The Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex

At the height of the Cold War, both the Soviets and the United States raced to hold supremacy across the globe. Over in North Dakota, you can find a strange relic of this unending conflict -- the Stanley R. Mickelson Safeguard Complex, a billion-dollar boondoggle built to detect and destroy Soviet missiles. It opened on October 1st, 1975. Just one day later, on October 2nd, Congress shut it down. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel ask: What happened?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 September of 1961, on an empty country road in rural New Hampshire, Barney and Betty Hill experienced the most profound, bizarre night of their lives in what would become the first widely-publicized account of an alien abduction in US history -- the case that would go on to influence hundreds, if not thousands, of abduction cases to follow. But what exactly happened that September night? Join the guys as they sit down with author Toby Ball, host of the Strange Arrivals podcast, to explore the facts, the claims, and the questions that remain unanswered 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.

US authorities raid a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, detaining nearly 500 workers and sparking an international crisis with South Korea. The QAnon Queen of Canada is arrested. The rise of teenage assassins in Sweden. US tech companies are complicit in mass surveillance across China. The good and bad of LSD. 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 human civilization hurtles headlong toward technology it still does not fully understand, your favorite world governments are in a new arms race to control large language models, generative AI, and the terrifying golden goose -- a fully sentient, artificially created, non-organic mind. So what happens when they discover it? As Ben, Matt and Noel learn in the second chapter of this two-part series: everything is precedent.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.

HR prompts an exploration of the world's internet -- and what happens when it fails. Dale pitches the concept of Anunnaki Pirates. Moose shares some insight into cat conversations. 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.

Corporations across the planet are going crazy for AI -- and governments are no different. So what happens when new technology revolutionizes the same age-old interests of a government? What happens when a new technology revolutionizes the same age-old mistakes as well?In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Matt and Noel explore governmental interest in AI: the facts, the fiction, and the frightening implications.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 "AI" week here on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. In tonight's Classic episode, Ben, Matt and Noel revisit their 2020 original exploration of Clearview AI -- to its supporters, this company's facial recognition software revolutionizes safety. To its critics, there's much more on the horizon.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.

Fan of the show Uncle Xi just threw a big party to commemorate the end of World War II. In this week's strange news segment, the guys explore the FOMO of the world's second-strangest science fair.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.

People have attempted to communicate with other animals since before the dawn of recorded history. Today, almost every pet owner feels they have deep, communicative bonds with their pets -- but what about wild animals? In the second chapter of this two-part series, Ben, Matt and Noel discover how 'AI' may soon allow humans to speak directly with multiple other organisms. (We also absolutely wrecked our search history with phrases like "sperm whale phonetic alphabet.")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 Messenger prompts a conversation on video games and divinity. Oz Woman replies to the earlier series on the Anunnaki. Following up on the earlier news about China's artificial womb, PoodleCrab and others walk through the positive -- and negative -- implications. A brief homily on Cracker Barrel. 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.