500 Open Tabs

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

Episode Tabs:

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

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

Listener Tabs:

How DC’s Wild KFC Crossover Changed Promotional Comics Forever

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

Promo Palace:

https://promopalace.org/

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

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

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

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

135: Underwater Lakes Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

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

Episode Tabs:

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

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

Listener Tabs:

Crocodile at the Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime Immacolate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

134: Rat Kings Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

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

Episode Tabs:

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

https://allthatsinteresting.com/rat-king

Listener Tabs:

Roentgenizdat (USSR)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show notes

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

Episode Tabs:

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

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

Hannah on String and Tell:

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

Listener Tabs:

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

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

The Sarah Masquerade gown from Labyrinth -Part One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show notes

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

Episode Tabs:

Joan Quigley, Ronald Reagan’s Guide to the Stars

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

Listener Tabs:

Lluvia de Peces

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show notes

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

Episode Tabs:

Doctor Led Three Lives With Three Wives

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

Listener Tabs:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

130: The Luddites and AI Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

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

Episode Tabs:

What the Luddites Really Fought Against

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

Listener Tabs:

Elmer McCurdy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

129: AMA 2026 Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

This week we answer all your burning questions like what rabbit holes we try to avoid, what unused tabs we still have open, and what the hell actually constitutes as anime.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

128: Coney Island Amusement Park Wars Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

This week we conclude the Coney Island summer series with the story of how 3 rival entrepreneurs pushed each other to the limit in a battle for the public's attention and how, in true Coney Island fashion, it culminated in a gigantic fire. A listener email explains why you always feel the need to "crunch out a butt steak" as soon as you walk into a bookstore.

Episode Tabs:

Coney Island Was Once Full of Dueling, Backstabbing Theme Parks

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/coney-island-history

Listener Tabs:

A Doctor Explains Why Bookstores Make Some People Feel the Need to Poop

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a35767860/bookstores-poop-mariko-aoki-phenomenon-doctor-explains/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

127: Elephantine Colossus of Coney Island Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

This week we continue the Coney Island summer series as we learn about the gigantic Elephant shaped building that quickly devolved from hotel to brothel and then promptly caught fire. A listener email shares with us the absurd story of British nurse Violet Jessop.

Episode Tabs:

THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD

https://www.sideshowworld.com/81-SSPAlbumcover/Elephantine/Colossus.html

Listener Tabs:

Story of the unsinkable woman!

https://donasussan.medium.com/violet-jessop-ms-unsinkable-6255ab66c037

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

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

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

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

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

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