The Box of Oddities

Something 15,000 light-years from Earth is sending out a mysterious signal every 44 minutes. Astronomers can't explain it, and just when they thought they were beginning to understand it, something changed.

In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Jethro explores the baffling discovery of ASKAP J1832−0911, a mysterious object in the Milky Way emitting synchronized radio waves and X-rays unlike anything scientists have observed before. Could it be an exotic dead star, an entirely new cosmic phenomenon, or something even more extraordinary?

Then, Kat takes us back to September 3, 1967, when Sweden attempted one of the most remarkable traffic experiments in history: switching an entire nation from driving on the left side of the road to the right. With thousands of road signs, redesigned buses, a nationwide publicity campaign, and millions of nervous drivers, what could possibly go wrong?

Plus, the bizarre secret lives of queen ants, including royal coups, brain-changing promotions, and an ant species whose reproductive strategy seems almost impossible.

Mysterious signals from deep space, Sweden's Great Traffic Switch, and the astonishing biology of queen ants. All this and more on The Box of Oddities.

The Box of Oddities. Curated weirdness for curious minds.

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What do a 7,200-year-old underwater cemetery and 17 miniature coffins hidden inside a Scottish volcano have in common? Both are archaeological mysteries that raise some very uncomfortable questions about what happens to us after we die.

First, Jethro takes us beneath the Gulf of Mexico, where a Florida diver searching for prehistoric shark teeth accidentally discovered a human jawbone. What archaeologists uncovered next was extraordinary: an ancient Indigenous burial ground, complete with human remains and wooden stakes, preserved beneath the ocean for more than 7,000 years. How did an entire cemetery end up underwater, and what else might be hiding beneath Florida's coastline?

Then Kat heads to Edinburgh, Scotland, where a group of boys hunting rabbits on Arthur's Seat in 1836 stumbled upon 17 tiny wooden coffins, each containing a carefully dressed miniature figure. Nearly two centuries later, their purpose remains unknown. Were they instruments of witchcraft, mysterious good-luck charms, or symbolic burials connected to the notorious Burke and Hare murders?

Plus, a spirited debate about whether coconut crabs could have eaten Amelia Earhart, some deeply questionable Mountain Dew flavors, and a theory involving deceased shoemaker elves that probably deserves no further investigation.

Ancient burial rituals, unsolved historical mysteries, strange archaeological discoveries, and the occasional giant crustacean. It's another wonderfully peculiar episode of The Box of Oddities.

Keep flying that freak flag!

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Freak Family Favorite (2022): The Great Stink of London and Yemen’s Mysterious Well of Hell

What happens when an entire city becomes so overwhelmed by human waste that the smell actually forces Parliament to take action? And what lies at the bottom of a mysterious desert sinkhole rumored to imprison evil spirits?

In this Freak Family Favorite from 2022, Kat and Jethro revisit two wonderfully strange stories from the archives of The Box of Oddities.

First, the Great Stink of 1858, when London's River Thames became a foul mixture of sewage, animal carcasses, and industrial waste. The stench was so unbearable that it helped inspire one of the most ambitious engineering projects of the Victorian era.

Then, deep in the desert of Yemen, a massive sinkhole known as the Well of Hell has terrified locals for centuries. Legends tell of imprisoned djinn, mysterious screams, and supernatural forces lurking beneath the earth. But when explorers finally descended into its depths in 2021, they discovered something extraordinary.

Ancient superstitions, bizarre history, hidden ecosystems, and a surprising amount of discussion about poop. All fueled by beer, donuts, and an ill-advised quantity of ice cream.

It's a Freak Family Favorite from 2022, on The Box of Oddities.

Keep flying that freak flag!

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An ancient curse buried beneath a Dutch town square. A bathtub hoax that fooled America for decades. This week on The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore two remarkable stories about supernatural revenge, historical deception, and humanity's impressive willingness to believe just about anything.

First, archaeologists in Heerlen, Netherlands, uncover a nearly 1,900-year-old Roman curse tablet inscribed with mysterious Greek writing, Egyptian magical symbols, and the names of four enslaved people. Who buried it, and what terrible fate were they hoping to unleash? The discovery opens a fascinating window into ancient Roman magic, binding spells, and the surprisingly personal grudges people once entrusted to the gods.

Then, the bizarre true story of journalist H. L. Mencken and the Great American Bathtub Hoax of 1917. What began as an amusing piece of fabricated history involving a Cincinnati businessman, suspicious doctors, and President Millard Fillmore became an accepted historical fact. Even after Mencken confessed, the story refused to die.

Plus, an ongoing Macarena-related medical emergency, questionable presidential facial hair, and a reminder that some things are considerably harder to get rid of than others.

The Box of Oddities — strange history, bizarre discoveries, unexplained mysteries, and the wonderfully weird side of being human.

Keep flying that freak flag!

#BoxOfOddities #AncientCurses #RomanHistory #CurseTablet #BathtubHoax #HLMencken #WeirdHistory #StrangeHistory #Archaeology #Oddities

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What if you woke up from a month-long coma with five years of memories from a future that hasn't happened yet?

Kat and Jethro explore the extraordinary story of Rubí, a young Mexican woman who claims she lived an entirely different life while unconscious in a hospital in 2025. In her experience, time continued normally until 2031, in a technologically advanced world where Mexico had become a global powerhouse and people were actually spending less time staring at their phones. But when she suddenly returned to 2025, she found herself grieving a life that everyone insisted had never happened. Was it an elaborate coma dream, an alternate reality, or something we don't yet understand about consciousness and time?

Then we're heading 250 miles above Earth to discover the surprisingly disgusting realities of living aboard the International Space Station. From floating tears and recycled urine to wet burps, questionable underwear experiments, and the disturbing etiquette of removing your socks in zero gravity, astronaut life is considerably less glamorous than NASA's recruitment materials might suggest.

Two journeys beyond ordinary reality. One through time, the other through space. Both raise some deeply uncomfortable questions about what happens to the human body when things get weird.

It's the strange, the bizarre, and the unexpected. It's The Box of Oddities.

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The Box of Oddities – 9th Annual Halloween Special, Part Two

Just when you thought it was safe to put away the Halloween decorations, Kat and Jethro are back with more unsettling, inexplicable, and occasionally ridiculous true stories from the Freak Family.

In Part Two of our Ninth Annual Halloween Listener Special, a beloved grandmother may have returned from beyond the grave for one last visit. Two teenagers exploring the Maryland woods find themselves pursued by something invisible, accompanied by mysterious music. A peaceful autumn hike in Maine takes a disturbing turn when a massive black shadow crosses the trail. And deep in the Alaskan wilderness, a man encounters a strange, upright-walking creature that local elders call one of the "Old Ones."

Then there's the terrifying childhood encounter with a multi-jointed stick figure that apparently followed one listener across the country. Because some things simply refuse to stay where you left them.

And finally, a reminder that sometimes the most frightening experience imaginable is just trying to make a pot of chicken soup.

Ghost stories, cryptid encounters, shadow figures, unexplained phenomena, and a healthy dose of Halloween weirdness. All told by the people who know strange better than anyone: you.

It's the Box of Oddities Ninth Annual Halloween Special, Part Two. Keep flying that freak flag, you beautiful freaks.

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Halloween night in Chicago. A theater full of Freaks. And a collection of stories that probably should have come with a medical waiver.

In this special live Halloween edition of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro take the stage at Chicago's Den Theatre for an evening of bizarre medical mysteries, supernatural legends, haunted history, and the occasional deeply regrettable visual aid.

First, the horrifying reality of teratomas—rare tumors that can grow teeth, hair, bone, and even brain tissue. From extraordinary medical case studies to specimens preserved in museums, it's a journey through the human body's more disturbing creative decisions.

Then, Kat ventures into the dark history of Bloody Mary, haunted mirrors, and supernatural reflections. Discover the ancient practice of scrying, John Dee's mysterious obsidian mirror, Abraham Lincoln's eerie double reflection, and Chicago's own haunted landmarks, including the Congress Plaza Hotel and Lincoln Park Zoo. Plus, the tragic true story of Ruthie Mae McCoy and its connection to the Candyman legend.

