Conspiracy Theories

By Spotify Studios

What's Conspiracy Theories about?

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.

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Conspiracy Theories episodes:

04.17.2024
The Sunset Limited Train Derailment
October 9th, 1995, Amtrak's 12-car Sunset Limited train was powering through the Arizona desert with 258 passengers on board when it suddenly separated from the tracks. The horrible derailment left one person dead and dozens of passengers injured and stranded...
04.10.2024
The Mad Gasser of Mattoon
In September 1944, as World War II raged overseas, the small town of Mattoon, Illinois felt under attack. Dozens of people reported smelling a sickening sweet odor drift into their bedroom at night. It allegedly smelled like gardenias and left...
04.03.2024
The Circleville Letters
“You have been watched: Failure to comply and you shall suffer: no one can help: no one can protect you: Obey: Obey:” In 1976, anonymous letters started appearing in mailboxes around Circleville, Ohio. Someone was watching the town’s residents. They...
03.29.2024
Introducing: Search Engine
If you find the world bewildering, but also sometimes enjoy being bewildered by it, Search Engine is here for you. Search Engine is an explainer show that tackles mysteries and conspiracies, big and small. On this episode: is host PJ...
03.27.2024
Disappearance at the Vatican: The Orlandi Case
What happens when a teenager goes missing in the world’s smallest, and supposedly safest, country? Emanuela Orlandi’s sudden disappearance remains the only missing person’s case in Vatican City, yet more than 40 years later we still have no idea what...
03.20.2024
Solved: The Somerton Man Mystery
In 1948, an unknown man died on Somerton Beach near Adelaide, Australia. He carried only the clothes on his body, cigarettes, and a hidden cipher. For decades, experts have been trying to identify the Somerton Man, and how he ended...
03.13.2024
The Yuba County Five
In the winter of 1978, a group of friends caught a college basketball game about an hour north of where they lived. That night, none of the men returned home. What happened to them next is a complicated mystery that...
03.06.2024
Kryptos: The CIA’s Unsolvable Cipher
Everyone knows the CIA headquarters holds many secrets... But their most public secret might be the riddle encoded in Kryptos, a giant outdoor sculpture. As of 2024, the code remains uncracked… at least, as far as we know. Conspiracy Theories...
02.28.2024
Julian Assange
One of the most controversial figures of the 2010s, Julian Assange is either a criminal, a hero, or both. Carter dives into Assange’s story, examining what it really takes to bring government secrets out of the shadows. Conspiracy Theories is now...
02.21.2024
The 2001 Anthrax Attacks
One week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, someone began mailing envelopes containing a deadly form of anthrax, reigniting a national panic. The FBI spared no expense on the years-long investigation before naming a suspect and closing the case…but not everyone...
02.14.2024
Mel's Hole
A man identifying himself as Mel Waters called into the nationally syndicated talk show, Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell, claiming a hole on his property was unfathomably deep and had supernatural attributes. To this day, neither the hole...
02.07.2024
The Disappearance of Glenn Miller (with Dennis Spragg)
How does the Taylor Swift of the swing era just... disappear? That’s the question Carter tries to answer in this episode alongside Dennis Spragg, one of the foremost experts on Glenn Miller’s life and career. Join them as we uncover...
01.31.2024
The Rendlesham UFO Incident Pt. 2
Carter examines alternative explanations for the famous alien sighting, including a government experiment gone wrong, a cold war conspiracy, and time travel. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show...
01.24.2024
The Rendlesham UFO Incident Pt. 1
Nicknamed “The British Roswell,” it’s one of the most controversial UFO sightings. Carter presents the accounts of US Air Force Officers from December, 1980 – and then examines allegations that the government concealed the truth. Conspiracy Theories is now on...
01.17.2024
The Silk Road Pt. 2
By 2012, undercover DEA agents had cracked holes in an underground criminal conspiracy. It was the “Amazon.com of Drugs” – the Silk Road. But to take down its shadowy founder, they’d have to team up with a surprising number of...
01.10.2024
The Silk Road Pt. 1
Secret societies have long been the subject of conspiracy theories. But this one was very real, just a few keystrokes away – if you knew where to click. Carter explores the Silk Road — a “shadow Amazon.com” — and its...
01.03.2024
Extremely Online with Taylor Lorenz (and a post-interview chat with Carter!)
This week on Conspiracy Theories: Book Club, we are joined by tech journalist and author Taylor Lorenz to discuss the creator economy, social media, and what it means to be extremely online. After the interview, we’re joined by Carter for...
12.27.2023
Easy Money with Jacob Silverman
The state of crypto seems to change every day. Millions of people have made, and lost, money in what some consider a scam and others a golden investment opportunity and the future of currency. In this interview, we have a...
12.20.2023
JFK Facts with Jefferson Morley
Plenty of conspiracies surround John F. Kennedy’s assassination. In this episode we sit down with Jefferson Morley, investigative journalist, author, and co-founder of JFK Facts to discuss ongoing disclosure efforts, and his mission to separate fact from fiction. In this...
12.18.2023
Presenting Conspiracy Theories: Book Club!
For the next three weeks, we’ll be putting out a special series we’re calling Conspiracy Theories: Book Club. Every week for the past five years you’ve heard Carter tell captivating stories researched and written by our talented team. On Conspiracy Theories:...
12.11.2023
The Mastermind
After the fallout at the PNC Bank, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Bill Rothstein scrambled to cover their tracks. But the FBI was already closing in, working to reveal the mastermind behind the entire plan. Keep up with us on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Have...
12.04.2023
The Murder
In order to deactivate the bomb, Brian’s co-conspirators set up an elaborate scavenger hunt around Erie, Pennsylvania. But as police started to follow the clues, tragedy struck. Keep up with us on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us...
11.27.2023
The Robbery
In August 2003, pizza delivery man Brian Wells strapped a collar bomb to his neck and chest and entered a PNC Bank demanding $250,000 in cash. He thought it was the perfect bank robbery, and that the bomb on his...
11.22.2023
Napoleon Bonaparte
Officially, the exiled French emperor died of stomach cancer in 1821. But for hundreds of years, controversy courted that narrative, and new possibilities arose. What if Napoleon had actually been murdered — poisoned by an assassin? And what if he...
11.20.2023
Introducing Case 63
We are happy to share the first episode of season 1 of Case 63, where New York psychiatrist Dr. Eliza Knight (Academy Award winner Julianne Moore) begins treating a patient registered as Case 63 (Emmy nominee Oscar Isaac), who claims...
11.15.2023
The Real Life James Bond Pt. 2
Sidney Reilly returns to his unfinished business in Russia, only to be dealt a final deadly hand. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter...
11.08.2023
The Real Life James Bond Pt. 1
He's a legend in the world of spycraft, the “Ace of Spies”, and the inspiration behind Ian Fleming’s James Bond. Sidney Reilly traveled the world taking on covert missions and uncovering dangerous plots, all while enjoying a now-legendary lifestyle filled...
11.03.2023
PREVIEW: The Wedding Scammer
Check out this clip from the first episode of The Ringer’s new podcast The Wedding Scammer, and listen to the full episode and follow along with the story on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad...
11.01.2023
The Wine Con (with Justin Sayles)
In this special episode, Carter sits down with Justin to discuss his new podcast, The Wedding Scammer (00:46). Then, we get into the story of infamous wine con-artist Rudy Kurniawan, who sold counterfeit wine to some of the world’s most...
10.25.2023
The Curse of Dudleytown
Carter examines a cursed Connecticut neighborhood, its rumored royal origins, and the town’s ghostly connection to The Conjuring movie franchise. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes...
10.16.2023
The Osage Murders Pt. 2
The true story behind Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon: Members of Osage Nation are being targeted for their high-priced oil headrights. There’s so many murders that the small local police department can’t investigate thoroughly, so the tribe turns to...
10.09.2023
The Osage Murders Pt. 1
The true story behind Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon: In the early twentieth century, Oklahoma’s Osage Reservation was rich in oil and spread the wealth across the tribe. But in the 1920s, it became clear that someone was killing...
10.04.2023
Exeter Incident
After dozens of UFO sightings plagued Exeter, New Hampshire in 1965, a skeptical investigative journalist named John G. Fuller came to town. The hours of interviews he conducted changed his mind – and led to the first Congressional hearing that...
09.27.2023
Sun Tzu & The Art of War
It’s cited in war rooms and boardrooms, but perhaps the most important lessons from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War are about the art of espionage. This 6th century guidebook has inspired organizations around the world, from the CIA to...
09.20.2023
The Dominici Affair Pt. 2
Detective Sébeille begins to uncover the secrets of the Dominici family, but has his single-minded focus led him down the wrong path? What secrets are the victims hiding? And could he have been investigating the wrong family this entire time? Conspiracy...
09.13.2023
The Dominici Affair Pt. 1
A dogged detective travels to rural France in 1952 to investigate the murders of three British tourists. At first no one will talk to the big city cop, but as he dives further into the investigation he can’t seem to...
09.06.2023
Shark Vomits Arm?
A disembodied arm, a man-eating shark, and multiple rumored mob hits. It’s one of Australia’s most famous and bizarre murder mysteries, but the pair of unsolved deaths might not be murders at all... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
08.30.2023
What’s Hiding in the Wizard of Oz?
In 2018, a study ranked it as “the most influential film of all time.” Rotten Tomatoes certifies it as 98% fresh. And yet, theories abound that the perennial classic might be hiding something. Today, Carter follows the yellow brick road...
08.23.2023
The Isdal Woman
The only question bigger than “Who is the Isdal Woman?” is “Who’s keeping her identity secret?” Found in 1970, her body was burned beyond recognition. And what started as a murder case quickly led to a web of international crime...
08.16.2023
The Princes Who Disappeared
In 1483, the rightful king of England and his heir apparent vanished. Popular opinion says they were murdered by their uncle, but could he have been framed by another relative? Or were the princes forced into exile, with descendants who...
08.09.2023
The Assassination of Pancho Villa
To some, he was a hero of the Mexican Revolution. To others, a “bloody soul, born from evil.” In 1923, when he was gunned down in the streets of Parral, everyone wanted to know: Who killed Pancho Villa? Learn more about...
08.02.2023
The Crimes of Aaron Burr
How does King Burr sound? While he’s most infamous for shooting a Founding Father in a duel, Aaron Burr’s crimes extend even further: The former Vice President was once tried for treason after allegedly plotting to invade Mexico and create...
07.31.2023
The UAP Hearing
July 26th was quite a day in Congress. The House subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs met to discuss...UFOs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
07.26.2023
Secrets of Chernobyl
In April 1988, a top Soviet scientist, Valery Legasov, died by suicide. Before his death, he recorded a series of chilling deathbed confessions concerning one of the world's deadliest disasters: the Chernobyl nuclear explosion. Over four hours, Legasov confessed terrifying...
07.19.2023
The Disappearance of Ettore Majorana
In March 1938, a brilliant physicist boarded a ship from Palermo to Naples, Italy. When the ship docked, he wasn’t on it. What happened to Ettore Majorana? And did his research group’s work on nuclear reactions have anything to do...
07.12.2023
The Manhattan Project
A top-secret military program changed the world in August 1945. Today we’re examining the Manhattan Project’s official story: its key figures, its developments, its spies… And breaking open the conspiracy theories it inspired around extraterrestrials, a fluoride cover-up, and a...
07.05.2023
Bohemian Grove’s Atomic Secrets
Three years before the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a group of men including J. R. Oppenheimer and Ernest Lawrence held a secret meeting at Bohemian Grove—the meeting place of an invitation-only boys club made up of...
07.05.2023
Nuclear Fallout
Before Oppenheimer hits theaters this summer, explore the real-life events that inspired the film. We’ll be back in August with new episodes of Conspiracy Theories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
06.28.2023
Bone Fraud: The Piltdown Man
A prehistoric species discovered in England was once hailed as the “missing link” between humans and apes. Until it was exposed as a fake. The only question remaining: Who was in on the scam? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
06.21.2023
Hollywood Conspiracies: Military Propaganda
From doctoring scripts and censoring movies, to influencing programming for game shows, just how deep is the partnership between Hollywood and the military? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's Conspiracy Theories about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Conspiracy Theories episodes:

