Brain Bamboozle

In 1233, Pope Gregory IX issued the papal bull Vox in Rama, which described heretical rituals involving a black cat. While the document detailed bizarre ceremonies, it did not explicitly condemn cats or call for their extermination. The association of cats with evil led to superstitions, but there's no concrete evidence linking this to mass cat killings or the spread of the Black Death. The idea that the Pope's actions led to the plague is more myth than fact.​

Here are some reliable sources that delve into Pope Gregory IX's Vox in Rama and its association with cats:

• Wikipedia – Vox in Rama: Provides an overview of the papal bull, its contents, and its historical context. Wikipedia​
• Behind the News – Black Cats and the Catholic Church: Examines the myths and facts surrounding the belief that Pope Gregory IX's decree led to mass cat killings and the spread of the Black Death. behindthenews.ua​
• Snopes – Did Mass Cat Killings Help Spread the Black Death?: Investigates the claim that the extermination of cats contributed to the proliferation of the plague. ​behindthenews.ua
• Museum Hack – Did Pope Gregory IX Order A Medieval Purge of Black Cats?: Discusses the historical accuracy of the narrative linking the Pope's actions to the Black Death. ​

A mysterious new liquid discovered at UMass Amherst seems to break the rules of thermodynamics—returning to a Grecian urn shape no matter how it's stirred. This episode explores the magnetic mayhem behind it, leaving listeners wondering where science ends and mystery begins.

UMass Amherst News: The university's official report on the research conducted by graduate student Anthony Raykh and his team. ​UMass Amherst

In this episode of Brain Bamboozle, we delve into the peculiar tale of Operation Cat Drop, where the British Royal Air Force parachuted cats into a Borneo village to combat a rat infestation caused by unintended ecological consequences of DDT spraying. A story that blurs the line between the bizarre and the factual, reminding us of the intricate balance within ecosystems. Wikipedia

In this Brain Bamboozle mini-mystery, we explore the eerie abilities of the bilby: a real marsupial with real underground skills—and a possibly real history of disrupting NASA transmissions with desert static. Is it folklore, forgotten science… or a marsupial conspiracy?

In this chilling episode, we dive into the Cadaver Synod — the real-life medieval courtroom drama where a pope's decaying corpse was dug up, dressed in full papal regalia, and put on trial by his enemies. It sounds like horror fiction, but this grotesque power play actually happened in 897 AD. Was it madness… or just medieval politics? You decide.


✅ True Fact Source: Wikipedia 

A toad emerges alive from a block of limestone after 30 years—fact or folklore? In this episode, we dissect the weird history of entombed animals and the strange blur between science and legend.

Living Entombed Animal – Wikipedia

In 1233, Pope Gregory IX issued the papal bull Vox in Rama, which described heretical rituals involving a black cat. While the document detailed bizarre ceremonies, it did not explicitly condemn cats or call for their extermination. The association of cats with evil led to superstitions, but there's no concrete evidence linking this to mass cat killings or the spread of the Black Death. The idea that the Pope's actions led to the plague is more myth than fact.​ Source

In this tail-spinning episode of Brain Bamboozle, we infiltrate the alleged existence of the CIA’s Squirrel Surveillance Squad—a furry force trained to spy on Soviets in Central Park. Are they Cold War critters or just rodent rumors? This 60-second mind twist mixes just enough truth to make you question everything.

In one of history’s strangest—and saddest—events, an elephant named Mary was legally executed by hanging in 1916 after fatally injuring her handler. But was it justice, or a gruesome publicity stunt? This episode blurs the line between fact and fiction, spotlighting a haunting true story you probably didn’t learn in school. Source

In this eerie dive into forgotten history, Brain Bamboozle unearths the baffling true story of a 17th-century goat put on trial for witchcraft in France. From whispered omens to a courtroom showdown lit by torchlight, this surreal episode blurs the line between medieval justice and pure superstition. Was it a cursed creature—or just a scapegoat for village paranoia? Source