Throw in disastrous travel adventures, Halloween costumes, unexpected audience participation, and the particular chaos that occurs when Kat and Jethro are allowed to perform without adult supervision.

The strange, the bizarre, and the unexpected—LIVE from Chicago.

Watch the video of this special performance on The Box of Oddities Patreon, available to members of the Order of Freaks.

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It's Halloween, and the Freak Family has been keeping some very unsettling secrets.

For our 9th Annual Box of Oddities Halloween Special, Kat and Jethro open the inbox for a collection of listener-submitted paranormal encounters, ghost stories, and unexplained experiences that might make you reconsider what happens after we die.

A grieving friend encounters a familiar presence, a mysterious scent, and an ice-cold Coke Zero that nobody can explain. A childhood UFO sighting near Lake Erie comes with an unexpected earthquake. A house cleaner discovers that some former occupants may not be ready to leave. In Sri Lanka, a priest encounters a disturbing spiritual ritual. A young girl makes a mysterious friend at summer camp, and a terrifying encounter with the infamous Hat Man raises new questions about shadow people and the supernatural.

Some of these stories are genuinely frightening. Others are strangely comforting. All of them come from members of the Freak Family who experienced something they still can't explain.

And there's too much weirdness for just one episode! Part Two of our Halloween Special arrives Saturday, October 31.

Plus, don't miss our special release of Box of Oddities Live from Chicago's Den Theatre, with the video version available exclusively to our Order of Freaks supporters on Patreon.

Happy Halloween, you beautiful freaks. Keep flying that spooky freak flag.

The Box of Oddities — strange stories, paranormal mysteries, supernatural encounters, and the wonderfully bizarre.

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In 1829, journalist Anne Royall was dragged into a Washington, D.C., courtroom and convicted of being a common scold. Her crime? Having opinions, challenging powerful men, and refusing to keep her mouth shut. The proposed punishment involved a wooden chair, the Potomac River, and a medieval practice usually associated with witch trials. Naturally, Anne had a few things to say about that.

Then, Kat takes us down a surprisingly strange linguistic rabbit hole. Where did “cool beans,” “spill the beans,” and “full of beans” come from? Ancient Greek voting rituals? French fur trappers? Cheech and Chong? Recreational pharmaceuticals? The history of bean-related slang is considerably weirder—and much less certain—than you might expect.

Plus, William Shatner's bizarre career detours, from professional wrestling and championship horses to space travel and heavy metal.

It's outspoken women, questionable etymology, and Captain Kirk rocking out at 95.

Just another perfectly normal day inside The Box of Oddities.

Keep flying that Freak Flag!

#BoxOfOddities #AnneRoyall #WeirdHistory #StrangeHistory #CoolBeans #WilliamShatner #Podcast

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Ghostly Encounters, Scottish Mario & Halloween Chaos | Inbox of Oddities

The Freak Family has spoken, and things are getting delightfully weird in this episode of Inbox of Oddities!

Kat and Jethro dive into your listener emails, voice messages, and wonderfully unhinged stories, including a haunted Montana farmhouse where disembodied voices whisper from the basement and an unseen presence gets a little too handsy. Because apparently, even ghosts need a lesson in personal boundaries.

Plus, accidental 911 calls, a camper that goes up in spectacular flames, a Bluetooth bathroom mirror with excellent taste in podcasts, and the ongoing battle for Freak Family supremacy: Scottish Mario vs. a certain anatomically questionable ventriloquist puppet.

And with Halloween creeping closer, we're gearing up for our 9th Annual Box of Oddities Halloween Special, featuring YOUR creepy encounters and unexplained experiences!

It's paranormal encounters, bizarre true stories, inappropriate laughter, and the kind of glorious nonsense that only the Freak Family can deliver.

Have a strange story of your own? Send it our way. Your weirdness is always welcome.

Keep flying that freak flag, you beautiful freaks!

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