Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Have you ever used a Tarot deck? Heck, have you designed your own? In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the strange history of the Tarot, from its origin as a card game for wealthy Italians to its present, multivariate state as anything from a fun diversion to a genuine tool of 'divination'. Spoiler, Conspiracy Realists: the guys are pretty convinced they've figured out why the Tarot is so popular -- and how it actually works. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global livestock industry employs millions of people in one way or another -- meat is a big business, and business is booming. In communities across the planet meat is often seen as a status symbol, a way to impress friends and announce one's own success -- but how much should meat actually cost? Critics argue every piece of meat, from a fast-food burger to high-end steak and everything in between, is actually riddled with hidden costs that will eventually be paid by everyone, whether or not they personally eat meat. Join Ben and Matt to learn more secrets of the livestock industry in the first chapter of this Classic series. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's strange news segment: you can officially enter your sperm in an international race! The legendary, divisive Ted Turner is dead, as is Spirit Airlines. Media freedom is trouble. The Supreme Court has again turned on the US public, gutting the Voting Rights Act and allowing for new levels of Suessian gerrymandering -- and endangering your right to actually vote. Tune in for all this and more. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an increasingly secular world, people often look back on the past with a mixture of amusement and disdain: "Why," they ask, "would our ancestors really believe in fanciful things like demons, Gods, spirits and angels?" Yet in tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel discover one strange trend that calls these assumptions into question: Why did so many ancient cultures across the world worship snakes, or reptilian-human hybrids? Is there a grain of fact to the legends of Snake Gods? What exactly is a Nāga? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's listener mail segment: Poe inspires a conversation about the End of Ownership. Chewy Black Heart asks the guys for more about missing scientists. Nikki explores the Bell Witch Cave. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the Ammons family moved to their new home in Gary, Indiana, they weren't sure what to expect. Of course, they anticipated all the usual hassles of relocation -- but they weren't expecting demons. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the bizarre, tragic saga of a family beset by what they genuinely seemed to feel was demonic possession. The media, the clergy, and even members of law enforcement agreed with them. So: What actually happened? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 17, 1944, over 300 people died in a massive explosion. These weren't soldiers fighting overseas -- they were sailors and civilians near the pier, where hurried loading operations inevitably went wrong. To this day, no one knows what triggered the explosion -- but, in a terrible way, this was only the beginning of the story. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's strange news segment: Ben and Matt explore a billionaire's mission to save Pablo Escobar's Hippos. Also, western oil profits skyrocket as the conflict in Iran continues, triggering drama in OPEC. But Ku-wait one second... the FBI investigated Bigfoot? What happened at the White House? Also, an epidemic of disappearing Chinese scientists. Tune in to learn more. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For most of modern history, the concept of ownership was pretty simple. You paid for something, either all at once or over time, and boom: you owned it. However, as Ben, Matt and Noel discover in today's episode, powerful forces are conspiring to push consumers away from owning stuff, and into a world of constant, unending subscriptions. "You will own nothing," says the World Economic Forum, "and you will be happy." So what does this mean for the future? How long do we have before we live in a world without ownership? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's listener mail segment: Ben, Matt and Noel respond to an anonymous call about disappearing scientists and military officials. PCC38Lightning hips the guys to trucking and liberty. J-Ill explains the newer issues with environmental contamination in Coldwater Creek. All this and more -- most importantly, join the show: hit us up at conspiracy@iheartmedia.com. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tucked away in Suffolk, more than 60 miles from London, the tiny village of Borley is a 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' spot on the map of the UK countryside. Yet despite its size, this little community was infamous for being home to one of England's most haunted places: the Borley Rectory. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel discover the murky origins of the Rectory... and how one controversial man may have created the legend out of whole cloth. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ghislaine Maxwell, long time associate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, is currently incarcerated, charged with helping recruit, groom and abuse minors as young as 14 as part of a sex-trafficking ring allegedly operated by Epstein. Observers around the world have voiced concerns that, one way or another, Maxwell might never see a day in court. Part of this fear comes from the fact that Epstein died while in prison -- but there's another thread here, as well: Years earlier, Ghislaine Maxwell's father Robert Maxwell also passed away under mysterious circumstances. Could these deaths be related? If so, what does this mean for the future of Ghislaine Maxwell? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's strange news segment, Ben, Matt and Noel discuss: the Onion's all-but-certain acquisition of Alex Jones's Infowars, pasta heists and pasta surveillance, zoonotic threats on the horizon, fuel concerns in the EU, and the hilarious fact of Meta/Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg creating his own AI avatar to skip meetings. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By now, the story of Jeffrey Epstein is familiar to people across the globe. A once-obscure financier, fixer, child abuser and sex trafficker who died under murky circumstance in prison, Epstein is a parable of the dangers of power and perversion. Yet in tonight's episode, Ben and Matt explore a dangerous question that's haunted them ever since they began looking into the case: Was Epstein just a wealthy monster? What was his real motivation? Could it be possible that he was working for someone else, and gathering compromising information for a larger, more mysterious goals? What if Epstein wasn't just a well-heeled criminal? What if he was a spy? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a group of women from all over the country realize they all dated the same prolific romance scammer they vow to bring him to justice. In this brand new season of global number 1 hit podcast, The Girlfriends, Anna Sinfield meets a group of funny, feisty, determined women who all had the misfortune of dating a mysterious man named Derek Alldred. Trust Me Babe is a story about the protective forces of gossip, gut instinct, and trusting your besties and the group of women who took matters into their own hands to take down a fraudster when no one else would listen. Listen here and subscribe to The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In tonight's Classic episode, Ben, Matt and Noel return to a case that still haunts them: at just 24 years old, Rebecca Coriam had her whole life ahead of her. Her love of physical fitness and knack for teaching made her perfectly-suited for her job in Youth Activities aboard the Disney Wonder, an enormous, high-class cruise ship. On March 22nd, 2011, Coriam vanished from the vessel. The distraught parents and friends of Rebecca puzzled over the cruise line's official explanation -- that a rogue wave had swept her overboard. Over a decade later, the mystery remains: What happened to Rebecca Coriam? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you an outdoorsy type? If so, you know the wilderness is beautiful and dangerous. Slippery terrain, lack of water, poisonous plants, wild animals and other humans can all be a threat... but out in Appalachia, folks are convinced there's another danger at play: supernatural, eerie voices in the woods, luring the unwary to their doom. Live from Baha Mar, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the mystery of the Appalachian Mimic Voice. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's true that the founders of the United States all too often failed to live up to the values they espoused in the Constitution and other related documents -- but it appears they were up to even stranger things. In the second episode of this two-part series, the guys delve deeper into some of the strangest, most obscure alleged secrets of the founding fathers, including one terrifying story that is absolutely true. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's trade system is cartoonishly complex, and it depends on multiple factors: one of the most important being trucks. Without semis and truckers, the global economy will immediately collapse -- and, unfortunately, trucking is in trouble. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore a catastrophe on the horizon. A spiraling economy, skyrocketing inflation, and disruptive new technology combine to put one of the world's most essential industries is on the verge of collapse. So what happens next? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's trade system is cartoonishly complex, and it depends on multiple factors: one of the most important being trucks. Without semis and truckers, the global economy will immediately collapse -- and, unfortunately, trucking is in trouble. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore a catastrophe on the horizon. A spiraling economy, skyrocketing inflation, and disruptive new technology combine to put one of the world's most essential industries is on the verge of collapse. So what happens next? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.