Ridiculous History

Once humans nailed down the spicy art of carbonation, they went absolutely bonkers with flavors and gimmicks. While Coca-Cola and Pepsi may be the world's most famous sodas, hundreds of other drinks came and went -- some with a bang of success, and others falling as flat as a day-old Josta. In part two of this series, Ben, Noel and Max continue their exploration of soda pop history along with shoutouts to some of their favorite discontinued sodas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's nothing quite like the fizzy kick of soda -- since ancient times, cabonation beverages have always delighted and fascinated humanity... even though soda certainly isn't the healthies drink. In the first part of this two-part episode, Ben kicks soda as he, Noel and Max dive into the history of these amazing drinks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the Rubik's Cube become a global phenomenon? Where exactly is Waldo? In part one of this series, legendary author and podcaster AJ Jacobs regales the gang with the wide world of Puzzlers, from early human history to the modern day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Ben, Noel and Max welcome special guest, the legendary author AJ Jacobs, to explore the world's strangest historical puzzle crazes. In part one of this two-part series, AJ regales the gang with the moral panic surrounding early crosswords, armchair treasure hunts and much more. Spoiler: you can hear Ben and Noel on AJ's own show, The Puzzler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the western world gears up for its biggest holiday, the guys dive into the strange story of Krampus: a pre-Christian, pagan entity that somehow not only survived the arrival of Christianity -- but thrived, first as a side character in Central European holiday celebrations, then went global as more and more people enjoyed exploring 'the dark side' of Christmas. Spoiler: capitalism loves a franchise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Media pundits love to say America is 'divided as never before' -- but how true is that? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into multiple Congressional debacles, from that time a civil war almost happened (before the actual civil war) to that time one guy literally assaulted another dude with a cane, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Turing, a legendary scientist persecuted by the UK, turned the tide of WWII. The podcast explores his role in breaking the German code, his contributions to computer development, and his mistreatment due to his homosexuality. It also covers his work in artificial life and his mysterious death, as well as the persecution faced by Turing and his subsequent recognition and apologies received.

Explore the origins of oddly-named diseases like rickets and scurvy, and the importance of a balanced diet. Learn about the history and etymology of rickets, including its existence in pre-industrial Europe. Discover the controversy surrounding vaccinations, personal experiences, and misleading names of medical conditions. Conclude with gratitude and advertisements.

In this podcast, the hosts explore the etymology of strangely-named diseases like dropsy, discuss preserved seafood and tinned fish, delve into the treatments and etymology of dropsy, and talk about hand foot and mouth disease and the origins of Cockstackie virus. They also touch on rats as carriers of diseases like the black death.

Famous author James Joyce's personal correspondence unveils his depraved side, eclipsing the racy scenes in his novels. The hosts explore Joyce's life and writing, highlighting the complexity of his work and the controversy surrounding his novel Ulysses. They discuss the explicit content and secret life of this literary figure.