We're back and in the same physical location for ONE WEEK ONLY, so the only sensible thing to do is talk about a spy book from the 1980s. What was "Spycatcher"? What secrets did it contain? How did it manage to leave Margaret Thatcher "shattered"? Was that a typo and she meant "sharted"? Sorry, we didn't get enough juvenile humour into the episode and it has to go somewhere.
M has finished Ben Vigden's "State Secrets II" and - as a punishment - Josh has to find out how it ends.
A couple of episodes ago, we looked at a paper on particularism by Kurtis, M and Charles - this episode we're looking at the paper that that paper was a response to, making it both a prequel and a sequel. Just like The Godfather Part II. This episode is the Godfather Part II of podcast episodes - you can tell people we said that.
Josh and M discuss TESCREAL, Peter Thiel, and how Silicon Valley hasn't so much found god but, rather, decided to try and create one that they are afraid of...
Aw, Particularism - why so glum? You look like you need some positive affirmation - some reaffirmation, even. Well, you're in luck, because M, Kurtis and Charles have just authored "Particularism Reaffirmed: Why Conspiracy Theories (Variously Defined) Should Be Judged on Their Own Merits"! Let's have a look through it together and see if it can't perk you up.
M chats with Melina Tsapos and Patrick Brooks, two newly minted PhD holders whose works are on or at least touch on the philosophy of conspiracy theory theory.
Josh and M are back together, so the sensible thing to do is destroy both of their brains by having M try once again to find the point to "State Secrets II" - local author Ben Vigden's book of local conspiracy theories - and communicate it to Josh. Things do not go well.
M is back in China with a functioning larynx, so we record a "Back to the Conspiracy" episode, taking another look at a subject we last covered ten years ago: the Dreyfus Affair. Why is a French soldier convicted of treason like Amber Heard? Listen and find out.
M guides Josh through chapter one of Dunedinite Ben Vigden's book 'State Secrets II' in this special and incredibly confusing edition of 'What the Conspiracy!'
The Podcaster's Guide to the Conspiracy tackles a story torn from today's headlines (about an issue that goes back to the late 90s), as we discuss the Horizon Post Office scandal. If you live in the UK, this may be a story you're familiar with, but for rest of us, it makes for a darkly fascinating affair. (Mentions of suicide, just in case that's problem for you.)
Josh and M review the third series of the podcast 'Bed of Lies', which deals with what the British were doing during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The answer is 'They were up to no good', but what kind of 'no good' was it?
This week we look into a 450-year-old compilation of 900-year-old prophecies about who's going to be the pope. Unless it's actually a 450-year-old fake about who we want to be the pope. In either case, it makes one thing clear: there are now Too Many Popes. (Which is like Too Many Cooks, but with fancier hats.)
Josh and M conclude their discussion of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions of "Tunnel Vision" by Martin Butler.
This is definitely the last time we'll talk about Martin Butler's book "Tunnel Vision" and the conspiracy theories it contains. We don't have a problem - we can stop any time we want! Or can we...?
Josh and M continue their review of not one, not two, but not quite three editions of Martin Butler's book "Tunnel Vision," the best argument yet for a hidden tunnel complex under Auckland's North Head. In this episode a lot of testimony is discussed...
Conspiracy theories about secret tunnels under the military base on North Head are essentially the reason why this podcast exists in the first place, so we probably should have looked at the book (books?) that puts forward the best case for these conspiracy theories a long time ago. But we didn't - we're doing it now. This will be part one of at least two, depending on how far down the rabbit hole we follow Mr. Butler...
Josh and M revisit the story of the mysterious disappearance of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt by going to a website written and hosted by someone who claims to be at least partially responsible for the event...
We're revisiting a topic from over ten years ago (which we can do, because apparently this podcast is over ten years old, even though that can't be right), as we talk about notable cases of people disappearing in conspiratorial circumstances, never to be seen again. We hit the classics (Hoffa and Lucan) and more besides.
Josh talks to M about their recent presentation at the University of Waikato.
We're back! The good news is that M and Josh are in the same country, so can record together in person; the bad news is that this means the usual recording setup isn't available, so the sound quality leaves something to be desired (the wind actually whistling around the building doesn't help either). Nevertheless, it won't stop Josh from making good on his promise to scour more of M's old radio show episodes and throw them back in their face.