500 Open Tabs

Latest Episodes:

139: Oops! All Listener Emails Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

This week we learn dedicate the entire episode to all the emails that listeners have sent in including a live reading of a pig butchering text exchange, bile cow liver antibiotics, and an extended discussion about which animals have actual bones in their boners.

Listener Tabs:

Stellar’s Sea Cow:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steller%27s_sea_cow

Hatchet Granny

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/09/carry-nation-biography-reasons-for-activism.html

The Miyawaki Method for Creating Forests

https://www.creatingtomorrowsforests.co.uk/blog/the-miyawaki-method-for-creating-forests

Searching for Hobey Baker

https://30for30podcasts.com/episodes/the-natural/

Sun Sets on the British Empire

https://oikofuge.com/sun-sets-on-british-empire/

Billikens in Alaska

https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2025/06/15/billikens-the-grinning-pot-bellied-good-luck-charm-that-dominated-midcentury-alaska/

A 1,000-Year-Old Antimicrobial Remedy with Antistaphylococcal Activity - PubMed

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26265721/

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138: Green-Wood Cemetery Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

This week we learn how a corpse fluids seeping into NYC drinking water led to the creation of one of America’s first rural cemeteries. A listener email explains how the euthanizing of a squirrel became a MAGA wedge issue against the Democrats.

Episode Tabs:

Green-Wood Cemetery: A Victorian-Era Icon

https://www.history.com/articles/green-wood-cemetery-a-victorian-era-icon-turns-175

Listener Tabs:

Peanut the Squirrel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut_(squirrel)

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Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

137: The Toronto Circus Riot Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

This week we learn how a brawl between a Canadian firefighting fraternal organization connected to the Orange Order and visiting American circus clowns led to the complete restructuring of the entire Toronto police force. A listener email explains how a gothic fortress was constructed in the Czech Republic to protect locals from a bottomless pit.

Episode Tabs:

How a Fight With Clowns Led to the Birth of Modern Policing in Toronto

https://torontoist.com/2013/09/how-a-fight-with-clowns-led-to-the-birth-of-modern-policing-in-toronto/

Listener Tabs:

Houska Castle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houska_Castle

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500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

136: China's Pirate Queen Zheng Yi Sao Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

This week we learn how Shi Yang formed the Red Flag Fleet by uniting thousands of pirates and wreaked havoc over the South China Sea. A listener voice memo describes the most insane KFC comic of all time.

Episode Tabs:

How Chinese pirate queen Ching Shih ruled the South China Sea, then sailed into the sunset

https://amp.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3360971/how-chinese-pirate-queen-ching-shih-ruled-south-china-sea-then-sailed-sunset

Listener Tabs:

How DC’s Wild KFC Crossover Changed Promotional Comics Forever

https://screenrant.com/dc-comics-kfc-colonel-sanders/

Promo Palace:

https://promopalace.org/

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500 Open Tabs Wiki: https://500-open-tabs.fandom.com/wiki/500_Open_Tabs_Wiki

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

135: Underwater Lakes Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

This week we learn about ancient salt deposits at the bottom of the ocean lead to the insane phenomenon of what scientists refer to as "Hot Tubs of Despair." A listener email explains how the Church used to try their best to prove the existence of dragons.

Episode Tabs:

Explore the ‘Hot Tub of Despair,’ an underwater lake that kills almost everything inside

https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-jacuzzi-death-brine-20161102-story.html

Listener Tabs:

Crocodile at the Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime Immacolate

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/crocodile-at-the-santuario-madonna-delle-lacrime-immacolate

Email your closed tab submissions to: 500opentabs@gmail.com

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Tabs Wiki: https://500-open-tabs.fandom.com/wiki/500_Open_Tabs_Wiki

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

134: Rat Kings Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

This week we learn about the horrific once mythical cryptid of dozens of rats with their tales tied together that turned out to actually be real. A listener email explains how Soviet era bootleggers called the Roentgenizdat used discarded x-rays to share music.

Episode Tabs:

What Are Rat Kings, The ‘Super-Rodents’ Made Of Tangled Tails?

https://allthatsinteresting.com/rat-king

Listener Tabs:

Roentgenizdat (USSR)

https://www.in-formality.com/wiki/index.php?title=Roentgenizdat_%28USSR%29

Email your closed tab submissions to: 500opentabs@gmail.com

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Tabs Wiki: https://500-open-tabs.fandom.com/wiki/500_Open_Tabs_Wiki

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

133: Optical Media Preservation (feat Tawny Platis) Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

This week we're joined by special guest Tawny Platis as she tells us the story of how not being able to find Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon resulted in her becoming a DVD preservationist. A listener email explains their journey in trying to sew the perfect Sarah Masquerade gown from Labyrinth.

Episode Tabs:

Sony to Delete Movies Owned by PlayStation Users, List Includes More Than 550 Digital Titles

https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-to-delete-movies-owned-by-playstation-users-list-includes-more-than-550-digital-titles

Hannah on String and Tell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXdTeKzuJdM

Listener Tabs:

The Sarah Williams Dress from the Movie The Labyrinth, An Inspiration for Cosplay

https://weallsew.com/the-sarah-williams-dress-from-the-movie-the-labyrinth-an-inspiration-for-cosplay/

The Sarah Masquerade gown from Labyrinth -Part One

https://ladauphinecostuming.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-sarah-masquerade-gown-from.html

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Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

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500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

132: Joan Quigley: Astrologer to the Reagan Administration Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

This week we learn how an astrologist from San Francisco embedded herself into the Reagan administration and became an unofficial advisor that dictated the times of the president's press conferences and whether or not it was safe to land Air Force One. A listener email explains how a town in Honduras celebrates raining fish.

Episode Tabs:

Joan Quigley, Ronald Reagan’s Guide to the Stars

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/06/04/joan-quigley-ronald-reagans-guide-to-the-stars/

Listener Tabs:

Lluvia de Peces

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lluvia-de-peces-the-rain-of-fish

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Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

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500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

131: Dr. Norman Lewiston (feat Dr. Kaveh Hoda) Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

This week we're joined by special guest Dr. Kaveh Hoda of the House of Pod as he regales us with the story of how a professor of pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine managed to keep his 3 simultaneous wives a secret from one another. A listener email explains the time that GM tried to get in on the Road Runner's action with the ultimate fandommobile.

Episode Tabs:

Doctor Led Three Lives With Three Wives

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-10-14-mn-436-story.html

Listener Tabs:

Plymouth Road Runner’s “Beep Beep” Horn Explained with Surviving 1973 Muscle Car

https://www.carvibz.com/news/plymouth-road-runners-beep-beep-horn-explained-with-surviving-1973-muscle-car/

Email your closed tab submissions to: 500opentabs@gmail.com

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Tabs Wiki: https://500-open-tabs.fandom.com/wiki/500_Open_Tabs_Wiki

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

130: The Luddites and AI Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

This week we dive into the Luddite uprising of the early 19th century and their subsequent mischaracterization as being anti-tech instead of anti-exploitation. A listener email explains the story of Elmer McCurdy, the mummified bandit who could.

Episode Tabs:

What the Luddites Really Fought Against

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-the-luddites-really-fought-against-264412/

Listener Tabs:

Elmer McCurdy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_McCurdy

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Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Tabs Wiki: https://500-open-tabs.fandom.com/wiki/500_Open_Tabs_Wiki

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs