Omnibus

In which Futureling Katie Nieland explores drones, peanut butter, the bubonic plague, and a delightful animal previously believed to be extinct, while John recounts his experience as a railroad hobo. Certificate #16802.

In which Futureling Dan Hope relays the tale of a military vanity, a less-than-a-mile voyage, and John relays his success rate in righting overturned canoes. Certificate #30911.

In which Bohuš Blahut (RetroThing.com, Tech Hunters) and John discuss ventriloquist, the inventor of the artificial heart and the voice of Tigger too. Certificate #25379.

In which John and Ken record an entry at Library of Congress before a live audience, and Ken pitches the next hit reboot starring John Cena. Certificate #24597

In which Futureling Faris Alikhan reveals an Allied plan to stop U-boats with a mix of ice and wood pulp, and John asks why everyone at SFO wears quarter-zip sweaters. Certificate #45325.

In which Futureling Adam Wonderly discusses how a rug empire ended up creating a Canadian landmark, and John learns that Anchorage could have done better than an indoor ice rink. Certificate #43923.

In which Futurling Jon Hannah dicusses the origins of public libraries, labor exploitation and the uneasy bargain between wealth and the common good. Certificate #39770.

In which Futureling Loren Skaggs and John discuss Tacoma, Cold War paranoia, the birth of flying saucer mythology, and the Katuga boat trote. Certificate #31561.

In which Futureling Luke Burrage and John discuss the early history of the internet, Claude Shannon, information theory, and one of the least likely professions ever to be called "Sir". Certificate #28099.

In which Brendan McAleer explains how a 1979 Chevrolet Camaro became a lightly armored, smoke-blowing, night-vision-equipped humanitarian savior, which John insists is the coolest car an eleven-year-old could imagine. Certificate #21628.

In which we finally get a John show about growing up Gen X in front of the TV console watching Alan Alda, Rosey Grier, Cicely Tyson, Carol Channing, and Michael Jackson and Ken reminisces about what a stone-cold fox Marlo Thomas was. Certificate #36926.

In which Futureling Rebecca unpacks the story of a mayor, a demolished airport, and the battle over who really gets to claim a city's waterfront, while John recalls discovering Chicago through a PC flight simulator. Certificate #32575.

In which John travels to Ukraine and interviews Alisa Demina (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy), Kateryna Chuyeva (a Ukrainian cultural heritage expert and former Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine) and Oleksandra Ivanova (PhD student of Archaeology at NaUKMA and co-founder the NGO Scientific and Research lab Archaic). Certificate #25380.

In which Futureling Christa Dahlstrom and John enjoy a virtual taste test and discuss the lifelong trauma of discovering that what you were promised was, in fact, not chocolate. Certificate #22095.

In which Futureling Thomas Dolan-Gavitt traces how an offhand blog post gave rise to television’s greatest conspiracy theory, weaving together Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, The X-Files, and a shared universe the shared-universe craze swept Hollywood. Certificate #6555.

In which a Yankee leaper and a long line of hucksters and daredevils take their chances over an American landmark, and John reveals he doesn't have Incognito Mode turned on in his browser. Certificate #54642

In which cartoonist and writer Emily Flake discusses chance encounters with Dan Rather, being denied entry to Turks and Caicos, and the namesake of Emily's St. Nell's Humor Writing Residency for Ladies. Certificate #863.

In which David Hyde (Blue City Blues, Seattle Nice) meets John in the bunker to discuss the 1849 Astor Place Opera House Riot and the welcome return of the timeless Ken-era art of razzing Canadians. Certificate #26694.

In which Futureling Ariela Silberstein gives John his Cold War fix while discussing the mysterious disappearance of nine Soviet hikers. Certificate #48070.

In which Nick Butler (Sometimes Weekly) recalls exploding limos, kayfabe and a future President. Certificate #44697

In which Futureling (and occasional magician’s assistant) Jennifer MacFarlane discusses pigeons and a family story from the southern Netherlands in the fall of 1944. Certificate #23861.

In which comedian Lisa Lane and John revisit late 20th-century nostalgia, and what technology has done to the delicate art of knocking on strangers’ doors. Certificate #12881

In which comedian and writer Alex Falcone discusses weather balloons, broken arrows, and the most general of mills. Certificate #35593.

In which an Atari founder turns borrowed ideas into a gaming empire, makes a killing, and launches Rick Rat’s Pizza—guided by Futureling Keli Boucher. Certificate #48560.

In which Bob Crawford, author of America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick and bass player for The Avett Brothers, waxes on William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and an unfortunately named Peacemaker. Certificate #34343.

In which giant university marching drums, mythic African war drums, and even a Salvadoran bronze masterpiece take center stage — guided by Futureling Natalie Hudson. Certificate #31992.

In which Futureling Hugh Scott unpacks the saga of drifter, doctor, and self-declared president William Walker. Certificate #28903

In which Futureling Katie Tarara uncovers the surprising rise of a symbol of French celebration in the American Southwest. Certificate #31308

In which a lonely concrete pyramid in North Dakota uncovers the story of America’s ambitious—and short-lived—Cold War missile defense system, with guest Michael Milner. Certificate #1502

In which comedian Saul Henry discusses the global reach of Worcestershire sauce and regional British accents. Certificate #37300.

In which Futureling Robert educates John about Germany's all-time best-selling author—and fraudster—Karl May. Special appearance by Einstein. Certificate #23821.

In which Erin Dawson, a trans black metal musician who goes by the moniker Genital Shame, explores the nature of prank calls, their cultural significance, and Longmont Potion Castle. Certificate #50858.

In which writer and podcaster Grant Brisbee reveals the history of baseball's worst stadium. Special appearance by Richard Nixon and The Beatles. Certificate #31484.

In which various crackpots and Russians decide that three hundred years of the European "dark ages" simply didn't happen, and Ken doesn't want his eulogy to be vague. Certificate #22651.

In which author, music executive and host of the Identified podcast Nabil Ayers discusses selling used CDs, The Terminator, The Drum Doctor and more. Certificate #48391.

In which Linus Chan explores American citizenship, the law, and the long shadow of the Missouri Compromise. Certificate #24581.

In which Futureling Kate tells John about the rise, fall, and attempted revival of a millennial obsession. Certificate #30063.

In which Futureling Richard Stephens tells of the rapid rise of a Revolutionary general through the military ranks, the challenges he faced as a person of color in a predominantly white society, and the decline of his legacy under Napoleon’s regime. Certificate #40773.

In which a WWII fighter plane crashes on a Greenland ice sheet in 1942 and is painstakingly recovered and restored by a pilot over two decades. Certificate #25573.

In which a politician is banished to Singapore’s theme-park island, recounted by Nathan Jennings. Certificate #41799

In which the illegitimate son of a Cornish housekeeper rises to the top of the British Museum Egyptology department. Featuring futureling and the host of the podcast Books of All Time Rose Judson. Certificate #43419.

Wherein dozens of Orca were kidnapped in an unspeakable scene and Christopher didn’t bring a laptop (and John didn’t have a camera yet). Certificate #41344.

In which a plucky immigrant "printer's devil" creates a newspaper that puzzles and pays off generations of young American boys, and John avoids a chainsaw duel. Certificate #31682.

In which a government-backed desert race for unmanned vehicles ignites the technologies driving the autonomous future now creeping into our cities - with guest Andrew Miller. Certificate #49327

In which Jack Kirby, a titan of American pop culture, confronts the disappearance of thousands of pages of his original comic art—and the battle over his place in creating modern pop culture guided by guest host Joseph J. Darowski. Certificate #43383

In which two young Depression-era clerks break from their dull routines and embark on a canoe trip. Certificate #44688

In which three well-meaning Atlanta executives accidentally announce their surrender in the cola wars, and Ken reads a letter. Certificate #38738.

In which mail, cash, trash, passengers, burgers, and cats are sent zipping through vast networks on puffs of compressed air, and John would like to be sent a horny landscaper. Certificate #46257.

In which a Wyoming-educated economist gets big in Japan by inventing modern business theory, and Ken wants to be able to wince on a call. Certificate #36485.

