Hysteria 51

Pack your bags (and maybe a clothespin for your nose) because this week on Hysteria 51 we’re going interplanetary and intestinal.First up: luxury travel has officially left Earth. A startup is taking reservations—yes, real money—to be among the first guests at a proposed hotel on the Moon. We’re talking deposits that can range from “casual quarter-mil” to a full $1,000,000 just to hold your spot, with the total trip potentially climbing far beyond that once you factor in the whole “rocket commute” situation. It’s space tourism with a side of “do they validate parking in low gravity?” Then we come crashing back down to Earth with science that sounds like it was invented in a middle-school cafeteria: the idea that “sniffing farts” could help protect your brain. Under the jokes is a real research thread around hydrogen sulfide (the “rotten egg” gas associated with flatulence) and how it may help protect brain cells in Alzheimer’s-related mouse studies—less “weaponized crop dusting,” more “biochemistry doing something weird and promising.” So if you like your weird news with equal parts sci-fi dreams and “please don’t say that out loud,” this episode is your perfect storm: moon hotel reservations, space-tourism absurdity, and the unexpectedly serious science of stink.Links & Resources📌Moon Vacancy📌Stinky Mental ProgressEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re turning the mic over to you.It’s a full-on voicemail spectacular—packed with listener reactions, hot takes, strange questions, wild theories, and the kind of chaotic energy that can only come from people brave enough to leave a message for this show. We’re hitting play, reacting in real time, and laughing our way through the best kind of audience participation: the unfiltered kind.If you’ve ever yelled at your speaker during an episode… congratulations. This one’s for you.Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, we’re tackling two stories that prove nature and sports both have a wildly unhinged sense of humor.First up: science says blocking reproduction may be linked to longer lifespans in mammals—with a large analysis across 117 species suggesting animals that were sterilized or given contraception lived about 10% longer on average. It’s the ultimate “live long and prosper” headline… with a twist that’ll make every mammal in the room cross its legs and reconsider its life choices. Then we pivot to baseball’s most statistically improbable “sorry about your face” moment: the legendary tale of Phillies great Richie Ashburn, who once hit a foul ball that struck a fan—and then struck the same fan again during the same at-bat as she was being carried away. It’s slapstick destiny, but with stadium seating. So if you like your weird news podcast with longevity science, evolutionary trade-offs, and a side of baseball history so absurd it sounds invented, hit play and let’s get strange.Links & Resources📌Unsullied Longevity📌Just a Bit Outside...Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two Brazilian electronics techs take a totally normal work trip… and wind up on a hillside in suits, raincoats, and homemade lead eye masks, clutching a note that reads like the world’s creepiest calendar invite: “16:30 be at the location. 18:30 ingest capsules. Protect metals. Await signal. Mask.” And then—nothing. No clear cause of death. No satisfying answers. Just one of the strangest unsolved cases in modern history, gift-wrapped for conspiracy lovers everywhere.This week on Hysteria 51, we are joined by actor, comedian, and podcaster Steve Berg. He helps us dig into the “most likely” explanations first: a planned experiment, a DIY occult/science mashup, a bad batch of mystery capsules, and the investigative chaos that left toxicology (and common sense) rotting on the vine. Then we crank the dial to full common sense—UFO encounter theories, blinding beams of light, electromagnetic weirdness, and why “protect metals” sounds less like evidence and more like a command from Space OSHA.It’s time to grab your raincoat, tape some metal to your face, and for the love of all that’s holy… do not ingest capsules from a guy who says he “knows a shortcut to the mothership.”Check out of Special Guest Steve Berg:Steve Berg is an actor and comedian who just finished work on Tim Kasher’s film Who’s Watching. He can also be seen in Olivia Wilde’s new film Don’t Worry Darling, and is currently working on the feature film Snack Shack. He’s also been obsessed with UFOs, the paranormal, the occult and all things weird his entire life, and on his podcast Hi, Strangeness, he passionately discusses all these topics in a light-hearted way. He can also be seen in New Line’s comedy feature Tag starring Jon Hamm and Rashida Jones. His credits also include recurring roles on NBC's The Good Place, ABC's The Goldbergs, Comedy Central's Idiotsitter, and BET's The Comedy Get Down. He has appeared in two features for director Joe Swanberg -- the Netflix Original Win It All and the indie Digging For Fire which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Other credits include Mike White's directorial debut Year of the Dog, Jared Hess’ Gentlemen Broncos, and Joss Whedon's digital series Dr. Horrible's Sing Along-Along Blog. Berg has been a drunk narrator multiple times on Comedy Central's Drunk History and was a series regular in the Fox Television pilot WTF America produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. He is originally from Omaha, Nebraska.https://www.instagram.com/bergmaster5000/linktr.ee/steveberghttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christina-marie-rappel-consent-a-thoughtful/id1690998245?i=1000744278988Special thanks to this week’s research sources:CORE / BACKBONEhttps://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mist%C3%A9rio_das_m%C3%A1scaras_de_chumbohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_masks_casehttps://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70161/bizarre-lead-mask-deaths-1966BRAZILIAN TV / CASE MATERIALhttps://redeglobo.globo.com/Linhadireta/0%2C26665%2CVYJ0-5259-215835%2C00.htmlhttps://redeglobo.globo.com/Linhadireta/0%2C26665%2CVYJ0-5259-215832%2C00.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjqCQEjgzk4LOCAL JOURNALISM / LOREhttps://infograficos.oglobo.globo.com/rio/bairros/cinco-lendas-urbanas-de-niteroi.htmlhttps://odia.ig.com.br/colunas/coisas-do-rio/2021/02/6090106-mascaras-de-chumbo-caso-envolve-ovnis-e-mortes-estranhas.htmlSKEPTICAL ANALYSIShttps://skeptoid.com/episodes/398UFO / FRINGE CLAIMS WE REFERENCEDhttps://noufors.com/Documents/Books%2C%20Manuals%20and%20Published%20Papers/Specialty%20UFO%20Publications/Flying%20Saucer%20Review/FSR%2C1967%2CMar-Apr%2CV%2013%2CN%202.pdfhttps://vigilia.com.br/o-caso-das-mascaras-de-chumbo-2/https://aventurasnahistoria.com.br/noticias/reportagem/o-caso-das-mascaras-de-chumbo.phtmlhttps://www.ranker.com/list/case-of-the-lead-mask-deaths/patrick-thorntonEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the Show:Get exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1Shop:Be the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, we’re boarding a flight straight into chaos—because one United Airlines flight reportedly had to divert after a passenger disrupted the crew, turning “in-flight service” into “in-flight survival mode.” If you’ve ever wondered how quickly a routine trip can become an unexpected emergency landing plot twist, buckle up and keep your hands, feet, and sense of reality inside the cabin at all times, even if you swear this is "A Simulation!"Then we hop over to Thailand for a story that’s basically a modern fable: a fortune teller, a stolen phone, and the kind of irony that makes you stare directly into the camera like you’re on The Office. When your job is seeing the future… but you don’t see that coming? That’s premium weird news.It’s bizarre headlines, travel nightmares, and criminally funny timing—the perfect episode for fans of strange-but-true stories, oddball crime, and “how is this real life?” energy.Links & Resources📌Flight Sim📌Fortune Favors the BoldEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, we’re taking a scenic drive straight through the Bermuda Triangle of bad decisions—starting in Volusia County, Florida, where a man involved in a crash in a stolen BMW convertible allegedly told deputies he didn’t steal anything… because he “teleported” into the car. Yes, teleported. The keys were reportedly left in the vehicle at a park, the BMW vanished, and minutes later it was wrecked—leaving law enforcement to do the world’s most exhausted sigh and add “quantum parking” to the incident report.Then we hop across the pond to a seaside mystery that sounds like a Dickens subplot written by a prankster: reports say hundreds of Victorian-era shoes have been washing up on Ogmore beach in south Wales, sparking theories that range from shipwreck history to “the ocean is returning someone’s entire wardrobe, one boot at a time.” So if you like your weird news with a side of Florida teleportation claims, stolen car chaos, and creepy beach finds that look like a Victorian ghost got undressed in a tide pool—hit play.Links & Resources📌Teleportation Woes📌Shoe TideEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, we’re ping-ponging between “medical science is incredible” and “we are absolutely doomed (pun intended).”First up: researchers in Japan isolated a gut bacterium from Japanese tree frogs that, in a preclinical mouse model, showed shockingly strong anti-tumor results against colorectal cancer—the kind of headline that makes you whisper, “Nature… what else you hiding in there?” (Answer: apparently a lot.)Then we pivot to the most important scientific breakthrough since fire: rats trained to play DOOM… and now they’ve learned how to shoot demons using a custom lever setup. Yes, really. Somewhere a lab coat just gained a Metallica patch.It’s a weird news buffet of frog-gut cancer research, DOOM-playing rodents, and the comforting reminder that the future is equal parts miracle and chaos.Links & Resources📌Gut Science📌Rat DOOMEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An interstellar object just cruised into our cosmic neighborhood and—naturally—humanity immediately responded with calm, measured curiosity… by screaming “ALIENS!” into the void.This week on Hysteria 51, we’re diving into 3I/ATLAS, the latest confirmed visitor from beyond our solar system. Is it just a dirty, fast-moving comet minding its own business? Or is it something a little more… engineered? We break down what scientists actually know so far, why this thing has the internet acting like it found a Wi-Fi signal in the Kuiper Belt, and what the “completely natural” crowd says (spoiler: they have math and spectra and other buzzkills).Then we do what we do best: lean into the fun. If 3I/ATLAS is under intelligent control—even hypothetically—what does that mean for humanity? First contact? Surveillance? A cosmic prank? Or just a high-speed reminder that we are absolutely not the main character of the universe.Strap in, stare into the sky suspiciously, and remember: “closest approach” doesn’t mean “close,” but it does mean the conspiracy machine is about to hit maximum RPM this week on Hysteria 51!Special thanks to this week’s research sources:YouTube (video): 3I/ATLAS Is Causing Scientists To Panic. Here’s Why. YouTube. YouTubeNASA Science: NASA. (n.d.). Comet 3I/ATLAS (mission/observation timeline page). NASA Science. NASA ScienceMinor Planet Center (MPEC): Minor Planet Center. (2025, Jul 2). MPEC 2025-N12: 3I/ATLAS = C/2025 N1 (ATLAS). Minor Planet CenterarXiv (early discovery & characterization): Discovery and Preliminary Characterization of a Third Interstellar Object: 3I/ATLAS. arXiv:2507.02757. (2025). arXivMNRAS (SOAR photometry): Frincke, T. T., et al. (2026). Near-discovery SOAR photometry of the third interstellar object: 3I/ATLAS. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (Advance Article). OUP AcademicMNRAS Letters (spectrum paper): Opitom, C., Snodgrass, C., Jehin, E., et al. (2025, Nov). Snapshot of a new interstellar comet: 3I/ATLAS has a red and featureless spectrum. MNRAS: Letters, 544(1), L31–L36. OUP AcademicA&A (context vs other comets/interstellars): de la Fuente Marcos, R., et al. (2025). Assessing interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS with the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias… Astronomy & Astrophysics. A&A Scientific JournalarXiv (technological hypothesis paper): Hibberd, A., Crowl, A., & Loeb, A. (2025, Jul 16). Is the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Alien Technology? arXiv:2507.12213. arXivJason Wright (rebuttal / anomaly breakdown): Wright, J. (2025, Nov 9). Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS “Anomalies” Explained. AstroWright (Penn State). Penn State SitesSecondary roundup referencing rebuttal: ScienceAlert. (2025, Nov 13). Don’t Panic! 