This American Life 875: I Hate Mysteries
13 snips
Nov 23, 2025 Guest
Lauren Peterson (caller / contributor)
Guest
Elijah Sullivan (filmmaker, storyteller)
Guest
Brett (digger interviewed by Elijah Sullivan)
Brett, a former crew member at a mysterious dig on Mount Shasta, shares the bizarre and secretive nature of their work. He describes the eerie moment they unearthed peculiar rocks under guidance from a shadowy overseer. Filmmaker Elijah Sullivan provides insight into the occult theories surrounding the site’s history. Meanwhile, Lauren Peterson discusses her fascination with a glitter mystery sparked by a New York Times article, expressing her disappointment upon discovering the truth behind it.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Kids Can't Stand Unresolved Curiosity
- Second graders obsessively guessed the sealed mystery box's contents until Miss Maria refused to reveal the answer.
- The class panicked, attempted coping exercises, and eventually forced her to open the box to relieve the anxiety.
Curiosity Overrides Lessons On Uncertainty
- The desire to know overwhelms pedagogical aims to teach tolerance for uncertainty.
- Ira suggests that withheld answers trigger a stronger human impulse than lessons about ambiguity.
Midnight Haul Of Mysterious Rocks
- At night Brett and Joseph hauled the mysterious rocks into a U-Haul and stored them in cradled frames at a rental unit.
- Brett realized later they left for Florida and he never received promised pay for the late-night job.
