x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

A Cast of Pods

Welcome to “A Cast of Pods”. , the podcast where Users and GPT Agents investigate a wide range of sources. Join the conversation by sharing your thoughts and contributing new sources to expand our exploration of history, past and present. Through unique perspectives, we uncover biases, narratives, and key themes across time—from ancient accounts to modern media—offering fresh insights into how information is shaped and consumed.

society & culture

All Episodes

00:11:19

S2 #36: Pink Cocaine

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/02/01

The provided texts describe "tusi" (also known as "pink cocaine"), a new recreational drug appearing in various countries. **Tusi is not primarily cocaine,** but rather a pink powder containing a mixture of substances, most commonly ketamine, often combined with MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, and opioids. **The inconsistent composition poses significant health risks,** as users are unaware of the exact contents and dosage. Several sources highlight the deceptive marketing and growing concerns among

en-us

00:14:07

S2 #35: Poison Rings: History and Culture

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/02/01

The Wikipedia article on poison rings details their history and use in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. **These rings**, containing compartments under or within their bezels, **were used to hold poison**, facilitating both murder and suicide. However, the article also notes that **the rings had numerous other purposes**, including storing perfumes, keepsakes, and even religious relics. Despite their association with poison, **evidence suggests that poison rings were more commonly used for

en-us

00:12:13

S2 #34: Gaslighting

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/02/01

This article from Cleveland Clinic's website defines gaslighting as a form of emotional abuse involving repeated manipulative behavior designed to erode a victim's sense of self and reality. The article details how gaslighting works, common signs to watch for, and examples in various relationships (work, romantic, familial, public). It also explores whether gaslighting can be unintentional and discusses how to confront a gaslighter and, if necessary, end the relationship. The article emphasizes the

en-us

00:10:20

S2#33: The Great London Beer Flood of 1814

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/02/01

The Wikipedia article details the **1814 London Beer Flood**, a catastrophic event at the Meux & Co. brewery. A **massive vat of porter burst**, releasing a **wave of beer that killed eight people** and caused significant damage to a nearby slum. The accident **bankrupted the brewery** initially, but a government rebate helped save the business. The disaster ultimately led to changes in brewing practices, as **large wooden vats were phased out**. The brewery site is now occupied by the Dominion

en-us

00:12:26

S2#32: The Cretaceous Interior Seaway of North America

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/02/01

This video transcript from Myron Cook details a geologist's explanation of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway, a vast body of water that once divided North America. The geologist uses various geological formations, such as shale deposits and sandstone layers, to map the Seaway's extent and depth. He examines fossil evidence, particularly ammonites and volcanic ash layers, to establish the Seaway's age and duration (approximately 40 million years). Furthermore, the video connects the Seaway's

en-us

00:10:37

S2#31: The 48 Laws of Power

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/31

The Internet Archive hosts a digital copy of Robert Greene's *The 48 Laws of Power*. **Multiple file formats** are available for download, including EPUB, PDF, and various text-based options. **Metadata** indicates the book's subject matter and author. **User reviews are absent**, suggesting a need for more user engagement. The archive also provides **download links to other books** by the same author. The entry displays the book's size and date added to the archive.SOURCE MATERIAL: 48 Laws of Power

en-us

00:32:52

S2 #30: DeepSeek-The Chinese AI Disrupting the Market

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/31

**A YouTube video discusses DeepSeek R1**, a new Chinese open-source AI model that has caused significant market reactions. **DeepSeek's impressive performance**, achieved with significantly less computing power than comparable models like GPT-4, is attributed to its efficient training methods and innovative design. **Controversy surrounds DeepSeek's claims** regarding its resource usage, with some suggesting the company downplayed the actual computational resources employed. Despite this, the video

en-us

00:25:49

S2 #29: The Lost Ways

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/31

**"The Lost Ways"** is a guide to 18th and 19th-century self-sufficiency skills. It features instructions and recipes for building structures like smokehouses and roundhouses, making essential items such as knives and snowshoes, preserving food through methods like pemmican production and hardtack baking, and wildcrafting edible plants. The book also explores historical contexts, such as frontier law enforcement and water preservation techniques used by sailors. Importantly, the text includes

en-us

00:20:09

S2 #28: The Gigantic Salt Diapirs of the Gulf of Mexico

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/30

**Myron Cook's YouTube video** explains the geological formation of a massive salt deposit in the Gulf of Mexico. **Using bathymetry maps and seismic imaging**, Cook illustrates the unique topography of the ocean floor, highlighting numerous crater-like depressions. He proposes that these features resulted from the movement of a thick salt layer, comparing the process to pancake formation and referencing the Teton Mountains to scale the salt's thickness. The video explores the origin of the salt

en-us

00:24:53

S2 #27: Fauci's 2014 Pardon: Gain-of-Function...

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/30

This YouTube transcript from *The Hill* discusses President Biden's preemptive pardon of Dr. Anthony Fauci. **The pardon's unusual 2014 start date** coincides with a pause on gain-of-function research initiated by President Obama, raising questions about potential wrongdoing related to Fauci's involvement in such research. The discussion centers on whether Fauci misled Congress about this research and the implications of a broad, preemptive pardon covering this period. **The hosts debate the

en-us

00:13:04

Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan: Austronesian Origins

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/29

This video transcript from Kings and Generals details the history and culture of Taiwan's indigenous people. **These Austronesian peoples**, originating in Taiwan, **spread across the Pacific and Indian Oceans**, establishing diverse cultures and languages. **Despite centuries of colonization by the Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese**, these groups maintain their unique identities. The video also **explores their matrilineal social structures, headhunting traditions, and the ongoing efforts to preserve

en-us

00:19:29

S2 #25: Taxes & Tariffs in America.

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/27

Both source videos from the Valuetainment channel discuss the history of taxes and warfare in America. The first video chronicles the correlation between US wars and tax increases, highlighting how wartime financing repeatedly led to new or increased taxes, even after promises to eliminate them once the debt was paid. The second video proposes a plan to eliminate income tax by increasing tariffs and reducing government spending and inefficiencies, arguing that current tax revenue disproportionately

en-us

00:22:04

When Water Was Safer Than Land

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/25

The video transcript discusses a unique period in Earth's history, the Lopingian epoch, where marine environments were surprisingly safer than terrestrial ones. This was due to a devastating extinction event on land that wiped out dominant predators, while marine life, though diminished, faced less extreme predation. The Lopingian featured terrifying terrestrial apex predators like gorgonopsids, while oceans harbored fewer large, dangerous creatures. The extreme heat and aridity of the Lopingian

en-us

00:20:28

S2 #24: Cro-Magnons: Giants of the Ice Age

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/24

The video transcript details the Cro-Magnons, early modern humans in Europe, focusing on their physical characteristics, including their unusually large size and robust builds. The text explores their lifestyle, highlighting their hunting of megafauna, sophisticated tool use, and evidence of both interspecies violence and cannibalism. The Cro-Magnons' advanced cultural achievements, including art, music, and complex social structures, are also examined. Finally, the video discusses their eventual

en-us

00:20:36

S2 #23: Wesley Huff on ancient Sumerian and Elamite...

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/24

This source transcript features a conversation between Joe Rogan and Wesley Huff, a biblical scholar, discussing Huff's debate with Billy Carson. The discussion covers Carson's inaccurate claims about ancient texts and languages, leading to cease-and-desist letters. Huff explains his approach to biblical scholarship, emphasizing rigorous research and methodological accuracy. The conversation also touches upon the Dead Sea Scrolls, the challenges of translating ancient languages, and the historical

en-us

00:14:45

S2 #22: Hidden War: Cartels and the California...

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/23

This YouTube transcript features an interview with John Nores, a former California game warden, who discusses his decades-long experience combating cartel activity in California. Nores details the cartels' involvement in illegal cannabis cultivation, its devastating environmental consequences, and the significant public safety risks. He highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement, including insufficient resources and inter-agency communication issues, exacerbated by conflicting state and

en-us

00:20:22

S2 #21: The Panama Canal and Chinese Influence

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/23

This video transcript features a conversation between two senators discussing concerns about increasing Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere, particularly regarding the Panama Canal. They express worries that Chinese control of ports at either end of the canal poses a national security risk, potentially enabling China to disrupt commerce. The discussion also touches upon broader Chinese investment strategies in the region, which often involve leveraging financial deals to gain political and

en-us

00:13:44

S2 #20: Trump's Territorial Ambitions-Greenland,...

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/21

This source video analyzes Donald Trump's stated ambitions to acquire Greenland, the Panama Canal, and potentially Canada. The speaker argues that these bold claims might be a negotiating tactic, but also reflect a significant geopolitical shift in US foreign policy. The video examines the economic and strategic implications of each potential acquisition, highlighting the resources involved and the competing influence of China and Russia. Ultimately, the speaker suggests that while full annexation

en-us

00:11:36

S2 #19: Orange Peel's Unexpected Forest Revival

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/19

The source video transcript explores the unexpected ecological success of a Costa Rican experiment where 12,000 tons of orange pulp were dumped in a degraded pasture. Despite initial legal challenges, the waste unexpectedly transformed the barren land into a thriving forest over 16 years, highlighting the potential for agricultural waste to restore ecosystems. The video further discusses similar experiments using coffee pulp and also explores various innovative uses for orange peels, such as

en-us

00:12:42

S2 #18: The Surprising History of "MILF"

A Cast of Pods ·

2025/01/18

This article explores the origin and cultural impact of the slang term "MILF," tracing its possible beginnings from a 1990s alternative music magazine or a Buffalo, NY band, to its popularization by the movie *American Pie* and subsequent widespread use in media and popular culture. The author investigates various potential first uses, interviewing individuals and referencing academic research on slang. The piece highlights the term's evolution and its lasting presence, noting the mixed feelings of

en-us

318 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger