500 Open Tabs

83: Ken Allen and Medieval Russian Kid Art Aug 20, 2025

This week we deep dive into the life of Orangutan Ken Allen, the San Diego Zoo's most infamous escape artist and how the drawings of young boy named Onfim gave art historians insight into what life was like for a child in medieval Russia. A listener voice memo explains the origins of Batman and Robin.

SUMMER 2025 T-Shirt Drop: Ken Allen has had Kenough!

https://www.bonfire.com/500-open-tabs-ken-allen/

I'm Me and It's This Game's Fault - Full SDCC Panel

https://youtu.be/MVjXA_NGnVU

Episode Tabs:

Fear of the Animal Planet: The Hidden History of Animal Resistance

https://www.akpress.org/fear-of-the-animal-planet-e-book.html

Onfim Wuz Here: On the Unlikely Art of a Medieval Russian Boy

https://lithub.com/onfim-wuz-here-on-the-unlikely-art-of-a-medieval-russian-boy/

Listener Tabs:

Comic Books, Dr. Wertham, and the Villains of Forensic Psychiatry

https://jaapl.org/content/early/2020/10/06/JAAPL.200041-20

The trashiest enigma: Alex Jordan and the House on the Rock

https://thetangential.com/2014/11/30/the-trashiest-enigma-alex-jordan-and-the-house-on-the-rock/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW by adding theTab For a Cause extension: tabforanimals.org/opentabs and help end suffering for animals trapped on factory farms today!

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.

82: John Murray Spear pt 2 and November Rain Trilogy pt 3 Aug 13, 2025

This week, we conclude the sagas of John Murray Spear, a 19th‑century activist‑turned‑spiritualist who claimed the ghost of Benjamin Franklin ordered him to build a “Mechanical Messiah” to usher in a new era of world peace and how Guns N’ Roses were able to finish their music video trilogy with Estranged despite the departure of their lead actress. A listener email tells the story of an ancient Greek dick plague.

Episode Tabs:

Revisiting John Murray Spear

https://iapsop.com/jbb/2021__buescher___revisiting_john_murray_spear.pdf

25 Years Ago, Guns N’ Roses Unveiled Their Batshit $4 Million Music Video

https://www.vice.com/en/article/guns-n-roses-estranged-video-25-years-later/

Listener Tabs:

Pompe and Proagon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysia#Pompe_and_Proagon

40 years after their final show, Chinatown's Pender Guy radio is reuniting

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pender-guy-radio-reunion-1.6045491

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

81: November Rain Trilogy pt 2 and John Murray Spear pt 1 Aug 06, 2025

This week, we continue the saga behind the making of Guns N’ Roses’ November Rain music video and dive into the bizarre tale of John Murray Spear, a 19th‑century activist‑turned‑spiritualist who claimed the ghost of Benjamin Franklin ordered him to build a “Mechanical Messiah” to usher in a new era of world peace. A listener email tells the story of finding the long lost bones of Richard III under a parking lot.

Episode Tabs:

The ‘November Rain’ music video defined a generation. Inside its ‘bonkers’ production

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-06-07/novemeber-rain-guns-n-roses-music-video-making-of-30th-anniversary

Interview: John Benedict Buescher - Author of The Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear

https://www.strange-phenomenon.com/john-benedict-buescher-transcript

Listener Tabs:

Art of @nn-ee-zz

https://www.tumblr.com/nn-ee-zz/786542016059310080/hiii-i-was-just-wandering-if-you-wouldnt-mind

Richard III: Discovery and Identification

https://le.ac.uk/richard-iii/discovery

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

80: Night Watchmen Theory and November Rain Trilogy pt 1 Jul 30, 2025

This week we deep dive into how ADHD is a holdover from hunter-gatherer societies and how a short story written by a friend inspired Guns N' Roses to create the most ambitious music video trilogy ever filmed. A listener email explains the phenomenon of industrial musicals.

Episode Tabs:

ADHD May Have Been an Evolutionary Advantage, research suggests

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/21/adhd-may-have-been-an-evolutionary-advantage-research-suggests

The ‘November Rain’ music video defined a generation. Inside its ‘bonkers’ production

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-06-07/novemeber-rain-guns-n-roses-music-video-making-of-30th-anniversary

Listener Tabs:

The Wonderful World Of Industrial Musicals

https://www.industrialmusicals.com/songs/

Home Sweet Homer: The Strange Saga of the Real-Life ‘Simpsons’ House in Nevada

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/549440/real-life-the-simpsons-house-nevada

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

79: Choctaw Irish Friendship and Pigeons Jul 23, 2025

This week we deep dive into the historic bond between the Choctaw Nation with Ireland and how pigeons were domesticated, leading to some absolutely bonkers looking breeds. A listener email tells the story of the first female Native American lawyer to argue a case in front of the US Supreme Court.

Episode Tabs:

Choctaw and Irish History

https://www.choctawnation.com/about/history/irish-connection/

A History of the Pigeon

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/54844/history-pigeon

Listener Tabs:

How a trio of sisters occupied — and saved — a sacred Native cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas

https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-02-08/120-years-ago-this-woman-occupied-and-saved-a-sacred-cemetery-in-kansas-city-kansas

The Manjiro Story

https://whitfield-manjiro.org/the-manjiro-story/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

78: The Carrington Event and The First Renaissance Faire Jul 16, 2025

This week we deep dive into the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history that happened in 1959 and how the Red Scare of the 1950s directly led to the founding of the now iconic Renaissance Pleasure Faire. A listener email informs us of how Nixon's airborne toilet is memorialized in Seattle.

San Diego Comic Con Panels:

I'm Me and It's This Game's Fault!

Friday July 25, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm

Room 29AB

Middle Eastern/North African Representation in Media

Saturday July 26, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm

Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

Episode Tabs:

Eyewitness Reports of the Great Auroral Storm of 1859

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20050210157/downloads/20050210157.pdf

The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-surprisingly-radical-roots-of-the-renaissance-fair-180982918/

Listener Tabs:

The Bay Area's most hazardous playground has to be seen to be believed

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/berkeley-adventure-playground-19462017.php

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

77: KUMITA3!! (500 Open Stabs Round 3) Jul 09, 2025

The ancient tournament of Kumitab returns as we pit some of our craziest subjects against one another including Rube Waddell, an Aswang, and Pepsi bottle cosplay Nixon.

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

76: Listener Email Extravaganza! Jul 02, 2025

Many of you have sent Listener Email submissions that were on the longer side, so we dedicated an entire episode for them to aerate like a fine wine! Amongst many things, we learn about the notorious California Egg Wars and a highly coveted ladies room Picasso.

Listener Tabs:

World Coal Carrying Championships

https://gawthorpemaypole.org/world-coal-carrying/

Pink

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink

MONA Defends Ladies-Only LoungeAgainst Anti-Discrimination Case Brought by Male Visitor

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-20/mona-ladies-lounge-legal-fight-men-excluded/103605236

Piltdown Man is Revealed as Fake

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/do53pi.html

When California Went to War Over Eggs

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-california-went-war-over-eggs-180971960/

Null Island

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

Deep Diving

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

Barry Marshall

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Marshall

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

75: The Joker as Iranian Ambassador and Dora Richter Jun 25, 2025

This week we deep dive into the oft overlooked subplot of Batman's 1988 storyline "A Death in the Family" in which the Joker is recruited by the Ayatollah Khomeini himself to Iran's ambassador to the UN and the life of Dora Richter, the first Trans woman to ever receive gender-affirming surgery. A listener email finally clarifies the origins of the Michigan-Ohio rivalry.

Episode Tabs:

The Joker Was Once DC's U.N. Ambassador from Iran... Until He Wasn't

https://www.cbr.com/batman-joker-iran-ambassador-retcon-qurac/

Remembering Dora Richter, One of the First Women to Receive Gender-Affirming Surgery

https://www.them.us/story/dora-richter-first-trans-woman-to-receive-gender-affirming-surgery

Listener Tabs:

Toledo War

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

The Invention of Warfarin

https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/warfarin.html

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

74: Toto Koopman and the Battle of Los Angeles Jun 18, 2025

This week we deep dive into the story of how bisexual icon Toto Koopman went from being a world famous model to World War II spy and how a planned citywide blackout resulted in a tense Los Angeles thinking it was under attack by the Japanese. A listener email explains how the final legal breakup of The Beatles occurred at the "Happiest Place on Earth."

Episode Tabs:

The Story of Toto Koopman, the Free-Spirited Model Turned World War II Spy

https://www.them.us/story/toto-koopman

The Great Los Angeles Air Raid Terrified Citizens—Even Though No Bombs Were Dropped

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/great-los-angeles-air-raid-terrified-citizenseven-though-no-bombs-were-dropped-180967890/

Listener Tabs:

Zaqistan

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaqistan

Some of Disney World's most famous moments feature Princess Diana and Richard Nixon

https://www.wesh.com/article/disney-top-five-pop-culture-moments/37855856

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

73: Scotty's Castle and Willem Arondeus Jun 11, 2025

This week we deep dive into how turn of the century celebrity conman Death Valley Scotty came to get a castle built in the desert and how Dutch artist Willem Arondeus helped destroy the Amsterdam public records office, saving countless queer people and Jews from being identified by the occupying Nazi army. A listener email explains how the English weren't the only ones to eat mummies.

Episode Tabs:

There's A Damaged Castle Out In Death Valley With A Wild History. It's Now Open For Tour

https://laist.com/news/los-angeles-activities/damaged-scottys-castle-death-valley-now-open-for-tour

Interview with Frieda Belinfante

https://collections.ushmm.org/oh_findingaids/RG-50.030.0019_trs_en.pdf

Listener Tabs:

They Made the Melikgazi Mummy Aganigi Medicine

https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/melikgazi-mumyasini-aganigi-ilaci-yaptilar-39160188

Searching for Snoopy: What happened to all the 'Peanuts' statues in St. Paul?

https://www2.startribune.com/peanuts-statues-st-paul-snoopy-charlie-brown-lucy-linus/600361833/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

72: Lesbians in WW2 and Pepsi's Soviet Fleet Jun 04, 2025

This week we deep dive into how the Woman's Army Corps proved to be a safe space for closeted lesbians during WW2 and how after a trade deal with the Soviet Union in 1989, Pepsi briefly possessed the sixth-largest fleet in the world. A listener email informs us of Japan's Colonel Sanders curse.

Episode Tabs:

Allan Berube Interviews of WAC soldiers

https://tinyurl.com/ep71sources

The Doomed Voyage of Pepsi’s Soviet Navy

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/11/27/pepsi-navy-soviet-ussr/

Listener Tabs:

Hadacol

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

The Curse of Colonel Sanders

https://www.thehanshintigers.com/team-history/top-10-infamous-moments/the-curse-of-colonel-sanders/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

71: The American National Exhibition and Michel Vaujour May 28, 2025

This week we deep dive into how at the height the Cold War the United States and USSR put on cultural exchange fairs for each other and Michel and Nadine Vaujour pulled off one of the most dramatic helicopter prison escapes ever. A listener email clues us into the music career of a non-scientist Oppenheimer.

Episode Tabs:

The All-American Expo That Invaded Cold War Russia

https://gizmodo.com/the-all-american-expo-that-invaded-cold-war-russia-550628823

Michel Vaujour, The Escape King

https://www.europe1.fr/societe/michel-vaujour-le-roi-de-levasion-jai-ete-tres-marque-par-ma-premiere-peine-de-prison-3786143

Listener Tabs:

Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development

https://apopo.org/

Oppenheimer Analysis

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7aTcPE8gGcR0W8mrmGaK6w?si=hXfNhFzJTPiXGHoEaPn41Q

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

70: Raven Wolf Friendships and Tipu's Tiger May 21, 2025

This week we deep dive into how ravens and wolves work in tandem to survive and how Tipu Sultan's beef with the English led to the greatest piece of hater art ever commissioned. A listener email explains how sharks have been around longer than Saturn's rings!

Episode Tabs:

Ravens and Wolves – Friends or Enemies

https://centerofthewest.org/2022/10/13/ravens-and-wolves-friends-or-enemies/

Tipu’s Tiger

https://smarthistory.org/tipus-tiger/

Listener Tabs:

Dusty analysis shows Saturn’s rings are younger than sharks

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/12/saturn-rings-age-younger-planet-sharks/

Even Rainbows Have a Dark Side

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pointing-at-rainbows-taboo

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

69: Gatekeeping, Behavioral Sink, and Crows May 14, 2025

This week we're joined by special guest Patrick Ballesteros as we deep dive into how gatekeeping can be an effective tool against instant gratification, how John Calhoun's landmark rodent utopia over-population experiment led to societal collapse, and how corvid behavior effects our everyday lives. A listener email tells us how Richard Nixon once longed to be the Kendrick Lamar of his day.

Journey Through the Maze: 45 Years of PAC-MAN Opening Reception Info:

https://cityofirvine.org/news-media/calendar-of-events/event/journey-through-maze-45-years-pac-man-opening-reception-art

Episode Tabs:

The Case for Gatekeeping (Yes, Even in a Culture That Tells You to Share Everything)

https://www.cyndiespiegel.com/blog/the-case-for-gatekeeping

Mouse Heaven or Mouse Hell?

https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/mouse-heaven-or-mouse-hell/

FAQs about Crows

https://corvidresearch.blog/faqs-about-crows/

Listener Tabs:

When Richard Nixon Wanted to be a Rapper

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/89019/when-richard-nixon-wanted-be-rapper

Randy Johnson Photography

https://rj51photos.com

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

68: The Bonaparte Siblings and The Sea Peoples May 07, 2025

Guest host Josie Azzam dives into the fascinating (and occasionally outrageous) lives of Napoleon Bonaparte’s many siblings while Hannah goes on an existential journey to learn more about the mysterious Sea Peoples and their role in the collapse of the Bronze Age civilizations. A listener mail asks the question: was Shakespeare actually Italian?

Episode Tabs:

House of Bonaparte

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

What Role Did the Sea Peoples Play in the Bronze Age Collapse?

https://www.thecollector.com/sea-peoples-bronze-age-collapse-role/

Listener Tabs:

Shelly's Leg

https://historylink.org/File/22591

Crollalanza Shakespeare Theory

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crollalanza_theory_of_Shakespeare_authorship

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

67: Murdered Popes and Whaling Wives Apr 30, 2025

This week we learn about all the many, many Popes who have been murdered, and guest host Alyssa Cooper shines a light on the unexpectedly progressive world of 19th century New England whaling wives. A listener email tells us all about the inventor of the automatic machine gun, Hiram Maxim, and his foray into amusement park rides.

Episode Tabs:

In 1303 the French King Sent Goons to Attack and Kidnap the Pope

https://www.history.com/articles/french-king-kidnapping-pope-philip-iv-boniface-vii

Whaling Wives Were Pioneers

https://www.cshwhalingmuseum.org/heroines.html

Listener Tabs:

Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machines

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sir-hiram-maxim-s-captive-flying-machines

The Story of Princess Pocahontas

https://www.easthamptonstar.com/archive/story-princess-pocahontas

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

66: Pizza Delivery Boxes and The Death of Pythagoras Apr 23, 2025

This week we learn about how the introduction of the corrugated box changed the entire pizza delivery industry and how Pythagoras' belief that fava beans contained the souls of the dead may have lead to his violent death. A listener email gets into the X-rated history of tree carvings in the American west.

Episode Tabs:

The Low-Tech Genius of the Cardboard Pizza Box

https://www.eater.com/2016/9/28/13065010/pizza-box-design

The Death of Pythagoras

https://philosophynow.org/issues/78/The_Death_of_Pythagoras

Listener Tabs:

Captain Volcano, or, The Man of the Red Revolvers: A Story of Life Against Life for a Big Stake

https://dimenovels.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/dimenovels%3A181706#page/1/mode/1up

Aspen Diaries

https://www.steamboatmagazine.com/2005/07/01/1948/aspen-diaries

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

65: Roland the Farter and Vietnamese Nail Industry Origins Apr 16, 2025

This week we deep dive into how professional flatulists used to make the big bucks and how Tippi Hedren's humanitarian work with Vietnamese refugees inadvertently created a multi-billion dollar industry. A listener email explains how Legacy Park in Ashburn, VA is a valued MEMBER of the community.

Episode Tabs:

The True Story of Roland the Farter, and How the Internet Killed Professional Flatulence

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/roland-the-farter-professional-flatulence

Nailed It

https://tubitv.com/movies/629631/nailed-it

Listener Tabs:

Delkab, Illinois Fun Facts

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeKalb,_Illinois

Today in Silver Line Discoveries: Brambleton’s “Legacy Park”

https://www.washingtonian.com/2022/11/17/today-in-silver-line-discoveries-brambletons-penis-park/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

64: Chicago's Lager Beer Riot and The Yes Men Apr 09, 2025

This week we're in Chicago for C2E2 as we deep dive into what led to the confrontation of German and Irish immigrants vs the Chicago Police Department in 1855 and how 2 renegade tricksters managed to tank Dow Chemical's stock by giving a fake interview to the BBC. A listener email shares their Filipino family's own personal story of crossing paths with the Aswang.

Episode Tabs:

The Lager Beer Riot: Chicago’s ‘First North Side War’

https://brewedculture.org/2017/05/04/the-lager-beer-riot-chicagos-first-north-side-war/

Meet the Yes Men Who Hoax the World

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/dec/13/mondaymediasection5

Listener Tabs:

Atomic Gardening

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

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

63: First Amendment Auditors, Nixon's Favorite Restaurant, and Auditor the Miner Dog Apr 02, 2025

This week we're joined by special guest Murahd Shawki as we deep dive into people who are questioned by police for exercising their First Amendment right to video record in public spaces like a Taco Bell parking lot, how El Adobe in San Juan Capistrano came to be Richard Nixon's favorite Mexican restaurant despite only serving continental cuisine, and how a shaggy sheepdog named Auditor won the hearts of miners in Butte, Montana. A listener email tells us how Vanuatu tribes are mourning the death of their god Prince Phillip.

Episode Tabs:

Driver ARRESTED Over Ridiculous Taco Bell Dispute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNm2TN0kums

14 US Presidents And Their Favorite Restaurants

https://www.tastingtable.com/1717213/us-presidents-favorite-restaurants/

Montana Tech Professor Memorializes Berkeley Pit dog

https://www.montanaliving.com/blogs/people/76403205-montana-tech-professor-memorializes-berkeley-pit-dog

Listener Tabs:

Prince Philip: The Vanuatu Tribes Mourning The Death Of Their 'God' https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56713953

Swept Away the Musical

https://sweptawaymusical.com

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

62: Pretendians and Rube Waddell Mar 26, 2025

This week we deep dive into the strange phenomenon of people who falsely claim to be descended from Native American or First Nation ancestors and the absolutely unhinged on and off field antics of Baseball Hall of Famer Rube Waddell. A listener email explains how the only copilot in NASCAR history was a rhesus monkey named Jocko Flocko.

Episode Tabs:

Who can Identify as a Native American?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBQPks1zb3A

Rube Waddell

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/rube-waddell/

Listener Tabs:

Racing for peanuts: The legend of Jocko Flocko

https://accesswdun.com/article/2020/5/900527/racing-for-peanuts-the-legend-of-jocko-flocko

How McCutchen summons 'The Power of Anthrocon'

https://www.mlb.com/news/pirates-andrew-mccutchen-summons-the-power-of-anthrocon

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

61: Legend of Siavash and State of Jefferson Mar 19, 2025

It's Nowruz again so this week we deep dive into how the legend of Siavash may have influenced Persians to jump over fire on Red Wednesday and how a proposed U.S. state would span the southern Oregon and Northern California region. A listener email explains how Disney perfected a hue of green for their trashcans as to become almost invisible to park goers.

Episode Tabs:

Chaharshanbe Suri: A Fire-jumping Festival

https://welcometoiran.com/chaharshanbe-suri-fire-jumping-festival/

State of Jefferson

https://www.ijpr.org/state-of-jefferson

500 Open Bingos

https://mfbc.us/m/vq2j24f

Listener Tabs:

I Just Learned A Cool Fact About Disneyland And Disney World That Adds A Whole 'Nother Layer To The Parks

https://www.cinemablend.com/theme-parks/cool-fact-disneyland-disney-world-go-away-green-trash-can-attractions

Bill's Bees

https://www.billsbees.com/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

60: Supermarket Sweep, Beetle Beer Bottle Sex, and Fake Filipino Vampires of the CIA Mar 12, 2025

This week we're joined by special guest J. L. Westover as we deep dive into the mechanics of a capitalist gameshow of yesteryear, how Australian jewel beetles mistakenly bang discarded beer bottles, and that time the CIA tried to trick a Filipino communist guerrilla movement into thinking vampires were real. A listener email tells us how a Finnish pizza restaurant clapped back at Silvio Berlusconi by making an award winning spite pizza.

Episode Tabs:

How to Become a Fan of the Supermarket Sweep TV Game Show

https://www.wikihow-fun.com/Become-a-Fan-of-the-Supermarket-Sweep-TV-Game-Show

Nature Mimics: Why Bugs Mate With Beer Bottles

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2011/11/nature-mimics-why-bugs-mate-with-beer-bottles/

False Fang: When the CIA Staged a Vampire Attack

https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/cia-philippines-vampire-attack

Listener Tabs:

Brother To Canberra's Notorious Penis Owl Erected In Northern Serbia

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-16/phallic-owl-statue-erected-in-serbia/10504392

The Pizza Berlusconi Battle: How Finland Beat Italy At Pizza

https://veryfinnishproblems.com/blogs/news/pizza-berlusconi

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

59: Stone of Destiny Heist pt. 2 and Richard Parkers at Sea Mar 05, 2025

This week we conclude the Stone of Destiny heist and deep dive into the various stories of ship boys named Richard Parker who were eaten at sea. A listener email tells us about the time the UK Royal Air Force airdropped cats into a remote part of Malaysia to help deal with the rat problem.

Episode Tabs:

The Students Who Stole The Stone Of Destiny

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-63130942

Cannibalism at Sea: The Starving Victorian Sailors Who Ate a Cabin Boy

https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/cannibalism-at-sea-sailors-ate-the-cabin-boy/

Listener Tabs:

Operation: Cat Drop

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19600309-1.2.56

For 600 Years The Voynich Manuscript Has Remained A Mystery. Now We Think It’s Partly About Sex

https://theconversation.com/for-600-years-the-voynich-manuscript-has-remained-a-mystery-now-we-think-its-partly-about-sex-227157

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

58: Konami Code Origins and Stone of Destiny Heist pt. 1 Feb 26, 2025

This week we deep dive into how a shortcut meant to save time while programming spawned a love affair with cheat codes and how a group of college students decided to steal an ancient symbol of Scottish kings back from the English. A listener email reveals the multicultural history of Groundhog Day.

Episode Tabs:

Game Breaking: How Cheat Codes Changed Video Games Forever

The Students Who Stole The Stone Of Destiny

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-63130942

Listener Tabs:

The History Of Groundhog Day Is More Complex Than You May Think

https://thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/arts-culture/3840820-the-history-of-groundhog-day-is-more-complex-than-you-may-think/

Donegal Farmer Uncovers 22kg Slab Of Ancient Bog Butter

https://www.irishnews.com/news/ireland/donegal-farmer-uncovers-22kg-slab-of-ancient-bog-butter-YUJKZVXG6NH43G3SBZ3DAUDCHI/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

57: Diary of The Shah and More Spite Houses Feb 19, 2025

This week we deep dive into Naser al-Din Shah Qajar's published diary of his 1873 European tour and learn about bigger and better houses of spite. A listener email reveals how a sexy Abe Lincoln statue broke everyone's brains.

