Very Special Episodes

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Latest Episodes:

On the Hunt for Math's Most Mysterious Number Apr 17, 2024

Show notes

Right now thousands of people are on a mathematical treasure hunt from the comfort of their home offices. Our own Zaron Burnett is one of them. Here's how you can join him — and compete for $50,000.

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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Emily Marinoff
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas Reilly
Special Thanks to Voice Actor Karl Keadle
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Thanks for listening! You don't owe us any favors. But if you enjoy the show and want to do us one anyway, could you head over to your favorite podcast platform(s) and leave us a rating?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Westward Hoax: The Secret History of Palisade, Nevada Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

In the 1870s, Palisade, NV was the meanest little town west of the Mississippi. Every week, newspapers announced another gunpowder-fueled cowboy showdown. Palisade put the wildin the “Wild West.”

But there was a lot more to the story that didn’t make the papers.

Very Special Episodes is a podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas Reilly
Voice Actors: Josh Fisher, Zaron Burnett, Karl Keadle
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platforms.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Worldwide Sensation That Started as an April Fools' Joke Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

In the summer of 2016, the entire world was going crazy for a new mobile game. All these years later, it’s easy to forget the wildest part about Pokémon GO: the whole thing began as an April Fools’ joke.

Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Episodes usually go up on Wednesdays. We made an exception for April Fools' Day.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Produced, Edited and Sound Designed by Josh Fisher
Additional Editing by Jonathan Washington
Story Editor is Marisa Brown
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up, Up and Away: The Superman Heist Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

A Superman fan in Illinois is horrified to discover his entire stockpile of memorabilia has gone missing. As police search for the thief, the collecting community delivers their own brand of justice.

Very Special Episodes is a new podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Jake Rossen
Original Music by Elise McCoy and Aaron Kaufman
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seed Wars: History's Deadliest Botany Rivalry Mar 20, 2024

Show notes

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event. The greatest botany rivalry in history! It's Vavilov vs. Lysenko for the fate of the Soviet Union.

In the 1920s and '30s, Nikolai Vavilov was a big deal. He was studying seed genetics and learning how to prevent famines. Everyone wanted to work with him. Including a young kid named Trofim Lysenko.

Lysenko studied with Vavilov. They were friends. But years later, Lysenko turned on his mentor, and turned against science. This became a problem, because Lysenko was good buddies with Stalin. The feud would bring the Soviet Union to its knees. And it would force Vavilov to make a fateful choice: one between the truth … or his life.

Very Special Episodes is a new podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Story Editor is Josh Fisher
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas Reilly
Voice Actors: Tom Antonellis, Zaron Burnett, Josh Fisher, and Chris Childs
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Hear Also...
Noble Blood: Catherine the Great and Her Husband the Mediocre
Noble Blood: The Ice Queen
Ridiculous Crime: Dope Floats: The Uncrashable Gary Betzner

Further Reading...
Check out two excellent sources: Peter Pringle's great book on Vavilov, and the essential Where Our Food Comes From by Gary Nabhan. Thanks for listening!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spider-Man's Surreal Adventures on Broadway Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

Very Special Episodes is a new podcast hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

In 2011, after many delays, one of the most anticipated musicals in theater history finally opened on Broadway. The show was Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. The powerhouse creative team included an up-and-coming playwright, a MacArthur Genius, and Bono. But its downfall would be long and treacherous. Here's the story of what went wrong — and why we're still pushing for a revival.

Go follow Very Special Episodes! Drop in on the night someone poisoned the cast and crew of James Cameron's Titanic; unravel a 130-year-old mystery surrounding the Pledge of Allegiance; go inside the illicit black market moon rock trade. And more!

CREDITS
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Joe Kinosian
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Emily Marinoff
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Story Editors are Josh Fisher and Marisa Brown
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Joe Kinosian
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platforms.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Case of the Two Nancy Drews Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

The biggest Nancy Drew mystery isn’t hidden in the plots of the books. It’s right there on the cover. If “Carolyn Keene” is a pseudonym, who really wrote the series? For 50 years, two women laid claim to that title. And in 1980, with help from an amateur detective, the truth came out in court.

Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Zaron Burnett
Producer, Editor, and Sound Designer is Josh Fisher
Additional Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Story Editor is Marisa Brown
Research and Fact-Checking by Jocelyn Sears, Austin Thompson, Marisa Brown, and Zaron Burnett
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Special thanks to Elizabeth Dutton, Katie Mattie, and Josh Fisher for their elite voiceover work. And to Geoffrey Lapin and Melanie Rehak for sharing their stories. Go check out Melanie's book!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Leap Day Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

With help from "Leap Day Lady" Raenell Dawn, Dana Schwartz makes the case for making Leap Day a national holiday.

Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. We're back with a full episode next Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Josh Thane
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Dave Roos
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pledge: Who Really Wrote the Pledge of Allegiance? Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

In today's Episode, Dana, Zaron and Jason tackle a 130-year-old mystery. Although American schoolchildren still recite The Pledge every morning in nearly every classroom, we still aren't sure who actually wrote it. And all these years later, the long-accepted story is showing some cracks.

Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Story Editor is Aaron Edwards
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Dave Roos
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Old Man on Campus Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

After a middle-aged manual laborer goes back to school to turn his life around, he’s reborn as a college football standout. But as midlife crises go, this one is going to hurt.

(Portions of today's episode were recorded on Radio Row in Las Vegas before Super Bowl 58.)

Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced, Edited and Sound Designed by Josh Fisher
Additional Editing by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Special thanks to Aaron Kaufman and Kurt Garin!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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