American Hysteria explores how fantastical thinking has shaped our culture – moral panics, urban legends, hoaxes, crazes, fringe beliefs, and national misunderstandings.... more
Remember the late '90s mystery show Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction? where you had to figure out which stories were... more
Patrick Scalisi and Valerie Ruby-Omen are the creators of the 2023 book Connecticut Cryptids: A Field Guide to the Weird... more
This is a special episode I did for the podcast 'You're Wrong About' in 2022, and I wanted to finally... more
For the 100th anniversary of the Macy's Parade, we are looking at the chaos energy that has always animated this... more
This episode will give some context for our upcoming episode about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, its unbelievable chaotic origins... more
Perry Carpenter is the author of the new book FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes,... more
This episode was originally released right before the 2020 presidential election and is even more relevant as we face the... more
In the 19th century, America and Europe experienced a panic over premature burial, believing that anyone could be accidentally declared... more
This is a preview for "Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder." On April 22, 1987, 52-year-old Ruthie... more
'Buried Alive,' our upcoming Halloween special, looks at the American fear and fascination with premature burial. We'll explore the panic... more