Episode Tabs:

Nasir Al-Din Shah And The Art Of Indifference https://new.bidoun.org/articles/redolent-delusions

Spite Buildings: When Human Grudges Get Architectural

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jun/21/spite-buildings-when-human-grudges-get-architectural-in-pictures

Listener Tabs:

‘Honest Abs’: The story behind that shirtless Lincoln statue flirting with the Internet

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/02/21/honest-abs-story-behind-that-shirtless-lincoln-statue-flirting-with-internet/

Clever Hans And His Effects: Karl Krall And The Origins Of Experimental Parapsychology In Germany

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369848614000855

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

56: Crocker Spite House and John Orr Feb 12, 2025

This week we deep dive into how Billionaire James Crocker built a fence around a German immigrant's home in San Francisco and how legendary arson investigator John Orr's passion project doubled as a confession for some of California's worst fires. A listener email explains how the first ever women’s college basketball game was played at Smith College in 1893.

Episode Tabs:

The Man Who Built a 40-Foot Spite Fence Around His Neighbor’s Home

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94298/crocker-spite-fence-san-francisco

He Was Both Fire Captain And Prolific Arsonist. His Novel Put Him In Prison.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-29/john-orr-glendale-fire-captain-prolific-arsonist

Listener Tabs:

Stone of Blarney, Meet Head of Lenin

https://lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2015/jul/10/stone-blarney-meet-head-lenin/

March 22, 1893: First Women’s Collegiate Basketball Game

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/first-womens-collegiate-basketball-game/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

55: Big Jim O’Leary and Mark Twain vs USPS Feb 05, 2025

This week we learn how the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 gave birth to the city's most honest gambler and how Mark Twain's feud with the United States Postal Service lasted a lifetime. A listener email tells us the story of Mike the Headless Chicken.

Episode Tabs:

The Irish American Gangster Whose Family Rose from Chicago's Ashes

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/big-jim-oleary-chicago-crime-boss

Mark Twain Had a Lifelong Feud with the United States Postal Service

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mark-twain-had-a-lifelong-feud-with-the-united-states-postal-service

Listener Tabs:

How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31374512-how-to-tame-a-fox-and-build-a-dog

Mike the Headless Chicken

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

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

54: Aristotle's Masterpiece and American Hippo Bill Jan 29, 2025

This week we learn about a sex manual/midwifery book from 1684 and how the American Hippo Act forced two rivals from South Africa to come together for the greater good. A listener email explains why Pandas use horse manure to stay warm.

Episode Tabs:

When the Birds and the Bees Were Not Enough

https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/when-the-birds-and-the-bees-were-not-enough-aristotle-s-masterpiece/

American Hippopotamus

https://magazine.atavist.com/american-hippopotamus/

Listener Tabs:

Why is Bern the Capital of Switzerland?

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/federal-city-_why-is-bern-the-capital-of-switzerland/44577476

Why Wild Giant Pandas Frequently Roll In Horse Manure

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2004640117

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

53: Dellschau Notebooks pt. 2 and Nuclear Semiotics Jan 22, 2025

This week we finally unpack Charles Dellschau's forgotten aeronautical notebooks and learn how long-term nuclear waste warning messages are created. A listener email digs up the story of how the Brynlow shovel was dug up out of Alderley Edge but not identified as a Bronze Age tool until many decades later.

Episode Tabs:

Charles A.A. Dellschau Book

http://www.shishigami.com/srfa/Charles_Dellschau_FINAL.pdf

Inverse Archaeology: Sending a Message to the Future https://www.stochastication.com/2016/06/13/inverse-archaeology/amp/

Listener Tabs:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1l0CodEbSLsF0zj7i5SWJPJfvu9iNvi3f&hl=en&ll=34.42740297426141%2C-117.9767350680066&z=8

https://archaeology.co.uk/articles/opinion/magic-and-mining-at-alderley-edge.htm

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

52: LA Fire Update and Patreon AMA Jan 15, 2025

Unfortunately the LA fires have forced us to delay recording, so here's a quick update about ways you can help followed by our last Patreon AMA that should be unhinged enough to hold you all over till next week. Stay safe friends!!

ANIMATION PPL & FRIENDS AFFECTED BY FIRES:

https://airtable.com/appugwkqKAVGDdeaJ/shrrujOu1GKwKAW0f/tblBTejpocYFoeauX

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

51: Salamander Wool and Dellschau Notebooks pt. 1 Jan 08, 2025

We're back from the winter break and midder than ever! This week we learn how salamanders tricked medieval Europeans into thinking they were fireproof and how Prussian immigrant Charles Dellschau's forgotten aeronautical notebooks came to shock the art world 40 years after his death. A listener email tells the harrowing tale of how astronaut Sergei Krikalev got stuck in space after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Episode Tabs:

The Asbestos Workers’ Salamander

http://www.laborculture.org/publications/Asbestos_Workers'_Salamander_Occasional%20Paper_3.pdf

Did An Artist's Flights Of Fancy Depict Early Aviation?

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/columnists/native-texan/article/Did-an-artist-s-flights-of-fancy-depict-early-5909915.php

Listener Tabs:

https://www.ndtv.com/science/sergei-krikalev-the-story-of-sergei-krikalev-whose-country-disappeared-when-he-was-in-space-5414875

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chessie_(sea_monster)

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

50: 2024 Audience Favorites: Oops All Kavehs! Jan 01, 2025

Yes it's technically 2025 now but here are Kaveh's two most popular tabs of 2024 as voted by you the audience! Join us as we revisit the story of our Horse Daddy King Nikola Jokić and the wonderful Meiji era political cartoons involving Tanuki balls.

Episode Tabs:

How Nikola Jokić Became The World’s Best Basketball Player

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/02/12/how-nikola-jokic-became-the-worlds-best-basketball-player

Testicular Tanuki Tales: Japanese Folk Humor for Children with a Ribald Satirical Twist

https://blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen/2017/09/tanuki/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

49: 2024 Audience Favorites: Oops All Hannahs! Dec 25, 2024

This year for Christmas you're getting Hannah's two most popular tabs of 2024 as voted by you the audience! Join us as we revisit the story of how Iceland got the wrong translation of Dracula and Pompeian graffiti got freaky deaky.

Episode Tabs:

The Literary Mystery of the Icelandic Dracula by Valur Grettison

https://grapevine.is/mag/2022/05/09/the-literary-mystery-of-the-icelandic-dracula/

What the Graffiti of Ancient Pompeii Teach Us About Our Modern Selves

https://blog.degruyter.com/graffiti-ancient-pompeii-teach-us-modern-selves/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

48: K2MITAB!! (500 Open Stabs Round 2) Dec 18, 2024

On our season 1 finale, the ancient tournament of Kumitab continues as we pit some of our craziest subjects against one another including Ronald Reagan's sweatpants, a meth-addled WW2 solider, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. A listener email explains the wonders of a nonstop Moby Dick reading marathon.

Listener Tabs:

https://slate.com/life/2024/01/moby-dick-whale-book-ship-massachusetts-captain-ahab.html

https://www.dailyrecordnews.com/news/getting-to-the-bottom-of-mel-s-hole/article_d72b6a68-7ac2-11e1-b3ce-001a4bcf887a.html

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

47: The 47 Society and Ol' Rip the Horned Toad Dec 11, 2024

This week we learn about how an offline meme of the number 47 made its way into Star Trek and how a hibernating lizard named Ol' Rip caught the attention of President Calvin Coolidge himself. A listener email shines a light on Disneyland's complex system of garbage tunnels.

Episode Tabs:

The 47 Society

https://www.47.net/47society/

The strange tale of Old Rip, the horned toad on display in a Texas courthouse

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texana/2018/10/05/the-strange-tale-of-old-rip-the-horned-toad-on-display-in-a-texas-courthouse/

Listener Tabs:

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

https://worldofwalt.com/disney-underground-trash-tubes.html

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

46: Vavilov & Lysenko pt2 and Zeno Brothers Dec 04, 2024

This week we learn how the battle between Nikolai Vavilov and Trofim Lysenko reached its crescendo when the Nazis came for the Russian seed vault and how the Zeno Brothers claimed to have "discovered" the New World first. A listener email explains how bees love to play with balls.

