HYPERFOCUS: A Podcast for Chaotic Minds

It's been a wild ride, but don't worry...it's not over yet!We can't wait to see you for season 2 ;) In the meantime, check us out on our socials and keep up with all the other awesome HYPERFOCUS stuff: linktr.ee/hyperfocuspodUntil next time: stay chaotic, babes.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Why do monkeys throw their poop? What are the most interesting unethical experiments? What is the HYPERFOCUS origin story? How do I know what to do with my life? Join Rachel for a fun and chaotic (duh) Q&A to find out the answers to these questions and more!if ur reading this i love you<3 RachelSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We don't know how to take time off, but we love learning, so we're giving it a shot. But make sure you listen to the whole "episode" for your chance to be featured on the pod!We love you all and this wouldn't be possible without you. We're so thankful for your support and look forward to seeing you next week! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Everybody loves a good ghost story. But on today's episode, Maddie talks about a ghost story with a hauntingly surprising twist! Oh, and not to mention the absolutely hilarious names...Sign the David Spade Bachelor Petition: https://chng.it/9vrwMrFRSources:https://digpodcast.org/2017/11/05/cock-lane-ghost-london/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082797/The-Cock-Lane-ghost-How-tale-sex-death-loan-sharking-gripped-London-250-years-ago-thanks-Scratching-Fanny.html https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rise-of-supernatural-fiction-17621800/case-of-the-cock-lane-ghost/690E8ECABBD9B4D3DD9F1475D9A05E99 https://burialsandbeyond.com/2020/03/28/scratching-fanny-the-ghost-of-cock-lane/https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG144925 Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time for some mystery! Do you think you could solve a murder? What about a murder committed in a dollhouse? Today we're talking about Frances Glessner Lee and her incredibly creative--and groundbreaking--contributions to forensic investigation. This story flips the good ole "whodunnit" on its head!Sources:https://www.npr.org/2017/11/18/564791775/the-tiny-murderous-world-of-frances-glessner-leehttp://deathindiorama.com/francesglessnerlee.htmlhttps://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/nutshellshttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/arts/design/frances-glessner-lee-forensic-science-renwick-museum.htmlhttps://www.harvardmagazine.com/2005/09/frances-glessner-lee-htmlhttps://slate.com/technology/2014/06/nutshell-dioramas-of-death-frances-glessner-lee-forensic-science-and-training-crime-scene-investigators.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Glessner_House#John_J._Glessnerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Glessner_Leehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/home-where-corpse-frances-glessner-lees-miniature-dollhouse-crime-scenes-180965204/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Before there was the Princess Street Gardens gracing the city of Edinburgh, there was a much more disgusting and foul smelling lake - Nor Loch. Today's show tells the tale of Nor Loch and its haunting history which is still a deeply significant piece of Edinburgh's legacy and haunted reputation.Sources:https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/lost-edinburgh-nor-loch-1546742 http://www.royal-mile.com/history/nor-loch.html https://mysteriesrunsolved.com/2020/06/the-nor-loch-edinburgh-castle.html https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/scotland/articles/the-haunting-story-behind-the-witches-well-in-edinburgh/https://www.digitscotland.com/the-archaeology-of-edinburghs-nor-loch/http://edinburghlore.co.uk/the-skeletons-of-princes-st-gardens/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rachel is either crazy or in love...maybe both. Today, Rachel tells the story, origin, major sightings, and cultural relevance of her favorite cryptid: Mothman. From a massive wingspan tacked onto a man-like body to disappearing dogs and shining red eyes, this creepy boy lives rent free in our minds, and he is welcome to stay. We love him. Except for the fact that he tends to be a bad omen of tragedies to come...Petitions:https://www.change.org/p/the-president-replace-every-statue-of-a-confederate-figure-with-one-of-mothman https://www.change.org/p/west-virginia-state-senate-change-every-confederate-statue-to-a-mothman-statue Sources:https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LG0mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Rf8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=620,2790721&dq=point+pleasant+roger+scarberry&hl=enhttps://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2012/01/23/145334460/welcome-to-the-tnt-area-home-of-the-mothman https://wchstv.com/news/local/man-photographs-creature-that-resembles-legendary-mothman-of-point-pleasant https://www.wired.com/2014/03/joshua-dudley-greer-tnt-storage/https://themothman.fandom.com/wiki/Men_In_Blackhttps://themothman.fandom.com/wiki/The_Mothman_Museum#The_Men_In_Black_Exhibithttps://web.archive.org/web/20071011230219/http://www.westva.net/mothman/1966-11-16.htmhttps://themothman.fandom.com/wiki/Eight_People_Say_They_Saw_%27Creature%27?file=Moth293.PNGhttps://nerdist.com/article/mothman-why-we-are-so-obsessed/https://www.mothmanfestival.com/events.htmlhttps://www.mothmanmuseum.comhttps://www.history.com/news/men-in-black-real-originshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Bridgehttps://www.southernliving.com/culture/the-mothman-legend-west-virginiaSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Some of the greatest discoveries, inventions, and moments in history come from feuds. So today, Maddie is walking us through three famous feuds - one about a sports brand, another about Scottish clans, and a final one about fossils.Sources:https://www.adidas-group.com/en/about/history/https://olympics.com/en/video/amsterdam-1928-radke-linahttps://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-jesse-owenshttps://www.thoughtco.com/quick-history-of-adidas-1444319https://www.businessinsider.com/how-puma-and-adidas-rivalry-divided-their-founding-town-for-70-years-2018-10#the-history-of-puma-and-adidas-began-in-this-house-1https://www.history.com/news/6-epic-family-feuds https://www.esquiremag.ph/style/fashion/puma-adidas-rivalry-a00293-20191030-lfrm https://www.ranker.com/list/bloody-historical-family-feuds/setareh-janda https://www.stewartsociety.org/history-of-the-stewarts.cfm?section=battles-and-historical-events&subcatid=2&histid=19 https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/06/the-black-dinner-an-event-that-inspired-the-red-wedding-in-game-of-thrones/139523http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/Battles/arkinholm.htm https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3105451/5-famous-feuds-are-so-petty-you-cant-help-read-more https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/dinosaur-rivalry/https://ansp.org/exhibits/online-exhibits/stories/bone-wars-the-cope-marsh-rivalry/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What do color vision, philosophy, One Direction, artificial intelligence, and Howie Mandel have in common? Well...Rachel talks about them in this episode.In all seriousness, join us this week on a deep dive into the human brain and the human condition as Rachel and Maddie discuss the Mary's Room thought experiment and the limits of science and intelligence.Sources:https://www.sfu.ca/~jillmc/JacksonfromJStore.pdfhttps://medium.com/psy-lens/marys-room-thought-experiment-a01d8f4cadb3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_argument#Refutation_of_physicalismhttps://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qualia-knowledge/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGYmiQkah4oSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today's heroine has a bit of a temper and is most likely a Scorpio for her revenge gene. St. Olga of Kiev is one of medieval history's craziest revenge stories, and to make things all the more ironic, she somehow makes her way to saint-dom in not one but two church traditions!Maddie's in charge on today's episode, and she's taking us back to medieval Russia.Sources:https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rushttps://www.history.com/news/vikings-in-russia-kiev-rus-varangians-prince-oleghttps://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2015/02/06/the-worst-leaders-in-history-igor-i-of-kiev/https://www.worldhistory.org/Kievan_Rus/https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/history-of-war/why-were-samurai-swords-so-strong/https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/igor-of-kiev.htmlhttps://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/meet-the-murderous-viking-princess-who-brought-the-faith-to-eastern-europe/83251/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

How long can a fire burn? How long can you live in a town built on top of an underground fire? Why would you want to stay in here? Well, I'm gonna be honest...we don't answer all of these questions, but we do ask them. Today, Rachel takes us through the story and history of how Centralia, Pennsylvania became a real-life, modern ghost town.Sources:https://www.history.com/news/mine-fire-burning-more-50-years-ghost-townhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2014/06/04/centralia_a_town_in_pennsylvania_destroyed_by_a_mine_fire.htmlhttps://www.britannica.com/video/187023/coal-mine-fire-Pennsylvania-Centraliahttps://www.legendsofamerica.com/centralia-pennsylvania/https://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2537-i-live-in-centralia-pa-its-americas-creepiest-ghost-town.htmlhttp://www.dark-tourism.com/index.php/india/15-countries/individual-chapters/738-centralia#shttps://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/centralia-graffiti-highway-buriedSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you've seen American Horror Story: Hotel or watched the documentary on Elisa Lam, you know about how unsettling and creepy the Cecil Hotel is. On today's episode, Maddie is diving deep into the disturbing and cruel history of one of America's most infamous hotels.TW: This episode contains descriptions of suicide, death, murder, hauntings and conspiracy theories that may be upsetting to the listener.Sources:https://allthatsinteresting.com/cecil-hotel-los-angeleshttps://nypost.com/2020/02/18/the-moral-crisis-of-skid-row-las-most-notorious-neighborhood/https://medium.com/crimebeat/the-dark-history-of-hotel-cecil-a778d6c3d9e7https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a35458616/the-cecil-hotel-history-timeline-true-story/https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-murderous-cecil-hotel-has-been-claiming-lives-since-the-1920s-677af33f17b7https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19621013.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1https://medium.com/the-true-crime-edition/the-tragedy-of-pigeon-goldie-fdc2061c0960https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/572113/the-black-dahlia-murder-factshttps://medium.com/@jddean/the-serial-killers-who-haunted-the-cecil-hotel-5586e6f7d2d1https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a35461475/elisa-lam-true-story-death-elevator-crime-scene-netflix/Link to Elisa Lam Video: https://youtu.be/_rfLSVIA0L0Link to Night Stalker Netflix Documentary: https://www.netflix.com/title/81025701Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We all know that she wrote Frankenstein at a very young age, but what else do you know about the life of Mary Shelley? There's just. so. much. From death to affairs to weird things happening at graves (do we maybe see her inspiration for the story here?), Shelley's life was riddled with a difficult mix of trauma and success. Sources:https://www.biography.com/writer/mary-shelleyhttps://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-wollstonecraft-shelleyhttps://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/f/frankenstein/mary-shelley-biography-2https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65624/mary-shelleys-favorite-keepsake-her-dead-husbands-hearthttps://www.bl.uk/collection-items/letters-concerning-the-relationship-between-p-b-shelley-and-mary-godwin#Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I'm sure you've heard of the Grand Canyon... you know the canyon by which all other canyon must objectively be compared to? Well tune in to today's episode to hear more about the architect who built up the national park in the early 1900s - as a woman - in a male-dominated field - without even the right to vote.Sources:https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/mary-elizabeth-jane-colter/https://www.mygrandcanyonpark.com/park/history/history-of-the-grand-canyon/https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-contributor/2016/08/09/what-remains-fred-harvey-legacy-arizona/88434080/ https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/colter_hopih_photos.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/articles/marycolter.htmSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What do you do when you're sleep deprived and the Russian army is chasing you? You take a TON of drugs...or at least that's what Aimo Koivunen did. This man has seen it ALL. Although, to be fair, not all of it was real. Join us on today's episode to go on Aimo's journey together!SOURCES:https://medium.com/exploring-history/the-crazy-crystal-meth-adventure-of-a-finnish-soldier-1cae54a1238fhttps://www.history.com/news/inside-the-drug-use-that-fueled-nazi-germanyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHm26fKKb8https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/high-on-speed-and-delirious.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aimo_KoivunenSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are very tired. And very giggly. And very tired. Did I mention that we're tired? We still have no idea what happened to the file but look out for the full episode tomorrow! Sorry for the delay! We are doing our very best!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I'm sure you know the song and the TikTok trend... but do you know the man behind it? On today's deep-dive, Maddie takes the lead to share the mysterious stories about one of Russia's most legendary figures. Sources:https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/murder-rasputin-100-years-later-180961572/https://www.history.co.uk/biographies/who-was-rasputinRasputin, Maria. My Father. New Hyde Park, New York: University Books, 1970. Smith, Douglas. Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016. Tosh, John. The Pursuit of History. Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited, 2010. Wilson, Colin. Rasputin and the Fall of the Romanovs. New York: Farrar, Straus and Company, 1964.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

How and why did the Stanford Prison Experiment end? Does it need to be debunked? Why do we care about it so much? Listen to our first ever "part two" to find out! Fair warning: Rachel gets really into it and tells people why they're wrong. But what else is new...?Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's our first two-parter! Rachel just can't keep it short, can she? Today we head down to the depths of a Stanford University basement where Dr. Zimbardo created a mock prison experiment that has lived on in infamy. Why? Listen to find out!Sources:https://www.prisonexp.orghttps://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/the-real-lesson-of-the-stanford-prison-experimenthttps://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/08/archives/a-pirandellian-prison-the-mind-is-a-formidable-jailer.htmlhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167206292689Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you've heard of Alice in Wonderland, you're going to want to check this one out! Maddie deep-dives into Alice In Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) and the fairy-tale-esque symptoms associated with this rare syndrome. Just like Alice found herself growing larger or smaller, seeing other things grow big or small, or even losing perception of time, those who suffer from AIWS can experience a wide variety of similar symptoms. Sources:https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65763/12-absurd-facts-about-alice-wonderlandhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Alices-Adventures-in-Wonderlandhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2019.00473/fullhttps://www.excedrin.com/migraines/causes/what-is-alice-in-wonderland-syndrome/ https://www.healthline.com/health/alice-in-wonderland-syndrome#causes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1826192/pdf/canmedaj00720-0006.pdf https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/23/alice-in-wonderland-syndrome/https://n.neurology.org/content/80/13/1262.short https://journals.lww.com/rca/fulltext/2018/06000/alice_in_wonderland_syndrome__aiws___a_reflection.9.aspx https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/aiws Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hyperfocus/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy