Lever Time Ed Helms Exposes America’s Scariest Screw-Ups
14 snips
Aug 25, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Ed Helms, comedian and writer renowned for his roles in The Office and The Daily Show, takes us through some of history's wildest screw-ups. He shares laughable yet chilling stories, like the plan to blow up the moon and near-misses during the Cold War. Helms emphasizes how our past blunders teach us about resilience and the dangers of trusting leaders with chaos. With wit and insight, he shows how laughter can help us navigate society's fears around nuclear threats and personal security.
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Snafu As A Lens For History
- The word 'snafu' originated with WWII soldiers and now names systemic institutional failures.
- Ed Helms uses it to frame modern geopolitical blunders and cultural blind spots.
Project Iceworm's Frozen Secret
- Project Iceworm was hidden under the scientific cover of Camp Century in Greenland.
- The US built tunnels and a reactor to host missiles, then left nuclear waste frozen under the ice.
The Moon-Nuking Proposal
- The US seriously researched detonating a nuclear device on the moon as a Cold War intimidation tactic.
- Scientists, including a young Carl Sagan, showed the plan was either ineffective or dangerously likely to send fallout back to Earth.