In which an power tools salesman builds the world's fastest boat in his Sydney backyard and somehow survives the experience, and John thinks it's funny to be accordion-shaped in the past. Certificate #16230.

In which a Minnesota meat concern changes the face of world cuisine by passing their surplus pork shoulder off on hungry soldiers, and Ken imagines a pre-war Sir Mix-a-Lot. Certificate #53117.

In which three or four pretenders decide to pass themselves off as a very convincingly killed Russian prince, and John realizes some jobs have dripping access. Certificate #51533.

In which a mystery of Nazi propaganda, once solved, powers television sitcoms for decades to come, and Ken wonders about the least talented part of a guitarist. Certificate #37919.

In which post-war science finally develops the perfect system for spelling things over radio and telephones, and John learns he has been misspelling a pretty famous play. Certificate #50168.

In which a series of engineers, entrepreneurs, and classic TV producers discover that America wants gentle music piped into its public spaces, and Ken likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. Certificate #54082.

In which television stations spend decades signing off every night after the national anthem, and John likes to keep a stiff upper lip during Mormon TV ads. Certificate #31942.

In which wheeler-dealers and Debbie Reynolds pillage a priceless trove of movie treasure for pennies on the dollar, and Ken has never been in his own conference room. Certificate #38661.

In which a Marine vet and NASA engineer changes the course of American public policy when he fails to get into medical school, and John has no pith. Certificate #29277.

In which a Detroit-area teen overachieves in Boy Scouts by trying to build a nuclear reactor in a potting shed, and Ken only wants capitalized toys. Certificate #50176.

In which a generation of English peers and their sons look to fix their leaky castle roofs by marrying wealthy American "buccaneers," and John has never kidnapped anyone in Bulgaria. Certificate #33143.

In which the dandyish vintage finds of postwar British teens set a blueprint for the rest of 20th-century youth fashion, and Ken keeps getting hit in the head by nose flutes on the bus. Certificate #13953.

In which a 700-year-old Venusian designs a mysterious whitewashed dome in the Mojave Desert, and John would like to change history at the mutiny on the Bounty. Certificate #13181.

In which internet-era conspiracy theoriests become confvinced that jet contrails are weather control masterminded from Fairbanks, Alaska, and Ken thinks John sounds like a Muppet for exactly one syllable. Certificate #52946.

In which some of the bankers who lost their shirts in the Great Depression find a cushy retirement in the Bronx instead of jumping out windows, and John will never say anyone isn't gay. Certificate #35727.

In which butter substitutes have to overcome scientific hurdles, dairy-friendly laws, and bad news about trans fats, and Ken thinks Germany is trying to control olive oil. Certificate #34384.

In which Poland's most famous exile partially returns to Warsaw to posthumously annoy both tsars and Nazis, and John's restaurant idea has some light cannibalism. Certificate #31277.

In which today's cities face tough choices on how to guide urban behavior with incredibly uncomfortable-looking design features, and Ken would pee on a fly but not a bee. Certificate #19421.

In which it takes decades for America to decide whether its civil war was an insurrection or an invasion, nomenclature-wise, and John walks very erratically on his orange shag carpet. Certificate #26478.

In which six bored, Cambridge-connected bohemians con their way onto the British Empire's naval flagship by dressing as African royalty, and Ken thinks John is either Batman or a Karen. Certificate #19722.

In which a crusading social psychiatrist drums up the moral panic that gets two mega-popular comic book genres banned from America's newsstands, and John agrees that punching Hitler is unmissable. Certificate #44894.

In which it takes Europe over two thousand years to figure out that the greatest of the great apes is not just Carthaginian folklore, and Ken would like to be considered merciful. Certificate #46468.

In which the popularity of "mourning bequeathments" and the death of the Prince Consort lead to an explosion of morbid family handicrafts, and John gives away the same piano twice. Certificate #50902.

In which a Honolulu teenager discovers a rusty bolt by the side of the road and changes the face of 20th-century music across multiple genres, and Ken is surprised to learn what Aerosmith, Paul Shaffer, and Harvard have in common. Certificate #35281.

