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iHeartPodcasts

Ridiculous History

Folks, we are phenomenally excited about this week's Classic episode. It sounds like something straight out of the cave beneath Bruce Wayne's Manor, but thanks to the passion of a part-time inventor named Lytle Adams, the United States military really did spend millions attempting to arm bats with incendiary devices and launch them -- real-life bat bombs -- across Japanese cities. Here's the weird thing: It could have actually worked.

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CLASSIC: Uncle Sam Tried to End World War II With Bat Bombs

For fans of sweet, frozen sweets, there's nothing as perfect as ice cream. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max scoop into a bizarrely niche controversy: Who actually invented the 'Ice Cream Sundae,' and why on Earth is it spelled 'Sundae,' rather than 'Sunday'? Ben here: we do figure it out, and history is super weird. Thanks for tuning in!

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The Ridiculous History of the "Ice Cream Sundae"

Hi, Ridiculous History listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, Health Stuff!
 
Health Stuff: On Health Stuff, hosts Dr. Priyanka Wali and comedian Hari Kondabolu tackle all the health questions that keep you up at night with hilarity and humanity. Together, they demystify the flashy trends, and keep you informed on the latest research. You can rely on Health Stuff to bring you real, uninhibited, and thoughtful health talk of the highest caliber, and a healthy dose of humor.
 
 
 
Listen to Health Stuff on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts!

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Introducing: Health Stuff

On the shambling heels of their recent episode exploring the bizarre legendary origins of zombies, Ben, Noel and Max dive headfirst into the cinematic side of the undead: zombie movies. As they discover in today's episode, the film version of zombies or the walking dead has become increasingly distinct from the original folklore version -- and this may have been more a result of social commentary than of any single director's vision.

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Zombies, Part Two: The Movies!

In this weekend's Classic episode, Ben quizzes Max on his dreams of being a director, ultimately asking: What would the average person do to become famous? Often described as one of the most isolated countries in the world, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has been ruled by the Kim dynasty since 1948. And while most reports of defectors focus on harrowing stories of North Koreans escaping to freedom in China or South Korea, a handful of people actually traveled in the other direction, defecting to North Korea. Listen in to learn more about the strange journeys American soldiers took, away from the military and straight to the forefront of North Korea's film industry.

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CLASSIC: The American Soldiers Who Defected to North Korea and Became Movie Stars

It's no secret that the Wonders of the Ancient World were pretty... wonderful -- yet also pretty mischaracterized. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Super Producer Max explore the phenonemal Temple of Artemis, which was built not once, not twice, but three separate times before it ultimately disappeared.

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Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Temple of Artemis

Fellow Ridiculous Historians, we all know the inspiring and tragic story of Marie Curie -- however, not everyone is familiar with the absolute boom in radium-associated merchandise, which took the world by storm before the public understood the dangers of radiation. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into a bizarre tale of capitalism, marketing, and consequence: let's call this parable 'The Radium Era.'

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That Time Everyone Loved Radium: What Could Go Wrong?

Toward the end of World War II, the German Type VIIC submarine was acknowledged to be one of the most advanced -- and deadliest -- predators on the seas. Yet, in at least one case, some of the same technological breakthroughs that made these subs astonishing also led to their demise. Join the guys as they dive (get it?) into the strange story of U-1206 and the high-tech toilet that led to its doom.

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CLASSIC: How a Broken Toilet Foiled a German Sub

It's the weekend! Time to get outdoors, enjoy nature... and, honestly, watch out for crazy animals. Join the guys in this Classic episode as they make an appearance on Creature Feature, the podcast that takes a critter’s eye view to explore how animal behavior parallels the behavior of humans. In this episode, Katie Goldin and the guys explore the dark tetrad in the animal world, ultimately answering the age old question: Who's the most prolific serial meow-derer?

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CLASSIC: Creature Feature: The Dark Tetrad

Ben here: Noel and I are sailing the seas this week -- wish us luck! Luckily, our Super Producer Max is holding it down with some of our favorite Classic episodes. Here's one I especially enjoyed from 2019, all about strange ocean travels: "In 1895, Gustaf Broman announced he would sail across the Atlantic in a 13-foot-long sailboat crafted from a cedar log. His route had an odd beginning -- he planned to start at Oregon, sail down to California, then put the boat on rails and ride it up to New York before finally reaching the Atlantic. Additionally, his log boat was anything but seaworthy. Some 4000 people gathered to watch Broman embark... but, eventually, his past came to light, and people began to wonder whether there was more to the story. (I mean, obviously there was. That's why we're doing a show about it.)"

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CLASSIC: Gustaf Broman Tried to Cross the Atlantic in a Canoe . . . Or Did He?

As one of the most iconic games in all of arcade history, Pac Man is recognized across the planet. But how did it get here -- and why are there so many in-depth fan theories about what it means? Is Pac Man a Sisyphean immortal cursed with endless toil? Is he underwater, stealing errant Pong balls? Is he himself a ghost, or on drugs? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max unravel the bizarre, inspiring origin story of one of history's greatest video games.

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The True Story of Pac Man -- and a Ton of Weird Theories

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