An October Surprise, Live on Virgin Voyages

Canadian Brady Rogers wins a local election by telling folks he doesn't really care about it. Tesla unveils a new 'flying' car. Florida gambling helpline director Philip Sullivan embezzles more than a million dollars for -- wait for it -- gambling. Russian satellites prompt growing concerns about war in space. Join Ben, Matt, and Noel for 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.

Hello, Stuff They Don't Want You To Know Listeners! We want to share a new show you might enjoy, it’s Curse of: Miss America!!! About the Show: Miss America used to be a national icon. At its peak, the pageant was appointment television, drawing TV audiences that rivaled the Superbowl. But now, the crown is slipping.  The organization is at the center of a tabloid courtroom drama. Two people are claiming to be the rightful owner of the Miss America pageant. And the fight is getting ugly. In one corner, a pageant girl boss. In the other, a self-proclaimed Palm Beach billionaire with a controversial past.  After decades of leadership failures and declining interest, today’s scandal is the only the latest in a long line of controversies in the pageant world. And yet, thousands of young women continue to compete every year. What keeps drawing contestants to an institution that so many former insiders believe has failed them?  Over the course of 10 episodes, we'll hear directly from former titleholders, participants, and whistleblowers. Hosted by pop culture journalist Bridget Armstrong, Curse of Miss America is an investigation into the unraveling of an American institution.  Listen here and subscribe to Curse of: Miss America 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.

For millions of children growing up in the US, a visit to SeaWorld was the peak of vacation. You could finally see magnificent marine mammals up close and personal -- and even interact with them. Yet there was a dark side beneath the waves, one a lot of people didn't realize until the debut of the 2013 Blackfish documentary. Following up on the earlier Elephant Shows episode, Ben, Matt, and Noel dive deep into the hidden story -- and ongoing controversy -- of SeaWorld.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.

Ron B. checks the boys on math. Vinny shares an astonishing Flock surveillance map. Rembrandt prompts a future episode on the West Nile virus. Join Ben, Matt, and Noel for 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.

Even in the days of ubiquitous mobile devices, virtually everyone you know has some sort of access to a television. TV is a legendary success story, going from a tiny, unreliable, and expensive piece of pretty tech to an absolute 'must-have' for billions of people. Yet, as Ben, Matt, and Noel discover in tonight's episode, modern TV sets are no longer dumb screens relaying audio and video. In a very real (and disturbingly conspiratorial) way, your television is watching you, even more than you may be watching it.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.

According to the legend, the Jersey Devil was born to a Quaker named Mother Leeds in 1735 -- a hideous, deformed thing with wings, hooves and horns, it let out a blood-curdling scream after being born, and flew out the chimney and into the woods. For centuries since then, people in the area have reported sightings of the Devil, making it one of North America's most popular cryptids. But what is it, exactly? Could there be a grain of truth to all the wild campfire stories?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 Ben, Matt, and Noel return from the high seas, they learn that a new plague may have broken out in Russia. Whistlebowers allege the CIA is searching genetic mapping companies for 'evidence of alien/human hybrid DNA'. A new kind of mega raptor is discovered in Europe. The rise of Peru's Hitler Mussolini. Yet another (unelected) European official falls under suspicion of selling state secrets. Tune in for 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 Ben, Matt, and Noel wrap up their live show at sea on Virgin Voyages, they turn the microphone to the audience for a wild question and answer session that surprises the crowd as much as it surprises the audience themselves. Everyone, please remember to stop asking about the FBI.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 World War II drew to a close, nations across the planet scrambled to take stock, to recover, to rebuild and survive. But the looming spectre of nuclear technology continued to grow -- the US went against allies and enemies alike to keep its military edge. So how did countries traditionally considered enemies of the US gain nuclear technology? In many cases, the conspiracy goes down to a single man: AQ Khan. Terrified by what India's Smiling Buddha test might mean for the future of Pakistan, he worked furiously to get Pakistan the bomb -- and eventually began selling his expertise to the highest bidder.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.

Whenever it's time for an election in the United States, a curious thing happens. A domestic scandal, a crisis, a hostage situation: whatever the specifics, these events are known as 'October Surprises'. In tonight's episode, recorded live at sea on Virgin Voyages, Ben, Matt, and Noel dive deep into the conspiracies afoot -- and what they can teach us about the days, months, and years ahead.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.