

Omnibus
Omnibus
Every week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 28, 2023 • 1h 1min
The Magic Gang (Entry 747.EX0722)
In which a ghost-written memoir explains how a great British stage magician defeated Rommel in North Africa with his trickery, and John considers saying "Abracadabra" as a swear. Certificate #37883.

Sep 21, 2023 • 1h 8min
The Traffic Jam of the Century (Entry 1325.EZ1704)
In which a perfect storm of construction, coal mining, and Communist commemoration creates twelve days of gridlock in central China, and Ken imagines an ancient Roman in a stadium parking garage. Certificate #34985.

8 snips
Sep 14, 2023 • 1h 16min
One Glass of Red Wine (Entry 866.DE3233)
In which one Canadian newsman convinces America for several decades that daily drinking is the key to solving the "French Paradox," and John thinks Ken looks inhibited holding a spatula. Certificate #13766.

5 snips
Sep 7, 2023 • 59min
(LIVE) Hiroo Onoda (Entry 867.1C1526)
In which Japanese soldiers, unwilling to believe that World War II is over, hold out for decades on islands all over the Pacific, and Ken will never give up on bar soap. Certificate #44164.

Aug 31, 2023 • 1h 19min
Kids on Milk Cartons (Entry 686.DE2407)
In which a nationwide panic over "stranger danger" turns regional dairies into activists for missing children, and John likes when things are "de minimis." Certificate #25468.

Aug 24, 2023 • 1h 13min
The NS Savannah (Entry 849.MK0436)
The podcast explores topics such as technological advancements for climate change, pros and cons of space exploration, ship length and speed in fluid dynamics, the Japanese way of sleep, the cost of water and its impact on greening the desert, the construction and challenges of the NS Savannah, the limited adoption of nuclear powered ships, exploring feasibility of hydrogen and electricity for jets, Lowell Thomas and adventures, the fate and potential future of the NS Savannah.

4 snips
Aug 17, 2023 • 1h 19min
The DuMont Network (Entry 386.LK2417)
In which the three nascent American broadcast networks face a challenge from a scrappy engineering lab, and John thinks gadgeteers should be certified. Certificate #28450.

Aug 10, 2023 • 1h 17min
Universe 25 (Entry 1350.GE0907)
In which the "behavioral sink" of rodent utopias is discovered in a Maryland barn, and Ken sings about a urinal trough. Certificate #38792.

4 snips
Aug 3, 2023 • 1h 37min
Enneagrams (Entry 415.JM0124)
In which Sufi mysticism inspires a Bolivian philosopher to divide all of humanity into nine personality types, and Ken visualizes the ur-cow. Certificate #25935.

Jul 27, 2023 • 1h 29min
The Doomsday Clock (Entry 372.1P0407)
In which a panel of concerned atomic scientists quantify the dangers of the nuclear age with a timely visual aid, and John's mother has a favorite fact about Benjamin Franklin. Certificate #26973.


