Every week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.
The King Under the Mountain (Entry 688.RO1311)
Nov 07, 2024
Show notes
In which dozens of national sleeping guys with long beards wait in caves for their countries to need them again, and John thinks Tom Cruise should not be in a courtyard. Certificate #53610.
New Urbanism (Entry 835.SS0711)
Oct 31, 2024
Show notes
In which conservative Sun Belt retirees and progressive urbanists agree on a nostalgic but radical revolution in city design, and Ken does a Norman Rockwell impression. Certificate #34959.
Soviet Spartacus (Entry 1194.EX2116)
Oct 24, 2024
Show notes
In which a Thracian slave from two thousand years earlier becomes a proletarian role model and Communist sports hero, and John prefers action stars with boogers. Certificate #37084.
Electrical Sockets (Entry 400.JS0215)
Oct 17, 2024
Show notes
In which the long war between alternating and direct current produces power outlets that multiply nto a dizzying world of configurations, and Ken needs a grounding prong. Certificate #29673.
Tartans (Entry 1279.DE2230)
Oct 10, 2024
Show notes
In which Scottish clans each choose a distinctive plaid based on a romantic Highland history that didn't really happen, and John takes a hard hit while playing Frisbee in a skirt. Certificate #26624.
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment (Entry 1352.GE3028)
Oct 03, 2024
Show notes
In which a constitutional change finally happens after a two-hundred-year delay just to spite one Texas poli sci professor, and Ken likes it when scriveners get away scot-free. Certificate #43079.
The Teddy Bear Shipwreck (Entry 1283.PR2433)
Sep 26, 2024
Show notes
In which the toy market is revolutionized by a faddish stuffed animal that would be priceless today if it hadn't disappeared, and John buys the concept of a rabbit. Certificate #24398.
Sea Peoples (Entry 1120.1K2248)
Sep 19, 2024
Show notes
In which the great Mediterranean civilizations of the late Bronze Age collapse virtually overnight due to some mysterious visitors, and Ken knows a lot about white broccoli. Certificate #9795.
The Coconut Revolution (Entry 239.JE0207)
Sep 12, 2024
Show notes
In which Melanesian eco-revolutionaries fight off helicopter gunships with literal slingshots and homemade diesel, and John makes a shocking announcement about all scientists. Certificate #54146.
Poutine (Entry 973.PS10709)
Sep 05, 2024
Show notes
In which a curd-heavy side from central Quebec belatedly becomes the national dish of a land with no real national cuisine, and Ken learns so much about Sacramento culture. Certificate #30037.
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