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PODCAST

Ridiculous History

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

history

All Episodes

56:13

IQ Tests are (Kind of) Dumb

Ridiculous History ·

2026/04/02

Have you ever taken an IQ test? Originally envisioned as a way to determine which French children should be locked in asylums, Alfred Binet's attempt to quantify human intelligence took the modern world by storm. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max ask in this follow-up to lead exposure: How accurate are the IQ tests? Are they genuinely accurate, or, ironically enough... their own sort of dumb?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

49:52

Did Lead Lead to the Fall of the Roman Empire?

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/31

Don't do lead, kids! Nowadays everyone knows the dangers this substance poses to humans -- especially children in their formative years -- but back in the day, lead was everywhere. Ancient Rome was riddled with the stuff, using lead in everything from pipes, to smelting, to cutlery, pottery and wine. It's tough to know just how much lead the average person encountered, but breathing the lead-filled air alone may have dropped children's IQs by up to three points. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max

en-US

28:18

CLASSIC: California Schoolchildren and the Great...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/28

In this week's Classic episode: In 1918, as the planet was consumed by World War I, the government of California found itself combating an unexpected and catastrophic enemy: Ground squirrels. The rodents were wreaking havoc across the countryside, consuming crops left and right. State horticulture commissioner George H. Hecke proposed an unorthodox solution -- enlist schoolchildren in a statewide massacre of all ground squirrels. Oddly enough, it worked.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

42:22

Don’t Be a Schmo Yo, Try a Yoyo!

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/26

Most people think of yo-yos as a fun, old-school toy for kids: a pretty simple, clever device leveraging physics with a string and a weight. Yet as Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, the story of the humble dates back into antiquity -- and the story of its evolution is riddled with ridiculous ups and downs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

48:45

The Ridiculous Secret of "Supreme" Pizza

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/24

The results are in: pretty much everyone loves pizza... but what doth a pizza make varies from place to place. Obsessed with a game-changing message from a former pizzaiolo on the inside, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the delicious (and arguably disturbing) conspiracy of what makes a pizza "supreme".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

29:53

CLASSIC: When West Virginia Begged the USSR for...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/21

In this week's Classic episode: Were it not for the coal mine, the town of Vulcan, West Virginia may well have never existed. As a rural and geographically isolated community, Vulcan relied on a single, small bridge for its connection to the larger world. When the bridge failed, the town repeatedly tried to get financial assistance from the local and state government -- with no success. In a state of increasing desperation, the Mayor of Vulcan wrote the Soviet Union for help... during the Cold War

en-US

33:37

Knitting as Espionage, Part Two: Legendary Spies --...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/19

Espionage takes many forms. As Ben, Noel and Max learned in the first part of this two-part series, one of those forms was knitting. In today's episode, the guys explore the stories of phenomenal spies who used knitting as a form of top-secret communication.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

33:37

Knitting as Espionage, Part One: Secrets in the Stitch

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/17

For a lot of folks in the modern day, knitting is more a relaxing hobby than a household necessity. However, not too long ago, this needlecraft was a genuine -- and effective! -- tool for spies. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the fascinating history of knitting as espionage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

38:47

CLASSIC: Idiomatic for the People II, Part II

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/14

Language is beautiful and, in many cases, continually evolving. As a result, we end up with hundreds of strange idioms and figures of speech that we use on a daily basis, with little to no understanding of what they originally meant. Join Ben and Noel with special guests Frank Mulherin and Rowan Newbie, the creator of the Pitches podcast, as they explore the bizarre origins of your favorite turns of phrase in this Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

34:48

Inventors Who Died Due To Their Own Inventions: The...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/12

We all know pi, right? It's one of the most famous 'irrational numbers' in history, and mathematicians are still trying to figure it out in the modern day. While this may seem arcane to some of us non-mathheads, in today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max learn these numbers were3 once such a big deal that legends say folks got murdered for discovering them. Tune in to learn the harrowing tale of Hippasus, a Pythagorean cultist who discovered irrational numbers -- and, in doing so, pissed off the Gods so

en-US

52:36

The Spiritualism Movement Was Utterly Ridiculous,...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/10

As the Fox sisters became global superstars for their purported ability to speak with the dead, the Spiritualism movement became both a social phenomena and a booming business. Yet along with the rise of true believers and performing psychics, an army of skeptics and investigators rose as well... and the questions they asked eventually brought the entirety of the movement down. Join Ben, Noel, Max and returning special guest Jonathan Strickland (aka The Quizster) for the second part of this special

en-US

49:54

CLASSIC: Idiomatic for the People II, Part I: What's...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/07

Language is beautiful and, in many cases, continually evolving. As a result, we end up with hundreds of strange idioms and figures of speech that we use on a daily basis, with little to no understanding of what they originally meant. Join the guys with special guests Frank Mulherin and Rowan Newbie, the creator of the Pitches podcast, as they explore the bizarre origins of your favorite turns of phrase in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

54:12

The Spiritualism Movement Was Utterly Ridiculous,...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/05

It's a pickle for the ages: What happens when you die? The Spiritualism movement may seem obscure today -- but back in the mid-19th century, this religious and social phenomenon absolutely rocked the modern world. In the first part of this special two-part episode, Ben, Noel and Max welcome back Jonathan Strickland (aka the Quizster) to explore the rise of this movement... and Jonathan promises to behave.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

33:55

History's Weirdest National Anthems

Ridiculous History ·

2026/03/03

Let's be honest: national anthems are cool... but definitely propaganda, and often objectively weird. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore some of history's strangest national anthems. Some are inspiring, some are plain odd -- and, as the guys learn, a lot of national anthems change over time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

33:54

CLASSIC: The Statue of Liberty Almost Lived in Egypt

Ridiculous History ·

2026/02/28

Today the Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous landmarks in the United States -- but it almost didn't make it to Ellis Island. Join the Ben and Noel as they explore the strange story of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and his quest to build this iconic monument in this week's classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

35:20

Vacuum Cleaners are Ridiculous!

Ridiculous History ·

2026/02/26

Did you know over 90% of US households own a vacuum cleaner? These handy-dandy descendents of the carpet sweeper revolutionized the cleaning game... but where did they come from? As Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, your humble vacuum is the result of centuries' worth of wild ideas -- and more than a few crazily ambitious inventors, as well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

33:59

The Ridiculously Adorable, Feminist History of Kewpie...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/02/24

When illustrator and novelist Rose O'Neill first debuted the Kewpie cartoons in 1909, these loveable little characters took the world by storm. Yet O'Neill didn't stop there. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max learn the surprisingly inspiring and feminist story of the Kewpie doll as a crucial aspect of women's rights in the United States.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

40:41

CLASSIC: Agent Garbo: The Strange Tale of the Man Who...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/02/21

When Juan Pujol first volunteered to spy for the British during World War II, they didn’t take him seriously. That all changed when he got a gig spying for the German government. Listen to learn the story of one of World War II’s most successful double agents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

47:23

The Most-hated Condiment? A Ridiculous History of...

Ridiculous History ·

2026/02/19

Often called "the thick, creamy bastard child of oil and eggs" (well, called that at least once by Ben), mayonnaise remains one of the world's most divisive condiment. But where did it come from? In today's continuing Ridiculous History of condiments, Ben, Noel and Max get to the bottom of the case. Or jar. You get it!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

43:24

The Gang Goes To Waffle House

Ridiculous History ·

2026/02/17

In a small suburb of Atlanta back in the 1950s, two men hatched an amazing concept: a restaurant that never closes. In today's episode, the guys explore the origin story of Georgia's most mythical restaurant: Waffle House.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

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