The 1990s were a time of chaos, aspiration, and, above all, ridiculous things. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max welcome returning guest Ross Benes, the author of 1999, for an in-depth exploration of talk shows, crime, transformative media and pop culture forensics. (Ben here: of course we get to films, video games and Juggalos.)

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In 1814, a poor neighborhood in London fell victim to a strange, tragic and boozy disaster -- this calamity would eventually leave eight people dead. So what exactly happened? How could an entire neighborhood flood with a deadly deluge of beer? Join Ben, Noel and Max for a bizarre bit of boozy history in this week's Classic episode.

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As one of the most iconic games in all of arcade history, Pac Man is recognized across the planet. But how did it get here -- and why are there so many in-depth fan theories about what it means? Is Pac Man a Sisyphean immortal cursed with endless toil? Is he underwater, stealing errant Pong balls? Is he himself a ghost, or on drugs? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max unravel the bizarre, inspiring origin story of one of history's greatest video games.

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With nearly one thousand episodes out in the world over the years, Ben, Noel and Max realized they've never asked about the origin of the word "ridiculous." In this rollicking, cartoonishly meta episode, the gang learns the history of this specific word -- and why, since before the dawn of recorded history, humans have always been all about a good joke. (And, of course, terrible jokes as well.)

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What are your favorite children's books? In this Classic episode, Ben and the gang acknowledge Dr. Seuss is one of the most well-known writers on the planet. "Green Eggs and Ham", one of his most successful books, sold over 8 million copies by 2016 -- but would you believe he wrote it based entirely on a bet?

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As Axis powers swarm across Europe in the lead-up to D-Day, a small group of scientists refuse to leave their lab, throwing a fair amount of modern ethics out the window (or the sub, if you like) as they race to complete vital experiments in hyperbaric chambers -- the results of which may just change the course of the war. Tune in for part two of this special two-part series, featuring returning guest Dr. Rachel "Big Spinach" Lance, the author of "Chamber Divers: The Untold Story of the D-Day Scientists Who Changed Special Operations Forever."

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Years after their initial conversation with the world's foremost expert on underwater explosions, Ben still sings the praises of Dr. Rachel "Big Spinach" Lance. In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max welcome Dr. Lance back to learn more about the phenomenal -- and, frankly, inspiring -- story of a ragtag crew of rogue scientists who saved submarines ... and, in doing so, saved the Allies during D-Day.

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Now, let's be honest. Rudyard Kipling was a cartoonishly problematic guy. Yet his work made a permanent impression on global literature -- and, to a surprising degree, he based a lot of his writing on real-world events. In today's Classic episode, Ben and Noel ask: What inspired Rudyard Kipling to write The Jungle Book? Join the guys as they explore the real-life, tragic stories of feral children abandoned by their human parents, adopted by animals and raised in the wild.

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Imagine you're an ancient traveler, visiting Rhodes for the first time in 280 BCE. As you approach the famed city, a singular object dominates the horizon: a huge statue of the Greek sun god Helios, popularly known as the "Colossus of Rhodes." In the fourth part of this series on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Ben, Noel and Max explore how this titanic sculpture came to be -- and how its phenomenal legacy still remains with us in the modern day.

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Do you have a number you love, or a number you hate? As Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, people have always assigned symbolic meaning to the everpresent existence of math -- and created some frankly ridiculous associations along the way.

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