Bittersweet Infamy

Taylor tells Josie about two Pakistani women with the same name—one who was sentenced to death for drinking a cup of water on a scorching hot day, and one who was accused of poisoning her entire family in order to escape a troubled marriage.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josie tells Taylor about phone phreaking, a.k.a. hacking the phone lines, and how it became part of the history of telecommunications in North America.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor tells Josie and special guest host Mitchell Collins about the career controversies of musical icon Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josie tells Taylor about the plans to use mirrors in outer space to provide solar-powered solutions for critical problems, like artificially increasing the length of the work day or hosting a Columbus Day race to Mars.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor tells Josie about the outlandish attempts to establish a new nation in Bir Tawil, a 2,060-square-kilometre piece of unclaimed desert between Egypt and Sudan, and how the legacy of colonialism has shaped the geography of Northeast Africa.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josie tells Taylor about the history of women shaving their heads, from the bald baddies of ancient Egypt to modern pop icons like Grace Jones, Sinéad O'Connor, and Britney Spears.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor unpacks his recent trip to Peru, and tells Josie the story of Vinicunca, a.k.a. Rainbow Mountain, the breathtaking tourism destination that brought prosperity and tragedy to the remote community of Chillihuani.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April Fool's Fact or Fiction special! Josie tells Taylor three stories about people deciding to vanish: the masked wrestler who convinced his mother he died in the 1978 Jonestown massacre; the Japanese trend of jōhatsu (蒸発), or disappearing into thin air; and the literary legend who swapped limelight for... lightning? Two of these stories are true, and one is a lie. Guess along with Taylor and see if you can spot the sham!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April Fool's Fact or Fiction special! Taylor tells Josie three stories about children's television gone awry: a brand-new Wiggle blows over the limit; a malfunctioning spaceship burns a Brazilian kids' show to the ground; and Bananas in Pyjamas get held hostage by the Russian mob. Two of these stories are true, and one is a lie. Guess along with Josie and see if you can separate fib from fact!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josie tells Taylor about the spicy history of one of America's favourite snack foods, Flamin' Hot Cheetos—and how the brand's well-known rags-to-riches origin story may actually be a flamin' hot fraud.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.