3I/ATLAS Isn’t an Alien Death Probe, But It Is Wildly Unusual. ScienceAlertEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, we’re serving up two stories that prove society is being held together by duct tape and pure audacity.First: GameStop’s “Trade Anything Day.” And they meant anything. Customers reportedly rolled in with a goose, a bobcat, and a Wii Netflix disc—which is basically the Rosetta Stone of “please don’t ask how long this has been in my trunk.” If you’ve ever wondered what retail looks like when chaos is the manager on duty, welcome home.Then we head to the high-stakes world of competitive stone skimming, where a cheating scandal has allegedly rocked the World Stone Skimming Championships—because apparently even skipping rocks isn’t safe from scandal, suspicion, and somebody’s cousin “who definitely knows a guy.” It’s sports drama, but with wetter pants and more passive-aggressive shoreline energy.Two stories. Zero dignity. Maximum weird. Hit play and let’s skim straight into the absurd.Links & Resources📌GameStop Trade in Chaos📌Stone Cold Scandal Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Picture this:You and 19 of your closest coworkers go into the jungle looking for oil. Three years later, only four of you come out. You’ve buried most of your friends, you almost died of disease, and somewhere along the way you shot what might be the first ever “American ape.”Or...you shot a spider monkey, cut off its tail, and accidentally invented one of the dumbest racist “missing link” hoaxes in history.Welcome to this week’s saga, the De Loys’ Ape, on Hysteria 51!Special thanks to this week’s research sources: Core historical & zoological background1.   Wikipedia contributors. “François de Loys.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (accessed 2025).Wikipedia2.   “De Loys’ Ape.” Swiss National Museum Blog (2025). nationalmuseum.ch/swiss-monster-hunters3.   “De Loys’ Ape – History of Geology.” History of Geology blog, Feb 2011. historyofgeology.fieldofscience.com4.   David Bressan, “De Loys’ Ape Was a Well Played Anthropological Fraud.” Forbes, Jan 2016.ForbesMontandon, taxonomy, and racist theory5.   “Proto-Nazi Hoax: The ‘Ape’ in Green Hell.” Cryptomundo (Loren Coleman), 2007.cryptomundo.com6.   “Ameranthropoides loysi.” Biology Online archive / Monstropedia entry.Bio Dictionary Online+1Tejera letter & debunking7.   “The Truth About the Venezuelan Monkey.” Interciencia / ResearchGate summary.ResearchGate8.   Strange Animals Podcast blog, January 2019 entries discussing De Loys’ ape and Tejera’s letter.strangeanimalspodcast.blubrry.net+1Morphology and spider monkey identification9.   Karl Shuker, “A Picture of Monkey Business – Or, How a Small Furry Pet Became a Giant Mystery Ape.” ShukerNature blog, July 2017.karlshuker.blogspot.com10.“MonoGrande, DeLoy’s Ape.” Bigfoot Encounters / Mono Grande essay quoting Ivan T. Sanderson.Bigfoot Encounters+1South American cryptid primates (Mono Grande & others)11.“Mono Grande.” Wikipedia.Wikipedia12.“Mono Grande – South American Ape.” Fortunecity / Bigfoot Encounters archive.FortuneCity Community13.“Mono Grande.” Cryptid Wiki / New Cryptozoology Wiki and related pages.Cryptid Wiki+114.Occultopedia entry on “Mono Rei / Mono Grande / Di-Di.”m.occultopedia.comGeneral cryptid / cultural references15.“De Loys’ Ape | Cryptid Wiki.”Cryptid WikiEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.com Support the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, Christmas gets weird and history gets shinier. First up: we deck the halls with Ozempic syringe Christmas ornaments, Botox baubles, air-fryer decorations, and Taylor Swift hanging next to baby Jesus—because nothing says “tidings of comfort and joy” like a weight-loss injection twinkling in the tree lights. We dive into the very real boom in bizarre Christmas baubles and what it says about consumer culture, wellness obsessions, and our desperate need to turn literally everything into décor. Then we sail straight from the mall to the “holy grail of shipwrecks”: the 18th-century Spanish galleon San José, finally giving up its first treasures after 300+ years on the ocean floor—cannons, coins, porcelain, and a whole lot of international drama over who actually owns the loot. Expect Conspiracy Bot to immediately claim maritime salvage rights while we unpack the real story behind the treasure hunt, the deep-sea tech, and the $20 billion question.If you’re into weird news, true treasure stories, odd Christmas trends, Ozempic ornaments, and cursed shipwreck gold, this episode is your festive, barnacle-encrusted fever dream.Links & Resources📌Xmas Pricks📌Golden BootyEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Picture this: the gods have come and gone, dynasties have risen and face-planted, cities have popped up and crumbled, tourists have come, posed, and posted a million thirst traps on Instagram… but the Sphinx is still just sitting there like, “Yeah, I’ll wait.”Today we’re heading to Giza to talk about the world’s most famous stone cat with a people head: the Great Sphinx of Egypt. It’s massive, it’s mysterious, it’s eroding faster than our faith in humanity, and it sits at the crossroads of legit science, wild speculation, and whatever the hell Edgar Cayce was doing.We’re going to walk through what the Sphinx actually is, what we think we know about its history, how old it might be, why people keep insisting there’s a secret Atlantean library under its paws, what modern tech like ground-penetrating radar and fancy satellite scans are actually showing under the Giza plateau, and why so many folks see Dr. Zahi Hawass as the final boss of “Nothing To See Here, Move Along.”Strap on the sunscreen, adjust your tinfoil nemes, and get ready for Hysteria 51.Special thanks to this week’s research sources:Main References Mentioned in the EpisodeLehner, Mark.The Complete Pyramids: Solving the Ancient Mysteries.London: Thames & Hudson, 1997.Hawass, Zahi.The Secrets of the Sphinx: Restoration Past and Present.Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 1998.Jordan, Paul.Riddles of the Sphinx.New York: New York University Press, 1998.Gauri, K. Lal, John J. Sinai, and Jayanta K. Bandyopadhyay.“Geologic Weathering and Its Implications on the Age of the Sphinx.”Geoarchaeology 10, no. 2 (1995): 119–133.Schoch, Robert M.Voices of the Rocks: A Scientist Looks at Catastrophes and Ancient Civilizations.New York: Harmony Books, 1999.Reader, Colin.“A Geomorphological Study of the Giza Necropolis, with Implications for the Development of the Site.”Archaeometry 43, no. 1 (2001): 149–159.Sharafeldin, S. M., K. S. Essa, M. A. S. Youssef, H. Karsli, Z. E. Diab, and N. Sayil.“Shallow Geophysical Techniques to Investigate the Groundwater Table at the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt.”Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems 8 (2019): 29–43.https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-8-29-2019Biondi, Filippo, and Corrado Malanga.“Synthetic Aperture Radar Doppler Tomography Reveals Details of Undiscovered High-Resolution Internal Structure of the Great Pyramid of Giza.”Remote Sensing 14, no. 20 (2022): 5231.https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14205231Hancock, Graham, and Robert Bauval.The Message of the Sphinx: A Quest for the Hidden Legacy of Mankind.New York: Crown, 1996.Cayce, Edgar Evans, and Edgar Cayce.Edgar Cayce on Atlantis.New York: Hawthorn Books, 1968.Geology, Weathering & Age of the SphinxGauri, K. Lal.“Geologic Study of the Sphinx.”Newsletter of the American Research Center in Egypt 127 (1984): 24–43.Gauri, K. Lal.“Geologic Features and the Durability of Limestone at the Sphinx.”Environmental Geology and Water Science 16 (1990): 57–62.Chowdhury, A. N., A. R. Punuru, and K. L. Gauri.“Weathering of Limestone Beds at the Great Sphinx.”Environmental Geology and Water Science 15 (1990): 217–223.Harrell, James A.“The Sphinx Controversy: Another Look at the Geological Evidence.”KMT: A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt 5, no. 3 (1994): 70–74.Matthusen, August.“A Rebuttal to Robert Schoch on the Weathering of the Great Sphinx.”(Online article, catchpenny.org, c. 1999.)Harrell, James A.“Comments on the Geological Evidence for the Sphinx’s Age.”(Online article, Hall of Ma’at, 2000s.)Liritzis, Ioannis, and Asimina Vafiadou.“Surface Luminescence Dating of Some Egyptian Monuments.”Journal of Cultural Heritage 16, no. 2 (2015): 134–150.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2014.05.007Geophysics, Groundwater & Subsurface ScansSharafeldin, S. M., et al.“Shallow Geophysical Techniques to Investigate the Groundwater Table at the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt.”Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems 8 (2019): 29–43.Sato, Motoyuki, et al.“GPR and ERT Exploration in the Western Cemetery in Giza, Egypt.”Archaeological Prospection (2024).(Ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography survey west of the pyramids.)Biondi, Filippo, and Corrado Malanga.“Synthetic Aperture Radar Doppler Tomography…” (as above).(Satellite SAR micro-motion tomography on Khufu’s pyramid.)Lehner, Mark.“ARCE Sphinx Project 1979–1983 Archive.”American Research Center in Egypt / OpenContext.(Field notes and geological collaboration with K. Lal Gauri and T. Aigner.)Alternative Chronologies, Orion / Leo & “As Above, So Below”West, John Anthony.Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt.Wheaton, IL: Quest Books, 1993 (rev. ed.).Schoch, Robert M., and Robert Bauval.Origins of the Sphinx: Celestial Guardian of Pre-Pharaonic Civilization.Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2017.Bauval, Robert, and Adrian Gilbert.The Orion Mystery: Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids.New York: Crown, 1994.Hancock, Graham, and Robert Bauval.The Message of the Sphinx (as above).Esoteric, Hall of Records & Atlantis MaterialCayce, Edgar Evans, and Edgar Cayce.Edgar Cayce on Atlantis.New York: Hawthorn Books, 1968.Todeschi, Kevin J.Edgar Cayce on the Akashic Records: The Book of Life.Virginia Beach: A.R.E. Press, 1998.Todeschi, Kevin J.Edgar Cayce’s Atlantis.Charlottesville, VA: 4th Dimension Press, 2014.Blavatsky, Helena P.The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy.London: Theosophical Publishing Company, 1888.Lewis, Harvey Spencer.Rosicrucian monographs and AMORC publications on hidden chambers at Giza (early 20th century).Zahi Hawass, Antiquities Politics & ControversiesHawass, Zahi.The Secrets of the Sphinx (as above).Murphy, Kim.“Getty Institute Probes Riddle of the Deteriorating Sphinx.”Los Angeles Times, May 16, 1990.Borger, Julian.“The Fall of Zahi Hawass.”Smithsonian Magazine, July 17, 2011.“Zahi Hawass Fired.”The History Blog, July 18, 2011.“History Catches Up to Famous Egyptologist Zahi Hawass.”The World (PRI), August 1, 2016.Egyptomania & Cultural ContextFritze, Ronald H.Egyptomania: A History of Fascination, Obsession and Fantasy.London: Reaktion Books, 2016.Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is the universe trying to text us back… or did someone just butt-dial from deep space? This week on Hysteria 51 we dive into truly weird news: first, scientists are stumped by a bizarre cosmic image that defies easy explanation, sparking fresh debates about aliens, astrophysics, and whether the universe just hit “reply all.” Then we tackle the story of how poems can trick AI into helping build a nuclear weapon—because obviously the one thing doomsday scenarios were missing was slam poetry.Join us as we roast bad ideas, unpack the real science, and ask why our smartest tech keeps falling for rhyming prompt hacks. If you love weird news, space mysteries, AI gone wrong, and podcasts that mix skepticism with snark, this episode is your new favorite apocalypse warm-up.Links & Resources📌UFO Pictionary📌Home Nuke HacksEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Did ancient civilizations nuke themselves into oblivion… or did the History Channel just get bored again? This week we dive headfirst into the rabbit hole of Ancient Nuclear Wars – from the “radioactive” skeletons of Mohenjo-Daro, to alleged atom-bomb craters in the desert, to the Mahabharata passages that sound suspiciously like somebody watched a Cold War documentary and got way too excited. We’ll talk vimanas (ancient flying machines), biblical firestorms, desert glass, and why every weird rock seems to mean “aliens with launch codes” to at least one guy on YouTube.Along the way, we’ll pit wild fringe theories against boring things like geology, archaeology, and physics (booooo), ask whether Oppenheimer accidentally subtweeted the Vedic gods, and decide if the only real ancient WMD was still… humans and their bad decisions. Was there a Bronze Age Fallout-style apocalypse, or is this just another case of modern nuclear anxiety cosplaying in ancient texts? Tune in as Hysteria 51 flips the Geiger counter on Ancient Nuclear War.Special thanks to this week’s research sources:Pauwels, Louis, and Jacques Bergier. The Morning of the Magicians: Secret Societies, Conspiracies, and Vanished Civilizations. Destiny Books, 2008.Discussions of the Jodhpur “radioactive ash” story as a modern hoax or unsubstantiated legend. (Isvara Archive)Libyan Desert Glass and impact evidence (reidite, zircon breakdown, dating to ~29 million years ago). (Wikipedia)Jason Colavito’s work on “ancient atom bombs,” Mahabharata misquotes, and the myth’s modern origins. (JASON COLAVITO)Background on Pauwels & Bergier’s The Morning of the Magicians and its role in popularizing “fantastic realism.” (Wikipedia)References to Matest Agrest’s interpretations of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Baalbek as nuclear/spaceport events. (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)Coverage of modern proponents like Billy Carson and Ancient Aliens episodes promoting the ancient nuclear war narrative. (Daily Express US)Research on Tall el-Hammam and cosmic airbursts as real Bronze Age city-destroying events. (uaf.edu) K. A. R. Kennedy’s work and later summaries on Mohenjo-Daro skeletons and the debunking of the “massacre” and “radiation” stories. (Ancient Origins)Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Hysteria 51, we’re cranking the weird meter to 11 with a double feature of near-cremation resurrection and mysterious UFO lights over New York’s Finger Lakes. First, we head to Thailand, where a woman declared dead was sent to the crematorium—only to wake up in her coffin moments before cremation. Was it a medical mistake, a glitch in the Matrix, or proof that you really can hit snooze on the afterlife?Then we jet to upstate New York, where baffled residents spotted a bright, unexplained light hanging over the Finger Lakes, sparking talk of aliens, secret military tests, and one very confused planet Venus. We break down the eyewitness reports, possible explanations, and what it all means for believers and skeptics alike.From a Thai “back from the dead” miracle to a sky full of questions, Weird Thai Awakening & Finger Lakes UFOs delivers spooky true stories, dark humor, and just enough tinfoil-hat energy to keep you checking both your heartbeat and the night sky.Links & Resources📌Close Coffin Call📌Not so U. F. O. Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is homeopathy a gentle natural cure… or just really confident sugar pills? This week on Hysteria 51 Kevin Crispin of the Behind Beautiful Things podcast joins us as we dive into the strange world of “like cures like,” ultra-dilutions, and remedies so watered down they make LaCroix look concentrated. From onion pills for allergies to ghostly duck-liver flu treatments, we break down how homeopathy works, why people swear by it, and how it can turn downright dangerous when it replaces real medical care.We’ll explore the bizarre history of homeopathy, its modern comeback as “alternative medicine,” and the very real harm when serious conditions get treated with nothing more than placebo pellets and good vibes. But we’re also turning a skeptical eye on the U.S. healthcare system itself—because when seeing a real doctor costs a small mortgage payment, it’s no wonder people reach for magic water. Tune in for jokes, science, and just enough rage to dilute your faith in everyone equally.Special thanks to this week’s research sources:WebsitesArizona Homeopathic - https://arizonahomeopathic.org/homeopathy-and-covid-19/ Discover Homeopathy - https://www.discoverhomeopathy.co.uk/victims/ Science Based Medicine - https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/belief-in-homeopathy-results-in-the-death-of-a-7-year-old-italian-child/ Springer - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00508-020-01624-x Scientific American - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hundreds-of-babies-harmed-by-homeopathic-remedies-families-say/ Perth Now - https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/cancer-victim-penelope-dingle-in-awe-of-homeopath---husband-ng-7c51c3e2f263eb5e4e530d5cb0a8b152 National Library of Medicine - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7253376/ National Library of Medicine - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1676328/Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.com Support the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experienceat https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1 ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, we’re cracking open boxes—and secrets—that should have stayed sealed.First up, a Canadian woman is suing the CIA after claiming she was experimented on at age 16 as part of a secret mind control project. Think MK-Ultra, but with a teenage twist. Spoiler alert: It does not end with a high school diploma and a nice internship.Then we double down on disturbing deliveries as another woman receives a package she didn’t order: a box of human body parts instead of her medication. We don’t know who’s running this shipping company, but they really need to check the labels.From rogue government programs to UPS nightmares, this episode is one part conspiracy, two parts horror, and all Hysteria.Buckle in, because reality’s on backorder and your meds might be… someone’s femur.Links & Resources📌CIA Daycare📌Special DeliveryEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grab your torches, your questionable treasure maps, and maybe a chisel or two (for research purposes), because this week Hysteria 51 returns with regular episodes as we digs into Burrows Cave — Southern Illinois’ most controversial cavern of supposed mysteries. From alleged ancient tablets to world-changing artifacts no one can ever seem to produce on command, this saga has everything: secret chambers, wild treasure legends, feuding researchers, and enough fringe archaeology to make Indiana Jones ask for a transfer.Brent, David, and Conspiracy Bot tunnel into the strange history, the skeptical takedowns, the die-hard believers, and the many, many reasons this cave might be more fiction than fossil record. But hey — that never stopped us before.Is Burrows Cave a hidden archaeological jackpot, an elaborate hoax, or just the Midwest being the Midwest? Grab your hard hat and find out as we descend into one of America’s weirdest underground mysteries.Special thanks to this week’s research sources:BooksBurrows, Russell E., and Fred Rydholm. The Mystery Cave of Many Faces: A History of Burrows Cave. Marquette, MI: Superior Heartland, Inc., 1992.WebsitesCritical Enquiry - https://www.criticalenquiry.org/burrowscave/burrows.shtmlBurrows Cave- https://burrowscave.io/USGENWEB - https://www.wvgw.net/calhoun/russ.htm Jason Colavito Blog - https://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/harry-hubbard-answers-your-questions-on-the-illinois-caves-and-america-unearthedJason Colavito Blog - https://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/harry-hubbard-tries-to-sell-me-an-ancient-artifactMusicAnxiety Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.com Support the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experienceat https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1 ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, we're going all-in on the rear end with an episode so bizarre, you’ll need both nostrils and an open mind.First, we head to Japan where an aquarium has launched an “educational” exhibit that lets visitors smell animal butts. You read that right. Curious about how a sea lion smells from behind? Now you can find out—for science.Then, we dive into groundbreaking research that suggests humans might one day breathe through their butts to survive critical health emergencies. It’s called “intrapulmonary oxygenation via the rectum,” but we call it Plan B for lungs.From sniffable seal ends to potentially life-saving booty breaths, this episode stinks of science—and we’re absolutely here for it.Tune in now before the future smells even weirder.Links & Resources📌Aquarium Butt Sniffing📌Butt BreathEmail us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Hysteria 51, we’re sudsing up the spooky and scrubbing down the strange!First, we take a spin through a haunted car wash in California that turns your sedan into a scream machine. Clowns, chainsaws, and soap—what could possibly go wrong? Is this the perfect blend of clean and creepy, or are we entering the final rinse cycle of sanity?Then it’s a hard turn into the paranormal deep end with newly “validated” reports of non-human intelligence near U.S. nuclear sites. That’s right, the scientific community is finally catching up with what UFO researchers have been shouting for decades: the aliens might be more interested in our missiles than our memes.From shrieking suds to extraterrestrial espionage, this episode is certified fresh by Conspiracy Bot and mildly terrifying by your local nuclear physicist.Lather up, buckle in, and beam aboard—it’s another beautifully bizarre ride on Blurry Hysteria!Links & Resources📌Scary Suds📌Nuke Nosey E.T.Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.