Conspiracy Theories

In March 1938, a brilliant physicist boarded a ship from Palermo to Naples, Italy. When the ship docked, he wasn’t on it. What happened to Ettore Majorana? And did his research group’s work on nuclear reactions have anything to do with his sudden disappearance?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A top-secret military program changed the world in August 1945. Today we’re examining the Manhattan Project’s official story: its key figures, its developments, its spies… And breaking open the conspiracy theories it inspired around extraterrestrials, a fluoride cover-up, and a pagan cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three years before the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a group of men including J. R. Oppenheimer and Ernest Lawrence held a secret meeting at Bohemian Grove—the meeting place of an invitation-only boys club made up of the rich and powerful. It’s said that the meeting marked the earliest stages of the Manhattan Project. This week we’re exploring what we know about the exclusive fraternity that parties—and plots—in the privacy of California’s redwood forests.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Oppenheimer hits theaters this summer, explore the real-life events that inspired the film. We’ll be back in August with new episodes of Conspiracy Theories.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A prehistoric species discovered in England was once hailed as the “missing link” between humans and apes. Until it was exposed as a fake. The only question remaining: Who was in on the scam?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From doctoring scripts and censoring movies, to influencing programming for game shows, just how deep is the partnership between Hollywood and the military? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are crime dramas just good PR for cops? From Dragnet to Law & Order, American crime shows have been helping craft the public’s perception of police for decades. But how do crime shows compare to the real thing—and how much influence does law enforcement have over how they’re portrayed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Jurassic Park film franchise brought dinosaurs to life using CGI and special effects. But, with advancing gene engineering technology, could dinosaurs actually be resurrected? If so, should they be? Would they even survive in 21st-century conditions? We may find out sooner than you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been thirty years since the first Jurassic Park film dazzled global audiences. Since then, the movie franchise has reshaped our understanding of dinosaurs. But should it? Though the filmmakers got some things right, some inaccuracies remained for dramatic effect, leaving many questions unanswered. What do we really know about velociraptors? Were they as formidable as they are depicted in the films? And if it was possible, what would a real-life Jurassic Park look like today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, we're digging deeper into a film that preyed on the world's fascination with dinosaurs and changed cinema as we know it: Jurassic Park. Based on the book by Michael Crichton and directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park tore through the box office to become the highest-grossing film ever upon its release — weaving innovative technology with groundbreaking practical effects to bring an ancient species long extinct... back to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices