Ridiculous History

A bizarre 1918 campaign recruited schoolchildren to exterminate ground squirrels across California. The story covers wartime propaganda, gruesome methods and rewards offered to kids. It also examines the scale of crop losses, official kill tallies, and how the cull shaped later pest control practices.

They trace the yo-yo from ancient Greek art to Asian and European variants. They unpack patent fights, marketing stunts, and how a trademark went generic. They follow Flores and Duncan’s business schemes that turned a toy into a cultural craze. They cover modern technical advances, competitive yo-yoing, hardcore materials, and the contemporary comeback.

A playful deep dive into what makes a pizza

In this week's Classic episode: Were it not for the coal mine, the town of Vulcan, West Virginia may well have never existed. As a rural and geographically isolated community, Vulcan relied on a single, small bridge for its connection to the larger world. When the bridge failed, the town repeatedly tried to get financial assistance from the local and state government -- with no success. In a state of increasing desperation, the Mayor of Vulcan wrote the Soviet Union for help... during the Cold War. Tune in and learn what happened next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They explore spies who turned knitting into secret communication. Stories include hidden messages in yarn, Morse code concealed in a hair tie, and a notorious double agent whose testimony reshaped Cold War fears. They also cover wartime mail controls, ancient knotted recordkeeping, and quirky modern analogues like covert use of fan sites.

A deep dive into how knitting served as secret tradecraft in wartime. Real-life cases show messages hidden in yarn, coded silk hair ties, and documents stashed in knitting bags. They cover wartime mail censorship, how knitting differed from crochet for spies, and links to ancient knotted records and early computing. Modern analogies to covert messaging online round out the conversation.

Rowan Newby, creator of the Pitches podcast, brings researched wit and comic timing. Frank Mulherin, coiner of 'Idiomatic for the People', shares etymologies with playful storytelling. They debunk myths like 'posh', trace words such as 'craic' and 'willy-nilly', and spin a cheeky tale about 'Harbucksing the runway'. Language history meets humor in quick, curious bursts.

A dive into the myth of an ancient mathematician whose discovery of irrational numbers sparked violence and mystery. Short scenes explore Pythagorean cult beliefs, sacred geometry, and how a simple proof could upend an entire worldview. Several versions of the legend are retold and the line between fact and folklore is probed.

Jonathan Strickland, known as The Quizster for his tech/history commentary and quiz segments, joins the conversation. The show explores the Fox sisters' rise, how Civil War grief fueled a booming spiritualism industry, and the theatrical tricks mediums used. It covers investigators and magicians who exposed fraud, Houdini’s crusade, and the movement’s complicated social legacy.

Rowan Newby, creator of the Pitches podcast, brings idioms and storytelling flair. Frank Mulherin, etymology sleuth, supplies quirky origin tales. They trace phrases like "trip the light fantastic," the evolution of "dope," the 420 story, and "hair of the dog." Short, lively conversations unpack linguistic detours, medieval remedies, slang shifts, and entertaining word histories.