Benz and the first automobile road trip, which took three days. However, the first cross-country road trip took much longer -- and at times it seemed impossible. Tune in to learn more.</p><p> </p> Learn more ab ... Show More
30m 48s