Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

Founded in 1953 by L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology describes itself as a religion that puts its adherents on a path toward complete and certain understanding of one's true spiritual nature. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Matt and Noel are joined by Mike Rinder, a former senior official of the Church and cohost of Scientology: Fair Game, for a first-hand, inside look at the organization in this classic interview 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.

As California continues to struggle with raging wildfires, the guys explore a proliferation of strange and disturbing allegations related to the ongoing disaster. Cloud-connected sex toys become a new, profitable target for hackers. Recently-discovered DNA evidence in the case of Jack the Ripper may lead to a new inquest -- perhaps finally solving the crimes. The FDA moves to ban certain food coloring additives in a (long-overdue) win for the public. 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.

The Catholic Church is, by any measure, one of the largest religious forces on the planet. Throughout its long, at-times troubled history, it has weathered numerous scandals: accusations of abuse, crime, and cover-ups. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt, and Noel explore the story of a still-unfolding case regarding an apostolic organization called Soladitium Christianae Vitae. Based in Peru, this group billed itself as a wholesome initiative to spread the work of Christ through engagement with the young and the poor. As the guys dig deeper, they uncover a vast, intergenerational conspiracy of abuse. 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.

Mr. Wiggles responds to the earlier conversation with The Shepherd on the dilemma of food and monoculture. Cabeza de Vaca prompts a conversation about stunning -- alleged -- breakthroughs in dream communication. Colby Jack Cheese inspires Ben to explore the future of gene modification: Could we, one day, give humans physical attributes once restricted to specific animals? The guys speculate on which powers they'd choose -- and want to hear your picks as well. 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.

Doubtlessly familiar to any fan of exploitative true crime shows, the concept of "Stockholm Syndrome" argues that people victimized by kidnappers, hostage takers, or even trapped in abusive relationships will tend to identify with their captors. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the surprisingly hidden origin story of this concept -- as well as discovering why experts worry law enforcement has weaponized this idea to further diminish and dismiss the experiences of survivors in the modern day. 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.

Evidence indicates human beings have been using psychedelics since ancient times, and a recent paradigm shift has launched a new renaissance in psychedelic research. Over the years psychedelics (and psilocybin specifically) have been the subject of both extremely positive and severely negative claims -- so what's the truth? In this episode, special guest Robert Lamb, host of Stuff To Blow Your Mind and Invention, joins the guys to explore the fact, fiction and future of psychedelics. 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.

Facebook and Instagram's parent company Meta sparks massive public outcry as their plan to inundate social media platforms with AI bots backfires -- and, at the same time, the company removes fact-checking. The leader of the Taliba orders that buildings should not have windows looking into places where a woman could be sitting or standing. Investigators find two bodies in the wheelwell of a JetBlue aircraft. China hacks the US Treasury. 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.

As we record, Luigi Mangione is currently in police custody on suspicion of murdering former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. In the second chapter of this ongoing investigation, Ben, Matt and Noel explore recent updates on the case, as well as the larger implications: What does the public reaction tell us about the growing divides in the United States? Why does establishment media and public discourse seem so starkly opposed? Is it possible that this event might inspire others to commit similar crimes? Tune in to learn more, and as always feel free to reach out to us directly: conspiracy@iheartmedia.com. 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.

Whether as beasts of burden, scouts, sentries or attack dogs, animals have been conscripted into human conflict since the dawn of recorded history. This practice hasn't changed in the modern day -- it's only evolved. Join the guys as they delve deep into some of modern history's strangest rumored (and confirmed) tales of animals in warfare, from would-be weaponized bats to tales of cyborg sharks, surveillance birds and 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.

In the early hours of December 4, 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in New York City as he walked toward the annual investor's meeting of his parent company, UnitedHealth Group. US law enforcement embarked on a massive manhunt. Several days after the murder, authorities in Altoona, Pennsylvania arrested 26-year-old Luigi Mangione on suspicion of committing the murder. In the first part of this multi-part episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore what happened, what evidence may or may not exist, and, perhaps most importantly: how this single event exposed a deep divide between the general public, the media, and the power structure of American society overall. 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.

When philanthropist, business magnate and political activist David Koch passed away, the media scrambled to address his legacy - but what is that legacy, exactly? Join Ben and Matt as they explore the life of David Koch, and the bizarre, insidious ways the political engine he helped create still welds enormous influence on the U.S. after his demise. 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 loves a good heist film -- but how accurate are they? Join Ben and Matt as they delve into the stories of modern history's biggest heists, actual criminal conspiracies carried out across the world to steal millions of dollars' worth of loot. Who got caught? Who got shot? Perhaps most importantly... who got away free, and where might they be living today? 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 sounds like a quandry straight out of science fiction -- given the opportunity, would you erase your own painful or traumatic memories? Join Ben and Matt as they separate science fiction from science fact (along with the fuzzy border in between), delving into the murky mechanics of memory, the treacherous way our brains handle recollections, and the profound implications posed by living in a world where memories can be artificially created, monetized, or erased. 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.

From ancient stories of shapeshifters to works of fiction like "The Island of Dr. Moreau", humanity has always been fascinating with the line between people and non-human animals -- but modern technology may finally allow us to create real-life chimeras. In fact, it already has. The only question here is how far scientists have actually gone in this regard (and whether that's something they don't want us to know). 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.

In the 1990s international media was captivated by a bizarre epidemic of church arsons in Norway, often attributing these crimes to so-called Satanic groups and individuals in Norway's black metal scene. This was wrapped up in the larger phenomenon of "Satanic Panic", a widespread fear that shadowy, devil-worshipping cabals secretly control human civilization. So is there any truth to the story? Tune in as the guys explore the true story of the infamous Scandinavian church burnings. 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.

Religions are as old as humanity, and predate the written word. They've also been home to a great many secrets -- in fact, some religions have been predicated on secrecy, and others are amalgamations of two preexisting belief systems. Join the guys as they explore the strange rise of religions, the ways in which they have melded over time and, ultimately, ask whether there are any real secret religions active in the world today. 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.

Recent drone sightings across the United States inspire Ben, Matt and Noel to return with a Classic conspiracy episode: On March 13th, 1997, thousands of people in Nevada, Arizona and Mexico reported seeing bizarre lights in the evening sky -- today, more than two decades later, the Phoenix Lights are still considered to be one of the most significant UFO sightings in recent history. But what exactly were they? What really happened that night in March? 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.

Why is the Western world's most famous birthday celebrated on a seemingly-arbitrary date? As Ben, Matt and Noel discover in the second chapter of this special two-part holiday series, the power structures of ancient empires experienced a progression of conspiracies, geopolitical subterfuge and good, old-fashioned numerical miscalculation in their quest to give the global public a specific birthday for Jesus Christ. (Spoiler: they all knew December 25th was not Jesus's actual birthday, and created a fiction that continues today.) 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.

"The Shepherd" reaches out from France to explore earlier conversations about what, who, and how humans should eat. Phantom Flyer responds to the DHL airplane crash. Chickenado proposes fascinating conspiracies surrounding the global poultry trade. 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 December 25th, 2024. Across this wide world, people commemorate one of the most famous birthdays in all of history: the birth of Jesus Christ. Then as now, adherents of Christianity celebrate the coming of the Messiah -- yet why does this holiday occur on a specific date in, of all things, the Gregorian calendar? As the guys discover in this special two-part episode, there may be a conspiracy at play. 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.