Midnight Facts for Insomniacs

Pirates. Snakes. Shamrocks. And the stomach-turning truth behind those green rivers... Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the world’s most recognizable holidays, but the real story is even stranger than the legends. Join Shane and Duncan as they dig into the bizarre history behind Saint Patrick’s Day, separating fact from fiction and uncovering how one man’s dubious autobiography somehow turned into a global celebration of Irish culture. Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Hollywood promised spectacle. Audiences stayed home. In this fiscally irresponsible episode, Shane and Duncan return to the financial wreckage of modern blockbuster filmmaking, breaking down the numbers, the behind-the-scenes chaos, and the very modern phenomenon of studios insisting everything is fine while hundreds of millions of dollars evaporate. Prepare for a snarky, data-driven look at how blockbuster ambition sometimes turns into a masterclass in financial faceplants. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

They say lightning never strikes twice, but Hollywood keeps proving otherwise. In this budget-busting pair of episodes, Shane and Duncan return to the cinematic graveyard for a fresh look at some of Hollywood’s most spectacular recent failures: the tangled mess of Megalopolis, the glossy fizzle of Tron: Ares, and a few other high-budget disasters that left studios scrambling. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at big swings, bigger misses, and the brutal math of modern moviemaking. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Which would be in your top 5? Tell us in the Discord... ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

In part two of their irreverent jaunt through the solar system, Shane and Duncan venture beyond the inner planets into the vast outer reaches, where storms rage for centuries and icy moons hide oceans beneath their crusts. From Saturn’s sweeping rings to Neptune’s frigid winds, it’s a dramatic  tour through the awe-inspiring outer reaches of our celestial neighborhood. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

The Sun is an unrelenting nuclear inferno. Mercury is a dense little rock with zero atmosphere and the worst sunburn in the system. Venus is a cautionary tale wrapped in sulfuric acid clouds, spinning in the wrong direction just to be difficult. And Mars is a frozen desert haunted by the ghost of ancient oceans. In this episode, Shane and Duncan dig into the bizarre and extreme nature of the inner planets, unpacking strange rotations, impossible temperatures, missing magnetic fields, and Martian cliffs that make the Grand Canyon look like a pothole. Nothing in the inner solar system is normal, and it only gets weirder from here. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

This week, plunge with Shane and Duncan into the most maddening mental puzzles ever devised, from ancient identity crises and time travel nightmares to philosophical traps that refuse to be solved. If you replace every part of a ship, is it still technically the same boat? Should you always switch doors and trust the guy in the blazer with the game show smile, or trust your own instincts? And what happens when a donkey can’t make up its damn mind? Welcome to a crash course in logic traps, ethical nightmares, and timeless brain knots. BYO aspirin. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

-Merry Christmas, insomniacs! Here's a blast from the past. We hope you're having an amazing holiday season- How is Santa Claus connected to cannibalism? Which Christmastide holiday commemorates the slaughter of children? How should you decode the cryptic numerology message 20+C+M+B+22? And what's with all of those airborne reindeer? Welcome to Ghosts of Christmases Past, in which Shane and Duncan explore how tree-worship and animal sacrifice evolved into the bizarre, festive, highly commercialized holiday we know today. So whether you're feeling the Christmas spirit or just feeling jaded and grinchy, grab a cup of heavily-spiked eggnog, get cozy by the yule-log, and join the boys as they unpack the fascinating pagan history of Christmas. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

In this special live-streamed double-retrospective, Shane and Duncan trace the evolution of podcasting from its humble beginnings in the shadow of radio and RSS feeds to its rise as a billion-dollar media juggernaut. Along the way, they peel back the curtain on the origin of Midnight Facts for Insomniacs, from the first chaotic and unpolished episodes recorded in a parked car to the latest chaotic and unpolished episodes consumed by a devoted community of night owls, knowledge junkies, and insomniac misfits. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just tuning in, this is the origin story you didn’t know you needed. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Alfred Nobel made a fortune inventing things that go boom, earning the nickname “merchant of death.” But with his own death approaching, he set out to salvage his legacy by creating a prize meant to celebrate peace, science, and human progress. The history of that prize, however, is anything but peaceful. This week, Shane and Duncan explore the strange evolution of the Nobel Prize, from its explosive beginnings to secret refusals, scandalous recipients, and one prize Nobel never actually intended. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

