Our Curious Past

By Peter LawsTrue Crime

Our Curious Past episodes

May 24, 2024 30: Two Years in Isolation: The Biosphere 2 Saga
Get ready for an amazing yet totally true adventure from the 1990s, when on a warm Arizona morning, four men and four women left the earths atmosphere…and did not return for 2 years and 20 minutes.
Yet their feet never left the ground.
This is the incredible story of Biosphere 2, a bold and controversial American experiment to see if human beings could survive in a sealed environment. If they could, then perhaps we might be able to live on other planets some day.
The project began with a wave of enthusiasm and excitement from the media and public – with ABC News declaring that Biosphere 2 was going to save the world.
But…as the days turned into weeks, the cracks began to show, the eco system struggled, tensions exploded in the groups, and media relations collapsed when they heard about a mysterious duffle bag…and the ambitious endeavour began to be labelled as more like a hippy cult, than a science experiment.
Then, the controversial political strategist Steve Bannon turned up.
You are in for a pretty wild ride, but I hope you’ll join me for a fascinating and frustrating step into a new world…This is…
Two years in isolation | The Biosphere 2 saga
Don't forget to check out Magic Mind, they have a limited offer you can use now that gets you 48% off with code OURCURIOUSPAST20 at checkout. Claim it at Magicmind.com/ourcuriouspast
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38 min
March 15, 202429: Tears on the Dance floor: The Tragic Love and Heartbreaking Fate of Lavinia Schulz & Walter Holdt
A unique couple meet in 1920s Germany, and fall in love. Their relationship is fiery, but they become famous dancers, dazzling audiences in Germany…
Yet their commitment to their art will lead them both to a heartbreaking tragedy.
I’m Peter Laws and tonight I give you ‘Tears on the Dancefloor: The Tragic Love and Heartbreaking fate of Lavinia Schulz & Walter Holdt.
Episode Sponsor:
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Core Sources:
https://janreetze.blogspot.com/2010/12/the-mask-dancers-lavinia-schulz-walter.html
https://clasebcn.com/tips/lavinia-schluz-walter-holdt/
‘Empire of Ecstasy: Nudity and Movement in German Body Culture, 1910–1935’ by Karl Toepfer UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS, 1997.
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31 min
March 01, 2024 28: Crashed In The Amazon Jungle: The Astonishing 40 Day Search for Four Lost Children
A plane crashes into the Amazon Jungle, on board are four terrified children who somehow survive the wreck. But their ordeal has only just begun. I’m Peter Laws and tonight on Our Curious Past we explore ‘Crashed in the Amazon Jungle: The Astonishing 40 Day Search for Four Lost Children’.
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To learn more details on this remarkable story, do check out my main source, this excellent and lengthy article by William Ralston.
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24 min
February 02, 2024 27: Guided by Spirits? The Strange Case of the Snettisham Ghosts
A woman moves into a house known to be haunted and one night encounters ghosts who tell her to visit a small village in England. When she gets there, she finds that everything the spirits have told her, comes true.
Was this a hoax, or did she have an authentic encounter with the supernatural like mane researchers into the case claim.
I’m Peter Laws and tonight on our Curious Past we dive into spooky supernatural encounter in Guided by Spirits? The Strange Case of the Snettisham Ghosts.
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Sources
‘Worlds Beyond' by Ian Wilson, 1986, Weidenfeld & Nicholson
https://www.edp24.co.uk/lifestyle/20711644.weird-norfolk-snettisham-ghost-asked-favour/
https://jamesmdeem.com/stories.ghost.goodeve.html
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30 min
January 12, 2024 Welcome to Our Curious Past
Welcome listener, to Our Curious Past.
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2 min
January 06, 202426: The Man Who Legally Killed 55 Men & Women Single Handedly
Chavoret Jaruboon was paid by the Thai prison service, to single-handedly kill 55 people. That’s 54 men, and one woman. He did this during his 19 year career at the notorious Bang Kwang Prison, aka the Bangkok Hilton.
In Thailand, he was best known as ‘The Last Executioner’ before they switched over to lethal injection. But up to that point, Chavoret’s job was to carry out each killing with a submachine gun. What were the procedures for killing human beings on such a large scale? What sort of man was Chavoret, and how did he deal with such a challenging role.
How did he manage to square his spirituality with killing so many people…after all, he lived in a Buddhist country, that believes heavily in karma.
I’m Peter Laws, and tonight on Our Curious Past, we explore a controversial career that is rarely discussed…as we meet Chavoret Jaruboon: The Man Who Legally Killed 55 People, Single-Handedly. Please note that this episode is also available as an audio podcast - search OUR CURIOUS PAST in your apps.