Episode Tabs:

The Heroic Story of Nikolai Vavilov and The Saviors of the Seeds

https://campfirestoriespodcast.medium.com/the-heroic-story-of-nikolai-vavilov-and-the-saviors-of-the-seeds-c46e9efb076a

The Zeno Voyage

https://archive.org/details/voyagesofvenetia00zenorich/page/n33/mode/2up?view=theater

Listener Tabs:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/2022/oct/27/bumblebees-playing-wooden-balls-bees-study

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

45: Phantom Islands and Vavilov & Lysenko pt1 Nov 27, 2024

This week we learn about how cartographers used to just make up stuff for fun and how Nikolai Vavilov's dream of ending famine with the world's largest seed vault put him at direct odds with soviet darling Trofim Lysenko . A listener email explains what happens to a solider after accidentally taking 30 doses of meth.

Throw Me in the Bog Sweatshirt Drop: https://www.bonfire.com/bogsweater/

Use Code 500OPENTABS at Kaveh's store for freebies: https://www.blacksmithfilms.com/store

Episode Tabs:

Phantom Island

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

The Tragedy of the World’s First Seed Bank

https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/the-tragedy-of-the-worlds-first-seed-bank/

Listener Tabs:

https://allthatsinteresting.com/aimo-koivunen

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Molasses_Flood

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

44: Ten Cent Beer Night and Bog Snorkeling Nov 20, 2024

This week we're all about sports as we learn how a Ten Cent Beer Night promotion led to one of the MLB's most infamous games and the curious Welsh tradition of competitive Bog Snorkeling. A listener email informs us of the Great Emu War of 1932.

Episode Tabs:

Remembering 10-Cent Beer Night, one of baseball’s most infamous fiascos

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/06/04/10-cent-beer-night-1974-cleveland-indians-texas-rangers/

Is This The World's Weirdest Sporting Event?

https://youtu.be/uZcRBVkZSJ8

Listener Tabs:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_war

https://www.inventionandtech.com/content/bicycle-railroad-1

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

43: Milicent Patrick and Casa Sanchez Tattoos Nov 13, 2024

This week we learn about the life of Milicent Patrick, a pioneering artist in Hollywood who designed the Creature From the Black Lagoon and Casa Sanchez's notorious tacos-for-tattoos deal in San Francisco. A listener email tells us about that time that the government wanted to clear away some mountains with nuclear bombs.

Episode Tabs:

Milicent Patrick & Her Enduring Design of the Creature from the Black Lagoon

https://www.jahernandez.com/posts/milicent-patrick-her-enduring-design-of-the-creature-from-the-black-lagoon

In 1998, These SF Men Got a Tattoo to Snag Free Tacos for Life.

https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/casa-sanchez-tattoos-free-meal-promo-san-francisco-16465800.php

Listener Tabs:

https://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Ultrasonic_20Canine_20Musicals_20With_20Scent_20Organs#1503032938

https://www.frrandp.com/2022/10/project-carryall.html?m=1

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

42: Notorious Victoria Woodhull and 80s Cartoon Deregulation Nov 06, 2024

On this extra patriotic election themed episode we learn about Victoria Woodhull, the first woman who ran for president in 1872 and how Ronald Reagan's decision to deregulate children's programming paved the way for adult fandom culture. A listener email explains the origins of Scabby the Rat.

Episode Tabs:

Notorious Victoria: The First Woman to Run for President

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/20/notorious-victoria-first-woman-run-for-us-president

The Great Marketing Deregulation

https://bettermarketing.pub/the-great-marketing-deregulation-2125a0efe094

Listener Tabs:

https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=his/chap1&document=index&lang=e

https://www.unionprogress.com/2023/03/19/a-look-at-scabbys-past-reveals-inflated-family-history/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

41: Jack O'Lantern and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Oct 30, 2024

On this very spooky Halloween themed episode, we learn about the Irish origins of the Jack-o-Lantern and how Charles Schulz created another classic Peanuts holiday special. A listener email clues us into the Giant Atlantic Pumpkin Weigh Offs.

Episode Tabs:

The twisted transatlantic tale of American jack-o’-lanterns

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/the-twisted-transatlantic-tale-of-american-jack-o-lanterns

We Need a Blockbuster, Charlie Brown! The Making of The Great Pumpkin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qu8_pwQKHE

Listener Tabs:

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/15985

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=205&gid=79

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

40: Talking Heads, Robert Liston, and Battle of Santa Monica Bay Oct 23, 2024

This week we are joined by special guests Kaveh Rastegar and Kaveh Hoda as we learn about the contributions of Chris Frantz to the Talking Heads, an infamous surgery that killed 3 people, and how Santa Monica was once a standoff point between the mob and a future Supreme Court justice. A listener email explains the explosive properties of Chlorine tri-fluoride.

Episode Tabs:

Talking Heads’ Original Lineup on Stop Making Sense, Their Early Days, and the Future

https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/talking-heads-reunion-2023-stop-making-sense/

The fastest knife in the West End’: The history of one of London’s most famous surgeons Robert Liston

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7326303/The-history-one-Londons-famous-surgeons-amputate-leg-30-seconds.html

California's coastline used to be covered with 'sin ships'

https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/los-angeles-gambling-ships-history-mob-prohibition-19612830.php

Listener Tabs:

https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/sand-won-t-save-you-time

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

39: NYC Cow Tunnels and Staten Island Ferry Disaster Oct 16, 2024

This week we are in NYC for Comic Con and learn about the cow tunnels that once lied beneath the Javits Center and how Joseph Reginella was inspired to create a series of fake monuments throughout the Big Apple. A listener email explains how Nikola Jokic is the ultimate wife guy.

Episode Tabs:

The Lost Cow Tunnels of New York City

https://gizmodo.com/the-lost-cow-tunnels-of-new-york-city-1455215193

New York monument honors victims of giant octopus attack that never occurred

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/01/new-york-staten-island-ferry-octopus-attack-fake-monument

Listener Tabs:

https://heavy.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/nikola-jokic-wife-natalija-macesic/amp/

https://alaskapublic.org/2021/02/18/haines-woman-braves-outhouse-encounter-with-black-bear/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/06/26/bear-falls-through-skylight-eats-cupcakes/11397795/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

38: Magic Decks, Garden Hermits, and Skeleton Police Interrogator Oct 09, 2024

This week we are joined by special guest Kurosh Jozavi (@kujoprime) as we learn about Magic the Gathering Commander Decks, how wealthy British land owners used to populate their gardens with hermits, and a patent for a spooky police interrogation device. A listener email reveals the man who convinced Ghirardelli to set up chocolate shop in San Francisco.

Episode Tabs:

Rocco, the Iranian Street Chef

https://archidekt.com/decks/7553410/rocco_the_iranian_street_chef

Ornamental Hermits

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

The 1920s Lie Detector That Forced Suspected Criminals to Confess to a Skeleton

https://www.openculture.com/2023/05/the-1920s-lie-detector-that-forced-suspected-criminals-to-confess-to-a-skeleton.html

Listener Tabs:

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

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9o_Major

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

37: Penny Arcade Sisters and Maple Syrup Heist Oct 02, 2024

This week we're joined by special guest host Alyssa Cooper as we learn how the Dennison sisters revolutionized England’s penny arcades and how barrel rollers in Québec pulled off the maple syrup heist of the century. A listener email explains how to best pass a kidney stone at Disneyland.

Episode Tabs:

Penny Arcades Would Be Nothing Without the Pioneering Dennison Sisters

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/penny-arcade-dennison-sisters

https://pennymachines.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=39092

Inside Quebec’s Great, Multi-Million-Dollar Maple-Syrup Heist

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/12/maple-syrup-heist

Listener Tabs:

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/roller-coaster-kidney-stones/

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/florida-is-home-worst-taco-bell-location-us-report-says-take-gamble-you-wish

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

36: Cordwainer Smith pt2 and The Lost Stuart Little Masterpiece Sep 25, 2024

This week we explore the short stories of Sci-Fi writer Cordwainer Smith and how a prop in the Stuart Little movie led to the rediscovery of a lost Hungarian masterpiece. A listener email explains how 9/11 ruined Disney World train tours forever.

Episode Tabs:

The Sci-Fi Writer who Invented Conspiracy Theory

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/science-fiction-conspiracy-theory-psyops/678195/

Stuart Little leads art historian to long-lost Hungarian masterpiece

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/27/stuart-little-art-historian-long-lost-hungarian-masterpiece

Listener Tabs:

https://www.medievalists.net/2023/06/bal-des-ardents/

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

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

35: God's Rambo and Cordwainer Smith pt1 Sep 18, 2024

This week we learn about the insane lengths Helge Meyer went to help starving kids in the Yugoslav Wars and the CIA/ Chinese Nationalist Party ties of acclaimed SciFi writer Cordwainer Smith. A listener email explains why King Tut was particularly stiff when mummified.

Episode Tabs:

The Real Transporter – Helge Meyer And His Ghost Camaro

https://www.motorpunk.co.uk/carclub-18-30/the-cars/real-transporter-helge-meyer-ghost-camaro/

Throngs of Himself

https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2018/fall/cordwainer-smith-paul-linebarger/

Listener Tabs:

https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/music/how-frank-sinatra-s-song-my-way-triggered-filipino-karaoke-killings-a00304-20191017-lfrm?s=6mtp3t2nathbisrknnf5af8n6k

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/king-tutankhamun-was-mummified-with-an-erect-penis-to-quash-religious-revolution-9037709.html

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

34: Icelandic Dracula and The Guano Islands Act Sep 11, 2024

This week we learn how Iceland got the wrong translation of Dracula and how America's thirst for guano led the government to enact an insane law in 1856. A listener email gives us the sweats.

Episode Tabs:

The Literary Mystery of the Icelandic Dracula by Valur Grettison

https://grapevine.is/mag/2022/05/09/the-literary-mystery-of-the-icelandic-dracula/

How Fertilizer Madness Sparked a Turd War and Turned Guano Into Gold

https://www.thedailyscoop.com/news/retail-business/how-fertilizer-madness-sparked-turd-war-and-turned-guano-gold

Listener Tabs:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/lindsay-hoyle-clement-attlee-house-of-commons-bengal-commons-b2580463.html

https://www.vox.com/even-better/24156471/whole-body-deodorants-lume-axe-sweat

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

33: LA's Underground Lizard Tunnels and Hodges Meteorite Sep 04, 2024

This week we learn about the discovery of secret tunnels under Los Angeles built by ancient lizard people and how Ann Hodges was struck by a meteorite while napping. A listener email reveals the real life inspiration of Nacho Libre.

Episode Tabs:

The Underground Catacombs of L.A.'s Lizard People

https://lamag.com/news/citydig-the-underground-catacombs-of-las-lizard-people

For the Only Person Ever Hit by a Meteorite, the Real Trouble Began Later

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/only-person-ever-hit-meteorite-real-trouble-began-later-180961238/

Listener Tabs:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/al-ralph-capone-dairy-industry-milk-cheese

https://mymodernmet.com/fray-tormenta-nacho-libre/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

32: The year of 5 Roman Emperors and Colossal Squids Aug 28, 2024

On this very special episode we KEEP IT JOSIE by learning how Rome had 5 different emperors in the year 193 and what makes a colossal squid versus a giant squid. A listener email explains why southern Californians always use "the" when naming freeways.

Episode Tabs:

Year of the Five Emperors

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

Is This the First Recorded Footage of a Colossal Squid Living Freely?

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/is-this-the-first-recorded-footage-of-a-colossal-squid-living-freely-180984482/

Listener Tabs:

https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/the-5-the-101-the-405-why-southern-californians-love-saying-the-before-freeway-numbers

https://nymag.com/movies/profiles/57863/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

31: Groom of the Stool, World's Oldest Cat, & Art in the Olympics Aug 21, 2024

This week we are joined by special guest Alex Brodt as we learn about the Groom of the Stool, how Rick Perry's cousin raised the world's oldest cat, and the brief period in time when Art was an Olympic sport. A listener email explains how luggage handlers are just like us.

Episode Tabs:

Groom of the Stool

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

How to Raise a 165-Year-Old Cat

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-to-raise-a-165-year-old-cat

Remember When the Olympics Used to Have an Art Competition? No?

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/07/remember-when-the-olympics-used-to-have-an-art-competition-no/260355/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

30: Alligator Joe and Australian Camels Aug 14, 2024

This week we learn about the insane story of Alligator Joe and how camels ended up in Australia. A listener email explored Mary Toft's strange birthing practices.

Episode Tabs:

When Kids Played With Alligators in Los Angeles

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alligator-farm-los-angeles-180957172/

The strange story of Australia’s wild camel

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180410-the-strange-story-of-australias-wild-camel

Listener Tabs:

https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/library/files/special/exhibns/month/aug2009.html

https://www.pcmag.com/news/firefox-power-user-keeps-7400-plus-browser-tabs-open-for-2-years

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

29: Target Husk and Pompeian Graffiti Aug 07, 2024

This week we learn about the legendary Hollywood Target that took forever to get built and Pompeian graffiti. A listener email shows us the best dog who gets the most pats.

Episode Tabs:

The 'Target Husk' in Hollywood Opens at Last, 12 Years After Work Began

https://lamag.com/featured/hollywood-target-opens

What the Graffiti of Ancient Pompeii Teach Us About Our Modern Selves

https://blog.degruyter.com/graffiti-ancient-pompeii-teach-us-modern-selves/

Listener Tabs:

https://www.onemillionpats.com/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steeplechase_(athletics)

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

28: Skydiving Beavers and Cynthia the Gaba Girl Jul 31, 2024

This week we learn about skydiving beavers, WW2 bat bombs, and Cynthia the Gaba Girl. A listener email informs us of the communion wafer monopoly.

Episode Tabs:

Why 76 Beavers Were Forced to Skydive into the Idaho Wilderness in 1948

https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/running-ponies/why-76-beavers-were-forced-to-skydive-into-the-idaho-wilderness-in-1948/

Cynthia the Mannequin: A Curious Star Is Born

https://time.com/3877720/life-with-cynthia-the-world-famous-mannequin/

Listener Tabs:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muki_(mythology)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knocker_(folklore)

https://www.vice.com/en/article/vvaeyb/the-surprisingly-cutthroat-business-of-communion-crackers

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

27: Comic-Con 2024 Special Jul 24, 2024

This week we're in San Diego for Comic-Con where we learn about the history of Cosplay and the world's greatest autograph collector, Joseph Mikulec. A listener email shows us a livestream of a real-life stream.

Episode Tabs:

Myrtle R Douglas: Mother of Convention Costuming

https://youtu.be/DasGQQkj-xY?si=VfZUtkyjqRuSZL23

The Man Who Walked Around the World, Collecting the Autographs of the Rich and Famous

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-man-who-walked-around-the-world-collecting-the-autographs-of-the-rich-and-famous-180979841/

Listener Tabs:

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

https://visdeurbel.nl/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

26: Pig Butchering, Mohammad Khordadian, & the Tiffany Problem Jul 17, 2024

In this week's highly anticipated crossover episode, we are joined by House of Pod's Dr. Kaveh Hoda as we learn about Pig Butchering, famed Iranian dancer Mohammad Khordadian, and the Tiffany Problem. A listener email clues us into the existence of Bog Butter.

Episode Tabs:

Pig Butchering Scam

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

Keeping Up with the Khordadian

https://www.bidoun.org/articles/keeping-up-with-the-khordadian

Tiffany Problem

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

Listener Tabs:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bog_body

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/25/eminem-was-interviewed-by-secret-service-about-threatening-trump-lyrics

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

25: Kumitab!! (500 Open Stabs) Jul 10, 2024

In honor of reaching our 25th episode milestone, this week we host the ancient tournament of Kumitab! Join our battle royale as we pit some of our craziest tab subjects against one another including a lobotomized housewife, Richard Nixon, and the burning MacArthur overpass. A listener email informs illustrators to which patron saint they should pray.

Listener Tabs:

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

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

24: The 1303 Crown Jewels Heist pt2 and Tanuki balls Jul 03, 2024

This week we conclude Richard of Pudlicott's 1303 heist of Edward Longshanks' crown jewels and learn about Meiji era political cartoons involving Tanuki balls. A listener email explains the beaverly origins of strawberry flavoring.