The Sunset Limited Train Derailment

The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

The Circleville Letters

Introducing: Search Engine

Disappearance at the Vatican: The Orlandi Case

Solved: The Somerton Man Mystery

The Yuba County Five

Kryptos: The CIA’s Unsolvable Cipher

Julian Assange

The 2001 Anthrax Attacks

Mel's Hole

The Disappearance of Glenn Miller (with Dennis Spragg)

The Rendlesham UFO Incident Pt. 2

The Rendlesham UFO Incident Pt. 1

The Silk Road Pt. 2

The Silk Road Pt. 1

Extremely Online with Taylor Lorenz (and a post-interview chat with Carter!)

Easy Money with Jacob Silverman

JFK Facts with Jefferson Morley

Presenting Conspiracy Theories: Book Club!

The Mastermind

The Murder

The Robbery

Napoleon Bonaparte

Introducing Case 63

The Real Life James Bond Pt. 2

The Real Life James Bond Pt. 1

PREVIEW: The Wedding Scammer

The Wine Con (with Justin Sayles)

The Curse of Dudleytown

The Osage Murders Pt. 2

The Osage Murders Pt. 1

Exeter Incident

Sun Tzu & The Art of War

The Dominici Affair Pt. 2

The Dominici Affair Pt. 1

Shark Vomits Arm?

What’s Hiding in the Wizard of Oz?

The Isdal Woman

The Princes Who Disappeared

The Assassination of Pancho Villa

The Crimes of Aaron Burr

The UAP Hearing

Secrets of Chernobyl

The Disappearance of Ettore Majorana

The Manhattan Project

Bohemian Grove’s Atomic Secrets

Nuclear Fallout

Bone Fraud: The Piltdown Man

Hollywood Conspiracies: Military Propaganda