We discuss the collapse of societies.  None of history's great cultures have stood the test of time.  All fall eventually.  What causes the collapse of a society or culture?  You will find that the causes can be myriad, from poor harvests to exploding meteorites.

We discuss a topic near and dear to about 12 percent of the world's population: left-handedness.  This one goes out to all the southpaws, corrie-fisted, golly-handed, mollydookers, and cuddy wifters out there.  Learn some history of left handedness from around the world and find out which of the afore mentioned terms drives Jeni nuts.

The Haunted Mansion is one of Disney's most famous rides.  We discuss the history of the ride and it's backstory, both fictional and historical.  Come learn about the Haunted Mansion.

What do you get when you mix two eccentric brothers, hoarding, and paranoia?  You get the sad yet fascinating case of the Collyer brothers.  These two bachelor brothers became part of Harlem lore due to the sad, grizzly tale of the discovery of their bodies in their brownstone apartment that was filled with over 100 tons of trash and collected items. 

We continue our segment on the American fur trade with the impacts of the trade on societies, the effect on Native American women, and the rise of the Metis people.

We discuss the American Fur Trade, one of the earliest and most important economic trades between Europe and the natives and colonies in the New World.  This trade resulted in multiple wars between native tribes, and constant rivalry between the French and English colonies.

It might not be pretty, but it sure is interesting.  We discuss the origins, history, and cultural implications of Syphilis.  Once a horrifying disease that caused madness and disfigurement, The Pox was stigmatized in many cultures and many time periods.  Come find out more as we discuss the uncomfortable topic of Syphilis. 

The Molly Maguires were an Irish secret society from the 19th century what were know for vigilantism against authority figures deemed to have wronged the people.  The are most famous for their involvement in the labor conflicts over the conditions of immigrant laborers in late 19th century Pennsylvania.  However, were the Molly Maguires really a threat or was their existence made up to excuse local bosses in crushing a new formed labor union?  Check out this week's podcast and find out.

Dr. Grover Krantz was an American anthropologist that was widely published on multiple topics.  He also was an avid bigfoot hunter, both figuratively and literally, researching any traces of the possible animal and driving though the woods at night with a shotgun.  Listen in and learn all about this highly colorful character.

John B. Calhoun was interested in looking at the effects of overcrowding on societies of mammals, so he created a mouse utopia, Universe 25.  Universe 25 was an environment made with unlimited supplies of food and water with no predators, where the mice could live without stress and allow their population to grow without environmental restriction.  What he found was an initial utopia with explosive population growth, but it eventually led to a complete collapse of the social structure of the mice and the death of the entire colony.  What can we learn from this experiment and how might if parallel human society?  Come find out!