Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson dig into the internet's vast and curious ecosystem of online communities to find untold histories,... more
Shaquille O'Neal has some advice: "If you are going to retire, accept it. Enjoy your family," he recently said on... more
In the second part of Endless Thread's investigation into a ubiquitous online piano academy, we dig into why some people... more
You may have seen this ad: A frenetic, wild-haired concert pianist says he can make any newbie a virtuoso in... more
Last week, you heard Endless Thread co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson re-introduce you to how Amory's new podcast, Beyond... more
Endless Thread co-host Amory Sivertson spent three years unraveling a cold-case murder. Her reporting eventually became the forthcoming podcast series... more
As Shakespeare once said...all the internet is a stage, and all keyboard warriors merely players. In this episode of Endless... more
Instead of a typical first date — dinner and light conversation, maybe — he presented 29 slides about one of... more
The point of Julian Shapiro-Barnum's Recess Therapy, a video series where he interviews kids about life's bigger questions, was never... more
In 2022, a TikTok creator who identifies herself as "Kala" began digging. What followed was an increasingly viral series of... more
The discovery of a secret tunnel attached to a Brooklyn synagogue earlier this month quickly went viral, fueling antisemitic conspiracy... more
Earlier this week, the New Hampshire Attorney General's office announced that it was investigating some suspicious robocalls urging residents not... more
What if vegetables are poison? What if, instead, humans evolved to consume an animal-based diet of steak, liver, brain, testicles,... more
Rodrigo Barbosa runs social media for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves Brazilian fan club. He's fluent in Brazil's particularly zany brand... more
Manifestation, astrology, tarot — during tumultuous times, people are more likely to look for answers from the universe, and social... more
As we approach the new year, we revisit a story with a timeless message. Ten years ago, a man was stuck... more
An episode from the Click Here podcast from Recorded Future News. The story of two ordinary people who decided to tackle... more
As many people gather with family and friends for the holidays, we revisit a story about our listener Niall. In 2020,... more
If you know what "Sticking out your Gyat for the Rizzler" means you're likely a part of Gen Alpha or... more
Have you ever heard an odd sound that sounds oddly musical? A spatula that rings like a toy piano? A... more
Washington Post tech columnist Taylor Lorenz talks to host Ben Brock Johnson about her new book, "Extremely Online: The Untold... more
Earlier this year, TikTok livestreamers began mimicking lifeless "nonplayable characters," or NPCs, by repeating motions and phrases like in a... more
We're going underground into what might be the most important vault in the world. What's inside? A treasure that originates... more
Within a few months, the question "how often do men think about the Roman Empire?" conquered Instagram, TikTok and countless... more
In 1909, the Arizona Gazette ran an article titled "Exploration in Grand Canyon." It said that an explorer by the... more
This episode is brought to you by Slate's ICYMI podcast. Co-hosts Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim talk to writer Cyrena... more
Gather round the fire with us for three hair-raising tales from the internet. For the finale of our series "Endless... more
“Goosebumps” book fans and musical theater fans, unite! In this episode, Amory and producer Quincy introduce you to “Goosebumps The... more
Alert: Furbys have invaded "Endless Dread!" They're having a bit of a moment. In this episode, producers Jacob Garcia and... more
With new and exotic species available at the click of a button, the digital age forever changed the multimillion-dollar arachnid... more
Hey, threadheads. It's a different day than we'd normally be in your feed, and we HAVE... something different for you! It's... more
Host Ben Brock Johnson and producer Quincy Walters go to an historic Boston cemetery to try out findagrave.com — a... more
Back in 2013, the sand dunes of Michigan City, Indiana swallowed a six-year-old boy. It took rescuers nearly 4 hours... more
Back in 2004, NBC’s 'To Catch a Predator' captivated millions of viewers as it followed a vigilante group called Perverted... more
The popular YouTube channel Lofi Girl provides a 24/7 livestream of chill beats to relax and study. Endless Thread producer Nora... more
On Discord and YouTube, hundreds of Gen-Zers are teaming up for the purposes finding and archiving the Muzak (aka elevator... more
The cover art for the 1976 paperback edition of Madeleine L'Engle's classic sci-fi/fantasy novel "A Wrinkle in Time" — featuring... more
A Redditor proposed a quick fix to one of humanity’s greatest threats. But the real threat may be our fixation... more
As of late, Endless Thread co-host Ben Brock Johnson has been obsessed with a rock in Wyoming, a lot like the protagonist... more
Two years ago, he didn’t even know slime molds existed. Now, he may be the internet’s most famous slime savant. Co-hosts... more
"To avoid crowds, visit areas that are less crowded." These comically obvious, wise words come from the Twitter account —... more
If there is an OG meme in which a human is the star, Scumbag Steve is it. He spread across... more
In times like these, you've got to take joy wherever and however you can get it. Amory and Ben swap... more
Imagine if an explosion in California was so loud that it could be heard in New York City. This is... more
The first documented bar joke was copied onto a clay tablet 4,000 years ago in the ancient language of Sumerian.... more
What makes the world’s first documented bar joke funny? No one knows. In a tweet that garnered thousands of responses... more
In this summer-y episode of Endless Thread, Ben and Amory take a leap of faith (or do they?) to the depths... more
“Which one of you freaks hijacked the south Boston green space google maps for your furry photo shoot?” Earlier this year,... more
Reddit is restricting the use of third-party apps. More than 8,000 subreddit communities shut down in protest — including r/Blind,... more
Since the creation of deepfakes in 2017, the AI-powered technology that swaps faces into videos has become commonplace, particularly in... more