In which a famed monastic tradition is revealed to be a modern misunderstanding of the chattiness of religious life, and Ken does not want to know what a Robot Guitar really is. Certificate #38497.

In which an ancient Chinese game of intransitive balance changes the world as both a children's pastime and a decision-making method, and John has the candy tastes of a pioneer child. Certificate #23611.

In which the documentary films of the Arctic are revealed to be full of lies, leading to one misunderstood rodent, and John thinks about a vole in a bowl. Certificate #25575.

In which North Korea jump-starts its fledgeling monster movie industry by literally kidnapping talent from across the DMZ, and Ken was distracted by skateboarding. Certificate #37139

In which the measurement of spires and skyscrapers becomes a source of architectural squabbles and global prestige, and John hides in the forest with a guitar. Certificate #51591.

In which the planners of the third modern Olympics scour the globe hoping to populate a human zoo and maybe make the exhibits do sports, and Ken thinks the periodic table needs some work. Certificate #53289.

In which an Italian workman creates a cultural icon when he attempts to repatriate a Renaissance masterpiece from the laxly secured Louvre, and John upstages Ken's sturgeon. Certificate #35100.

In which the tanning industry invents a fancy-sounding term for one of its worst grades of leather, and Ken learns his childhood jacket may have had epaulets. Certificate #46978.

In which five adorable and identical Franco-Ontarians become an international sensation and then wards of the state, and John doesn't know what to call the bulb of Canada. Certificate #31042.

In which the first great sporting fad of the 19th century springs from great feats of British walking, and Ken isn't sure how to use protozoa as a metaphor for time. Certificate #21218.

In which Hollywood's greatest case of sibling rivalry begins with a swimming pool injury and ends at the Oscars, and John rediscovers pop music thanks to the Queeb. Certificate #30747.

In which we celebrate the post-Valentine's season by looking back at the sleazy 1970s when adult films briefly became mainstream chic, and Ken avoids a Y2K for his marriage. Certificate #25369.

In which a veiled, fume-huffing priestess tells the ancient world what to do for over a millennium, and John only knows what time it is from his truck clock. Certificate #25192.

In which a Disneyland-trained dreamer invents a new art form with the help of a cookie entrepreneur and a jellybean innovator, and Ken has a theory about the worst balloon vendors. Certificate #32691.

In which an inescapable awards-season acronym is jump-started twenty-five years earlier by an eccentric TV cop actor and a pop reference book, and John's family would like to kick in hotel room doors. Certificate #42952.

In which an Atlanta pastor changes his name after a very inspiring visit to Germany and begins an American civil rights dynasty, and Ken gets to make a chart. Certificate #45274.

In which scientists and paranormal investigators puzzle over a string of mysterious deaths beginning with a "dull and heavy" Italian countess, and John learns about the peat of the Maldives. Certificate #40714.

In which British investors power the Industrial Revolution with arguably too many waterways for the nation's barges, and Ken thinks escalators are not cheating. Certificate #27217.

In which a solar storm in 1859 leads to eye-popping auroras and a harboring of technological doom, and John compares gold pan and pizza sizes. Certificate #54094.

In which the childhood Christmas tradition of two Georgia twins becomes a cultural tug-of-war over surveillance psychology, and Ken is going to buy a light blue tree. Certificate #45509.

In which astronauts and cosmonauts smuggle sandwiches, golf clubs, harmonicas, collectibles, and ashes into orbit, and John wants to blow bubbles on the Moon. Certificate #54825.

In which a Cantonese restaurant in San Franciscos's Chinatown spreads American revolving-table technology worldwide, and Ken wonders how long it takes to get sick of a musician in your spare bedroom. Certificate #43576.

In which ancient sorcery, changeling myths, and Edwardian fads combine to create America's only homegrown childhood rite of passage, and John's dentist turns teeth into boats. Certificate #19230.

In which telephone users once had access to a surprising array of helpful and informative services, and Ken got rid of his landline to spite Al-Qaeda. Certificate #26038.

In which an ancient linguistic and religious practice becomes a jaunty, ambulatory musical form before falling into decline, and John does not want to see condors in a hospital. Certificate #45133.