Conspiracy Theories

How does King Burr sound? While he’s most infamous for shooting a Founding Father in a duel, Aaron Burr’s crimes extend even further: The former Vice President was once tried for treason after allegedly plotting to invade Mexico and create his own country.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

July 26th was quite a day in Congress. The House subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs met to discuss...UFOs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In April 1988, a top Soviet scientist, Valery Legasov, died by suicide. Before his death, he recorded a series of chilling deathbed confessions concerning one of the world's deadliest disasters: the Chernobyl nuclear explosion. Over four hours, Legasov confessed terrifying truths and disturbing realities from the nuclear power-plant, revealing secrets that had been hidden for two years and lies which had been repeatedly spun. His death left the world with a dangerous collection of information that could finally answer the question the Soviets sought to suppress for years: What really happened at Chernobyl in 1986? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In March 1938, a brilliant physicist boarded a ship from Palermo to Naples, Italy. When the ship docked, he wasn’t on it. What happened to Ettore Majorana? And did his research group’s work on nuclear reactions have anything to do with his sudden disappearance?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A top-secret military program changed the world in August 1945. Today we’re examining the Manhattan Project’s official story: its key figures, its developments, its spies… And breaking open the conspiracy theories it inspired around extraterrestrials, a fluoride cover-up, and a pagan cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three years before the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a group of men including J. R. Oppenheimer and Ernest Lawrence held a secret meeting at Bohemian Grove—the meeting place of an invitation-only boys club made up of the rich and powerful. It’s said that the meeting marked the earliest stages of the Manhattan Project. This week we’re exploring what we know about the exclusive fraternity that parties—and plots—in the privacy of California’s redwood forests.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Oppenheimer hits theaters this summer, explore the real-life events that inspired the film. We’ll be back in August with new episodes of Conspiracy Theories.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A prehistoric species discovered in England was once hailed as the “missing link” between humans and apes. Until it was exposed as a fake. The only question remaining: Who was in on the scam?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From doctoring scripts and censoring movies, to influencing programming for game shows, just how deep is the partnership between Hollywood and the military? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are crime dramas just good PR for cops? From Dragnet to Law & Order, American crime shows have been helping craft the public’s perception of police for decades. But how do crime shows compare to the real thing—and how much influence does law enforcement have over how they’re portrayed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices