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 Bosnian War Camaro (Entry 144.MA0718)
Jul 29, 2026
Show notes
In which Brendan McAleer explains how a 1979 Chevrolet Camaro became a lightly armored, smoke-blowing, night-vision-equipped humanitarian savior, which John insists is the coolest car an eleven-year-old could imagine. Certificate #21628.
Free to Be You & Me (Entry 499.1C1111)
Jul 22, 2026
Show notes
In which we finally get a John show about growing up Gen X in front of the TV console watching Alan Alda, Rosey Grier, Cicely Tyson, Carol Channing, and Michael Jackson and Ken reminisces about what a stone-cold fox Marlo Thomas was. Certificate #36926.
The Bulldozing of Meigs Field (Entry 163.PS3508)
Jul 14, 2026
Show notes
In which Futureling Rebecca unpacks the story of a mayor, a demolished airport, and the battle over who really gets to claim a city's waterfront, while John recalls discovering Chicago through a PC flight simulator. Certificate #32575.
The Ukrainian Interviews (Entry 1356.EC0918)
Jul 08, 2026
Show notes
In which John travels to Ukraine and interviews Alisa Demina (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy), Kateryna Chuyeva (a Ukrainian cultural heritage expert and former Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine) and Oleksandra Ivanova (PhD student of Archaeology at NaUKMA and co-founder the NGO Scientific and Research lab Archaic). Certificate #25380.
Carob (Entry 188.MA0106)
Jun 30, 2026
Show notes
In which Futureling Christa Dahlstrom and John enjoy a virtual taste test and discuss the lifelong trauma of discovering that what you were promised was, in fact, not chocolate. Certificate #22095.
The Tommy Westphal Universe (Entry 1315.JO0714)
Jun 23, 2026
Show notes
In which Futureling Thomas Dolan-Gavitt traces how an offhand blog post gave rise to television’s greatest conspiracy theory, weaving together Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, The X-Files, and a shared universe the shared-universe craze swept Hollywood. Certificate #6555.
Niagara Falls in a Barrel (Entry 836.PS4207)
Jun 16, 2026
Show notes
In which a Yankee leaper and a long line of hucksters and daredevils take their chances over an American landmark, and John reveals he doesn't have Incognito Mode turned on in his browser. Certificate #54642
Nell Gwyn (Entry 557.GE2106)
Jun 09, 2026
Show notes
In which cartoonist and writer Emily Flake discusses chance encounters with Dan Rather, being denied entry to Turks and Caicos, and the namesake of Emily's St. Nell's Humor Writing Residency for Ladies. Certificate #863.
The Astor Place Riot (Entry 76.PR2817)
Jun 02, 2026
Show notes
In which David Hyde (Blue City Blues, Seattle Nice) meets John in the bunker to discuss the 1849 Astor Place Opera House Riot and the welcome return of the timeless Ken-era art of razzing Canadians. Certificate #26694.
The Dyatlov Pass Incident (Entry 389.1SA2314)
May 26, 2026
Show notes
In which Futureling Ariela Silberstein gives John his Cold War fix while discussing the mysterious disappearance of nine Soviet hikers. Certificate #48070.
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