This week we deep dive into the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history that happened in 1959 and how the Red Scare of the 1950s directly led to the founding of the now iconic Renaissance Pleasure Faire. A listener email informs us of how Nixon's airborne toilet is memorialized in Seattle.

San Diego Comic Con Panels:

I'm Me and It's This Game's Fault!

Friday July 25, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm

Room 29AB

Middle Eastern/North African Representation in Media

Saturday July 26, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm

Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

Episode Tabs:

Eyewitness Reports of the Great Auroral Storm of 1859

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20050210157/downloads/20050210157.pdf

The Surprisingly Radical Roots of the Renaissance Fair

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-surprisingly-radical-roots-of-the-renaissance-fair-180982918/

Listener Tabs:

The Bay Area's most hazardous playground has to be seen to be believed

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/berkeley-adventure-playground-19462017.php

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The ancient tournament of Kumitab returns as we pit some of our craziest subjects against one another including Rube Waddell, an Aswang, and Pepsi bottle cosplay Nixon.

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many of you have sent Listener Email submissions that were on the longer side, so we dedicated an entire episode for them to aerate like a fine wine! Amongst many things, we learn about the notorious California Egg Wars and a highly coveted ladies room Picasso.

Listener Tabs:

World Coal Carrying Championships

https://gawthorpemaypole.org/world-coal-carrying/

Pink

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink

MONA Defends Ladies-Only LoungeAgainst Anti-Discrimination Case Brought by Male Visitor

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-20/mona-ladies-lounge-legal-fight-men-excluded/103605236

Piltdown Man is Revealed as Fake

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/do53pi.html

When California Went to War Over Eggs

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-california-went-war-over-eggs-180971960/

Null Island

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_Island

Deep Diving

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_diving

Barry Marshall

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Marshall

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into the oft overlooked subplot of Batman's 1988 storyline "A Death in the Family" in which the Joker is recruited by the Ayatollah Khomeini himself to Iran's ambassador to the UN and the life of Dora Richter, the first Trans woman to ever receive gender-affirming surgery. A listener email finally clarifies the origins of the Michigan-Ohio rivalry.

Episode Tabs:

The Joker Was Once DC's U.N. Ambassador from Iran... Until He Wasn't

https://www.cbr.com/batman-joker-iran-ambassador-retcon-qurac/

Remembering Dora Richter, One of the First Women to Receive Gender-Affirming Surgery

https://www.them.us/story/dora-richter-first-trans-woman-to-receive-gender-affirming-surgery

Listener Tabs:

Toledo War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_War

The Invention of Warfarin

https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/warfarin.html

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into the story of how bisexual icon Toto Koopman went from being a world famous model to World War II spy and how a planned citywide blackout resulted in a tense Los Angeles thinking it was under attack by the Japanese. A listener email explains how the final legal breakup of The Beatles occurred at the "Happiest Place on Earth."

Episode Tabs:

The Story of Toto Koopman, the Free-Spirited Model Turned World War II Spy

https://www.them.us/story/toto-koopman

The Great Los Angeles Air Raid Terrified Citizens—Even Though No Bombs Were Dropped

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/great-los-angeles-air-raid-terrified-citizenseven-though-no-bombs-were-dropped-180967890/

Listener Tabs:

Zaqistan

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaqistan

Some of Disney World's most famous moments feature Princess Diana and Richard Nixon

https://www.wesh.com/article/disney-top-five-pop-culture-moments/37855856

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into how turn of the century celebrity conman Death Valley Scotty came to get a castle built in the desert and how Dutch artist Willem Arondeus helped destroy the Amsterdam public records office, saving countless queer people and Jews from being identified by the occupying Nazi army. A listener email explains how the English weren't the only ones to eat mummies.

Episode Tabs:

There's A Damaged Castle Out In Death Valley With A Wild History. It's Now Open For Tour

https://laist.com/news/los-angeles-activities/damaged-scottys-castle-death-valley-now-open-for-tour

Interview with Frieda Belinfante

https://collections.ushmm.org/oh_findingaids/RG-50.030.0019_trs_en.pdf

Listener Tabs:

They Made the Melikgazi Mummy Aganigi Medicine

https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/melikgazi-mumyasini-aganigi-ilaci-yaptilar-39160188

Searching for Snoopy: What happened to all the 'Peanuts' statues in St. Paul?

https://www2.startribune.com/peanuts-statues-st-paul-snoopy-charlie-brown-lucy-linus/600361833/

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into how the Woman's Army Corps proved to be a safe space for closeted lesbians during WW2 and how after a trade deal with the Soviet Union in 1989, Pepsi briefly possessed the sixth-largest fleet in the world. A listener email informs us of Japan's Colonel Sanders curse.

Episode Tabs:

Allan Berube Interviews of WAC soldiers

https://tinyurl.com/ep71sources

The Doomed Voyage of Pepsi’s Soviet Navy

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/11/27/pepsi-navy-soviet-ussr/

Listener Tabs:

Hadacol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadacol

The Curse of Colonel Sanders

https://www.thehanshintigers.com/team-history/top-10-infamous-moments/the-curse-of-colonel-sanders/

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into how at the height the Cold War the United States and USSR put on cultural exchange fairs for each other and Michel and Nadine Vaujour pulled off one of the most dramatic helicopter prison escapes ever. A listener email clues us into the music career of a non-scientist Oppenheimer.

Episode Tabs:

The All-American Expo That Invaded Cold War Russia

https://gizmodo.com/the-all-american-expo-that-invaded-cold-war-russia-550628823

Michel Vaujour, The Escape King

https://www.europe1.fr/societe/michel-vaujour-le-roi-de-levasion-jai-ete-tres-marque-par-ma-premiere-peine-de-prison-3786143

Listener Tabs:

Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development

https://apopo.org/

Oppenheimer Analysis

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7aTcPE8gGcR0W8mrmGaK6w?si=hXfNhFzJTPiXGHoEaPn41Q

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we deep dive into how ravens and wolves work in tandem to survive and how Tipu Sultan's beef with the English led to the greatest piece of hater art ever commissioned. A listener email explains how sharks have been around longer than Saturn's rings!

Episode Tabs:

Ravens and Wolves – Friends or Enemies

https://centerofthewest.org/2022/10/13/ravens-and-wolves-friends-or-enemies/

Tipu’s Tiger

https://smarthistory.org/tipus-tiger/

Listener Tabs:

Dusty analysis shows Saturn’s rings are younger than sharks

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/12/saturn-rings-age-younger-planet-sharks/

Even Rainbows Have a Dark Side

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pointing-at-rainbows-taboo

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're joined by special guest Patrick Ballesteros as we deep dive into how gatekeeping can be an effective tool against instant gratification, how John Calhoun's landmark rodent utopia over-population experiment led to societal collapse, and how corvid behavior effects our everyday lives. A listener email tells us how Richard Nixon once longed to be the Kendrick Lamar of his day.

Journey Through the Maze: 45 Years of PAC-MAN Opening Reception Info:

https://cityofirvine.org/news-media/calendar-of-events/event/journey-through-maze-45-years-pac-man-opening-reception-art

Episode Tabs:

The Case for Gatekeeping (Yes, Even in a Culture That Tells You to Share Everything)

https://www.cyndiespiegel.com/blog/the-case-for-gatekeeping

Mouse Heaven or Mouse Hell?

https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/mouse-heaven-or-mouse-hell/

FAQs about Crows

https://corvidresearch.blog/faqs-about-crows/

Listener Tabs:

When Richard Nixon Wanted to be a Rapper 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/89019/when-richard-nixon-wanted-be-rapper

Randy Johnson Photography

https://rj51photos.com

Email your closed tab submissions to: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs

500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide): https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7

Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord! https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a

SUPPORT THE SHOW and get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to nebula.tv/500opentabs

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.