

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

Apr 6, 2021 • 51min
The Crash at Crush (Entry 292.ZP0110)
In which the American love affair with demolition-based entertainment is born near Waco, Texas in an explosion of iron and steam, and John believes some flight attendants are aliens. Certificate #34659.

Apr 1, 2021 • 1h 12min
Figwit (Entry 467.JE2402)
In which we follow the arc of nerd culture to the Council of Elrond where a certain kind of fan service is born, and Ken explains why people fight about Frodo and Jesus. Certificate #40170.

Mar 30, 2021 • 1h 9min
The Cadaver Synod (Entry 172.HE0927)
In which a zombie pope is forced to stand trial in 9th-century Rome, and Ken discovers a generation of people with strong opinions about the word "zoology." Certificate #28349.

Mar 25, 2021 • 1h 8min
Roady Bill and Tony the Pony (Entry 1077.PR0719)
In which an online covered wagon auction unearths an almost-forgotten genre of itinerant performer, and John refuses to identify the Tijuana of Europe. Certificate #46962.

Mar 23, 2021 • 60min
The Underarm Bowling Incident (Entry 1363.JB2602)
In which an Australian cricket team creates an international controversy with an unorthodox but legal strategy, and Ken accidentally does a Boston accent. Certificate #30080.

Mar 18, 2021 • 1h
The Lost Spitfires of Burma (Entry 736.AC0219)
In which a modern-day treasure hunter becomes convinced that a priceless trove of British fighter jets is buried at the end of an airport runway, and John becomes a realtor for Myanmar. Certificate #34112.

Mar 16, 2021 • 1h 9min
The Memex (Entry 774.EX3607)
In which the Internet is born in 1945 when a radar technician in a bamboo hut reads a Life magazine article about a futuristic desk, and Ken wonders if anyone smoked weed at Los Alamos. Certificate #18461.

Mar 11, 2021 • 1h 17min
English as She Is Spoke (Entry 414.GE1107)
In which an inept attempt at a Portuguese-English phrasebook becomes an enduring comedy classic, and John celebrates the invention of the stirrup. Certificate #29469.

Mar 9, 2021 • 1h 5min
Rosa Luxemburg's Body (Entry 1082.NU1911)
In which the most famous socialist rabble-rouser of her time returns from her 1919 execution (maybe) as a headless mummy, and Ken wonders if ancient Irish peasants had combination skin. Certificate #27337.

Mar 4, 2021 • 56min
Mobile Jubilees (Entry 797.LV2512)
In which a set of rare ocean and weather conditions in Alabama can lead to periodic seafood explosions, and Ken and John agree that Muscle Shoals must be in the wrong place. Certificate #38099.


