Ridiculous History

Nowadays, ice cream is a pretty popular treat across the planet. In this episode -- at the height of a blistering Atlanta summer -- Ben, Noel and Max learn more ice cream's kissing cousin: the 'soft serve'. Where did it come from? What makes it such a hit? Also... why doesn't it count as actual ice cream?
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Did you know you can become an honorary citizen of the United States? It's true -- but it isn't easy. Join the guys as they explore the life and times of the rare few who managed to become honorary citizens in the United States.
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For well over a century, schoolchildren across the United States learned the story of John Henry. According to the legend, John was a formerly enslaved man who found work with a railroad after the Civil War. Widely known as the best steel driver in the area, John wins a Phyrric victory against an automated steel driving machine -- he beats the machine, but dies as a result of exhaustion. The story has resurged in popularity as modern society squares off against AI... but how much of the original story is fact, and how much is fiction? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max continue their exploration of American folklore by diving into the tale of John Henry. And, quickly, things go off the rails.
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While often forgotten by the global West, the Ottoman Empire was an absolute superpower in its heyday. As the Empire expanded across three separate continents, they also practiced mass enslavement -- and used it to power their army. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the rise of the Empire's elite fighting force: the Jannisaries. Originally composed of kidnapped and enslaved children from conquered lands, over time the Janissaries gained a unique social position that frightened the Sultan. Eventually, this led to their downfall -- and, arguably, the downfall of the Ottoman Empire overall.
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Whether we’re talking yesterday’s newspaper, pamphlets from museums, or even old lottery tickets and straw wrappers, the world is chock full of things that were not meant to last. Today the guys join Alex Williams, the creator of the new podcast Ephemeral, to explore the strange, beautiful, disturbing and tragic stories of things that came and went, from the Collyer brothers to Pizzaria chips.
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