In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the science world was overwhelmed with strange new findings out of Australia. One particular species was assumed to be a hoax… and even when it was established that the platypus was, in fact, real? It didn’t make these strange creatures make more sense.

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Hosted by Laurah Norton

Research by Anna Luria and Maura Currie

Written, Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

This episode was originally released  as Premium Episode 54.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

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Works Cited 

George Shaw, “The Duck-Billed Platypus,” The Naturalist’s Miscellany, 1798.

NA, “Scientists Trying to Save…” The Washington Herald, 1928.

Abby Ohlheiser, “The platypus is so weird…” the Washington Post, 2015.

Natalie Zarrelli, “Why 19th-century naturalists…” Atlas Obscura, 2016.

Brian K. Hall, “The paradoxical platypus,” Bioscience, 1999.

Willey Ley, “Bring our private files…” Star Tribune, 1948.

James MacDonald, “The platypus is even weirder…” JSTOR Daily, 2018.

Gilad Bino et al, “The platypus: evolutionary…” Journal of Mammalogy, 2019.

Stephen C. George, “When scientists believed the adorable…” Discover Magazine, 2023.

NA, “The lying stones of…” Geological Society of London, 2017.

Jessica Leigh Hester, “The beautiful complexity of…” Atlas Obscura, 2018.

Annetta Black, “Objects of Intrigue: Fiji…” Atlas Obscura, 2013.

Douglas Main, “We knew platypuses…” National Geographic, 2020.

John Yoon, “What scientists learned from…” the New York Times, 2024.

Mindy Weisberger, “Platypuses glow an eerie…” LiveScience, 2020.

Lucie Cutting, “Woman spurred by platypus…” ABC, 2023.

Platypus

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We take a trip with Resurrection Mary, Chicago’s most famous hitchhiking ghost, down Archer Avenue and into the history that surrounds her endless treks to her eternal home: Resurrection Cemetery. As vanishing hitchhikers go, she might just be the most infamous. . . and perhaps the most beloved, too. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria 

Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media 

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

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In January 1996, the small Brazilian city of Varginha became the center of one of the most famous UFO stories in South American history. Multiple witnesses, including three young women, reported seeing a strange creature with a large head and red eyes lurking in the streets, while others claimed the military had captured one or more living beings and recovered a crashed craft. To this day, Varginha is often called the "Brazilian Roswell."

In this special episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes, Vanessa Richardson is joined by Laurah Norton to investigate the Varginha incident. For more, follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes. https://pod.link/1828469754

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In the late 19th century, in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the hodag—a monster that sprung up in the tall tales of local logging camps— made its national  debut when one was supposedly captured alive and put on display at a county fair. We are very sorry we missed it. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton and Bryan Worters 

Produced by Maura Currie 

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder 

This originally ran as episode 94.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

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If you gave us a nickel how many goatmen we’ve covered on this show, we’d have 10 cents; it’s not a lot, but more than one might expect. This time, we’re visiting Maryland to dive into the story of a violent, possibly axe-wielding monster and the Prince George’s County  teenagers and pets it apparently enjoyed terrorizing in Bowie, along Fletchertown Road.

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted and Written  by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria  and Laurah Norton

Engineered and  Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’ve covered murderous clowns, motel clowns, and . . . honestly, we forget how many iterations have popped up, like jack-in-the-boxes, over the years. But this time, strangers, we’ve got what may be the most unique experience of all: a vintage story that combines UFOs, clownery, a possible robot, children with surprisingly good social skills, and the most unsettling berry-eating experience we’ve ever been exposed to in our five-year tenure. Enjoy. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted By Laurah Norton 

Written and Researched by Laurah Norton and Maura Currie 

Engineered and Produced by Maura Currie

This is Premium Episode 83, appearing for the first time on the main feed. 

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. 

Works Cited: 

Norman Oliver, “Ghost or Spaceman ’73?” The BUFORA Journal, February 1978. 

N/A, History Disclosure, “Two Children Have a Close Encounter With a Strange Humanoid.” 2018.

N/A, “The Sandown Clown: Exploring…” On the Wight, 2023.

Tom Oldham, “The Mystery of The…” VICE, 2025.

Test Card F (via Test Card Fandom Wiki)

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The lava beds of Central Oregon produced one of the most involved (and fascinating) creature features of the early 20th century: the mythic lava bear. And, of course, all of the humans who argued about it, hunted it, and attempted to have scientific discussions regarding its existence. We sure do love history, strangers. 

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Hosted and Written  by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria  and Laurah Norton

Engineered and  Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some say that a werewolf once lived in Georgia -- a young woman, Emily Burts, who was born 20 years before the Civil War. Sound like an unusual set up for a lycanthropic tale? We thought so, too. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted,  Written, and Researched by Laurah Norton

Produced by Maura Currie 

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder

This episode originally ran as Episode 87.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mercy Brown, Rhode Island vampire—allegedly so—is considered to be the last of the state’s unfortunate focal points in its 19th century vampire panics; but like so many other supernatural superstitions we dig into, there’s much more beneath the surface. The Exeter Vampire panic is more complex, and perhaps distorted, than we’ve been led to believe. . .all through the haze of the horror of the plague of tuberculosis. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted and written  by Laurah Norton

Researched Anna Luria and Laurah Norton

Produced by Maura Currie

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder 

This episode originally ran as Episode 71.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In rural North Carolina, there’s a circle of earth where nothing grows. It’s been there a long time — and why it exists is down to either the unexplainable… or the satanic. It’s called the Devil’s Tramping, or Tromping Ground. And locals claim there have been all sorts of strange things seen at the site. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted by Laurah Norton

Researched Anna Luria and Maura Currie

Produced and written by Maura Currie

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder 

This episode originally ran as Episode 72.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.