Short Stuff: The Original Snake Oil Sale...

In the 80s, a pair of psychologists theorized why being part of a group can change people’s thoughts and feelings, both about themselves and other people. It sounds dry, but SIT explains everything from how people justify genocide to football rivalries.See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More

Japanese nuclear worker Hisashi Ouchi is often called on the internet “the world’s most radioactive man.” That’s not exactly true, but it gets the point across about how severe the fatal dose of radiation he received was.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

It is to the great nation of Canada’s lasting credit that it has prized Terry Fox as one of the most beloved and admired citizens for nearly 50 years now. It’s difficult to get across how much he means to Canada. Lucky for us, his story speaks for itself.See omnystudio.com/listen ... Show More

Get rich quick schemes have been around forever. But one con man not only made history, but became a household name. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Nowadays, "snake oil" usually means a fake medicine or treatment that claims -- with no evidence -- to cure any number of medical conditions. But where did this term come from? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the story of Clark Stanley, the Rattlesnake King who (a ... Show More

Snake oil -- it's a strange phrase for all sorts of sham treatments and fake cures. But where did it come from? Why do so many hucksters conspire to sell false hope in the modern day? Join Ben and Matt as they dive deep into the history -- and deeply troubling future -- of snake ... Show More

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

Cautionary Conversation: In the 1920s, a conman convinced America that goat testicles were the secret to male virility. Tim Harford and Dr Kate Lister (Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society) dive into the bizarre and grisly tale of "Doctor" John Brinkley. This ... Show More

On this episode of Our American Stories, Charles Ponzi didn’t invent the Ponzi scheme, but he made it famous and gave it his name. Jonathan Small, host of the Write About Now podcast, shares the fascinating true story of one of history’s most notorious con artists. Support the sh ... Show More

<p>America has a soft spot for scoundrels. From the (evil) genius who kept selling the Brooklyn Bridge to foreigners to the original snake oil salesman, we race through history's most legendary cons and discover why Denver was the Florence of the Con-Man Renaissance. Featuring Ma ... Show More

Kevin Trudeau was a born salesman...and an excellent con man. He knew exactly how to rope people in with promises of wealth, health, and all around better lives. But as we all know, if something sounds too good to be true, it is. And it's probably a brainchild of ol' Kev.See omny ... Show More

Every story has a beginning, and the tale of the American sideshow—in many ways—begins in the aftermath of one man’s personal tragedy. Learn how it all began, and what the early days were like, on the inaugural episode of Grim & Mild Presents: Sideshow. Learn more about your ad-c ... Show More