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 Comics Code Authority (Entry 248.2CH2115)
Jun 05, 2025
Show notes
In which a crusading social psychiatrist drums up the moral panic that gets two mega-popular comic book genres banned from America's newsstands, and John agrees that punching Hitler is unmissable. Certificate #44894.
Gorillas, Discovery of (Entry 540.PS10420)
May 29, 2025
Show notes
In which it takes Europe over two thousand years to figure out that the greatest of the great apes is not just Carthaginian folklore, and Ken would like to be considered merciful. Certificate #46468.
Victorian Hairwork (Entry 1394.LK2118)
May 22, 2025
Show notes
In which the popularity of "mourning bequeathments" and the death of the Prince Consort lead to an explosion of morbid family handicrafts, and John gives away the same piano twice. Certificate #50902.
Hawaiian Guitar (Entry 572.PS14409)
May 15, 2025
Show notes
In which a Honolulu teenager discovers a rusty bolt by the side of the road and changes the face of 20th-century music across multiple genres, and Ken is surprised to learn what Aerosmith, Paul Shaffer, and Harvard have in common. Certificate #35281.
Vows of Silence (Entry 1403.PS10730)
May 08, 2025
Show notes
In which a famed monastic tradition is revealed to be a modern misunderstanding of the chattiness of religious life, and Ken does not want to know what a Robot Guitar really is. Certificate #38497.
Rock Paper Scissors (Entry 1079.1CH2613)
May 01, 2025
Show notes
In which an ancient Chinese game of intransitive balance changes the world as both a children's pastime and a decision-making method, and John has the candy tastes of a pioneer child. Certificate #23611.
Lemmings (Entry 711.MK1503)
Apr 24, 2025
Show notes
In which the documentary films of the Arctic are revealed to be full of lies, leading to one misunderstood rodent, and John thinks about a vole in a bowl. Certificate #25575.
Pulgasari (Entry 1007.IS4602)
Apr 17, 2025
Show notes
In which North Korea jump-starts its fledgeling monster movie industry by literally kidnapping talent from across the DMZ, and Ken was distracted by skateboarding. Certificate #37139
The World's Tallest Building (Entry 1444.GE1104)
Apr 10, 2025
Show notes
In which the measurement of spires and skyscrapers becomes a source of architectural squabbles and global prestige, and John hides in the forest with a guitar. Certificate #51591.
Anthropology Days (Entry 053.NU1516)
Apr 03, 2025
Show notes
In which the planners of the third modern Olympics scour the globe hoping to populate a human zoo and maybe make the exhibits do sports, and Ken thinks the periodic table needs some work. Certificate #53289.
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