If you described the concept of a roller coaster to an alien, they'd probably be baffled: Why on Earth are humans purposely recreated the sensation of falling, flying and -- quite possibly -- feeling close to death? In the first part of this special two-part series, the guys explore the origin story of modern roller coasters, from the old days of "Russian Mountains" to an amusement arms race that continues today: the ongoing quest to build the biggest, highest, fastest rides on the planet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

In the mid-19th century, London was literally filling with corpses. When the city was in the grips of a cholera epidemic, the already-overfilled cemetaries couldn't handle the extra bodies. So when there's literally no room in the soil for another dead body, what's a city to do? To the creators of the London Necropolis Railway, the answer was simple -- build a train for the dead. Tune in to learn some grisly, ridiculous history with Ben and Noel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

In a burst of meta-humor, the Encyclopædia Britannica defines encyclopædia as "reference work that contains information on all branches of knowledge or that treats a particular branch of knowledge in a comprehensive manner." It's high praise -- but if there's any single book that's earned the right to describe itself this way, it's this one. Tune in as Ben, Noel and Max delve into the history of one of the world's most famous reference works (and check out our earlier episode on the Oxford English Dictionary, as well). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

It's tangy. It's salty. It's sweet. It's unctuous... but what exactly is Worcestershire sauce? Join Ben, Noel and Max on their continuing condiment journey as they explore the bizarre origin story of one of the world's most famous (and, arguably, strangest) sauces in today's episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Today author Roald Dahl is best-known for his prolific writing career -- but, as it turns out, he lived an entirely different life before he ever put pen to paper to create children's stories. Learn more about Roald Dahl's earlier life as a fighter ace, a legendary ladies man, and a World War II-era spy (seriously, like a real-life James Bond!) in this classic episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a small, landlocked country out in the alpines -- and while it's a tiny nation, it has an enormous depth of history. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max continue their exploration of micronations with the last remnant of the Holy Roman Empire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's... "definitely not Superman." At least, that's what Fawcett Comics told the courts, beginning a multigenerational, multiversal saga of strangeness that continues in the modern day. In today's episode, the guys ask: Why are there so many Captain Marvels? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Easter! It's a big deal, all across the world. And just like earlier celebrations of spirituality, it's been commodified in the United States. In today's episode, Ben, Max, and Noel sneak into the Sunday service just a bit late to explore how the ancient commemorations of rebirth gave rise to one of Christianity's most important holy days -- while also figuring where the heck this huge rabbit costume and egg hunt came from. Apologies to every substitute teacher playing this in class: we only tell the truth, and we tell it ridiculous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

As early miscalculations and subsequent confusion continued to build, Delaware found itself in a three-state beef over a tiny section of land -- and though the land itself might not be a large chunk of real estate, the beef it produced led to dangerous conflict more than once. Would the newly-minted US be able to resolve this internal discord without an inter-state war? Learn more in the second part of this two-part series. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Although it's the second-smallest state in the US, don't let Delaware's diminutive geography fool you. This state has a tremendous economy, and loads of ridiculous history in its past. In this week's special two-part series, the guys dive into the history of a strange conflict that bedeviled the state from its early days all the way into the 20th century -- a contentious, tiny piece of land that almost led to open combat: this is the story of the Delaware Wedge. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more