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 Fenian Raids (Entry 461.DE2849)
Aug 29, 2024
Show notes
In which a secret society of plucky Civil War veterans hatches a plan to return Ireland to the Irish by—wait for it—invading Canada, and John doesn't think the people who sold him wine coolers actually exist. Certificate #12129.
Comic Sans (Entry 248.2C1009)
Aug 22, 2024
Show notes
In which even the most hated typeface in the history of desktop publishing has its defenders, and Ken isn't sure why he owns cargo shorts. Certificate #54861.
Oh, You Kid! (Entry 862.GA0519)
Aug 15, 2024
Show notes
In which a flirty but forgotten Tin Pan Alley song leads to the first great moral panic in pop music history, and John sneakily borrows someone else's shanty town. Certificate #12960.
Pickleball (Entry 937.EZ4621)
Aug 08, 2024
Show notes
In which a state politician's lack of badminton equipment leads to the invention of the hottest sport of the 21st century, and Ken is slightly present. Certificate #42131.
Stradivarius Violins (Entry 1231.PS9203)
Aug 01, 2024
Show notes
In which researchers squabble for centuries about the secret ingredient that made one Cremonese craftsman the greatest musical instrument-maker of all time, and John seasons guitars under a bus. Certificate #36611.
The Forbidden Island (Entry 489.LV2523)
Jul 25, 2024
Show notes
In which a king agrees to hand over his seventh-best island in the hopes of creating a haven for his native Hawaiian language and culture, and Ken does not want to greet Zach. Certificate #43273.
Fermi Problems (Entry 462.MK0819)
Jul 18, 2024
Show notes
In which the last universal physicist demonstrates to his students that ballpark estimates in math can be as powerful as precision, and John isn't sure if Romanians can count tomatoes. Certificate #46480.
Love Canal (Entry 737.PR2526)
Jul 11, 2024
Show notes
In which an ill-advised utopian scheme to bypass Niagara Falls becomes America's first toxic waste catastrophe, and Ken knows the main thing that water does. Certificate #42025.
Turtle Soup (Entry 1351.SS0212)
Jul 04, 2024
Show notes
In which the great gourmet food of 19th-century "frolics" suddenly disappears from American menus, and John thinks humankind often looks to weasels. Certificate #32793.
Harambe (Entry 567.JM0506)
Jun 27, 2024
Show notes
In which the tragic death of a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo launches a tidal wave of viral content on social media, and Ken explains bad table manners as an accident of birth. Certificate #23616.
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