Since the pandemic, foraging has exploded in popularity. Younger generations are embracing (or romanticizing) the great outdoors with trends like... more
r/randonauts is a fast-growing community of Redditors who use random, quantum-generated coordinates to go on real-life adventures. But what happens... more
This week on Endless Thread, host Ben Brock Johnson and producer Grace Tatter look at a meme inspired by supermodel... more
In the aftermath of the Civil War's Battle of Shiloh in 1862, something strange happened. Some soldiers' wounds started to... more
Can you have an orgasm from listening to music? Can you legally own more than six dildos in Texas? Endless... more
Once upon a time, in a magical land of Oklahoma, fairy Jasmine LaFleur wanted to create a hashtag to unite... more
This week, we have two stories about etymology. What can words teach us about culture, trade, memory, and the world... more
Do you ever listen to birds singing catchy little melodies and wonder - wait a second, do they know music... more
What if the internet was only available most of the time? This week, Endless Thread presents an episode of Outside/In — a podcast... more
In the days after the 2013 Boston bombing, an online hunt for the perpetrators falsely accused Brown University student Sunil... more
Our intrepid sound designer, Matt Reed — musician/composer extraordinaire —recently became a dad. He picked up a Glo Worm for... more
What do livable and walkable urban environments have to do with "the real life Hunger Games"? And why are people... more
On a sunny day in March 2020, researchers in South Africa discovered the bodies of two giraffes. From what they... more
Why did Jacob Wideman murder Eric Kane? In 1986, the two 16-year-olds were rooming together on a summer camp trip... more
Evan Kail is a wise-cracking antique dealer and TikToker. Last September, his world turned upside down when one of his... more
We thought Endless Thread fans would want to hear this trailer for a new podcast from WBUR. Violation tells the story of... more
Last fall, freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill got a new neighbor: an owl. What wasn't... more
It's been eight months since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and more people are relying on Reddit for... more
The people of Turkey, Syria and Lebanon are still recovering from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people... more
This week, Endless Thread spends time talking with two young Russian YouTubers who've had to contend with Russia's crackdown on wartime... more
Did you have a friend who claimed they were in a long distance relationship with someone really awesome and super... more
What happens when you date a chatbot? The app Replika lets users design artificially intelligent bots to be their romantic... more
When Endless Thread producer Nora Saks learns that a "toxic, self-cloning worm that poops out of its mouth is invading... more
Amory shares a 10-year-old Reddit post with Ben showing a photo of a college student with an epic-looking wooden staff... more
Amory and Ben honor the legacy of internet activist Aaron Swartz with two people familiar with his life and work:... more
“What are the dimensions of an adult llama?” asked a Redditor called Mrs. Sam Handwich in the "No Stupid Questions"... more
The unsent letter. We all have one, half-composed in our heads or fully-formed as an email draft. Whatever form these letters... more
Team Endless Thread is here with your holiday bonus — a bonus episode, that is! If you heard our most... more
When producer Quincy Walters came to an Endless Thread episode ideas meeting talking about 'Goosebumps The Musical,' Amory had two... more
Can a machine think like a human? Can it be conscious? For decades the answer was clear: nope. But artificial... more
If you've ever used a dating app, chances are you've encountered a bot, most likely a fake account or a... more
Next up in our bots series, we bring you a cautionary tale about Tay, a Microsoft chatbot that has lived... more
From the supermarket to the housing market, products are getting smaller but prices are not. Why is this happening? And... more
Next up in our bots series, we explore a growing field of AI: immortalizing the dead through predictive AI text.... more
Next in our series Good Bot, Bad Bot: the possibilities of bots being used in governments around the world. How... more
For the next few weeks, the Endless Thread team will be sharing stories all about the rise of bots. How... more
When Alex was in high school, he and his best friend used to break into abandoned houses. Alex was a... more
Olga of Kiev executed one of the most bone-chilling revenge tours in history after her husband, Igor, was murdered. Then,... more
When Kellie's 3 year-old daughter told her about her new imaginary friend, Kellum, she didn't think too much of it.... more
This week, we investigate the rise and fall of online influencer Caroline Calloway and the bigger question: Why do some... more
A Twitter thread about a fox named “Lazy Geoff” drew the attention of thousands online. But can a fox really... more
An Endless Thread listener sends their response to our Tales from the Crypto series. They make the case that crypto... more
In the final installment of our Tales from the Crypto series, Endless Thread producer Nora Saks and co-host Ben Brock... more
One year ago, El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender — the first nation in the world to do so. But how... more
In this first installment of our cryptocurrency mini-series, co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson dive into a viral tweet... more
Endless Thread producer Quincy Walters profiles IG Bum, a mischeivous online content creator who has achieved viral stardom. But who... more
In this end-of-summer episode of Endless Thread, Ben and Amory take a leap of faith (or do they?) to the depths... more
In the summer of 2018, Brent Underwood got a text in the middle of the night from a friend saying,... more
You shouldn't do it. But then you do, and it turns out great. Two stories of rule-breaking's good side: A... more
The first documented bar joke was copied onto a clay tablet 4,000 years ago in the ancient language of Sumerian.... more
What makes the world’s first documented bar joke funny? No one knows. In a tweet that garnered thousands of responses... more
What makes the world’s first documented bar joke funny? No one knows. In a tweet that garnered thousands of responses in March,... more