In the first full-episode MFFI livestream, Duncan opens the spellbook on the roots of witchcraft and the modern movements keeping the magic alive. So grab your crystals (or your skepticism) and settle in for a tale of treacherous ale-wives, black cats, pointed hats, and centuries of persecution. From sacred symbols to sanitized stereotypes, this episode unpacks how witchcraft was vilified, commodified, and eventually rebranded. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

In this chilling, thrilling, and revealing episode, MFFI explores the internet’s favorite collection of anonymous nightmares. From message boards to movie screens, the crowdsourced horror stories known as “creepypasta” have created legends, fueled obsessions, and, in one notorious case, inspired a real-life murder attempt. Follow along as Shane and Duncan unearth Slender Man, explore Candle Cove, and get lost in the Backrooms of the Internet. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Back by popular demand (and dark ritual), this Halloween classic rises once more from the archives. Join Shane and Duncan for a deep dive into the strange, spooky origins of everyone’s favorite night of costumes, candy, and cultural confusion.    Lock the doors, light the jack-o’-lantern, and celebrate the season with this fan-favorite episode… now officially an annual tradition. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Some objects are built with purpose. Others are built with ego, ambition…and a total disregard for scale. In this gargantuan episode, Shane and Duncan dive deep into the most colossal creations humans have ever unleashed on land, sea, and sky. Prepare to meet the Seawise Giant, a ship so long it could cast shade on a city block. Marvel at Bagger 293, the German earth-eater that looks like it escaped from a kaiju movie. And brace yourself for the Dongfang wind turbine, whose blades are longer than a football field.  These are mega-monuments to human excess—massive, magnificent, and maybe just a little bit ridiculous. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

It began with a shotgun, a missed shot, and a very nerdy debate. In this record-breaking episode, Shane and Duncan track the origins of the Guinness Book of World Records, uncover the publishing quirks that made it a global phenomenon, and spotlight some of the most astonishing, hilarious, and downright unhinged feats ever committed to paper. From competitive juggling to tattooed seniors and flaming jump rope enthusiasts, this is one for the record books. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Some people collect coins. Others collect vomit bags, ventriloquist dummies, and an unsettling number of preserved penises. In this bizarrely specific episode, Shane and Duncan dig into some of the strangest collections ever assembled, from thousands of bras to a lifelong bunny obsession. Follow along as the guys attempt to answer the age-old question: at what point does a hobby become a cry for help? ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Behind the desk, it was all smiles. Behind the scenes? Bloodbath. This week, the gloves are off as Midnight Facts for Insomniacs dives into one of the pettiest showbiz showdowns of all time: the late-night talk show turf wars. From Carson’s couch to Conan’s catastrophe, MFFI unpacks the egos, betrayals, network screwjobs, and one very famous chin. Three hosts. One desk. Zero chill. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

What do a disgraced pizza mogul, a Hollywood predator, a fugitive auto exec, and a guy who accidentally triggered a PR meltdown from a Coldplay Jumbotron have in common? Each one became the face of a very public corporate scandal.   This episode unpacks the downfall of John Schnatter, whose meltdown tanked Papa John’s; Harvey Weinstein, whose decades of abuse shook Hollywood to its core; Carlos Ghosn, the Nissan exec who escaped prosecution in a box; and Andy Byron, whose brief Jumbotron cameo set off a viral firestorm his company hasn't recovered from. Add in wage theft lawsuits, illegal marketing schemes, and some jaw-droppingly bad decision-making, and it’s a crash course in how not to run a company. ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Every culture has traditions. Some honor the dead. Some feed the local monkey population. Some involve grown men in devil costumes leaping over rows of live infants.   In this episode, Shane and Duncan dive into the world’s weirdest festivals, from tomato-throwing mayhem to camel wrestling to an underwater concert.   Bring goggles. And maybe a helmet.   ~ Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM