The world’s most controversial events, and the complex beliefs behind them. From Bigfoot sightings to bitcoin takeovers, alien landings to assassinations, who’s shaping the narrative — and why? Conspiracy Theories is a Spotify Podcast. New episodes Wednesdays.
Latest episodes
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48 min
Winchester Mystery House: Ghosts, Legends, and Hoaxes
If you’ve heard of the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, you’ve surely heard the rumors about its famous owner, Sarah Winchester. Like the claims she was an eccentr…
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54 min
The Possessed Nuns of Loudun
Beginning in 1632, a convent of young Ursuline nuns made startling claims – from seeing dead priests, to being possessed by a horde of Satan’s demons. A team of priests presided ov…
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48 min
Panic in the Streets: The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast
On Halloween Eve, 1938 Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds aired on CBS radio. It detailed an alien invasion so realistic that, according to legend, it caused widespread panic amon…
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43 min
Did a Psych Experiment Turn Ted Kaczynski into the Unabomber?
On April 3, 1996, Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski – better known as the Unabomber – was arrested, ending a 17-year-long bombing spree that left 3 dead and 23 injured. He promised to end h…
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48 min
Did Andy Kaufman Fake His Own Death?
No comedian surprised people like Andy Kaufman. He was always one step ahead of the audience. In fact, he was so good at pulling pranks that when he died in 1984, some of his frien…
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44 min
Missing Heiress: The Disappearance of Juanita Nielsen
On July 4th, 1975, journalist and Sydney heiress Juanita Nielsen disappeared. Most assumed she was the victim of foul play. After all, for years she’d been fighting a land develope…
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48 min
The Chupacabra: Puerto Rico’s Vampire Cryptid
The chupacabra is considered the third most widely known cryptid in the world, behind Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster – kind of mind-blowing, considering the fact that this mythi…
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52 min
Chuck Barris: Game Show Host and CIA Assassin?
Chuck Barris created game show classics like The Dating Game and The Gong Show. However, his memoir claims his prolific career was all a cover for his classified missions as a CIA…
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48 min
Conspiracy of Silence: The Town That Killed Ken Rex McElroy
1981, Skidmore, Missouri. Ken McElroy, the “bully of Nodaway County,” is gunned down in the street – in broad daylight, and in front of his wife and an untold number of witnesses.…
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56 min
Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and the Laurel Canyon Conspiracy
In the 1960s, a new musical revolution emerged from Laurel Canyon, California. Bands like The Beach Boys, The Doors, and Crosby, Stills & Nash sang hit songs protesting the Vietnam…
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54 min
UFO Over the Bass Triangle? The Disappearance of Fred Valentich
On October 21st, 1978, 20-year-old pilot Fred Valentich disappeared while flying across the Bass Strait, off the southeastern coast of Australia. Moments before vanishing, Fred des…
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47 min
Was 'The Battle of the Sexes' Fixed?
On September 20, 1973, tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes,” notching a victory for feminism, women’s athletes, and societal equality. In…
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50 min
Rewind: Bohemian Grove
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! This week: Every summer, members and guests of the exclusive and elusive Bohemian Club me…
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49 min
Rewind: The Denver Airport
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! Denver International Airport is said to be holding more than planes and luggage. It’s hom…
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1 h 00
Rewind: Area 51, S4, and the Rise of Bob Lazar
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! Its existence and location were not formally acknowledged by the government in 2013. But…
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54 min
Rewind: Marilyn Monroe
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! Marilyn Monroe has been a cultural icon since she dominated Hollywood in the 1950s. Yet,…
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1 h 02
Rewind: The Titanic
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! First up, one of our most-requested stories: The Titanic. The “unsinkable” ship was broug…
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51 min
The Mind-Bending MK Ultra Experiments of Dr Ewen Cameron
When the Allan Memorial Institute opened its doors in 1943, its founders believed it would revolutionize mental health care. Under the direction of Dr. Ewen Cameron, however, the h…
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41 min
The Simpsons and Predictive Programming
Some believe that the government plants references to future global atrocities into popular media– subconsciously conditioning the public to never rise up. Their biggest brainwashi…
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42 min
The Press Your Luck Scandal
On May 19, 1984, an ice cream truck driver from Ohio named Michael Larson wins more than $100,000 on the CBS daytime game show Press Your Luck. How he does it is a total mystery. I…