Episode Tabs:

1303 Heist PART II

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/download/ChaptersintheAdministrativeHistoryofMediaevalEngland_10193632.pdf

Testicular Tanuki Tales: Japanese Folk Humor for Children with a Ribald Satirical Twist

https://blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen/2017/09/tanuki/

Listener Tabs:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3m885/a-history-of-flavoring-food-with-beaver-butt-juice

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-books/2023/08/17/four-weirdest-animals-on-the-planet/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

23: Taco Bell Paintings and the 1303 Crown Jewels Heist pt1 Jun 26, 2024

This week we learn about Mark T. Smith's iconic Taco Bell paintings and Richard of Pudlicott's plan to rob Edward Longshanks in 1303. A listener email explains how failing to learn the Persian language resulted in Europeans eating mummies for medicinal purposes.

Episode Tabs:

One of the most unusual heists in America seems to be unfolding at Taco Bell

https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/taco-bell-ebay-mark-smith-paintings-19464177.php

The One Where England’s Treasury War Robbed

https://medium.com/@madmedic11671/the-one-where-englands-treasury-war-robbed-9727181fc8b

Listener Tabs:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/mummy-eating-medical-cannibalism-gory-history

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

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

22: The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 pt2 and Colonel Thomas Blood Jun 19, 2024

This week we conclude the story of the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 and learn about crown jewel thief Colonel Thomas Blood. A listener email explains why ancient Greek statues always had tiny wieners.

Episode Tabs:

The Great Moon Hoax

https://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/the_great_moon_hoax

https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/moon-shot-race-a-hoax-and-the-birth-of-fake-news

The Irish Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels

https://britishheritage.com/history/man-steals-crown-jewels

Listener Tabs:

https://www.dw.com/en/why-do-ancient-statues-have-such-small-penises/a-65151780

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haemophilia_in_European_royalty

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

21: 1904 Olympic Marathon and The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 pt1 Jun 12, 2024

This week we learn about the 1904 Olympic marathon and The Great Moon Hoax of 1835. A listener email teaches us how to dance with the devil.

Episode Tabs:

The 1904 Olympic Marathon May Have Been the Strangest Ever

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-1904-olympic-marathon-may-have-been-the-strangest-ever-14910747/

Belief, Legend, and the Great Moon Hoax

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2014/08/the-great-moon-hoax/

Listener Tabs:

https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/c/82315/files/2022/09/DIGITAL-COPY-Dancing-with-Devils-Latin-American-Masks-Traditions.pdf

https://library.osu.edu/site/dancingwithdevils/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

20: Frank Dux, Fata Morganas, and McGruff the Crime Dog Jun 05, 2024

This week we are joined by special guest Miles Greb (Plastic Plesiosaur Podcast) as we learn about Bloodsport's Frank Dux, Fata Morganas, and McGruff the Crime Dog. A listener email reveals a special item on an ancient Greek brothel menu.

Go see Kaveh in SF this weekend for his event on June 8th:

https://www.booksinc.net/event/lindsay-ellis-books-inc-opera-plaza

Episode Tabs:

Frank Dux

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

Fantastically Wrong: The Bizarre Mirages That Once Scared the Bejesus Out of Sailors

https://www.wired.com/2015/01/fantastically-wrong-fata-morgana/

McGruff The Crime Dog Has Been In Prison For A Decade

https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/cltr/mcgruff-the-crime-dog-prison.html

https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2015746/m1/

Listener Tabs:

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/waterbed-history-rise-fall-255635

https://www.thecut.com/2018/07/lioness-on-cheese-grater-lysistrata-meaning.html

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

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

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 https://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.

19: MacArthur Maze pt 2 and Rose O'Neill May 29, 2024

This week we wrap up the MacArthur Maze debacle and learn about pioneering cartoonist Rose O'Neill. A listener email dives into the mysterious poisoning of a Chinese billionaire.

Episode Tabs:

Rebuilding The Maze p2

https://youtu.be/-TKjwblp1XI?si=pcAFthBY_vVzV0ss

Rose O’Neill : Artist and Suffragist

https://www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/rose-oneill

Listener Tabs:

https://library.osu.edu/site/cartoons/2012/08/03/found-in-the-collection-mr-coffee-nerves/

https://www.preview.ph/culture/3-body-problem-producer-poison-death-a5158-20240405

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

18: Trial of Anne Hutchinson and MacArthur Maze pt 1 May 22, 2024

This week we learn about the renegade Anne Hutchinson and how the MacArthur Maze was reconstructed in record time after a fire. A listener email explains the sword-fighting roots of the Best Man.

Episode Tabs:

The Trial of Anne Hutchinson

https://www.famous-trials.com/hutchinson/2395-hutchinson-1637-account

Rebuilding The Maze

Listener Tabs:

https://fpmaine.com/news/a-brief-history-of-the-best-man/

https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-high-schools-complete-23-inning-2-day-marathon-baseball-game-020427000.html

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

17: Fake buildings, Sperm Whale Defenses, and Sea Lego May 15, 2024

This week we are joined by special guest Steven Ray Morris (My Favorite Murder, See Jurassic Right) as we learn about fake buildings, Sperm whale defense tactics, and Lego lost at sea. A listener email penetrates some myths about lobotomies.

Episode Tabs:

Fake Buildings

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

Sperm whales survive surprise attack

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-21/sperm-whales-survive-surprise-orca-attack/103609696

Lego Lost at Sea

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whimsical-legos-are-still-washing-ashore-decades-after-they-were-lost-at-sea-180979580/

Listener Tabs:

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

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

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

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 https://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.

16: Jonathan the Tortoise and Air Force One Theft May 08, 2024

This week we learn about Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise and Air Force One petty theft. A listener email clarifies what the Grishaverse actually is.

Episode Tabs:

Jonathan the Tortoise

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-oldest-living-land-animal-a-tortoise-named-jonathan-turns-191-180983392/

The Real D.C. Crime Wave

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook/2024/03/28/the-real-d-c-crime-wave-00149591

Listener Tabs:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1kSMBcqUyd5Qk_Qj13siJD_NGD3tnnah8rPxd7L7J6bQ/htmlview

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

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

15: 1976 Tehran UFO Incident and Crypt of Civilization May 01, 2024

This week we learn about the 1976 Tehran UFO Incident and the father of the modern time capsule. A listener email fetes a disgusting historical figure.

Episode Tabs:

1976 Tehran UFO incident

http://www.iiaf.net/tehran-dogfight-incident/

The Crypt of Civilization

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/crypt-of-civilization/

Listener Tabs:

https://en.m.wikinews.org/wiki/Man_takes_armoured_vehicle_on_rampage_through_Western_Sydney

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

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

14: Head Hunter Ants and The Patent Wars Apr 24, 2024

This week we learn about horrific ant genuses and how the film industry was born out of everyone hating Thomas Edison. A listener email answers the age old question of "how long do pig orgasms last?"

Episode Tabs:

These ants decorate their homes with the heads of their enemies

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/ants-head-hunters-attack-trap-jaw-enemies-nests

Thomas Edison: The Unintentional Founder of Hollywood

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2021/03/thomas-edison-the-unintentional-founder-of-hollywood

Listener Tabs:

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/100659-longest-orgasm-in-mammals

https://nypost.com/2022/07/18/phrogging-hider-in-my-house-stranger-secretly-lived-with-us/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

13: Louis Le Prince and The Color Grue Apr 17, 2024

This week we learn about Louis Le Prince, the REAL inventor of the motion picture camera and the origins of the color Grue. A listener email inspires a high end horse jacket clothing line.

Episode Tabs:

Who Killed Louis Le Prince? On the forgotten father of film

https://harpers.org/archive/2022/04/who-killed-louis-le-prince-on-the-forgotten-father-of-film/

No one could describe the color blue until modern times

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-blue-and-how-do-we-see-color-2015-2

Listener Tabs:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/855685.Fly_Away_Home#CommunityReviews

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159116302192?via%3Dihub

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

12: Roar the Movie and Nintendo Power Hotline Apr 10, 2024

This week we discuss Roar, one of the most unsafe movies ever made and the Nintendo Power Hotline. A listener email reveals all the animals in elected office.

Episode Tabs:

Hollywood's real Tiger King: Insane big cat movie Roar getting VOD rerelease

https://ew.com/movies/roar-movie-vod/

Inside The Nintendo Power Hotline

https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/02/22/inside-the-nintendo-power-hotline

Listener Tabs:

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/top-9-animals-elected-to-office-in-the-united-states/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/inside-the-new-york-public-librarys-last-secret-apartments

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

11: Michelin Man and An Arab among the Vikings Apr 03, 2024

This week we discuss the origins of the Michelin Man and a first hand account of Vikings from 922. A listener email answers the question of why we don't see Pandas in toilet paper ads.

Episode Tabs:

Allied Forces on D-Day Used a Popular Tourist Guide to Help Liberate France

https://www.military.com/history/allied-forces-d-day-used-popular-tourist-guide-help-liberate-france.html

“The Rus” (An Arab among the Vikings)

https://content.ucpress.edu/chapters/12938.ch01.pdf

Listener Tabs:

https://youtu.be/aQthclI55Rk?si=Bw8xdEs8K-Ikbb0j

https://youtu.be/4eJxAhhMiCk?si=xDb9O4IkpDOjEwrL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Alley_(TV_series)?wprov=sfti1

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

10: Aconcagua Murder Mystery, March 27th, and Golf Course Sharks Mar 27, 2024

This week we have our first ever special guest, 500 Tabs' very own editor and friend Alyssa Cooper! We discuss a mountain murder mystery, the importance of March 27th, and sharks on a golf course. A listener email taps into some of our most primal fears.

Episode Tabs:

Ghosts on the Glacier

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/09/world/americas/aconcagua-mountain-expedition-photos.html

The Wikipedia entry for the day of March 27

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_27

Six bull sharks inadvertently made their home on an Australian golf course. Then they vanished

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/18/sport/carbrook-bull-sharks-australia-golf-course-spt-spc-intl/index.html

Listener Tabs:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/four-acre-spider-web_n_6095724

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

9: Lobotomies and Nikola Jokic Mar 20, 2024

This week we discuss insane mental health practices of the 1940s and the NBA's golden horse, Nikola Jokić. A listener email disgusts Kaveh.

Episode Tabs:

Mother’s Little Helper: Vintage Drug Ads

https://www.goretro.com/2014/08/mothers-little-helper-vintage-drug-ads.html

How Nikola Jokić Became The World’s Best Basketball Player

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/02/12/how-nikola-jokic-became-the-worlds-best-basketball-player

Listener Tabs:

https://www.everywhereist.com/2021/12/bros-restaurant-lecce-we-eat-at-the-worst-michelin-starred-restaurant-ever/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shave_%27Em_Dry

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

8: Trial of the Werewolf Peter Stump and Folk Etymology Mar 13, 2024

This week we discuss the trial of alleged werewolf Peter Stump and folk etymology. A listener email reveals how McDonalds tried to buy their way into fandom.

Episode Tabs:

Confessions of a Werewolf: The Trial of Peter Stump

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/a-german-werewolfs-confessions-horrified-1500s-europe

What the Folk?

https://daily.jstor.org/what-the-folk-the-charming-yet-totally-malappropriate-story-of-words/

Listener Tabs:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/17/has-an-old-soviet-mystery-at-last-been-solved

https://kotaku.com/mcdonalds-grimace-wiki-ad-happy-meal-fandom-history-1850552640

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

7: Terminal Dwellers and Panda Diplomacy Mar 06, 2024

This week we discuss people who live at airports and panda diplomacy. A listener email reveals how rabbits frankly don't give a damn.

Episode Tabs:

Terminal Dwellers

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_have_lived_in_airports

A Chinese cigarette tin launched D.C.’s 50-year love affair with pandas

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/03/16/pandas-china-nixon-dc/

Listener Tabs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello,_Dolly!_(film)

https://historianandrew.medium.com/how-bugs-bunny-and-clark-gable-created-false-belief-that-rabbits-like-eating-carrots-65d25059b7d0

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

6: Johnstown Flood pt 2 and The Letter Thorn Þ Feb 21, 2024

This week Kaveh concludes the Katamari style horrors of the Johnstown flood and Hannah shares how the Europeans had their own American Idol but for letters of the alphabet instead of singers. A listener email reveals if a childhood memory was in fact cake, and how it exploded.

Correction: the Phoenician alphabet comes after the Proto-Sinaitic script and before the Greek alphabet

Episode Tabs:

The Johnstown Flood pt. 2

https://www.geoinstitute.org/news/johnstown-flood-1889-catastrophe-civil-engineering-part-1

The Forgotten Letters of the English Alphabet

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31904/12-letters-didnt-make-alphabet

Listener Tabs:

https://www.teachertube.com/videos/physical-science-for-children-all-about-forces-and-gravity-349164

https://annehelen.substack.com/p/larping-your-job

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

5: The Niihau Incident and Johnstown Flood pt 1 Feb 07, 2024

This week we return to Niʻihau for an insane adventure that followed the bombing of Pearl Harbor and learn about the Johnstown Flood and how dams are just like us and also like candy. A listener email finally puts the debate about white chocolate to rest.

Episode Tabs:

The Niihau Incident

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

This Dam Break Was One of the Worst Man Made Disasters in American History. It Could Have Been Prevented.

Listener Tabs:

https://askinosie.com/blogs/the-nib/is-white-chocolate-really-chocolate

https://annehelen.substack.com/p/larping-your-job

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

4: Ni’ihau Island and Jesus in Japan Jan 24, 2024

This week we discuss a forbidden Hawaiian island and Jesus's definitely legitimate final resting place in northern Japan. Also a listener clues us into the little discussed Eternal Riverdale phenomenon.

Episode Tabs:

Ni’ihau Island

https://allthatsinteresting.com/niihau

The Little-Known Legend of Jesus in Japan

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-little-known-legend-of-jesus-in-japan-165354242/

Listener Tabs:

Halibut Crochet Pattern (U.S. National Park Service)nps.gov

https://www.netflix.com/title/80133311

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to https://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.

3: Catfish CEO and Princess Caraboo Jan 10, 2024

On today's episode, third time’s the charm as we talk about liars and impostors from Victorian England to modern day crypto scammers. The centuries may change but the hustle never does.

Episode Tabs:

Crypto hedge fund CEO may not exist; probe finds no record of identity

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/01/crypto-hedge-fund-ceo-may-not-exist-probe-finds-no-record-of-identity/

Princess Caraboo

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Caraboo

Listener Tabs:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramada_Plaza_JFK_Hotel

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/podcasts/the-daily/the-year-of-taylor-swift.html

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

2: Phossy Jaw and Exploding Whales Jan 10, 2024

On this stomach-churning episode, we blast into the rotting, juicy worlds of Phossy Jaw and Exploding Whales.

Episode Tabs:

Phossy Jaw

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

How do you get rid of a beached whale before it explodes?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/17/how-do-you-get-rid-of-a-beached-whale-before-it-explodes

Listener Tabs:

https://punchdrink.com/articles/tiki-bar-design/

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

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

1: Mafia Mozzarella and Hobby Tunneling Jan 10, 2024

Our inaugural episode! Join us as we talk about the Mob’s influence on pizza and the addicting nature of Hobby Tunneling. Plus, some crabulous listener mail.

Episode Tabs:

How the Italian Mob Changed Pizza Forever

https://thedigestonline.com/dining/how-the-italian-mob-changed-pizza-forever/

Hobby Tunneling

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby_tunneling

Listener Tabs:

https://everything2.com/title/The+Cider+House+Rules

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolution

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

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW and 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.

Trailer: 500 Open Tabs Dec 09, 2023

Each episode, hosts Kaveh Taherian and Hannah Hillam choose one of their countless open browser tabs and finally take the time to read and discuss its contents until they gain enough strength to close that tab once and for all.

Premiering January 2024!

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