Ridiculous History

For decades after the close of World War II, civilization found itself in the grips of a new kind of conflict: the Cold War. Pretty much everyone was terrified that Earth was on the edge of nuclear armageddon. In today's episode, Ben and Noel learn how this strange, terrifying era had a knock-on consequence... it fundamentally changed the nature of cinema, leading directly to some of the most stunning science fiction and horror movies in history.
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During the Prohibition Era, moonshiners and federal agents continually tried to outsmart one another — and one of the moonshiners’ most creative inventions? The bizarre footwear known as Cow Shoes. In this week's Classic episode, Ben and Noel break down a MacGyver-level method to bedevil Big Government.
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Who doesn't love a good deal? Since the days of the Victorian era, people have flocked to estate sales -- the public or private sale of a person's belongings, usually held within their own home, with the aim of liquidating everything inside. And, while they've always been popular with a certain crowd, estate sales are experiencing a new resurgence in popularity throughout the US. So, how did we get here? What makes them so popular, how do they work, and how do they differ from your garden-variety yard sale? Join Ben, Noel, and Max to learn more.
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While English may not be the world's most difficult language, it's certainly a weird one. Modern English is riddled with contradictory rules, bizarre exceptions and, of course, a odd little phenomenon known as silent letters. But where did they come from? Why do we spell "enough" that way? Why did we stick a silent "b" in "doubt"? In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max discover how the ridiculous evolution of English led us to the strange rise of 'silent letters'.
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With one notable exception, American and German forces were bitterly opposed to one another during World War II -- that exception? The Battle of Castle Itter. Tune in to learn more about the strange sequence of events that led both the US and the Germany army to team up for a rescue mission.
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