Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Although most people may not notice this, the living world is rife with an everpresent, invisible chemical conspiracy: pheromones. These chemicals can warn of danger, entice mates, mark territory and produce sophisticated behavioral changes in every species they touch -- but what about humans? Conventional science has argued humans don't play the pheromone game, but as Ben, Matt and Noel learn in tonight's episode... there may be more to the story. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know weather can affect a person's mood, but just how far does it go? Could the activity of the sun be driving widespread human conflicts throughout history? In tonight's Classic episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the bisarre theory Alexander Tchijevsky stumbled across when he found wars across the planet seem to coincide with solar cycles. This prompted him to ask: Is human civilization enslaved to the sun? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite numerous earlier statements, the US Department of Justice and FBI officially concludes that notorious human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein had no client list -- spoiler, chaos ensues. Akon's planned utopian city falls through. Elon Musk's Grok chatbot courts controversy as it makes pro-Nazi statements and (for unrelated reasons) is also banned in Türkiye. Akon's utopian city is abandoned. A 'click-to-cancel' rule is blocked, prompting questions about the influence of big business. All this and more this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are we living in a simulation? What's the future of AI? How can humans understand the past, present, and future of the universe -- assuming, of course, that time exists? In this interview segment, Ben, Matt and Noel welcome special guest Dr. Jorge Cham, the creator of the new hit podcast ScienceStuff, and pick his brain about some of the biggest questions in all of human civilization. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sloth inspires a round-up of recent news stories from the world of birds. Fae shares a story of real-life bars inside gas stations. Kevin prompts an exploration of hidden history -- the earth shaking Battle of Blair Mountain, and the resulting cover-up from the Powers That Be. Plus puns. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's an open secret that not everything is as it seems in the world of diplomacy -- a great many individuals operate with some degree of subterfuge and invisibility. So what happens when things go wrong, and these often disturbing, unseen things become visible? Tonight's story takes us to Lahore, Pakistan: on January 27, 2011, CIA contractor Raymond Allen Davis found himself in a brutal firefight in traffic. What follows becomes an international scandal reaching all the way to the President of the United States. Join Ben, Matt and Noel to learn more. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Make no mistake -- being a farmer is hard work. Farming outfits often have to carry a huge amount of risk from one season to the next, and any number of things may ruin their prospects, from unexpected weather, market volatility and so on. To mitigate these dangers, world governments often provide funding, or subsidies, to agribusiness in order to lower risk and increase chances of farmers staying in business. In the US, these subsidies are a multi-billion dollar industry... but where does all that money actually go? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is astonished as a full one-third of all residents of Tuvalu apply for the new, limited 'climate visa,' sparking concerns about the future of islands nations amid the global sea level rising. Chinese manufacturers are in hot water over an international scheme to flood markets with 'used' electric vehicles. A guy commits robbery dressed as Scooby-Doo, and studies prove cheese can give you nightmares. All this and more in the week's strange news segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, Stuff They Don't Want You To Know Fans! We want to share a new show you might like, United States of Kennedy. About the show: United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story. Listen here and subscribe to United States of Kennedy on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Aum Shinrikyo movements gains national, then global, attention, the founder Shoko Asahara begins to move his followers in a darker direction. Convinced that the world can only truly be saved through mass casualty events, Asahara first predicts massive disasters -- and then orders his followers to create these events themselves. In chapter two of this strange two-part series, Ben and Matt learn how Aum committed multiple acts of terror, murder, extortion and fraud leading up to their infamous sarin attacks on the Tokyo subway... and what happened to the cult in the aftermath. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Located in Jefferson Davis Parish, the town of Jennings, Louisiana wasn't a particularly well-known place -- in fact, many people in the US would probably have lived their entire lives without ever hearing of the town until a few years ago. You see, Jennings had a secret, a dark criminal underbelly that seethed just below the surface. Over the course of several years, multiple women were murdered under mysterious circumstances, inspiring journalists and federal investigators alike to dive into the increasingly strange connections between each homicide. And today the question remains: What happened to the Jennings 8? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Modern-day Japan is often lauded as one of the safest countries on the planet -- but that doesn't make this nation immune to the danger of cults. In the first chapter of this special two-part series, Ben and Matt explore the bizarre, conspiratorial rise of the organization known as Aum Shinrikyo. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every ten years, the United States conducts the census, a crucial survey of the country’s population meant to help Uncle Sam figure out how to plan infrastructure and distribute funding over the coming decade. In recent years, people have argued for and against including a question about citizenship on the census for any number of reasons ... including accusations of conspiracy. Tune in to learn more. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forget fake birds: China unveils the newest iteration of microdrones, which look almost exactly like mosquitoes. A Russian soldier turns cannibal. French scientists discover a brand-new blood type. Police practice improv. Florida is building an "Alligator Alcatraz," and a giant asteroid may crash into the moon within the next decade. All this and more in this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where do we come from? What happens when we pass away? These questions have fascinated (and terrified) human civilization. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anne Ominous shares their own experience with sketchy gas stations, and introduces the guys to a new slang phrase for gambling machines. Maximus weighs in with a true story about synthetic estrogen, waste water and fish populations. Following up on news about Palantir and train hoppers, Mr. Delay calls in to ask whether the growing surveillance society may drive some people off the grid. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone knows that diplomatic positions come with a variety of perks and protections, as well as serious responsibilities. But what if you were able to enjoy some of the benefits of being a diplomat, without all those pesky rules and regulations? While it may sound thoroughly illegal, shadow diplomats are very much real -- and a subject of growing concern. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel discover the troubling secrets of a hidden world rife with crime, corruption and conspiracy. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For almost 80 years, Lockheed Martin has been working hand in hand with the US government to create cutting-edge, classified tech and craft, working in secret to build some of the world's most iconic spy planes. Nowadays, the so-called "Skunk Works" are more open about their projects ... or are they? Tune in to learn more. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things are heating up in the Middle East -- as the world studies a possible correlation between pizza orders and US military activity, the United States Air Force and Navy launch the largest B-2 operation in history, striking multiple sites in the nation of Iran. A curious trade group in Ghana protests a new tax regime. Over in Chicago, a long-serving legislator gets popped for frankly cartoonish levels of corruption. All this and more in this week's strange news segment. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nowadays, the "C-word" can be pretty tricky. The word "cult" is usually applied by outsiders toward some group of individuals existing in opposition to a larger society. Most times, these folks are harmless -- eccentric, perhaps, but not dangerous. In fact, we often don't hear about them until they cross a threshold into violent, criminal acts. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore more cults you've never heard of. They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.