Things I Learned Last Night

In March 1976, a grandmother from El Cajon, California flew to London, walked into a Ladbrokes betting shop, and put down $4,000 that aliens would land on Earth within a year. She was that sure. Ruth E. Norman dressed like Glinda the Good Witch every single day, drove a Cadillac Coupe de Ville with a flying saucer bolted to the roof, and ran a group called the Unarius Academy of Science out of a San Diego strip mall next to a Little Caesars. Jaron and Tim trace how a fruit packer and milkmaid from Pasadena with an abusive childhood found spiritualism in the 1940s, married a palm reader named Ernest Norman the same day they met at a channeling conference, and got told she was the Pharaoh's daughter who protected Moses. After Ernest died in 1971, Ruth took over, renamed herself Archangel Uriel, and started channeling Tesla, JFK, Freud, Plato, and Oppenheimer. She bought 67 acres in Jamal with donor money so aliens could land and build a college. The 1976 Ladbrokes bet made her a televised curiosity. When the aliens missed the date, she blamed trauma from her past life as the goddess Isis and rescheduled for 2001. The episode also covers the followers who showed up to her hospital room in full costume to apologize for stabbing her in past lives, and how Heaven's Gate in 1997 flipped public opinion on alien cults overnight. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: ⁠⁠https://tilln.com/ruthenorman⁠⁠ Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: TILLN // Remote Viewing S4E28 → ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbuypwwl2tA⁠⁠ Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For every three soldiers General MacArthur had in the Pacific during World War II, one was on the front line, one was on leave, and one was flat on his back in a hospital with malaria. That ratio is what kicked off one of the most arrogant public health projects in history. Fred Soper was a guy from Kansas who figured out that everyone fighting malaria was fighting the wrong thing. While other researchers dosed people with drugs to prevent and treat the disease, Soper said go after the mosquitoes instead. He mapped Brazil into a grid, built an army of sprayers, and coated everything in a pesticide called DDT that would keep killing mosquitoes for months after a single pass. It worked so well the US government handed him Japan, then the American South, then the whole globe. By the early 1960s malaria had been wiped out almost everywhere, with one glaring exception: the 1955 World Health Assembly voted not to extend eradication into sub-Saharan Africa, where the deadliest strain lived and the cost and danger ran highest. Jaron and Tim trace how JFK pushed funding, how governments pulled it, how the mosquitoes evolved resistance to DDT, and how George W. Bush reading the novel Roots led to the two-dollar insecticide-soaked bed nets of 2003. Then climate change and 2025 funding cuts start dragging the numbers back up. It is a story about how close we got, and how fast we keep letting it slip. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: ⁠⁠https://tilln.com/fredsoper⁠⁠ Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: The Worm Wall → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUVx0jETLnI&pp=ygUPd29ybSB3YWxsIHRpbGxu Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November 1963, a man who filled giant tanks with water and floated a thin layer of soybean oil on top managed to borrow $180 million against inventory that mostly did not exist. His collapse almost crashed the stock market. Anthony "Tino" DeAngelis started in meat packing at 16 and worked his way up to running his own company, Goble, which got caught overcharging the government and selling substandard meat to the school lunch program after the 1946 National School Lunch Act. Bankruptcy did not stop him. He started Allied Crude Vegetable Oil Refining Corp in 1955, right as soybean oil boomed into the commodity everyone from Henry Ford to Wall Street wanted a piece of. Tino bought dozens of massive tanks in New Jersey, filled them almost entirely with water, floated a layer of oil on top, and built underground pipes to shuffle that same oil between tanks while American Express warehouse auditors checked them one at a time. On paper he had 1.8 billion pounds of oil, more than the entire United States inventory, and he used those receipts as collateral to pull $180 million in loans from 51 banks and corner 90 percent of soybean futures. When the con unraveled in November 1963, two brokerage houses folded and a full market crash loomed. Then JFK was assassinated, the New York Stock Exchange closed for the weekend, and a young Warren Buffett bought up AmEx stock on the dip. Jaron and Tim cover all of it while Tim sits beside a CPR dummy wearing his face. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: ⁠⁠https://tilln.com/saladoilscandal⁠⁠ Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: The Teen Wolf of Wall Street → https://youtu.be/Nzw6d6HpZdY Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A video of a San Francisco 49ers "wide receiver" running routes on a beach went viral last week, and football fans immediately clocked a dozen red flags. The helmet he took home. The wobbly spiral from whoever was throwing. The guy drawing routes on the ball like he'd never heard one named before. Daejon Love told women he matched with on dating apps that he was either a wealthy Swiss banker from one of the richest families in the country or a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. For about five years he ran both stories, and a surprising number of people believed him. Jaron and Tim break down how the con worked: the beach workout videos with terrible routes, the POV clips that turned out to be screen recordings stolen from actual NFL players, the LinkedIn that listed his job as "Receiver at National Football League," and the AI search results that made it all look legit. His partner was Taylor Chan, an 18-year-old who handled the technical side, including an app called Fake Bank Account Pro that let them flash phony $30 million balances to pressure women into dumping their savings into fake investment accounts. The FBI tracked 26 women and roughly $1.3 million before detaining both men at the Boise airport. Along the way the hosts get into their own run-ins with scammers, a Threads post about cat-food forks that drew 1,300 furious replies, and the strangest catfish story Jaron has ever heard, which ends with a wedding. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: ⁠⁠https://tilln.com/widedeceiver⁠⁠ Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: Hollywood Con Queen → https://youtu.be/cUPb2ys8yLo Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the most famous monster in the world started as a 1,500-year-old tall tale told by a monk who used his own buddy as bait? Buckle up, because Nessie's origin story is wilder than you think. Everybody's seen the blurry black-and-white photo, but almost nobody knows the insane backstory behind the Loch Ness Monster. In this episode, Jaron and Tim trace Nessie all the way back to 565 AD, when Saint Columba supposedly commanded a water beast to leave a swimming monk alone during a funeral (yes, they used a living guy as bait). From there the trail goes cold for roughly 1,300 years until the 1800s, when sea-serpent sightings and the discovery of the plesiosaur fossil kicked off a whole new wave of monster mania. The guys dig into the famous 1934 "surgeon's photo" that turned out to be a toy submarine with a clay dinosaur head, the big-game hunter who faked hippo footprints with a dried hippo foot, and the modern science that tried to settle it all. Operation Deep Scan fired sonar from 24 boats, and a 2018 DNA study found zero reptile DNA but an absolutely bonkers amount of European eel DNA. Could Nessie just be a three-foot eel, a wandering elephant, a tree branch, and a whole lot of wishful thinking? It's a fascinating, hilarious dive into how myths are born. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: ⁠⁠https://tilln.com/lochnessmonster⁠⁠ Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: TILLN // Eels S4E33 → ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRPlUIIzGXc⁠⁠ Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices