Rapa Nui: The Mystery of Easter Island

Tonight's episode: Ben, Matt, Noel and Dylan ask: How many planets exist? According to current astronomical research, a lot of speculation and tons of conspiracy theories, there may be more to the solar system.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.

If you're not from Nova Scotia, you may have never heard of Africville -- it was a small community in Halifax. The larger government of Halifax seemed content to pretend Africville simply didn't exist. After the infamous Halifax Explosion of the early 1900s, the government changed their tactic, and aggressively conspired to erase Africville from history.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.

Located in the eastern Pacific ocean, thousands of miles from other civilizations, Rapa Nui is home to an enduring mystery: hundreds of giant, stone sculptures called maoi. For centuries, outsiders had no idea how these were built, when, why or -- most importantly -- what happened to make the construction stop. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive deep into hidden history and the latest research... and just may, finally, find the answers.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.

How can a star disappear? As Ben, Matt and Noel learn in this evening's Classic episode, there's more than a bit of weirdness involved: a few years back, an enterprising group of astronomers and astrophysicists found themselves transformed into full-on space detectives when a cursory observation of a luminous blue variable star located in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy revealed the star had simply... vanished. This is, according to what our species understands, impossible. Something this big should leave some sort of trace. So what happened? Join Ben, Matt and Noel as they explore the ongoing cosmic conundrum, exploring the story of this galactic noir mystery -- and, ultimately, attempting to learn what led to its untimely disappearance.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 almost the end of the year -- Disclosure looms, raccoons and humans alike pull heists, folks are housing Faberge eggs, fungi evolves in Chernobyl and pretty much everyone is trying to survive. Ben, Matt and Dylan want to tell you a joke at the beginning of this week's strange news segment. Stay tuned for the upcoming episodes inspired by this 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.

What Happened in Nashville is a deeply reported investigation into the sudden collapse of a Tennessee fertility clinic, and the patients caught in the fallout. When the Center for Reproductive Health shut down without warning, people lost access to their embryos, their treatments were abruptly cut off, and many were left scrambling to recover money, medical records, and time they couldn’t afford to lose. Through intimate conversations with the patients who lived through it, host Melissa Jeltsen reveals the emotional and physical toll of the clinic’s abrupt closure. But the story reaches far beyond a single clinic. The series exposes the cracks in a fertility industry built on hope, high price tags and minimal oversight. What Happened in Nashville isn’t just the story of one tragedy — it’s a warning about a system where families have everything at stake and far too little protection. Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app. 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.

Warning: This episode contains graphic, accurate descriptions of unclean actions, and may not be appropriate for all listeners.In 1981 and 1982, an horrific series of murders and mutilation gripped Chicago. Ultimately, investigators found four men guilty of the crimes: Edward Spreitzer, brothers Andrew and Thomas Kokoraleis, and the alleged ringleader, Robin Gecht. However, as Ben, Matt and Dylan discover in tonight's episode, three of the criminals seemed unable to explain what, exactly, led to their depraved acts. Gecht, they argued, had supernatural powers of compulsion.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.

Hidalgo, Jimothy and Pure prompt Ben, Matt and Dylan to dive even deeper into the bizarre world of hidden structures underground -- including bunkers and top-secret missile siloes, just waiting for that launch command. Pastor Banks reaches out with a deep conversation about the nature of the soul, and Calamity Chris confirms the ancient folklore of dragon's teeth. 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.

As Russia and the West escalate their tensions, the world enacts sanctions meant to cripple the Russian economy -- "you can't sell oil," says the West. Ordinarily, a sanctioned country would have no recourse. Yet, as Ben, Dylan, Matt and Noel discover in tonight's episode, Russia took a different route: a secret navy of ragtag vessels sailing under fake papers, moving fossil fuels -- a genuine Ghost Fleet, immune from international law.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.

Located in Surrey, the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut (more often known as the Deepcut Barracks) was once the headquarters of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corp. On paper, Deepcut seemed to be a successful military installation -- yet it had a dark side. Young trainees were routinely bullied and abused, with little high-level oversight. A series of controversial trainee deaths between 1995 and 2002 were all ruled suicides, and, despite complaints and calls for investigation from grieving family members, forensic experts and more, this remains the official conclusion of the UK government today. Almost a decade since the last documented death, questions remain. Does the British Army have something to hide? Tune in to learn more in this Classic episode of the Stuff They Don't Want You To Know about the Deepcut Four.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.