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NOTE: If you find this story interesting I do encourage you to buy a copy of Chavoret’s well written and gripping book, The Last Executioner. I used the English translation of the book as the prime source of this video. You can buy it here.
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32 min
December 08, 202325: The Final Witness: Can a Murder Victims Eyeballs Reveal Their Killer?
In the late 1800s, the worlds of biology, photography and criminology came together to ask a tantalising question….might the human retina retain the final image a person sees before death…If so, with careful examination of the eyeball, surely this was a sure fire way of solving every murder…because the killers image would be imprinted in the victims eyes…if only investigators discovered the body within 24 hours.
Tonight, we explore one of the most fascinating theories in police work…a notion that gripped optometrist, photographers and detectives alike. I’m Peter Laws and this is The Final Witness: Can a Murder Victims Eyeballs Reveal Their Killer?
Episode Sponsor:
Head to http://FACTORMEALS.com/curious50and use code curious50 to get 50% off!
Sources:
Retinal Optography: Fact or Fiction?
Optography
How Forensic Science Once Tried to "See" a Dead Person's Last Sight
Optopraphy: Preserving a Dead Person's Last Sight
Dead Men's Eyes: A History of Optography
How to develop a picture from a corpse's eye
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24 min
November 24, 2023 24: Crop Circles, Boardgames and The KLF
In the summer of 1990, Operation Blackbird was launched, to investigate the curious (and then growing) appearances of Crop Circles across the world. These mysterious, geometric shapes would appear in crops, prompting some to claim UFOs were at work, and others to cry 'hoax'.
On the second night of Operation Blackbird, researchers were excited to see a crop circle emerge…but when they examined closer, the plot thickened. They found strange circular boardgame boards, in the centre of every circle, and then the next day, one of the researchers received a letter from the notorious UK dance band…the KLF.
Join me as I try to get to the bottom of this curious case, which involved me interviewing original witnesses, and gaining access to a handwritten letter supposedly by KLF front man, Bill Drummond.
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Special Thank you for those that helped with this Episode:
Colin Andrews played by David Stephenson
George (Merlin) Vernon played by Owen Staton
Help support our show through Patreon:Peter Laws | creating podcasts, immersive audio, video and more! | Patreon
Find us on all podcasting platforms:Our Curious Past
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23 min
October 27, 2023 Maze of Secrets
...1 eerie corn maze...
...9 haunting figures...
...9 spine-tingling tales...
...Will YOU find your way out? This holiday season, step into a labyrinth of shadows and suspense with Shane Waters as your guide. In this chilling collaboration, you'll encounter the hosts of 9 acclaimed true crime podcasts, each offering a dark tale and a life lesson to send shivers down your spine. This is not just a special episode; it's an immersive journey through a maze of twisted paths and unsolved mysteries. So, lift your lantern high and venture into 'Maze of Secrets'...
...but be warned...
...not everyone makes it to the end… Prepare to get lost in the stories, but find yourself in their lessons. It's an odyssey of crime, mystery, and eerie life lessons that you won't soon forget. This is Shane’s 5th holiday collaboration. If you dare to walk this twisted path with us, you're in for a night you'll never forget. Are you ready? Podcasts are listed here in order of appearance:
Frightful
Marooned
Rotten to the Core
Murder, She Told
Obscura
Crimelines
Once Upon a Crime
The Trail Went Cold
Foul Play: Crime Series
Listen to the other holiday collaborations here.
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1 hr 28 min
September 29, 2023 23: The Strange Story of ’The Toronto Blessing’
On January 20th, 1994, the congregation in The Toronto Airport Vineyard Church stood to pray…then all 120 of them fell to the floor, convulsing with tears of joy and uncontrollable laughter. It happened again the next night and the next. It carried on almost every night…for twelve years. Word spread across the world that God was at work, yet critics were horrified to see believers rolling in the aisles and roaring like animals.
Was it a genuine miracle or group hysteria?
I’m Peter Laws, and I’d like to invite you to church. Because tonight on Our Curious Past we explore ‘The Strange Story of The Toronto Blessing.’
Sources:
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/43175162.pdf
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Main_Street_Mystics/JuokG3nJmAYC?hl=en&gbpv=0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCuFc0wpO2w
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/adrianwarnock/2005/05/toronto-blessing-11-years-ago-this/
https://www.methodist.org.uk/media/2072/fo-statement-the-toronto-blessing-1996.pdf
Help support our show through Patreon:
Peter Laws | creating podcasts, immersive audio, video and more! | Patreon
Find us on all podcasting platforms:
Our Curious Past
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28 min