Happy Halloween, fellow Conspiracy Realists. Whether or not you're religious, you've doubtlessly heard all sorts of stuff about the Biblical Devil. Ethics aside, he's one of the most well-known characters in all of literature. And he occurs in way more than just religious texts. ...Show more
Listener Mail: Card Heists, Phrexian Nightmares, Weaponized Absurdity and More
Big Cheese responds to the episode on smart dust, prompting a conversation about Magic: The Gathering. Privacy Guy shares a story about a trading card heist. Void inspires an exploration of weaponized absurdity. Plus Codename PinBrock reveals a huge mac and cheese conspiracy. Joi ...Show more
The roots of this festive holiday reach way back through history, with links to Nordic myths and the Roman Saturnalia. For colonists in 17th century America, celebrating Christmas was controversial… and in this telling, a despairing Puritan preacher goes so far as to try and canc ...Show more
Holiday Classic: When the Puritans Canceled Christmas
Nowadays Christmas is a globally-recognized holiday celebrated by millions of people, but in the past this wasn't the case. In fact, some groups of Christians detested the holiday, going so far as to ban it completely. So what led Puritans to ban one of the most prominent celebra ...Show more
Is Christmas an ancient ritual or was it invented by Dickens? Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the transformation of Christmas from public to private event and decide when it became a commercial rather than spiritual celebration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p ...Show more