Hysteria 51

This week on Hysteria 51, we’re pinballing between cartoon conspiracy corners and a middle-schooler casually building the future in his garage.First up: Simpsons sleuths are doing what Simpsons sleuths do, pausing a 25-year-old episode like it’s the Zapruder film and claiming it “predicted” the Epstein scandal. The episode in question (Season 12’s “The Computer Wore Menace Shoes”) features Homer stumbling into a creepy-island situation, and the internet has been connecting dots with the enthusiasm of a caffeinated detective with no bedtime. We’ll break down what the episode actually shows, what people are claiming, and why “The Simpsons predicted it” has become its own paranormal phenomenon. Then we hard cut to Dallas, where a 12-year-old has reportedly achieved nuclear fusion with a homebuilt setup and is aiming for a Guinness World Records title. Yes, at 12, some kids are mastering long division, and this one is out here speedrunning the sun. We’ll talk what “fusion” means in this context, why it’s a big deal, and how close he is to beating the current Guinness record. So buckle in for an episode loaded with Simpsons theories, weird news whiplash, Epstein-adjacent internet speculation, and kid-genius nuclear fusion. One story screams “someone call the FBI,” the other screams “someone call the science fair,” and somehow they both end up right here.Links & Resources📌Simpson's Predict📌Pre-Pubescent Fusion 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 we dig into the Blurry Photos coffers for a cryptid adventure on the high seas!Man the oars and put yer backs into it, the Kraken surfaces! A legendary sea-beast the size of an island, the Kraken is said to swallow men whole and snap ships in half effortlessly, but what’s true and what’s a fish story? Join Flora as he braves the open seas of historical folklore for a deep dive on this fascinating fiend. The oceans are big, but are they big enough to hide a colossal cephalopod? David seeks answers to the questions on its origins, descriptions, and possible real-life species. So much culture has been inspired by this mega-monster, could there be a kernel of truth to the tales? Grab your trident and prepare to release this episode into your ears!MusicMyst on the Moor, Big Eyes, Dark Fog, Dark Standoff, Danse Macabre, Evil Incoming, Infinite Peace, Some Amount of Evil, Spider Eyes, Temple of the Manes – Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Cornfield Chase, Lonely Mountain, Mothership – Rafael KruxLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0SourcesAnderson, Nate. Release the kraken! 2,000 years of tall tales (and a smattering of truth). ArsTechnica.com. Web. Jan. 9, 2013. https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/01/release-the-kraken-2000-years-of-tall-tales-and-a-smattering-of-truth/Denys de Montfort, Pierre. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière des mollusques. Paris: L’Imprimerie de F. Dufart. pp. 256–412 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library. 1801–1805.Haslam, Garth. Kraken: Myths, Legends, and History. Anomalyinfo.com. Web. 2017. http://anomalyinfo.com/Topics/kraken-myths-legends-and-historyJardine, Sir William. The Naturalist’s Library. Edinburgh. W.H. Lizars. 1833https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/60177#page/398/mode/1upPontoppidan, Erich. The Natural History of Norway. Copenhagen: Berlingske Arvingers Bogtrykkerie, 1752. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/131226#page/520/mode/1upSALVADOR, Rodrigo B.; TOMOTANI, Barbara M. The Kraken: when myth encounters science. História, Ciências, Saúde – Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, v.21, n.3, jul.-set. 2014, p.971-994. http://www.scielo.br/pdf/hcsm/v21n3/0104-5970-hcsm-21-3-0971.pdfWallenberg, J. Min son på galejan, eller en ostindisk resa innehållande allehanda bläckhornskram, samlade på skeppet Finland, som afseglade ifrån Götheborg i Dec. 1769, och återkom dersammastädes i Junii 1771. (5th ed.). Elméns och Granbergs Tryckeri, Stockholm. (in Swedish). 1835.Williams, Wendy. Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid. New York. Abrams Image. Mar. 4, 2011.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 serving up a double feature where nature chooses violence… and humanity chooses unhinged.First: Janesville, Wisconsin is apparently living inside a Thanksgiving-themed action movie. A flock of wild turkeys has been chasing people, hassling a postal worker, blocking traffic, and generally running the neighborhood like feathery little HOA enforcers with anger issues. One local even caught the chaos on camera. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be offering peace and goodwill to all… while a bird the size of a small child sprints at you with murder in its eyes, welcome home. Then we pivot from “street menace” to “please evacuate the entire building”: a man showed up at a hospital with a World War I artillery shell lodged in his rectum, prompting a hospital evacuation and a bomb squad response because, yes, it was reported as potentially live. Doctors had to remove it surgically, and everyone involved probably aged ten years in one evening. It’s the kind of headline that makes you whisper, “how” and then immediately decide you don’t actually want the answer. So buckle up for an episode packed with weird news, small-town terror turkeys, and ER chaos so intense it came with its own security perimeter. If you like your comedy dark, your science nonexistent, and your survival instincts activated by poultry… this one’s for you.Links & Resources📌Jive Turkeys📌Preparation H-BombEmail 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.

Nashville woke up to the strangest Christmas soundtrack imaginable in 2020: an RV parked on 2nd Avenue, a calm recorded warning to evacuate… and “Downtown” playing like a twisted holiday playlist no one asked for. We are going to walk through the accepted timeline of the Christmas Day bombing, what investigators say happened, and what the FBI concluded about the man behind it.Then we follow the story into the weird side streets, where reality starts to bend. Reincarnation loops. “High energy events.” Alleged reptilian watchers in the woods. A camping trip that turned into a front-row seat to paranoia, strange gear, and a belief that something evil was hiding in plain sight.We’ll separate confirmed facts from internet fog, explore what fringe and UFO circles claim it all really meant, and bring it home with the uncomfortable truth: sometimes the most unsettling part isn’t the conspiracy… it’s how fast a mind can build one when everything else is falling apart. All that and more this week on Hysteria 51!Special thanks to this week’s research sources:PRIMARY / OFFICIAL1) FBI Nashville Field Office. “FBI Releases Report on Nashville Bombing.” March 15, 2021.https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/nashville/news/fbi-releases-report-on-nashville-bombing2) FBI Nashville Field Office. “Seeking Information Concerning Operator or Owner of RV Linked to Explosion.” December 25, 2020.https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/nashville/news/seeking-information-concerning-operator-or-owner-of-rv-linked-to-explosion3) FBI Nashville Field Office. “FBI Memphis Special Agent in Charge Announces Identity of Remains Discovered in Nashville Explosion Site; Multi-Agency Investigation Continues.” December 27, 2020.https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/nashville/news/fbi-memphis-special-agent-in-charge-announces-identity-of-remains-discovered-in-nashville-explosion-site-multi-agency-investigation-continues4) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). “SAFE-COM and NCSWIC Release Communications Dependencies Case Study: Nashville.” June 13, 2022.https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/safecom-and-ncswic-release-communications-dependencies-case-study-nashville LOCAL / INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING5) Finley, Jeremy (WSMV4 Investigates). “FBI: Nashville Christmas Day bomber wanted explosion to break ‘reincarnation loop’ (New photos show Anthony Warner’s device…).” December 22, 2025.https://www.wsmv.com/2025/12/22/fbi-nashville-christmas-day-bomber-wanted-explosion-break-reincarnation-loop/6) Hall, Ben & Wisniewski, Kevin (NewsChannel 5 Investigates / WTVF). “Nashville bomber’s bizarre writings reveal belief in aliens and lizard people.” January 4, 2021.https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/nashville-bombers-bizarre-writings-reveal-belief-in-aliens-and-lizard-people NATIONAL / WIRE REPORTING7) ABC News. “FBI report finds Nashville bomber wanted to kill himself, not motivated by terrorism.” March 15, 2021.https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fbi-report-finds-nashville-bomber-wanted-kill-motivated/story?id=764710788) PBS NewsHour. “FBI says Nashville bomber driven by conspiracies, paranoia.” March 15, 2021.https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-says-nashville-bomber-driven-by-conspiracies-paranoia9) Associated Press. “FBI: Nashville bomber sent material to ‘acquaintances’.” (Published January 2, 2021.)https://apnews.com/article/us-news-bombings-8d59b300ed4b41d050a8cc86f500351a10) CBS News. “Nashville bomber sent writings espousing conspiracy theories to multiple people before explosion.” January 3, 2021.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nashville-bomber-anthony-quinn-sent-conspiracy-theories-to-people-before-explosion/11) Reuters. “Nashville bombing suspect may have believed in lizard people, aliens — source.” January 3, 2021.https://www.reuters.com/world/us/nashville-bombing-suspect-may-have-believed-lizard-people-aliens-source-2021-01-03/12) Reuters. “‘He was not on our radar’: authorities search for motive in Nashville blast.” December 29, 2020.https://www.reuters.com/world/us/he-was-not-our-radar-authorities-search-motive-nashville-blast-2020-12-28/13) Reuters. “Motor home explodes in Nashville, possible human remains found near site.” December 26, 2020.https://www.reuters.com/world/us/motor-home-explodes-nashville-possible-human-remains-found-near-site-2020-12-26/14) NBC (via NBC San Diego). “Feds probing if Nashville bomber believed in lizard people conspiracy.” December 30, 2020.https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/national-international/feds-probing-if-nashville-bomber-believed-in-lizard-people-conspiracy/2483371/ FACT CHECKS15) Reuters Fact Check. “Debunking conspiracy links between Nashville explosion and Dominion.” December 29, 2020.https://www.reuters.com/article/world/fact-check-debunking-conspiracy-links-between-nashville-explosion-dominion-and-idUSKBN2931AJ/16) PolitiFact. “No, AT&T was not conducting an audit of Dominion Voting Systems machines in Nashville.” December 29, 2020.https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/dec/29/facebook-posts/no-t-was-not-conducting-audit-dominion-voting-syst/17) Associated Press Fact Check. “AT&T not conducting voting machine audit near Nashville after explosion.” December 28, 2020.https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-989820964118) WRAL. “Fact check: 3 conspiracy theories about the Nashville bombing.” December 30, 2020.https://www.wral.com/story/fact-check-3-conspiracy-theories-about-the-nashville-bombing/19450775/ CONTEXT / BACKGROUND19) Business Insider. “Lizard-people conspiracy theory origins (and why it resurfaced after the Nashville bombing).” January 7, 2021.https://www.businessinsider.com/lizard-people-conspiracy-theory-origin-nashville-bomber-qanon-2021-120) War on the Rocks. “The Nashville Bombing and Threats to Critical Infrastructure: We Saw This Coming.” December 31, 2020.https://warontherocks.com/2020/12/the-nashville-bombing-and-threats-to-critical-infrastructure-we-saw-this-coming/21) Domestic Preparedness (Kelly, Robert F. & Alexander, Dean C.). “Four Takeaways From the Nashville Christmas Bombing.” July 20, 2022.https://domesticpreparedness.com/cbrne/four-takeaways-from-the-nashville-christmas-bombing/22) DataCenterDynamics (Moss, Sebastian). “FBI does not believe Nashville bomber was targeting AT&T.” August 13, 2021.https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/fbi-does-not-believe-nashville-bomber-was-targeting-att/23) Axios. “Girlfriend told police Nashville man was building bombs year before explosion.” December 30, 2020.https://www.axios.com/2020/12/30/nashville-anthony-warner-bombsEmail 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 chasing two flavors of “are we alone?” and one of them is suspiciously nacho-adjacent.First, the skies over Area 51 served up a late-night special: a mysterious “Dorito-shaped” aircraft spotted cruising near the world’s most side-eye-worthy patch of desert. Was it a classified test flight, a stealth prototype, or the most aggressive brand sponsorship in aviation history? Either way, if it looks like a triangle and haunts the Nevada night, we’re legally obligated (by podcast law) to investigate.Then we rocket to Mars, where NASA says the Perseverance rover found a rock with intriguing “leopard spot” patterns inside Jezero Crater that could be a potential biosignature, meaning ancient chemical reactions that might be consistent with microbial life. Not “we found Martians,” but definitely “this rock is acting extremely sus.”So buckle up for an episode packed with UFO vibes, Area 51 sightings, Mars rover discoveries, and the eternal question: are we staring at evidence of secret tech… or secret life… or just humanity’s unstoppable urge to turn every weird shape into a headline?Links & Resources📌Black Project Snacks📌Mars RelativesEmail 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.

Brent & David are traveling this week so we are digging back into the H51 coffers for a retro episode. It's Satanic Panic time this week on Hysteria 61!Original Description:Remember that year or two in the 80’s when you weren’t allowed to do anything? Yeah – this week’s topic was pretty much the problem. The “Satanic Panic” was this all too real period mostly during the 80’s that America’s housewives knew their kid’s souls were being stolen by “beelzebub”, Ozzy, and anyone else they were listening to on that “devil machine”. The problem with this joke is real people suffered. Real lives were lost and the “devil” had nothing to do with any of it. We break out our black t-shirts, dye our hair, and get to the HYSTERIA (too obvious?) behind it all this week. Plus, C-Bot makes it as a comedian (he thinks), Brent goes chaotic neutral (an upgrade?), and the boys welcome a “pentagram” of guests (it really was an accident). All of that an more on the podcast that’s never been the victim of Satanic Ritual Abuse, but if they were they’re sure it would be at the hands…check that…pincers…of Conspiracy Bot – Hysteria 51.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.

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.