DashCon 2014 was supposed to be Tumblr’s great real-world fandom convention. Instead, it became one of the internet’s most infamous event disasters: a chaotic weekend of guest cancellations, volunteer confusion, a sudden $17,000 hotel panic, the Welcome to Night Vale fallout, and one tiny ball pit that became a meme so powerful it practically achieved sentience.

Today we unpack how DashCon went from sincere community dream to public internet humiliation. We’ll trace the Tumblr culture that made the convention possible, the amateur planning and budget fantasy that made it unstable, and the disastrous decisions that turned a fandom gathering into a cautionary tale about what happens when online enthusiasm meets real-world logistics.

Was DashCon a scam, a failure of good intentions, or simply catastrophic incompetence with a ball pit attached? Today, we dive into the failed Tumblr convention that became internet history.

Topics Include

• tumblr culture before it spilled across the wider internet

• how dashcon went from fandom fantasy to real convention

• the $17,000 hotel panic and the welcome to night vale fallout

• why the ball pit became the meme that outlived the event

• the difference between bad intentions and catastrophic incompetence

The Zodiac Killer did not just murder people — he turned the whole case into a public game of fear, letters and ciphers.

From the first lovers’ lane killings to the murder of Paul Stine, this episode follows the Zodiac Killer’s attacks, the taunting letters, the four ciphers, the surviving witnesses, the suspect trail, and the mystery of why he seemed to vanish.

Topics Include

• zodiac killer murders

• zodiac killer letters and ciphers

• z340 cipher and the unsolved codes

• arthur leigh allen and other suspects

• why the zodiac killer was never caught

Marilyn Monroe is one of the most recognisable women who has ever lived, but the version the world fell in love with was, in many ways, built in a studio.

Today, we trace how Marilyn Monroe emerged from Norma Jean’s unstable and abusive childhood to become the Hollywood icon everyone thinks they know. We follow her early modelling career, her studio-made voice, and the blonde bombshell image she spent years trying to outrun. But there is a darker side to this story too: the marriages, the power struggles, and the myths that shaped her final years. Marilyn Monroe’s story is what happens when public fantasy grows far bigger than the woman forced to carry it.

Topics Include

• norma jean’s childhood, foster homes, and abuse

• how marilyn monroe was made by hollywood

• the breathy voice, the bombshell image, and studio control

• joe dimaggio, arthur miller, and public fascination

• jfk, conspiracy theories, and the final unraveling

Thirteen children are discovered living in unimaginable conditions inside a suburban home, exposing a hidden world of abuse that shocks the globe.

This episode revisits the Turpin family case, tracing how years of imprisonment, starvation, and psychological control remained concealed behind an ordinary façade in Perris, California. We examine the 911 call that revealed the truth, the arrest and trial of David and Louise Turpin, and the systemic failures that allowed the abuse to persist. Through careful analysis, we explore the psychological manipulation at play and the wider lessons this case holds about vigilance and child protection.

Topics include

• The 911 call that exposed the Turpin home

• The conditions endured by the thirteen Turpin children

• Parental manipulation and psychological control

• Systemic failures and missed warning signs

• The arrests, trial, and global reaction

A Royal Mail train is stopped in the dead of night, and a gang of thieves pulls off one of the boldest robberies Britain has ever seen.

This episode revisits the Great Train Robbery, tracing how a determined crew planned and executed a heist that stunned the nation and reshaped true-crime history. We explore the robbery’s meticulous preparation, the moment the train was brought to a halt, the daring escape, and the relentless investigation that followed, revealing why this case still fascinates six decades on.

Topics include

• The planning behind the heist

• The gang who carried out the robbery

• How the train was stopped and the money taken

• The nationwide manhunt and investigation

• The robbery’s lasting cultural impact

A French aristocrat’s family is found murdered in their home, and the father vanishes without a trace, leaving a mystery that still fuels debate across the world.

This episode examines the Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès case, exploring the financial strain, marital tensions, and emotional entanglements that shaped his final months. We trace the meticulous planning behind the murders, the disappearance that sparked global speculation, and the unanswered questions that keep this tragedy one of France’s most unsettling mysteries.

Topics include

• The Dupont de Ligonnès family murders

• Xavier’s financial and marital troubles

• Emotional affairs and personal pressures

• The disappearance and ensuing manhunt

• Theories about Xavier’s fate

Nine experienced hikers flee their tent in the dead of night, only to be found scattered across a frozen mountain pass under circumstances no one can fully explain.

This episode investigates the Dyatlov Pass Mystery, tracing the 1959 expedition into the Ural Mountains and the baffling injuries, torn tent, and eerie final photographs that fuel decades of speculation. We explore natural theories, military explanations, and stranger possibilities, uncovering why this case remains one of the most haunting unsolved tragedies in modern history.

Topics include

• The 1959 Dyatlov expedition

• The tent cut from the inside

• Unusual injuries and unexplained evidence

• Key theories from natural to sinister

• Why the case endures as a global mystery

A young mother vanishes without a trace, triggering a nationwide search and a mystery that only deepens as the story unfolds.

This episode revisits the disappearance of Sherri Papini, tracing the shock of her sudden vanishing, the intense investigation that followed, and the media storm that turned her case into a national obsession. We explore the evidence, the competing theories, the emotional impact on her family, and the twists that kept investigators and the public questioning what really happened.

Topics include

• The disappearance of Sherri Papini

• Key evidence and investigative leads

• Media coverage and public reaction

• The toll on Papini’s family and community

• The theories that shaped the case

In this episode of All the Latest Things, we explore the hidden fishing wire encircling Manhattan that serves a surprising religious purpose. The myth behind menstrual cycle synchronisation and its potential evolutionary origins. We learn why Amazon Go’s AI checkout stores are closing and how Heinz is fighting back against ketchup fraud with a clever colour trick. Plus, we delve into the rock-and-roll solution for mosh pit hygiene.

Topics Covered:

• Manhattan’s religious wire: the Eruv.

• The myth and science behind menstrual cycle synchronisation.

• Amazon Go stores and their AI struggles.

• Heinz’s fight against counterfeit ketchup.

• Leather diapers for mosh pit enthusiasts.

In this episode of All the Latest Things, we explore the wild and the downright bizarre. From a lawsuit over cake slices and creased cushions, to a banana sold as art for $6.2M, this week is packed with stories that will make you question reality. We also uncover the secrets behind fake elevator buttons, the curse of Michelin stars, and the man who took his shoe-sniffing habit way too far. Buckle up for a whirlwind of absurdity and intrigue!

Topics Covered

• A ridiculous lawsuit involving cake, cushions, and toilet paper.

• A $6.2M banana turned into a snack by its new owner.

• The psychology of fake elevator buttons, shampoos, and bug sprays.

• The dark side of earning a Michelin star.

• A man jailed for an unusual shoe-sniffing obsession.