logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
39m 56s

The Hoover Dam is Ridiculous, Part One: ...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

The next time you're in Vegas, rent a car and spend a day at the Hoover Dam. This towering, larger-than-life marvel of human engineering has fundamentally shaped the United States. But building it was far from easy. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max recount the guys' adventure exploring the Dam in person... and the sheer, ridiculous audacity of the thing.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Moon Rock Heists, Part One: Lunatic Heists and Space Law
Is it legal to own a moon rock? Well... that depends. If it's a piece of the moon that made it to Earth naturally, then all good. If, however, it's a sample retrieved on purpose by NASA's Apollo program, you can get in some serious trouble for trying to snag it. In part one of th ... Show More
49m 32s
Aug 23
CLASSIC: The Strange and Spectacularly Disgusting Story of the Great Kentucky Meat Shower
On March 3rd, 1876, residents of Bath County, Kentucky were startled to see what appeared to be chunks and flakes of meat falling from the clear, cloudless sky. The rain, which only lasted a few minutes, captured national attention. People across the country proposed various theo ... Show More
35m 55s
Aug 22
The Ridiculously Energetic History of Energy Drinks!
This episode is brought to you by our favorite cohost: coffee. These days, if you stroll into any convenience store across the planet, you're going to run into a selection of energy drinks -- whether we're talking Red Bull, NOS, Monster, or our favorite pal, the humble cup of joe ... Show More
47m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
This Is Your Captain Speaking
What does a pilot sound like? Malcolm and Ben Naddaff-Hafrey take off on a long, strange investigation that takes them from Las Vegas to Family Guy to the airspace over the Mojave desert and the cold waters of the Hudson river.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
43m 18s
Apr 2024
G-Man: The Life and Times of J. Edgar Hoover
On this episode of Our American Stories, Beverly Gage, author of the new definitive biography on J. Edgar Hoover, "G-Man, J. Edgar Hoover and The Making of the American Century," tells the story of the most important lawman of the 20th century. Support the show (https://www.ouram ... Show More
30m 17s
Jul 2023
L'Histoire d'Elon Musk
Voici le récit de la vie d'Elon Musk : entrepreneur, PDG de SpaceX, directeur de Tesla, homme le plus riche du monde, père de 10 enfants et plus encore... Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations. 
24m 56s
Oct 2022
Short Stuff: Water Towers
Water towers are so ubiquitous you can look right past them, despite them being giant balls of water thrust triumphantly skyward. Learn about these surprisingly ingenious but simple inventions designed to keep you alive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
11m 26s
Jun 2023
The Superhero - An American Invention
On this episode of Our American Stories, the comic book superhero is an American invention. Here to tell the story is WWII historian Jeffrey Johnson, the author of Super-History: Comic Book Superheroes and American Society. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/don ... Show More
38m 16s
Jul 2023
The Secrets of J. Edgar Hoover
As Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover exercised a dictatorial influence over the department – and, it seems, everyone else. Meticulous and vindictive, he frequently weaponised secrets while carefully guarding his own. Deborah Friedell grapples with his overwhelming and disturbi ... Show More
46m 30s
Mar 2024
Love Canal: Even Dirtier Than It Sounds
A man with an unfulfilled vision left a huge gash in the ground near Niagara Falls. Then a chemical company came along and filled it with toxic waste. Then people came along and built homes and an elementary school on top of it. Then things went badly.See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More
46m 45s
Jun 2024
Selects: How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Work, Part I
Long before slide rulers and pocket protectors, civilizations across the world used their noggins to build some impressive structures. Almost all have crumbled to ruins over the millennium, but thanks to the earliest tourists, we admire them still today. Explore some of them with ... Show More
42m 25s
Mar 2020
How Lady Luck Saved Vegas
March 19, 1931. Las Vegas is a small, desert town of a few thousand. And it’s not doing so well. In fact, people are worried it might turn into a ghost town. But then something big happens: Nevada decides to legalize gambling. And the ground begins to shift beneath the city...but ... Show More
21m 35s
Apr 2022
EP271: Coming Face to Face with the “Nuclear Abe Lincoln" and The 1st "Disneyland" on Lake Michigan's Shore
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Toti tells us the story of his experience with Admiral Hyman Rickover and the impact he had in the Navy. Chris Siriano of the House of David Museum in Saint Joe, MI, tells the story of how a band of religious misfits ended up in along ... Show More
38m 13s