Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Nutrition is a huge deal. The need to eat is one of the very few things all human beings have in common, and nations have risen and fallen based on this fact. Yet even in 2022, not everyone is getting enough of the right stuff to eat. In today's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into the concept of food deserts -- including why some people hate the term, and why others think it's the result of a conspiracy. They don’t want you to read our book.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.

Nowadays many people are familiar with the US government's bizarre psychic experiments -- but what about China's? Join the guys as they explore the strange phenomenon of China's psychic children. They don’t want you to read our book.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 2013, Canadian college student Elisa Lam disappeared while on a solo trip through California. For weeks law enforcement was at a loss to explain the disappearance -- until, that is, a maintenance worker at the Cecil Hotel discovered her body in a water tank. And with that, what should have been the end of a tragic tale instead became the prologue to a mystery that, according to many, remains unsolved in the present day: What happened to Elisa Lam?. They don’t want you to read our book.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.

Let's be honest: propaganda is a bit of a dirty word nowadays. When you hear it mentioned in the media, it's almost always framed as a sinister tool of the bad guys -- but make no mistake: every country on the planet deploys propaganda on a regular basis. And the problem is escalating. In today's episode, Ben and Matt explore a stunning, often-ignored aspect of propaganda in the United States. About ten years ago, Uncle Sam quietly made it absolutely legal to lie to the American public. They don’t want you to read our book.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.

A listener from the world of government regulation writes with surprising insider information about the great glitter mystery. Multiple Conspiracy Realists share differing opinions on the Shotspotter technology. Sources familiar with fishing contests follow up on the latest cheating scandal. All this and more in this week's listener mail. They don’t want you to read our book.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.

Today, the vast majority of experts can largely agree on the basics of human evolution, from the early days of the first populations migrating out of the African continent to the dawn of agriculture, the written word and, quite recently, industrialization. But what if this isn't the first time Earth was home to an industrialized society? Could it be possible that some other civilization rose -- and fell -- far before our own? Tune in to learn more about the Silurian Hypothesis. They don’t want you to read our book.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.

Since the 1950s, the National Security Agency has been responsible for collecting, analyzing and verifying a vast amount of signals intelligence, ostensibly to protect the people of the United States. Over the decades the agency has grown to become one of the world's premiere repositories of intelligence -- everything from internet search histories to phone calls and texts, as well. In the final days of President Obama's administration the NSA was quietly allowed to share this information with every other US intelligence agency. So what happens next? They don’t want you to read our book.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.

New research shows cavity-causing microbes can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’ and spread on teeth. William Shatner experiences the Overview Effect after Bezos takes him to space. Edmonton police face widespread backlash after they use DNA evidence to make a computer sketch of a suspect, prompting fears of widespread, unfair profiling. All this and more in this week's Strange News. They don’t want you to read our book.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 many people, monster stories are just that -- stories. Tall tales and folklore meant to entertain an audience. However, you might be surprised to learn that people around the world still genuinely believe in some supernatural entities. Tune in and learn more in part two of this two-part series. They don’t want you to read our book.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.

Unwilling Stardust writes in with a harrowing account of Iran's growing protests. Coinkydink asks why peanut allergies seem to be on the rise. Agent Minuteman hips the crew to the strange story of Holy Land, USA. All this and more in this week's listener mail. They don’t want you to read our book.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.