Poles Apart: How A Journalist Divided A City

In 1800s America, something terrifying is feeding on the quiet town of Exeter. As members of George Brown's family succumb one by one, the town considers drastic measures to protect the living from the dead. For a list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com Cautionary T ...  Show more

In 1980s Southern England, intricate crop circles are appearing overnight, and people are desperate for an explanation. Could humans really create something so complex without anyone spotting them? The truth is out there! Actually, the truth is right here. The problem is getting ...  Show more

In the autumn of 1909, the American explorer Frederick Cook arrived in Copenhagen, claiming to have become the first person to reach the North Pole. His dramatic return had been eagerly anticipated, but one young journalist was skeptical. Philip Gibbs contested Cook's version ...

A 19th-century adventurer obsessed with reaching the North Pole set out in the summer of 1871. But the Arctic expedition would be the death of him. Was it the severe weather conditions that bested the seasoned explorer — as the ship’s doctor always claimed? Or did someone onboard ...  Show more

Through his voyages in the eighteenth century, Captain Cook’s work as an explorer contributed to startling advances in scientific knowledge, and mapped swathes of unplotted territory in both hemispheres. To many, he was regarded as one of the greatest explorers in human history, ...  Show more

This 2010 episode from previous hosts Katie and Sarah covers Scott and Amundsen launching rival expeditions to the South Pole. knowing only one group could be the first to reach the pole. Each believed his strategy would prevail, but which explorer won?See omnystudio.com/listener ...  Show more